Officials from NIU and Cheseboro Elementary School announced Thursday the start of a professional development school based on bilingual education.

The new program will allow NIU student teachers to teach English and Spanish to Cheseboro students so they can eventually use both languages to read, write and practice math.

School officials are very enthusiastic about the program. Cheseboro superintendent Jim Briscoe described the partnership as a “great opportunity to showcase another partnership with NIU.”

NIU President John Peters described the program as being special and different from the others.

“This one is special. This is one that improves our community where we live in,” Peters said at the press conference. He said the program is appropriate for Cheseboro, as half of the students are Spanish-speaking.

The professional development school will be developed over a three year period. This year, Cheseboro will host an after-school program that will offer Spanish as a foreign language. Spanish professor Michael Morris said this program began Wednesday, with over 50 kids from Cheseboro involved.

Morris said the goal is to create a dual language school, in which one class of students with both English and Spanish speakers will receive instruction in both languages in a variety of subjects, including mathematics.

“It’s only logical that a partnership like the NIU-Cheseboro partnership will have a focus on mathematics as well,” Morris said.

According to a press release, this goal is expected to be reached by the 2010-2011 school year.

Because the staff involved are Chesboro teachers and pre-service education students, Briscoe said he does not expect the program to require additional funding. However, he said if the partnership comes to develop and begins to incorporate technology and software, funding may be required.

DeKalb Community Unit District 428 has two other partnerships with the university.