“Using It to Our Advantage in a Way It Was Not Designed to Be”: Spanish Dual Language and School Choice in New York City

ABSTRACT Dual Language (DL), a bilingual program has expanded at a rapid rate in New York City. This qualitative study explores choice in three public schools (n = 42) with strand Spanish DL programs to determine the role it plays in middle- and higher-income families’ decision making. Factors such as location, pedagogical style, environment, and peer group were considered. DL was most often chosen as a default when families’ first choices were not successful. Thus, it has come to be seen as a more viable option for parents navigating the complex choice process in the district.