This paper documents and examines top-down district-broad execution of a two-way dual language bilingual education (DLBE) program in a large urban district. A language policy ethnography investigated how two school teams of third grade teachers collaborated to negotiate the crossing of DLBE execution and high stakes liability coercion. There is an immanent tension between preparing children for monolingual standardized tests, and achieving DLBE program aims of bilingualism, biliteracy, high academic feat and cross-cultural skills. The restraint to prepare children for high-stakes testing finally led to the overhaul of the DLBE program in both schools. Ultimately, for DLBE programs to triumph, high stakes testing must be replaced by multiple-measure liability that matches language program goals.