Riverbank Language Academy

Riverbank Language Academy (RLA) is the first public charter school located in the City of Riverbank, California. RLA operates as a school within the Riverbank Unified School District with its own Advisory Board that guides the daily operations of the school. RLA will eventually educate over 540 students in grades Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. RLA achieves academic excellence and the development of each student’s physical, emotional and social well-being through utilization of the 90/10 Dual Language Immersion model (also referred to as DLI), instruction in the arts and technology, and developing school-community partnerships. RLA promotes high expectations in developing student potential where students are immersed, not only in language, but, in a rigorous interdisciplinary high quality academic program. In 2009, RLA was the highest performing public school in the Riverbank Unified School District based on the STAR (California Standards Test). RLA has also been recognized statewide for student performance in the areas of academics and the performing arts, including back-to-back wins in the Student Performance Showcase for Stanislaus County's International Day of the Child held at the Gallo Arts Center in Modesto, CA.

According to DLI researcher Stephen Krashen (2002), properly organized Dual Language Immersion programs use the first language in ways that accelerate and facilitate second language development. Also, Dual Language Immersion programs are most effective when both EO students and ELL students are fully integrated for a majority of their instruction. In Kindergarten, for example, students are taught intensive Spanish oral language skills. Such skills enrich students’ academic performance as they are promoted to the upper grades. When English and Spanish speaking students, as well as students of different performance levels, are given opportunities to interact and work together, they benefit linguistically, academically and socially.

A careful analysis of the current DLI research indicates that the educational and linguistic needs of both ELL and EO students can best be met by combining the most effective features of immersion foreign language education and two-way immersion (90/10 model) education into a unified Dual Language Immersion model, which is implemented by the Riverbank Language Academy.

Research has shown that Dual Language Immersion programs have impressive rates of academic success in both English and the minority language (Spanish) for both limited English proficient students, native English speakers, and bilingual students, (Tempes, 1984–85; Krashen & Biber, 1988). These studies document the numerous benefits of extended minority language instruction for such students. It also serves to provide minority students with an equitable education to that of their English Only peers.

Of equal importance, the research from Dual Language Immersion programs demonstrates that English only (EO) students achieve superior scores on measures of second language proficiency while performing scholastically at a level equal to or higher than their peers who have received all their elementary school education in English (Campbell & Lindholm, 1987).

Dual Language Immersion programs provide scaffolding, differentiation and enrichment for EO’s and ELL’s, with the ultimate goal being bilingualism and bi-literacy for both groups of learners. Dual Language Immersion programs have been confirmed to provide all students with a clear advantage in attaining high levels of academic achievement through the continuing trend of closing the achievement gap.

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See Also

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