Alfred duPont Middle School in Jacksonville, Fla., was recently selected by the Embassy of Spain as the 2021 “School of the Year” for its dual language program. The award recognized one elementary and one middle school in the United States for demonstrating rigorous work in both Spanish and English.

The Embassy highlighted the school’s dual language program, praising the collective effort among students, administrators, and families to foster a bilingual atmosphere that allows students to learn another language and experience new cultures.

Alfred duPont is one of five schools in Duval County Public Schools that offer a dual language program. Students enrolled in the program take their academic courses in both Spanish and English, including core subjects such as math, science, language arts and social studies.

“This award speaks to the quality of our program,” said Marilyn Barnwell, principal of duPont Middle. “We are providing kids with one of the best bilingual learning programs in the nation.  It also affirms that we are moving in the right direction in our goal of developing a first-class program that will help guide our students in their pursuit of higher education and global citizenship.”

The Spanish Embassy noted the annual academic success of the program, including a 20-point increase in English Language Arts (ELA) state assessment scores among eighth-grade native Spanish and English speakers in the program since the 2014-2015 school year. In addition, 75 percent of students tested either proficient or above proficient in Spanish literacy skills last school year.

“The goal of the Dual Language program is bilingualism,” said Barnwell. “We want our students to think, speak, and write in both languages. This not only gives students an advantage competing in a growing global marketplace, it also helps them to see the world from multiple perspectives.”

As the recipient of the award, duPont Middle will receive grants to provide professional training courses for educators, a special professional development grant for one week of training in Spain and Spanish-English books and resources.