Early Childhood Services for English Language Learners Approaches from Illinois Presented by Reyna P. Hernandez Assistant Superintendent Illinois State Board of Education

PART 228 TRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL EDUCATION

Bilingual Education Rules apply to Preschool Effective July 26, 2010

ELLs in Illinois Preschool

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2009 2010 2011

Number of Preschool ELLs

Preschool ELLs

Which preschool programs are included? Any preschool program administered by a

school district, regardless of whether the program is provided in an attendance center or a non-school-based facility

How are ELL students identified?

HLS

• Survey for child new to district • Find out about languages spoken

ELP

• English language proficiency screening • Find child’s fluency in English

TBE/TPI

• Program placement • Offer language support services

Home Language Survey

School districts give a home language survey for each student enrolling in the district for the first time.

Survey given by the first day the student starts school

Asks two questions about language spoken by child and at home

English proficiency screening

If parent answers “yes” to either question, district must screens the student’s English language proficiency

Prescribed screening procedures identified by the preschool program

Screening done no more than 30 days after preschool student starts to participate in program

English screening in preschool

Be age and developmentally appropriate Be culturally and linguistically

appropriate for the children being screened

Include one or more observations Use multiple measures and methods Involve family Involve staff who are knowledgeable

about preschool education, child development, and first and second language acquisition

How is English proficiency determined? For preschool programs using a screening

procedure other than an established assessment tool where “proficiency” is defined as part of the instrument, “proficiency” is the point at which performance identifies a child as proficient in English, as set forth in the program’s proposed screening process.

What type of program must be offered?

Type of Program

Attendance Center Enrollment Includes:

Instruction

Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE)

20 or more preschool ELL students who speak the same language

Instruction in home language and English as well as ESL

Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI)

19 or fewer preschool ELL students who speak the same language *

A locally determined TPI program, usually including ESL and home language support as needed

*May include students from multiple language groups, and total # of preschool ELLs may exceed 19 Note: One attendance center may have both TBE and TPI students.

What type of program must be offered?

For determination of the type of program to be offered at an attendance center, enrollment for K-12 is handled separately from enrollment for Preschool.

20 or more K-12 ELLs of one language group

20 or more Preschool ELLs of one language group

Parent Notification Letter

School sends letter to notify parents that child is enrolled in the program

30 days after beginning of school year or 14 days after enrollment in program during the year

Parent’s right to withdraw student

Teacher Certification Preschool teachers must be certified to

teach preschool. Also, by July 1, 2016, each preschool teacher

(in programs administered by school districts) must meet the certification requirements for bilingual/ESL depending on the assignment.

Districts not currently meeting requirements must submit jointly developed (EC/EL) plan for services and staffing.

Resources: Scholarships, Cohorts, Higher Ed Faculty Institutes & Website

Language Development Standards

Illinois Adopted the Early English Language Development Standards

Making webinars available to teachers Pending professional development

cohorts Integration of language development

standards into Early Learning and Development Standards initiatives

Kindergarten

All children entering kindergarten who come from a home where a language other than English is spoken are screened for English proficiency

Screener used is the MODEL™

Policy Approaches to Integrating ELLs into Early Childhood Systems Targeted and integrated approaches ◦ Targeted initiatives that bring expertise and

are intended to address diversity issues ◦ Integrating ELLs into all existing initiatives

including areas like professional development, QRIS, monitoring, standards, etc…

Shared goals and principles for dual language learners

Illinois Early Childhood Diversity Initiative

Evaluation and Self-Assessment Framework

CONTEXT Successfully building a political context leads to

resources that

CONNECTIONS

Create better

linkages between

components

COMPONENTS

Establish effective programs

and services

SCALE The system can produce

broad impacts for system

beneficiaries

INFRA-STRUCTU

RE Create

supports that enable programs to

operate effectively

From “A Framework for Evaluating Systems Initiatives”, Julia Coffman www.buildinitiative.org

Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs: Every individual is rooted in culture.

The cultural groups represented in the communities and families of each HS program are the primary sources for culturally relevant programming.

Culturally relevant and diverse programming requires learning accurate information about the culture of different groups and discarding stereotypes.

Addressing cultural relevance in making curriculum choices is a necessary, developmentally appropriate practice.

Every individual has the right to maintain his or her own identity while acquiring the skills required to function in our diverse society.

Effective programs for children with limited English speaking ability require continued development of the first language will the acquisition of English is facilitated.

Culturally relevant programming requires staff who reflects the community and families served.

Multicultural programming for children enables children to develop awareness of, respect for, and appreciation of individual cultural differences. It is beneficial to all children.

Culturally relevant and diverse programming examines and challenges institutional and personal biases.

Culturally relevant and diverse programming and practices are incorporated in all components and service.

Redefining Quality: QRIS and Beyond For ELLs, high quality early childhood

programming addresses their linguistic needs

QRIS systems can and should incorporate addressing diversity in their various components, at all levels.

IL has developed an Award of Excellence for Linguistic and Cultural Diversity as a highest level of quality that addresses deep, integrated services.

Kindergarten Individual Development Survey Illinois Kindergarten Readiness

Assessment includes Language and Literacy Development, English Language Development, and Spanish Language Development Domains

Observation-based assessment – integrated, natural setting observation of language in context, multiple observers, contingent on capacity of teacher to observe language development

Additional Illinois LCD Initiatives Family Engagement Framework & Bilingual Parent

Summit Seal of Biliteracy Adopted by State IELC Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Committee ◦ Currently being integrated into other committees

Professional Development Advisory Council (PDAC) Diversity Goals

Early Childhood Diversity Initiative ◦ Project related to Build QRIS/Diversity TA

LINC Principal Preparation practicum requirements to include EL and EC experiences

Heartland Equity and Inclusion Project

Resources English Language Learning webpage http://www.isbe.net/bilingual/default.htm Early Childhood Education webpage http://www.isbe.net/earlychi/default.htm Resources for Supporting Preschool ELLs http://www.isbe.net/earlychi/preschool/preschool_ell.htm Bilingual Preschool in Practice Symposium http://www.latinopolicyforum.org/events/all-events/bilingual-preschool-in-practice-symposium.aspx If Your Child Learns in Two Languages http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/uploads/9/IfYourChildLearnsInTwoLangs_English.pdf Parent Tip Sheets http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/bilingual.htm IL Division of English Language Learning IL Division of Early Childhood Education (312) 814-3850 (217) 524-4835