Spanish Immersion

Eastern Carver County Schools offers a two-way dual language Spanish immersion program for learners starting in kindergarten through high school. Our goal is for learners to become biliterate and bilingual with learners who may qualify to earn a Seal of Biliteracy and college credit by high school graduation.

Immersion Pathway Updates

Over the past several months, the district has worked to make some essential program updates to the Immersion Pathway. These changes are in response to what we’ve heard from students, families, and staff over the past several months, and are designed to strengthen the student experience and build even more rigorous and engaging pathways for language fluency and cultural understanding.

The district’s goal with these changes is to enhance the program by providing 1) differentiated pathways for language courses, offering 2) a new year-long 11th grade social studies course to extend immersion opportunities beyond 10th grade, and 3) ensuring high-quality, consistent instruction. Please read below for an overview of the updates and frequently asked questions in regard to the change to required enrollment in Chanhassen High School beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. 

Updates

1. Differentiated Pathways for Language

We are differentiating the language pathway to better serve all students and their long-term goals. You can click here for more details.













 

  • Immersion students choose AP Spanish Language & Culture or Spanish Conversation & Culture in grade 10. Conversation & Culture will include Immersion students and students from the World Language Spanish pathway. The class will focus on preparing students to take the AP course the next year. 
  • Most Immersion students will take AP Spanish Language & Culture in grade 11 alongside students from the World Language Spanish pathways. 
  • Add Spanish language electives for students to take either after or instead of AP Spanish. New electives will focus on the humanities, Spanish for careers, or other areas relevant to students’ interests and goals.

2. New 11th Grade Social Studies Course

  • All high school students are required to take at least a 1/2 credit each of Economics, US Government, and Human Geography, usually during 11th and 12th grade. 
  • Immersion versions of these courses have been in the registration guide, but have never been requested by more than a handful of students during registration. 
  • We will create a new course for 11th graders (and 12th) that will cover requirements for Economics and Human Geography: Latin America Geography and Economics

3. Ensuring Consistent Instructional Time

We’ve heard clearly from students, staff, and families that the current travel model for Immersion classes between Chaska and Chanhassen is not working. Every student in the program is losing significant instructional time, and students at Chaska don’t have access to their Immersion teacher(s) throughout the day. To eliminate barriers to high-quality instruction and maximize learning time for all students, we are making a change regarding high school placement:

  • Requirement for Full Enrollment at Chanhassen High School (CHS) beginning with current 7th graders: The current practice of split enrollment between Chanhassen and Chaska High Schools, which necessitated shuttle bus travel, has led to a significant loss of valuable instructional time. To address this and improve the student experience, beginning with our current 7th graders all students who wish to continue with the Immersion Program will be required to enroll full-time at Chanhassen High School.
  • Implementation: Please note that both 8th graders and our current high school students will not be affected by this change and will continue at their current school. This requirement will begin with our current 7th grade class and all subsequent cohorts.
  • Students who choose to stay at CHS will still be able to take Spanish courses through the world language department and will have an opportunity to take the STAMP test in grade 10 to earn a Bilingual Seal. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Upcoming Immersion Events
Winter Coffee: Thank you to all who joined our fall coffee hours, please mark your calendars for our next round of coffee hours this winter. You’re invited to join us for an informal coffee hour to meet school and district leaders supporting immersion, hear program highlights from our different schools with immersion, visit classrooms, and engage in informal conversation around the Immersion Pathway in ECCS.

Our next Coffee Hours will take place on the following dates and times:

  • La Academia - January 8 (8-9 a.m.) 
  • Chaska HS - January 14 (10-11 a.m.)
  • Middle School West - January 21 (9-10 a.m.)
  • Chanhassen HS - January 23 (8-9 a.m.)

Spanish interpreters and light refreshments will be provided.

Elementary Immersion Experience

La Academia is a two-way dual language immersion school. 

  • Classes are made up of ⅓ Native Spanish Speakers and ⅓ Native English Speakers and the last ⅓ any other language.
  • Classes are taught in the target language with bridging for biliteracy in each class.
  • Students begin Kindergarten immersed in Spanish language instruction for 90% of their school day. By Grade 5, the student day is half English and half Spanish.
  • Our goal is for learners to become biliterate, bilingual and to perform at or above their grade-level peers on standardized assessments.
  • By high school graduation, learners may qualify to earn a Seal of Biliteracy and college credit.

Middle School Immersion Experience

The dual language program continues at Chaska Middle School West under the name Estrellas Sirius and helps students become biliterate, bilingual and culturally competent.

All students from La Academia moving to Chaska Middle School West automatically enroll in Estrellas Sirius and will take:

  • Communication Arts (Spanish Immersion 1, 2, and 3) for high school elective credit each year
  • One Core Content Area: Currently in the social sciences
    • 6th: U.S. History
    • 7th: Civics
    • 8th: Global Studies

Sample High School Immersion Schedule/ Ejemplo del Programa de Inmersión en Escuela

HS immersion sample

High School Immersion Experience

The high school immersion program is an extension from Middle School Spanish Immersion courses focusing on four modalities: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking through a replacement class for a core content. This class has the same standards as regular core content with Spanish as the target language.

Students who attend La Academia will attend Chanhassen High School. This means that 8th grade students who attended La Academia for elementary school, and who move on to the middle school dual immersion program at Chaska Middle School West, will be automatically enrolled to Chanhassen High School. However, if your student’s home address is in the Chaska High School attendance boundary, you have the option to enroll him/her in Chaska High School rather than Chanhassen High School. In this case, parents must notify the Welcome Center at the District Education Center no later than January 15 of their student’s 8th grade year.

At Chanhassen High School, students will continue to grow in their Spanish comprehension by focusing on the four modalities: reading, writing, listening and speaking. 

Each year, students can register for a Spanish-language course and a content-area course offered in Spanish. These content-area courses cover the same standards as the English-language version and count towards graduation requirements.  As with other high school courses, immersion courses will be staffed based on the number of student registrations received the previous spring.

In 10th grade, students have the opportunity of taking the STAMP assessment to see if they are eligible for the Bilingual Seal.

9th Grade students can register for one or both of the immersion courses:

  • Spanish Immersion 4
  • World History

10th Grade students can register based on teacher recommendation for:

  • Spanish Immersion 5
  • US History

As they move on to 11th and 12th grade, students will register based on teacher recommendation for:

  • AP Spanish Literature
  • Core content in Spanish

Bilingual Seal Program

The Bilingual Seal Program provides acknowledgement and confirmation that a student is proficient in English and one other language. Depending on the level of proficiency demonstrated, students can earn a World Language Proficiency Certificate, a Bilingual Gold Seal, or a Bilingual Platinum Seal. This award goes on the student transcript as evidence of the student’s bilingualism. 

Schools in the Minnesota State College and University system award college credit to a student based on the award they have received. Because the Bilingual Seal is a national program, colleges and universities in other states may also award credits; students will need to check with specific universities. 

Above and beyond earning college credit, The Bilingual Seal Program celebrates multilingualism as an end in and of itself. Eastern Carver County Schools (ECCS) encourages all students to develop proficiency in multiple languages as a way to understand the world, be a responsible citizen of the United States, and open up multiple career opportunities.

Learn more about the how our students can earn the bilingual seal.

Contact

Elementary Immersion
Gretchen Kleinsasser, Principal
952-556-6300
 
Middle & High School Immersion
Dan Cahill, Teaching and Learning
952-556-6182