Meeting The Needs Of Children And Families

1. Meeting The Needs Of Children And Families RWCFS Dual Language Learner Plan Supporting School Readiness

2. The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 • Requires that programs support a child’s progress towards the acquisition of English as well as progress across other domains of learning and development, including progress made through the use of culturally and linguistically appropriate instructional services - Office of Head Start. 2009. Historical Overview of Head Start’s Support for Children and Families Who Speak Languages Other Than English vices

3. Federal RequirementsHead start Act of 2007 & Performance standards 1304, 1306 &1308 Plans must outline how RWCFS will meet the needs of limited English proficient families by: • Including procedures to identify such children, • Provide trained personnel, • Provide services to assist the children in making progress toward the acquisition of the English language, while making meaningful progress in attaining the knowledge, skills, abilities, and development described in section 641A(a)(1)(B); • Meet the diverse needs of the population

4. RWCFS Number of Families who Report their Primary Language as Spanish According to the Program Instrument Report numbers for PY 11-12 as of 3/27/12: • Head Start - Out of 403 families who reported, 101 speak Spanish • Early Head Start - Out of 205 families who reported, 30 speak Spanish • Also: 2 families report ASL • 1 European and 14 unspecified

5. See Handout Early Childhood Education Brief Second Language Development 10 Essential Research Findings

6. RWCFS DLL Plan Includes Planning and Provision of Service Guidance for: • Professional Development • Program Administration • Health, Nutrition and Mental Health • Early Education and Care including strategies to support home and school learning environments and assessment practices • Parent Involvement/Family Engagement • Family services • Specific to Early Head Start

7. Some Highlights Of Where We’ve Been: • Committee began meeting 8/4/2010 • Completed Program Preparedness Checklist • Committee looked at and collected many resources • Purchased electronic transmitter for translation • Diversity training January 2011- intro to DLL plan • DLL myths/facts – research training January 2012 • Completed plan draft minus assessment section • Supported development of system to utilize skills of bilingual staff

8. Highlights Of Where We’re Going: • Support PC/BOD understanding of need for and importance of DLL plan • Add assessment section to DLL policy and procedure/plan draft/finalize draft • Seek PC BOD Approval • Provide guidance for hiring practices • Continue to support refinement of system for using skills of bilingual staff and support finding other community bilingual support • Continue to provide training • Complete Language Development Profiles for DLL students

9. Language Development: Research • Escamilla, Kathy. Early Childhood Education Brief: Second Language Development, 10 Essential Research Findings. BUENO Center, University of Colorado at Boulder. 2005. [PDF, 3.78MB]. • Genesee, Fred. "Keynote Address: Myths & Realities about Dual Language Learning, Fred Genesee." Office of Head Start Dual Language Institute. October 28 - 31, 2008. [PDF, 3.4MB]. • Hammer, Carol. "Keynote Address: Assessing Young Dual Language Learners—What You Need to Know and Why, Carol Scheffner Hammer." Office of Head Start Dual Language Institute. October 28 - 31, 2008. • Kuhl, Patricia. Bilingualism is Good Brain Exercise for Kids (and Adults). Kuhl, Patricia. NBC News/Education Nation's The Learning Curve Blog. 2011. [PDF, 66KB].