Program Development

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Program Development

Although most people think of program development as the necessary first step to choosing and designing a program model that will be implemented, program development must also mean the constant care of and reflection on best practice implementation and continuous improvement. Turnover in teaching staff or administration, as well as changes in school district policy, educational mandates, etc., all challenge a program's health and implementation. These challenges and potential distractions require a committed response to reflection and continuous improvement. An annual self-evaluation of the program's implementation is highly recommended and should be completed by representatives of all stakeholders of the school community.

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El Enriquecer Retreat

La Siembra Retreat

Four Distinct Dual Language Programs

Programmatic Resources

2-Day Self-Evaluation Retreat

A retreat for existing programs to self-evaluate, identify areas of improvement, and develop action plans to strengthen and improve program implementation.

Retreat Pricing

$3,200/school team plus facilitator expenses
Up to 10 participants/school
There is a three school minimum for on-site, district hosted retreats
10% discount offered for three school teams, 15% for four teams

Calendar Considerations

If you are interested in scheduling a program or professional development event, please contact David Rogers at (505) 243-0648 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

icon School District Sponsored Events/Including Out-of-State Collaborations (426.81 kB)

El Enriquecer is a retreat for existing programs to self-evaluate,identify areas of improvement, and develop action plans to strengthen and improve program implementation.

The retreat consists of two days of intensive training and planning for school teams based on using the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education, available at: http://www.cal.org/twi/guidingprinciples.htm,as a program self-assessment tool. In addition, for each guiding principle that is discussed, real best practice examples are presented to facilitate the action planning process.

The goal is for school teams to not only leave El Enriquecer with a clear idea of where their program is with respect to best practices and the next steps they need to take to improve program quality, but also to have myriad concrete examples and tools for immediate use back at the school site.

A Dual Language Program Self-Evaluation Retreat that includes:

Dual Language 101 review
Program self-assessment using, The Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education
Intensive planning for strengthening dual language program implementation
Opportunities for support from peers in other schools
Training and facilitation by veteran dual language teachers

El Enriquecer Sample Report

El Enriquecer May 2008 (488.85 kB)

Upcoming El Enriquecer Retreats

Lead Facilitators Include:

Denise Sandy-Sánchez, Lisa Meyer-Jacks, Dair Obenshain, Natalie Olague, and/or other veteran Dual Language Educators

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La Siembra

2-Day Planning Retreat

La Siembra is a retreat designed to facilitate planning, preparation, and design of new dual language programs.

Retreat Pricing

$3,200.00/school team plus facilitator expenses
Up to 10 participants/school
There is a three school minimum for on-site, district-hosted retreats 10% discount offered for three school teams, 15% for four school teams

Calendar Considerations

Individual school and/or district-hosted events need to be scheduled at least three months in advance to allow for adequate planning and preparation time. Months favorable for scheduling these events are October, December, January, February, and May. If you are interested in scheduling a program or professional development event, please contact David Rogers at (505) 243-0648 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

icon School District Sponsored Events/Including Out-of-State Events (426.81 kB)

La Siembra is a retreat designed to facilitate planning, preparation, and design of new dual language programs in New Mexico. The first workshop was held in April 2003 in Corrales, New Mexico.

The retreat consists of two days of intensive training and planning for key stakeholder groups from schools that are planning to start a dual language program in the next two years. The work of the groups is organized around the Dual Language Program Planner: A Guide for Designing and Implementing Dual Language Programs. The retreat is facilitated by veteran dual language teachers. Participation in La Siembra is not meant to provide all the answers to new program design and planning, but it's a powerful first step.

The ultimate goal is for each school team to leave with a clear idea of what is needed to provide a high quality dual language program at their school.

Planting the Seeds of Strong New Dual Language Programs

Two days of intensive training and planning for key stakeholder groups from schools that are planning to start a dual language program in the next two years.
Retreat organized around the Dual Language Program Planner:
A Guide for Designing and Implementing Dual Language Programs, available at: http://calstore.cal.org/store/detail.aspx?ID=134
Training and facilitation by veteran dual language teachers.
Ultimate goal for each team is to leave the institute with a clear idea of what is needed to provide a high quality dual language program, and the beginnings of a team-developed action plan.

La Siembra Sample Reports

La Siembra Retreat February 21-22, 2008
Planting the Seeds of Strong New Dual Language Programs

La Siembra Retreat February 21-22, 2008 (243.89 kB)
La Siembra November 12-13, 2007
Pre-Conference Retreat to La Cosecha Fall 2007
Planting the Seeds of Strong New Dual Language Programs

La Siembra Retreat February 21-22, 2008 (243.89 kB)

Action Plan Template (55.36 kB)

Upcoming La Siembra Retreats - to be announced

icon School District Sponsored Events/Including Out-of-State Collaborations (426.81 kB)

Lead Facilitators Include:

Denise Sandy-Sánchez, Lisa Meyer-Jacks, Dair Obenshain, Diana Pinkston, Ruth Kriteman and/or other veteran Dual Language Educators

Back to Program Development Home Page

Four Distinct Dual Language Programs

Two-way Immersion (90-10 or 50-50)
Proven the most successful of all dual language programs, Two-way Immersion emphasizes the need to have language models of both the Minority and Majority Languages, learning side-by-side in the classroom for the majority of the day. The non-negotiable issues for Two-way Immersion programs are: Balance of language minority and language majority students (at least 1/3 –2/3 ratio for either language). Integration of language minority and language majority students at least 50% of the time at all grade levels.
Heritage Language
Following the non-negotiable criteria for dual language programs, Heritage Language programs serve a student population that does not command a fluency in the language of their heritage. In New Mexico, this would include the New Mexican Hispanic or Chicano student who no longer uses the Spanish language in their home environment.
Developmental Bilingual
Following the non-negotiable criteria for dual language programs, Developmental Bilingual programs serve predominantly minority language students and do not have the 1/3 representation of strong majority language models participating in the program.
Foreign Language Immersion (total or partial)
Following the non-negotiable criteria for dual language programs, Foreign Language Immersion programs serve predominantly majority language students, and do not have the 1/3 representation of strong minority language models participating in the program. The responsibility of “modeling” the minority language falls mainly on the instructors in the classroom and any community persons wishing to assist in the classroom.