Russian-English Heritage Language Program
Our Heritage Language (Russian) program is designed for students who have a familial or cultural connection to the target language, focusing on maintaining and enhancing language proficiency. This, however, is not a requirement for students wanting to enter the program.
In the Russian Heritage Language Program, most students start in Kinder and 1st grade with the majority of the instruction in Russian: 90%, and 10% of the day in English. This 10% includes Specials classes (music, art, PE, etc). (For students qualifying for English Language Development/ELD, their day is 80% Russian and 20% English, with the English being ELD and Specials.) As the student progresses through the grades, the amount of English instruction during the day increases, and the amount of instruction in Russian decreases. The languages balance out over time, and by the time students reach high school, most of the instruction is done in English, with a small percentage in Russian.
WSD Schools that offer this program:
- Grades PreK-5 - Heritage Elementary
- Grades 6-8 - Valor Middle School
- Grades 9-12 - Woodburn High School
Program duration: Our Russian Heritage Language Program spans the entirety of a student's academic journey, from pre-k through 12th grade.
Program Entry Criteria: Any student, regardless of their language abilities, may enter the Dual Language Program in Kindergarten or in 1st grade. Starting in 2nd grade, if a student wishes to enter the Dual Language Program, they must meet one of the following requirements:
- have previously been enrolled in and be coming from a dual language program in another school
- pass an assessment administered at the Welcome Center
Russian Heritage Language Program Site