Key Finding No. 1: Students randomly assigned to immersion outperformed their peers in English reading by about seven months in fifth grade and nine months in eighth grade.
Ten percent of students in Portland Public Schools are in language immersion programs. The programs are in a quarter of district schools, with potentially more on the way.
Michael Bacon, assistant director of Portland’s dual-language programs, said the data show a statistically significant advantage in reading by fifth grade for students in language immersion programs.
“Conservatively, it’s almost nine months – like a full school year of increased outcomes for kids,” Bacon said. “It’s across the board, whether if you’re an English-only kid, or a Spanish speaker, or a speaker of the partner language.”
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Mandarin Immersion Parents Council 