Coral Way K-8 Center
Encyclopedia
Coral Way School, built as Coral Way Elementary School in 1936, is a K-8 school
located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school, which began teaching in English
and Spanish
in 1963, was a pioneer in the field of bilingual instruction in the United States and remains the only bilingual K-8 center in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
system. It was expanded in 2004 to include grades 7 and 8.
The school building was designed by August Geiger
, a noted South Florida architect who worked for the Dade County School Board. The architecture is in a Mediterranean Revival style
with arcaded walkways around interior courtyards resplendent with lush foliage. It was constructed under the auspices of the Works Projects Administration and completed in 1936
.
Coral Way's enrollment was 1,502 for the 2005-2006 academic year; it has increased to 1566 in 2007-08. The principal is Alejandro Pérez. The school's teams are called the Chiefs, although the school does not participate in athletic activities.
In 1963, the school system started a "Spanish for Spanish" program. With help from the Ford Foundation
they modified the program into a full bilingual education curriculum. Coral Way was also the first bilingual school in the United States of America. The pilot program was instituted with the 350 1st through 3rd grade students at Coral Way, selected because of the balance of English and Spanish speakers. The goal of the program was to promote bilingual fluency among all students. In the mornings, children would receive instructions in their native language, then switch to the other language in the afternoon, sharing lunch, art, music and physical education times. Several reports indicated that both groups made progress academically in both languages. (Pellerano, et al. - 1998)
In 1967, the dual-language program was expanded to grades K-6. A 1973-1974 report by the Department of Program Evaluation for the Miami-Dade County Schools revealed that the students who attended the dual language programs continued to show progress on standardized testing. The success of the program paved the way for the Bilingual Education Act
of 1968.
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school, which began teaching in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
in 1963, was a pioneer in the field of bilingual instruction in the United States and remains the only bilingual K-8 center in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
system. It was expanded in 2004 to include grades 7 and 8.
The school building was designed by August Geiger
August Geiger
August Geiger was one of the most prominent American architects in South Florida from 1905 to the late 1940s. He experimented in Mission, Neo-Renaissance and Art Deco architecture, but is most noted for his works in the Mediterranean Revival style.-Life:Geiger was born in New Haven, Connecticut,...
, a noted South Florida architect who worked for the Dade County School Board. The architecture is in a Mediterranean Revival style
Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
The Mediterranean Revival was an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States about the end of the nineteenth century, and became popular during the 1920s and 1930s...
with arcaded walkways around interior courtyards resplendent with lush foliage. It was constructed under the auspices of the Works Projects Administration and completed in 1936
1936 in architecture
The year 1936 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* Johnson Wax Headquarters designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.* Obelisk of Buenos Aires designed by Alberto Prebisch.* Florin Court, London, by Guy Morgan and Partners....
.
Coral Way's enrollment was 1,502 for the 2005-2006 academic year; it has increased to 1566 in 2007-08. The principal is Alejandro Pérez. The school's teams are called the Chiefs, although the school does not participate in athletic activities.
In 1963, the school system started a "Spanish for Spanish" program. With help from the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
they modified the program into a full bilingual education curriculum. Coral Way was also the first bilingual school in the United States of America. The pilot program was instituted with the 350 1st through 3rd grade students at Coral Way, selected because of the balance of English and Spanish speakers. The goal of the program was to promote bilingual fluency among all students. In the mornings, children would receive instructions in their native language, then switch to the other language in the afternoon, sharing lunch, art, music and physical education times. Several reports indicated that both groups made progress academically in both languages. (Pellerano, et al. - 1998)
In 1967, the dual-language program was expanded to grades K-6. A 1973-1974 report by the Department of Program Evaluation for the Miami-Dade County Schools revealed that the students who attended the dual language programs continued to show progress on standardized testing. The success of the program paved the way for the Bilingual Education Act
Bilingual Education Act
The Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1968 was the first piece of United States federal legislation that recognized the needs of Limited English Speaking Ability students. The BEA was introduced in 1967 by Texas senator Ralph Yarborough and was...
of 1968.