Parents' Questions About Two-Way Immersion

1. What advantages are there for my child in a TWI program? Are the advantages the same for language minority and language majority students?
2. How do students in TWI programs compare academically to students in other types of educational programs?
3. When do students perform at grade level on standardized achievement tests in their first and second languages? Is the time frame different for 90/10 vs. 50/50 models?
4. Within TWI programs, how does the academic performance of native English speakers compare to that of English language learners?
5. What are the characteristics of students who are successful in TWI programs?
6. How can TWI program parents help families who don’t have children in the program understand its benefits?
7. How can TWI parents work with the school board and district administrators to help them understand the importance of supporting TWI programs?
8. What should a TWI program do to promote home-school connections? What can I do as a parent to get involved?
9. How can I help support my child in doing homework in the second language, particularly if I don’t know that language? What kind of homework support can the program provide?
10. What resources exist for parents of TWI students? Are there conferences that I might enjoy attending?

4. Within TWI programs, how does the academic performance of native English speakers compare to that of English language learners?

Native English speakers typically achieve at higher levels in English than do English language learners (Howard, Sugarman & Christian, 2003). By middle school, native English speakers on average score above grade level in standardized achievement tests of reading and math, while English language learners on average approach grade level. However, students who begin elementary school as English language learners and develop full oral and reading and writing proficiencies in English often have a mean performance that is as high as or higher than that of native English speakers.