The Los Angeles district is redoubling its commitment to language immersion and bilingual education, starting with the addition of nine dual-language programs this school year.
The expansion is part of an effort to teach more children in the school system to read and write, not just speak, in multiple languages. The district has more than 140,000 English-learners, more than all but five states.
The district now has 65 dual-language programs, marking a 25 percent increase over the past three years, EdSource reports. With the language-immersion expansion, the district now has programs in Arabic, French, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, and Armenian, thanks in part to parent demand.