Directory of Foreign Language Immersion Programs in U.S. Schools

Welcome to CAL’s searchable directory of language immersion programs!
The Foreign Language Immersion Directory was first compiled by CAL in 1981. This directory is an archive and no longer updated. The directory data was last summarized in 2011 (see below for links to the summary of data).
Information about the Directory
This directory includes elementary, middle, and high schools that teach all or part of their curriculum through a second language. Such programs are usually referred to as total or partial immersion programs. In general, the programs are designed for students whose native language is English.
The following definitions are used in this directory:
Total Immersion – Programs in which all or almost all subjects taught in the lower grades (K-2) are taught in the foreign language; instruction in English usually increases in the upper grades (3-6) to 20%-50%, depending on the program.
Partial Immersion – Programs in which up to 50% of subjects are taught in the foreign language; in some programs, the material taught in the foreign language is reinforced in English.
Two-Way Immersion – Programs that give equal emphasis to English and a non-English language and in which one to two thirds of the students are native speakers of the non-English language, with the remainder being native speakers of English.
Note: The language profession is continually reviewing program definitions, and has noted that some schools have started using different terminology for their immersion programs. For schools that offer immersion programs but do not use the terms "total immersion" or "partial immersion," we requested that they list "other" as their Immersion Type, and then specify the terminology and definition in the Notes Field. It should also be noted that this directory also includes a few Spanish-English two-way immersion programs, in which classes include both native English and native Spanish speakers. These two-way programs typically began as partial or total immersion programs and are thus included in the Foreign Language Immersion Directory for historical reasons. For a national directory of two-way programs, and to submit information about a two-way program, please see CAL’s Directory of Two-Way Bilingual Programs in the United States.
SEARCH INSTRUCTIONS
You may search the directory in a variety of ways. If you want to find the entry for a specific school, enter the name of the school in the appropriate box below, then click the "search" button. If you want to identify programs that have certain characteristics, for example, all schools in a particular district that have French immersion programs, type the name of the district in the appropriate box, click on "French," and then click "Search." The directory will retrieve a list of all schools that meet your criteria. If you want to select more than one language, hold down the control key while clicking on additional language names. The directory will retrieve programs that teach one or more of the languages you selected. You may choose one, several, or all categories to conduct a search. (Note: If you click "Search" without specifying any search criteria, you will retrieve the entire list of schools in the database. This is the format of the directory that most people prefer when printing a hardcopy.)
School:
District:
City:
State:
Grade Levels:
Language:
   
SUMMARY OF THE DATA IN THIS DIRECTORY, 2011*
Click on the links below for tables and graphs of the content of this directory.
Number of Language Immersion Schools by State
Language Immersion Schools by State
Percentage of Immersion Programs by Language of Instruction
Language of Instruction in Immersion Programs
Growth of Language Immersion Programs in the U.S., 1971-2011
*The data on these tables represent the total number of language immersion programs as of November 2011.
HOW TO CITE THIS DIRECTORY
To cite this immersion directory using APA publication standards, we suggest the following:
Center for Applied Linguistics. (2011). Directory of foreign language immersion programs in U.S. schools. Retrieved {insert date}, from  http://webapp.cal.org/Immersion/.