Paid for by Lawrence Township Schools
In 1994, Fort Benjamin Harrison was still a military base, so the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township (MSDLT) taught students from all over the world. These families valued a multicultural, bilingual education, so the district began offering a dual-language Spanish immersion program at Forest Glen Elementary. Dual language involves 50% native language speakers and 50% Spanish speakers learning together. The program experienced tremendous success.
“We’ve had such demand in our community, both from English- and Spanish-speaking families who want their children to be bilingual, biliterate and bicultural, that we’ve grown the program over the last 10 years to the point where seven of the 11 elementary schools have some type of a dual language program,” says Troy Knoderer, chief academic officer at MSDLT.
In addition, all of middle and high schools have dual-language programs.
The traditional way of learning a foreign language is surface-level language acquisition, where a student takes a class in middle school and a couple of classes in high school to enable them to order dinner and have some cordial social conversations. In the MSDLT, however, students get the academic language both in Spanish and English in classes such as science and social studies. In the early grades, classrooms are taught 80% Spanish, 20% English. By fourth grade it’s 50% Spanish, 50% English, and continues that way for the rest of elementary school.
“We’re proud of how that all comes together in a preschool program all the way through grade 12,” Knoderer says. “You don’t see that often, where you’ve got that continuity throughout a school district.”
Students apply to the program via a lottery system. However, if a family wants a bilingual education for their child, they can get it. Parents select their preferred school. They may or may not get their first choice based on the lottery, but the district now has the space to accommodate all families who desire a bilingual education.
Kris McAloon has been pleased with the district’s dual-language program, calling it an incredible gift for his fourth-grade son, Jackson.
“He’s not only bilingual and biliterate in Spanish and English, but also part of a multicultural learning environment that has expanded his global perspective,” says McAloon. “It has been inspiring to watch him grow with friends from so many different backgrounds and interact with teachers from around the world. We’ve seen him thrive academically in both languages, and we’re confident that these skills will open countless doors for him in the future.”
The students are able to test out of university requirements for Spanish because of the high-quality bilingual education they have received. In addition, being bilingual and biliterate makes students more marketable, not just internationally, but here as well, because businesses have expressed an increasing need to hire bilingual individuals.
Amanda Berkey says Spanish immersion has given her children a challenging academic experience while opening them up to connect with other cultures in a meaningful way.
“Our family enjoys visiting Spanish-speaking countries and learning about other cultures,” says Berkey. “I’m also confident that dual-language education will give my kids an edge for their future career path.”
Berkey’s ninth-grade daughter, Ava, appreciates how Spanish immersion increases opportunities. “I enjoy speaking Spanish in my community and learning about more Latin cultures around the world,” she says.
This year the district is piloting a self-contained, high-ability bilingual classroom that has been hugely successful.
“So often as educators we divide, sort and group kids,” Knoderer says. “This is an opportunity to bring students together and give them an experience where they can learn from one another as they build community and mutual respect by learning language from one another.”
Ninth-grader Emma Winters says that being bilingual has enabled her to connect with more people, understand different cultures and communicate in ways that not everyone can. She recalls a time when she encountered a bad car accident and was able to talk to the injured man, who only spoke Spanish.
“It was a great feeling to help him,” she says.
Pam Dechert maintains that the immersion program is a learning model that develops students’ understanding and appreciation of other countries and cultures, while preparing them to work and excel in the global workforce.
“From learning and performing dances from Puerto Rico, Nicaragua or Ecuador in elementary school, to spending time in Spain with classmates honing their Spanish skills, the program has been life changing for my son, Brodie,” says Dechert. “Next year he will graduate with an Immersion diploma, an Honors diploma and International Baccalaureate. It has positioned him to be a global citizen and a leader in college and beyond.”
Accolades and Awards for the MSDLT:
- MSDLT: Named 2024 Best Public Schools by Indianapolis Community’s Choice Awards
- Forest Glen Elementary: Named 2024 Best Preschool and Best Learning Center by Indianapolis Community’s Choice Awards
- Superintendent Dr. Shawn A. Smith: Received the 2024 Outstanding Support of Early Second Language Learning Award by National Network for Early Language Learning, and the 2025 Simon Award at the Central States Languages for All annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri
- Forest Glen Elementary School of Spanish Immersion: Received the Indiana Department of Education 2023 Excellence in Early Literacy Award
- MSDLT presented with the ACTFL Melba D. Woodruff Award for Exemplary Elementary World Language Programming in 2023
- MSDLT awards more seals of biliteracy from the Indiana Department of Education than any other district in Indiana
For more information about MSDLT’s Dual Language program, call 317-423-8200 or visit ltschools.org.
