Walton High School students who were part of the school’s International Spanish Academy (ISA) 2016, received their Spanish diplomas April 15. What an awesome group of 15 fine, young ladies. Way to go “las chicas de ISA.”
The ISA at Walton is a rigorous Humanities program of study for students who are learning Spanish as a Foreign Language. Native and Heritage speakers of Spanish may not apply to the ISA but they may take a placement test if they wish to study Spanish. The test will determine the correct (non-ISA) course placement for them. These students may instead prefer to study French, Chinese, or Latin as a Foreign Language.
Students who wish to apply to the ISA must be recommended for 9th grade Honors Literature and AP Human Geography. Students accepted to the ISA will take four years of Spanish at Walton and four Honors & AP content area courses in English and History that include a delivery component in Spanish. Approximately 30 percent of an ISA student’s overall coursework at Walton will be conducted in Spanish. For full participation in the ISA, the ISA graduates will earn a diploma from Walton and from the Ministry of Education of Spain. In collaboration with Spain’s Ministry of Education, the International Spanish Academy will:
- Educate students in the values of multicultural education to foster international communication and respect among different cultures;
- Teach students to express themselves and effectively communicate in English and Spanish in their personal relationships and in an academic setting;
- Promote the access of students to prestigious centers of higher education throughout the U.S., Spain/Europe and Latin America.
Students are admitted into the ISA in their freshman year. Acceptance into Walton’s International Spanish Academy implies that a student will remain an Academy student throughout their high school career in order to graduate with both diplomas.
