Students in Evanston’s schools could soon be learning a new language — no two ways about it.

At last night’s school board meeting, Evanston/Skokie School District 65 board members approved the Bilingual Committee’s recommendation that Two-Way Immersion become the district’s only bilingual program for Spanish-speaking students.

The immersion program, based on a pilot program in use since 2000, would put English- and Spanish-speaking students in a class together so that both groups become bilingual. This would eliminate more traditional programs where Spanish-speaking students are pulled into separate classes.

Board member Mary Erickson said adopting the recommendation was separate from carrying it out.

“We have to implement this philosophy in a very successful way without diminishing the other good things we are doing in any way,” she said.

The next step is for the committee and administration to create a feasible plan, which they will then present to the board, Superintendent Hardy Ray Murphy said.

Although the proposal passed, board members still had concerns, such as whether enough English-speaking students would participate in the program. Administrators responded that there was a long waiting list of students who wanted to join, and that the list grows every year.

The cost of running the program was also brought up for debate.

“Expenses depend on the program model,” Murphy said. “There’s more than one way to do it.”

The board also discussed an evaluation by Prof. Cassandra Cole of Indiana University of the special education program used at the district. She commended the district for its highly educated and licensed educators, the quality of its resources and some of its specific programs.

But Cole also said the largest problems with special education in District 65 were the lack of program cohesiveness and its separation from general education.

There is also a tendency for general educators to slate students prematurely for special education.

“There exists an attitude that if students don’t succeed in a ‘one size fits all’ model, they should be shipped out to remedial instruction,” Cole said.

Cole recommended that the board develop a long-range plan and a specific series of goals for special education. Although she said the board should look at developing a separate school for special education students, for the time being 3- to 5-year-olds from Park School should be integrated into the Early Childhood Center.

Cole also recommended increased collaboration between principals, teachers and staff — stressing that principals are the ones who must help promote this unity.

“It’s a lot about leadership,” Cole said. “It’s about setting precedent and saying, ‘Any student who enters my building is my student.'”

The administration also presented revisions to the Fifth Ward school proposal, which calls for a new kindergarten through third grade school to be created in the ward. Revisions take into account the larger-than-expected kindergarten population for this year, as well as program suggestions.

Changes include adding instructional support, a literature program, an extended school year and family support services.

Although this increases costs by $185,000, the administration hopes most of it will be covered by grants.