At PS 24 in Sunset Park, 90 percent of the students are Latino and many are still learning to speak English. But, instead of giving them English-only instruction PS 24 offers a dual language program, with kindergartners getting 90% of their instruction in Spanish.

In 1st to 5th grade, students study half a day in English and half a day in Spanish but the early immersion in Spanish helps solidify reading and writing in two languages, offering longterm benefits for bilingual children, according to Principal Christina Fuentes.

Ramaa Reddy Raghavan, a reporting fellow at Feet in Two Worlds, writes that the"city’s dual language schools have a tough time competing with other schools in terms of academic performance." Because of that, some schools may be reluctant to start a program, despite the benefits for children becoming profiicent in two languages.  PS 24 got a "B" on last year's Progress Report -- an "A" for environment but a "D" for student performance on state tests.

Read A Dual Language School in Brooklyn Struggles to Meet DOE expectations But Succeeds in Child Development Areas on Feet in Two Worlds, a project of the Center for New York City Affairs.