New Arabic Immersion School to further expand parents’ magnet choices
HISD has long been a leader when it comes to offering students innovative options. In 2003, we brought the early college high school concept to Texas, and in 2012, we opened the Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School.
Last night, the Board of Education approved a plan to create yet another exciting choice for Houston’s children—the Arabic Language Immersion Magnet School. This campus will offer dual-language instruction to students in Modern Standard Arabic starting in the fall of 2015 with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and I could not be more excited.
Research has shown that students who learn new languages reap long-term academic and social benefits, and this district has a track record for establishing highly successful dual language immersion schools. In fact, we believe so strongly in the value of second languages, that we are doubling the number of our dual language programs next fall.
HISD already has an exciting array of programs from which to choose, but this will add one more for parents to consider. And HISD’s changing demographics—not to mention its location in one of the world’s energy capitals—make this Arabic language school an option I am particularly proud of.
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