By Catholic Review
Archbishop Borders School in Highlandtown has been selected as one of 12 schools in the U.S. to participate in the Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools.
Participation in this group will foster collaboration among school leadership, provide support from Boston College scholars and practitioners and other national institutions and guide the development of specific language immersion program models to best suit each school’s unique community.
“The dual-language or two-way immersion program at Archbishop Borders was launched in 2010 to serve the needs of the growing Hispanic community and in response to a Maryland State Task Force on Preservation of Heritage Language Skills which reported the lack of dual-language programs in the state,” Dr. Barbara McGraw Edmondson, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Baltimore said in a statement. “The selection of Archbishop Borders to this elite Two-Way Immersion Network affirms the commitment and resources the Archdiocese has allocated to this important initiative.”
Archbishop Borders is pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school that offers two-way language classes beginning in pre-K.
This network is the first initiative of the Innovation Institute for Catholic Educators, a program designed to promote and support innovative academic opportunities for pre-K-12 Catholic education.
The Innovation Institute formed as a partnership of the Barbara and Patrick Roche Center for Catholic Education in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College and the National Catholic Educational Association.
The partnership encourages academic models that support successful student outcomes for Catholic schools. Based on proven strategies, academic research and best practices developed by Catholic colleges and universities, the Innovation Institute improves the effectiveness, rigor and sustainability of our nation’s Catholic schools.
“We welcome this program that will further the skill set and cultural understanding of our students,” Cathy Marshall, principal of Archbishop Borders, said in a statement. “This two-way immersion program will enhance the academic quality and student outcomes of our students. It is an honor to be an early adopter of this bilingual education model.”
Copyright (c) Dec. 13, 2012 CatholicReview.org