Description:

MCPS offers One-Way Immersion (OWI) programs across seven elementary schools in French (full immersion at two schools), Spanish (full immersion at three schools), and Chinese (partial immersion at two schools).  This evaluation aimed to assess program effectiveness and student progress in biliteracy and academic achievement.  A multiple-case study with a mixed-methods design was used to examine program implementation and experiences of staff and parents.

Additionally, to measure student outcomes, a quasi-experimental design compared student performance on standardized assessments in each immersion program with matched groups of non-immersion students.  Separately, proficiency levels between immersion students and the district overall were examined.

Assessments to measure proficiency in the target language were not available.

Recommendations:

The following recommendations aim to optimize the implementation of immersion programs: 1) implement target language assessments and improve consistency of district required assessments, 2) provide a French immersion language arts curriculum and translated instructional resources for all immersion programs, 3) offer targeted professional learning opportunities to immersion staff, 4) review immersion program enrollment and continuation procedures, along with goal alignment, 5) consider expanding the team leader role, and 6) plan a future evaluation of Middle School immersion programs and student biliteracy pathways.

A response to the recommendations in this report, prepared by the Division of Teaching and Learning (DTL), can be found here.

File Name: 2025 One-Way Immersion Evaluation_FINAL.pdf (6.5MB PDF)