Frequently Asked Questions about TWI
What steps can my school take to promote cohesion across the TWI strand and the general education strand?
Provide informational sessions about the TWI model to all staff and parents at the school during the planning and implementation phase to allow them to voice their concerns and/or to vote on whether to implement the model.
Ensure there are overarching academic goals, behavioral standards, and other cohesion-building elements such as a school mascot, slogan or song that apply to all students, staff, and parents in the school regardless of program affiliation.
Establish buddy classrooms by partnering each TWI classroom with a general education classroom and have the two classrooms work jointly on projects throughout the year and to socialize together.
Schedule joint planning time for TWI and general education teachers at each grade level.
Make sure that all school committees have representatives from both the TWI program and the general education program .
For more information on this topic, see:
- Calderón, M., & Minaya-Rowe, L. (2003). Designing and Implementing Two-Way Bilingual Programs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
- Cloud, N., Genesee, F., & Hamayan, E. (2000). Dual Language Instruction: A Handbook for Enriched Education. Boston, MA: Heinle and Heinle.
- Howard, E. R., & Christian, D. (2002). Two-Way Immersion 101: Designing and Implementing a Two-Way Immersion Education Program at the Elementary Level (Educational Practice Report 9). Santa Cruz, CA and Washington, DC: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence.