The overall goal of the World Languages & Dual Language/Immersion program is to promote high academic achievement in literacy and proficiency in two languages while enhancing the level of cultural awareness among students. “Late Entry” means that a student is entering a specialized program at a grade other than the normal entry grade of kindergarten, and must be deemed eligible through testing in order to enter the programs.
Our dual language/immersion programs are not designed for students who have not had exposure to the target language. Students in these programs should already be familiar with the language.
World Language & Language Immersion Schools
The following chart lists all the immersion grade levels for the 2024-2025 school year.
| Blue Transportation Zone | Green Transportation Zone | Violet Transportation Zone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Collinswood Language Academy (grades K-8) | Charlotte East Language Academy (grades K-7) | Oaklawn Language Academy (grades K-8) |
| Chinese, French, German | South Academy of International Languages (grades K-8) | South Academy of International Languages (grades K-8) | North Academy of World Languages (grades K-4) |
| Japanese | South Academy of International Languages (grades K-8) | South Academy of International Languages (grades K-8) | South Academy of International Languages (grades K-8) |
How to Enter the Programs: Lottery vs. Late-Entry
- Rising kindergarten students can enter one-way immersion programs (Chinese, Japanese, German and French) and two-way immersion programs (Spanish) through the CMS School Choice Lottery each year, and testing is not required. Families who miss the lottery can participate in the Reassignment/Transfer process and testing is not required.
- Rising 1st through 8th grade students can enter the one-way immersion or immersion continuation programs (Chinese, Japanese, German and French) and the two-way immersion or immersion continuation programs (Spanish) through the Late-Entry process only.
- Rising 6th grade students can enter the non-immersion, World Language programs (Chinese, Japanese, German and French) through the CMS School Choice Lottery and testing is not required. Families who miss the lottery can participate in the Reassignment/Transfer process.
- Rising 7th and 8th grade students can enter the non-immersion, World Language programs (Chinese, Japanese, German and French) through the Reassignment/Transfer process only. The school will perform a transcript review to ensure the student has the necessary background in the language of study.
Late-entry is a 3-step process. Students who wish to be considered for placement must:
- Be registered in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district as a current or future student. Use this link to complete registration.
- Request a reassignment/transfer into one of the language immersion programs. Use this link to complete the online request and see the due dates for the 2024-2025 school year.
- Read the information below to request a late-entry assessment. The assessment will only determine eligibility for a dual language/immersion program. It does not guarantee placement. Placement depends on whether there is space available in the program.
Late-Entry Assessment Sign-Up
Help your child prepare for the assessment!
- Make sure your child eats and rests before the test. You will not be able to accompany them in the testing room, so prepare them to enter alone.
- See the rubrics used to score late-entry assessments here: https://avantassessment.com/guides/benchmark-rubric/stamp#Rubric.
- See sample tests for the Avant 4Se assessments here: https://avantassessment.com/sample-tests#STAMP-4Se.
Need assistance?
Email Luz Pachon at luz1.pachon@cms.k12.nc.us