Dual Language Immersion

For additional information about the lottery for kindergarten Dual Language Immersion, please visit the Admission Guidelines page.

(All core content is taught in Mandarin; English is introduced in kindergarten).

English speakers focus on learning a partner language as the sole language of instruction for math, science, social studies and language arts in the ‘partner language’ (the new language). Students focus on math, science, social studies and language arts in Mandarin. English is introduced from the start of kindergarten. The amount of English instruction increases yearly and by fourth grade, students spend approximately half of their day learning subjects in English and the other half of their day learning subjects in Mandarin Chinese. In fourth and fifth grade, language arts is taught in both English and Mandarin Chinese while math is taught in Mandarin Chinese and science/social studies are taught in English.

• Kensington Elementary
• Marvin Elementary

(All core content is taught in Spanish; English is introduced in 2nd grade).

English speakers focus on learning a partner language as the sole language of instruction for math, science, social studies and language arts in the ‘partner language’ (the new language). Students focus on Spanish until second grade, when English is introduced. The amount of English instruction increases yearly and by fourth grade, students spend approximately half of their day learning subjects in English and the other half of their day learning subjects in Spanish. In fourth and fifth grade, language arts is taught in both English and Spanish, while math is taught in Spanish and science/social studies are taught in English.

• Antioch Elementary
• Kensington Elementary 
• New Town Elementary  
• Poplin Elementary
• Rea View Elementary
• Shiloh Valley Primary
• Shiloh Valley Elementary
• Unionville Elementary
• Weddington Elementary
• Western Union Elementary

(Core content is split between Spanish and English. English is introduced in kindergarten, first or second grade).

English speakers and Spanish speakers become bilingual, biliterate and bicultural by learning Spanish and English together. Once English is introduced,  students spend approximately half of their day learning various subjects in English and half of their day learning subjects in Spanish. Language arts are taught in Spanish and English, while math, science and social studies alternate between being taught in Spanish or English each year as students progress through elementary school. 

• East Elementary (English introduced in first grade)
• Marshville Elementary (English introduced in kindergarten)
• Porter Ridge Elementary (English introduced in second grade)
• Walter Bickett Elementary (English introduced in first grade)
• Wingate Elementary (English introduced in first grade)

(Immersion offered as a year-long elective).

Students will take a yearlong elective course in sixth, seventh and eighth grade to bridge the content-based instructional focus in elementary school with the language-based curriculum in high school. The curriculum will include a blend of global perspectives and cultural content while also focusing on grammatical and lexical accuracy. Students will continue to read, write, speak, and listen in the target language to maintain and increase their proficiency. The curriculum uses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a focus. Students will have the opportunity to earn one high school credit upon successful completion of both the sixth and seventh grade DLI courses as well as one high school credit for successful completion of the eighth grade DLI course. These courses will be available to students who were enrolled in Dual Language Immersion in elementary school as well as heritage speakers with literacy skills in their native language, pending availability. 

• East Union Middle (Spanish)
• Marvin Ridge Middle (Mandarin)
• Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle (Spanish - beginning in the fall of 2023)
• Parkwood Middle (Spanish)
• Piedmont Middle (Spanish)
• Porter Ridge Middle (Spanish)
• Sun Valley Middle (Spanish)
• Weddington Middle (Spanish)

Once immersion students enter high school, they enter the traditional sequence of world language courses. A placement exam is given at the end of eighth grade to determine if students will enter Honors Level III or Honors Level IV. After level IV, students progress to Advanced Placement courses or International Baccalaureate courses where available. 

• Marvin Ridge High (Mandarin)
• Parkwood High (Spanish)
• Piedmont High (Spanish)
• Porter Ridge High (Spanish)
• Sun Valley High (Spanish)
• Weddington High (Spanish)

For more information, visit the Middle and High School DLI page.

Union County Public Schools holds a lottery each year to determine enrollment for kindergarten Dual Language Immersion classes. Students wishing to enroll after kindergarten should follow the late entry procedures listed below. There is no lottery for students other than rising kindergartners.

The following preferences apply for rising kindergarteners entering the lottery each spring:

• First preference is given to rising kindergarteners in the host school’s attendance zone. Transportation is only available to students in the attendance zone.
• Second preference will be given to other interested rising kindergartners within the host school’s cluster. If the class does not reach capacity after the initial registration period for the host school’s attendance zone, any remaining spots will be determined with a random lottery.
• Third preference will be given to other interested students residing anywhere in UCPS who have an approved transfer from the UCPS Central Office. A random lottery will be conducted to assign all seats remaining after the second preference seats have been filled.
• Waiting Lists: If the number of student applicants exceeds the space availability in the program, students will be placed on a waiting list. The order on the waiting list is determined by random drawing and based on the preferences listed above. Students on the waitlist can only enter the program in kindergarten if space becomes available.
• Late Entry: Those wishing to apply after the Kindergarten registration period should contact the Director of College Readiness about potential openings and language assessment in Mandarin or Spanish. Given the rising expectations of grade level success in the target language, it is rare for students to be accepted into the program after fall of First Grade for Spanish programs and after the fall of Kindergarten for Mandarin programs.  

