Department of English Learners and Multilingual Education (DELME) → Two-Way Immersion (TWI)
The Two-Way Immersion (TWI) program in MCPS is grounded in The Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education. TWI schools in MCPS implement a 50/50 model. In a 50/50 model, students spend 50% of their day learning in Spanish and 50% of their day learning in English. The standard county curriculum, scope, and sequence are adjusted to meet the interdisciplinary biliteracy unit approach used in the TWI schools. Students interact with each other academically and socially to develop proficiency in both Spanish and English. The classroom teacher serves as the language model and as such, must maintain fidelity to using the target language, while using effective comprehensible input strategies to support the comprehension of their students. Students also serve as language models to their peers, and all students in the program are learning content through a second or new language. We believe that students should actively and consistently use and produce the partner language daily through words, actions, and work products.
To learn more about the Biliteracy Unit Framework (BUF) used in TWI schools, please click here.
MCPS currently offers Two-Way Immersion programs (Spanish/English) at six schools:
| TWI School | Principal | Grades | School Contact Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Station ES | Ms. Marquetta (Renee) Singleton | K-5 | (240) 740-0260 |
| Kemp Mill ES | Dr. James Bernard | Prek-5 | (240) 740-5970 |
| Gaithersburg ES | Ms. Paula Summers | K-2* | (240) 740-4900 |
| Oakland Terrace ES | Ms. Elissa Royall | K-5 | (240) 740-4880 |
| Rolling Terrace ES | Ms. Rosa (Isabelle) Mensah | K-5 | (240) 740-1950 |
| Washington Grove ES | Dr. Amy Alonso | Prek-5 | (240) 740-0300 |
*Gaithersburg ES will continue to roll up implementation each year with all grade levels implementing TWI by the school year 2026-2027.
We believe that emerging bilingual students learn best when provided daily language development and daily literacy instruction that focuses on oracy, reading, writing, and metalanguage development in both program languages. We believe that English Language Arts (ELA)/English Language Development (ELD) and Spanish Language Arts (SLA)/Spanish Language Development (SLD) are explicitly connected and mutually reinforcing. Therefore, instruction is strategically planned and delivered through literacy, language, and content across both languages.
While individual school schedules may vary, all programs follow a 50/50 content and language allocation model. In a 50/50 model, students spend 50% of their day learning in Spanish and 50% of their day learning in English. Two-way immersion follows a standards-based instructional model grounded in the 4 +1 language domains (reading, writing, listening, speaking, and making metalinguistic connections) with intentional cross-linguistic transfers between Spanish and English. In order to successfully develop biliteracy skills, we engage students through standards-based interdisciplinary units.
For more information regarding TWI programming, please click here.
Two-way Immersion in MCPS is a whole-school model program open to students living within the boundaries of the six schools. The TWI program is not a lottery program. Incoming K-1 students who live within the boundaries of the six schools are automatically enrolled in the TWI program regardless of language spoken at home. Students in grades 2-5 transferring into a TWI school must meet at least one of the following criteria:
If the transferring grade 2-5 student does not meet the criteria, the family will need to complete the Two-way Immersion Partner School Assignment form that is available only at the TWI school site. The principal and/or registrar will communicate the process for the student’s enrollment into a partner school that is similar in demographics and in proximity to the TWI school.