Multilingual Learning

• True Biliteracy: Students learn to read, write, and speak fluently in both English and Spanish.

• High Academic Achievement: Research shows immersion students meet or exceed peer benchmarks in standard testing over time.

• Cognitive Benefits: Learning in two languages enhances creative problem-solving, focus, and cultural empathy.

Because spots are strictly balanced to ensure optimal language learning, admission for incoming Kindergarteners is managed through an annual lottery.

Important: To be entered into the lottery, families must complete all four steps below. Missing a deadline or skipping a step will disqualify your child from the current year's lottery.

1. Attend a Mandatory Information Session:February.

Parents must attend one of our virtual informational meetings via Zoom to understand program expectations.

• Option 1: Mid-February (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)

• Option 2: Late February (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)

2. Submit Your Application & D26 Registration: By May 4.

Complete and submit the Dual Language Application Form. Concurrently, you must complete the standard District 26 Kindergarten Registration process online.

3. The Lottery Drawing: May 6.

The district conducts a lottery drawing to fill the limited seats, ensuring a balanced 50/50 split between heritage English and heritage Spanish speakers.

4. Confirm Your Seat (Deadline):By May 22.

Acceptance letters are mailed on May 15. You must sign and return the Consent for Placement Form by May 22 to secure your child's spot. Unclaimed spots automatically go to the waitlist.

Waitlist Rules:

Once the classrooms are filled, remaining applicants are placed on a sequential waitlist. If a confirmed student drops out over the summer, the next family on the waitlist will be contacted immediately.

• Who automatically qualifies for a spot? Incoming Kindergarteners who speak Spanish at home and are identified as English Learners (EL) through our standard language screening automatically qualify for the program, provided their parents opt-in.

• What if my child has an older sibling in the program? Siblings of students currently enrolled in the Dual Language program receive priority placement in the lottery, but parents must still attend the mandatory informational meeting and submit all paperwork on time.

• Is transportation provided? Yes. Transportation to Three Oaks Elementary is provided by the district for all students accepted into the Dual Language program, regardless of which neighborhood school is their home boundary.

Dual Language Program Explained 

Dual Language Handbook

To ensure your child receives the exact level of language support they need to thrive academically, Illinois state law outlines a specific identification process:

1. The Home Language Survey (HLS): 

When you first register your child for school in D26, you will fill out a Home Language Survey. If the survey indicates that a language other than English is spoken in the home, your child moves to the screening phase.

2. Language Proficiency Screening:

Our certified EL teachers will administer a state-approved language screener (like the WIDA Screener). This quick, friendly assessment evaluates your child's listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English.

3. Program Placement & Annual Review:

If the screener shows your child needs support, they are placed in our EL program (such as push-in or pull-out resource support). Every year, students take the ACCESS for ELs® test to track their English growth until they achieve full proficiency and transition out of the program.

• Push-In Support: An EL specialist works directly inside the general education classroom alongside the main teacher to support your child during reading, writing, or math.

• Pull-Out Support: Students meet with an EL specialist in a small-group setting for targeted, intensive English language development tailored to their current proficiency level.