UCPS BOE 4-13 AG(a) states:

Special Program Schools with a Specific Entry Grade

The lottery for certain Special Program Schools (i.e. CATA, UCEC, IB, IBPP, and DLI) is only conducted at specific grade levels. For example:

• DLI lottery is only run for rising kindergarteners; and
• CATA, UCEC, and IBPP are only run for rising 9th graders.

Parents who wish to enroll their children in one of these Special Program Schools after the specified admission grade are subject to the following qualifications, in addition to those criteria already established for the Special Program School:

• The family is moving into UCPS and is coming from a school with a similar program.
• The family is moving into UCPS from a country where the language of the DLI program is the native language (DLI only).
• There is space in the program where the family wishes to enroll (DLI, IB, and IBPP only).

For DLI only, once a family has met the above qualifications, the District will administer an assessment of the child’s ability to read, write, speak, and listen in the target language. If the student’s proficiency is at a level determined to be equivalent to his/her grade-level peers, the student will be granted admission into the DLI program. This assessment will only be conducted during the initial enrollment period of the family moving into UCPS.

Students who are currently enrolled in UCPS are not eligible to enter a Special Program School with a specific entry grade after the entry lottery has taken place.

According to policy 4-13, a rising kindergarten student will be allowed to transfer into the dual language program at the school where his/her older sibling is currently enrolled in a dual language class. The rising kindergarten student must enroll and remain in the dual language program to be eligible under this option.

Rising Kindergarten students must be enrolled at their home school prior to expressing interest in an immersion program. The lottery process is completely online through the Scribbles program beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. Parents must complete an application for each program in which they are interested. See Preferences outlined in the first section of this FAQ. The lottery application windows are posted within the online system.

Interested parents can attend parent information meetings hosted by the host schools during the months of February and March. 

UCPS provides transportation to students who are living in the attendance zone of the host school.  If a transfer from another school attendance zone is granted from the UCPS Office of Student Assignment, parents/guardians are responsible for providing transportation to the school outside of their attendance zone. It is important to consider transportation options and responsibilities.

Depending on the program, there are approximately 24 or 48 seats available in the lottery for students entering kindergarten. All assignments are made by a random lottery process. See the preferences in the first section of this FAQ document. There is no pre-screening assessment for the kindergarten lottery.

• UCPS will continue to monitor student interest and commitment to continue the immersion program, which will inform course offerings and staffing decisions.  Adding subsequent courses at other school sites, and keeping current courses at existing school sites will depend on sustained enrollment indicators.  In addition, immersion classes may be larger than regular classes and may be operated as multi-grade combination classes. This program could be altered or relocated depending on District or program needs.
• Support services for students shall only be available in English. Of primary concern is for students to learn fundamental curriculum concepts.  If any student seems to be struggling with math or reading concepts, then additional assistance will be provided to those students in English to assess whether the difficulty is with the language or the core concepts.  If the student does not understand the concept in English, the parents, teacher, and administrator will meet to discuss the student’s needs.
• Special Education and English as a Second Language (ESL):  It is recommended that parents of students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency who are interested in submitting an application for an immersion experience first visit the program. Students with disabilities will be afforded an equal opportunity to participate in the admissions process, and the IEP Teams will thoroughly consider the immersion program as part of the continuum of program and placement options.
• Immersion may not be the optimal learning environment for every student. If a teacher and/or parent has concerns about a child’s progress in the immersion program, the concerns are discussed in a meeting, and in-class assistance may be provided, as it would be in any traditional program. If there is an extreme circumstance in which the child is demonstrating significant struggle, then the teacher, administrator(s), and parents will meet to determine the appropriate interventions, referrals, and program options.  

Middle school students will be provided an elective option to continue in the immersion sequence. In sixth grade the course is Spanish or Mandarin Chinese Dual & Heritage Level I (Part A) and in seventh grade students take Spanish or Mandarin Chinese Dual & Heritage Level I (Part B). Students receive one high school world language credit upon successful completion of both Part A and Part B. In eighth grade, students take Spanish or Mandarin Chinese Dual & Heritage Level II. Successful completion of the Level II course will also provide the student with one high school world language credit.

In grades 9-12, students may select to continue in intermediate or advanced language study of a world language through face-to-face or blended learning, as well as potential Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course selections. Likewise, students may begin study of a third language.

The first point of contact should always be the teacher. In addition, many schools have a DLI advisory board that meets regularly. There is also a district DLI Advisory Board that meets twice a year. Each school has designated a representative that assists in the flow of information between schools and the district. You are welcome to contact the representative for your school with concerns, as well as the principal or Director of College Readiness. See the list of representatives for each school.