World Languages
Expanding Horizons Through Language Studies
Dakota Hills Middle School students have the opportunity to study French and Spanish beginning in 7th grade. This is an elective class and meets every other day for the full school year. This approach allows students to cover half of a high school-level world language course. Once students get to the District 196 high school level, world language course are taken every day for the full school year.
Dakota Hills World Language Options:
- 7th Grade: French 1A or Spanish 1A
- 8th Grade: French 1B or Spanish 1B
Pathway for Level 5 College in the Schools (CIS) World Language at Eagan High School
In order to participate in the Level 5 College in the Schools (CIS) world language in high school, a student must begin their world language journey in 7th grade.
Students who satisfactorily complete both Level 1A (7th grade) and Level 1B (8th grade) in French or Spanish will be aligned to enter Level 2 in 9th grade at Eagan High School. Pursue either French or Spanish every year in grades 9 through 12 allows students to participate in College in the Schools (CIS) Level 5 as a senior.
Students who complete Level 5 CIS world language receive college credit at the University of Minnesota, paid by District 196. Review the current CIS pathway:
- 7th Grade: Level 1A French or Spanish (every other day, full-year course)
- 8th Grade: Level 1B French or Spanish (every other day, full-year course)
- 9th Grade: Level 2 French or Spanish (every day, full-year course)
- 10th Grade: Level 3 French or Spanish (every day, full-year course)
- 11th Grade: Level 4 French or Spanish (every day, full-year course)
- 12th Grade: Level 5/CIS French or Spanish (every day, full-year course)
Level 1 or beginning world languages of French, Spanish or German are available to 9th graders at Eagan High School. It is important to know that a student can start a world language as a 9th grader and get through Level 4 as a senior, but not CIS Level 5.
Therefore, the only way for a student to get to Level 5/CIS world language as a senior is to enroll and successfully complete both 7th and 8th grade world language during middle school. It is also possible after 7th and 8th grade world language that a student can switch world languages to a different Level 1 start-up in 9th grade at Eagan High School.