About Uni Hill

Dual Language Program 

At Uni Hill, our goal is bilingual, biliterate, and multicultural students.

• Biliteracy: All students are expected to reach proficiency in reading, speaking, listening, and writing in English and Spanish.
• Bilingualism: All students are expected to complete fifth grade with proficiencies in English and Spanish.
• Multiculturalism: All students are expected to prepare for citizenship in a multicultural world.

We achieve these goals through:

• Team teaching with Spanish and English language classrooms
• Uni Hill students learn in classrooms where there is a balance of native Spanish-speakers and native English-speakers. A goal of 50/50 ratio of native Spanish and native English speakers exists at each grade level.
• Uni Hill employs highly qualified teachers with expertise in teaching in the diverse classroom. All staff are endorsed or working toward endorsement in ESL/Bilingual instruction. All of our classroom teachers and classroom support personnel as well as most of our specialist teachers are fully bilingual.
• In all grades, Uni Hill students master reading, writing, and math in their native language. Research shows that students can more easily transfer literacy skills to a second language once they have mastered the skills in their first language.
• In addition to developing literacy in their first language, Uni Hill students develop literacy skills in their second language through direct language instruction and through the study of content. Uni Hill students study core curriculum subjects, such as social studies and science, in three-five week units.
• The language of instruction for each unit alternates between English and Spanish. Rather than teaching Spanish and English as foreign languages, we utilize both languages to teach content.