Culture, Language and Race in QRIS

After a recent BUILD-sponsored meeting on increasing the emphasis on cultural and linguistic diversity in QRIS, several participants drafted sample language for states to use in their efforts to be more explicit and intentional. While the document is still in draft form, it is available for states to use.

BUILD-QRIS-ThatSupportCulturalAnLinguisticCompetence.pdf

This paper is a starting point in three respects. First, states are at the starting point in developing and beginning to use different measures within their quality rating scoring systems to promote linguistic and cultural competence and equity, learning as they do so. Second, the paper is at best a partial reflection of what states are doing today, drawing from the most readily available resources and doubtless leaving out important state efforts.

BUILD-StartingPoint-02-2012.pdf

These resources were developed to assist states, regions, and communities in bringing an intentional emphasis on diversity into their early childhood quality efforts.

Overview of Learning Table resources.docx

Trend Briefs share data collected through the NAEYC Accreditation process and connect the findings to early childhood research trends. The analysis of this data tells the story of successful approaches used by high quality programs.

Evidence demonstrates positive benefits for student learning when parents and families are engaged in their children’s education. For young Latino children, many of whom have parents with limited English language proficiency and low levels of education, parent engagement strategies can strengthen their school success and achievement. Early learning programs have the unique potential to equip parents with the tools to better support their children’s learning and success.

Language development is the key to literacy development and is often a predictor of a child’s academic success. For young Latino children, many of whom are English language learners (ELLs), early learning programs can provide significant language supports to help them prepare for school success. Children acquiring English as a second language, however, have a very distinct path toward language development, and instructional strategies must be carefully designed to ensure ELLs are acquiring language at a developmentally appropriate pace.

Student assessments are a critical component of any early learning program. Assessments are used to inform student instruction and to ensure that children are making significant learning gains based on age-appropriate expectations. For Hispanic English language learner (ELL) children, assessments must be structured in a manner that accurately measures children’s progress in both content knowledge and English language development. Additionally, assessments should provide information about how programs are serving young children with diverse learning needs.

Effective professional development is a key component of successful early learning programs, especially as the population of Latinos and English language learners (ELLs) continues to grow. Early childhood education (ECE) educators need the knowledge and skills to work with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families—a knowledge set that is often not provided in traditional training courses and certification processes.

This compendium reviews technical information provided by developers regarding the reliability and validity of 8 commonly used child assessments and 10 developmental screening tools and translates this information into user-friendly language.