California’s Path to Strengthening DLL Identification in Early Childhood Education and Care

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[00:00:01.05] - Carolyne Crolotte

And just a little bit about California's policy landscape. So for nearly 20 years, California was under an English-only policy with really detrimental, you know, and, you know, not focusing on bilingualism, just English only. And so luckily, in November 2016, the voters overwhelmingly overturned that policy and implemented Proposition 58, which is, you know, currently in practice now. And so we're really excited to have a policy in California that supports bilingualism, supports multilingualism, embraces children's opportunity to become bilingual and biliterate. And so from then, we've had as a result a sweeping set of additional policies that support bilingualism and support the needs of dual language learners. Over the last several years. And one key policy shift was the release of Governor Newsom's Master Plan for Early Learning and Care in December 2020, which is a 10-year roadmap for improving California's early learning and care system and has a strong focus on dual language learners and has— includes the latest research about the benefits of multilingualism And so we're really excited about this policy, and one of the key recommendations in this master plan is to have DLL identification across early learning care system in California. And so this really helped us move the needle around the DLL identification process and really helped us get these bills passed because this recommendation was in an important state policy at the time.

[00:01:52.09] - Carolyne Crolotte

And so that's why Early Edge and partners, Californians Together, California Association for Bilingual Education, Catalyst California, and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond co-sponsored AB 1363, which was signed in 2021 to be the first in the nation to establish this assets-based process for identifying dual language learners in California state preschool programs. And at that time we started with state preschool programs because at that time many early learning and care programs were shifting to be administered by the California Department of Social Services. So we wanted to start with the program that was still staying within administration of California Department of Education. And then once that bill was underway and being implemented, we then sponsored AB 393, which expanded the DLL identification process to additional programs, Title V programs, which are General Child Care, CCTR, and CMIG, Migrant Child Care, both administered by California Department of Social Services.

Sorry.

[00:03:10.03] - Carolyne Crolotte

So a little bit about the purpose of DLL identification. So the purpose is really to support children's language development both in home language and English, really building on the strengths and the assets that they bring with them, and also to really inform program curriculum, staffing, professional development, and other supports and investments for children, both at the programmatic level and at the state level. And another key piece is really to build relationships with and engage families. That's a key part of the process, which we'll share a little bit about in a bit. And also another critical piece of the intent of the bills was to connect to another effort in the state, which is the Cradle to Career Data System. So the data that's being collected as part of these two bills, the purpose is really to see how we can connect to this other effort, the Cradle to Career Data System, and really support children from cradle to career. And just a little bit about the benefits of the identification process. So this is, you know, first we identify children as dual language learners. So really bringing, you know, building on their assets, not as English learners, really showing that they have the potential to become bilingual and biliterate, really building on their cultural and linguistic assets, really promoting multilingualism and helping families keep their home language.

So a key piece of the process involves communicating with families, sharing about the benefits of bilingualism, and also sharing resources for how families can continue to develop their home language at home, as well as the important role that the home language plays in English language development. So that's it for the background about the bill. I'll now introduce our other panelists who are going to share a little bit about their role and where they are in the process. So from CDE, we have Patrisia González-Paz. She's a Child Development Consultant in the Policy Office of the Early Education Division at California Department of Education. As well as Valentina Ware, who's also from CDE. And then from the California Department of Social Services, we have Jagdish Majju, who's the Child Care and Development Consultant from the Policy Office of the Child Care and Development Division at the California Department of Social Services. And also from the California Department of Social Services in the Dual Language Learner Unit, We have Momna Shabazz, Valerie Sanchez, and Sandra Gonzalez Pabón. So welcome and thank you so much for being here and looking forward to hearing from you about where things are on your end.

And so I'll first pass it over to Patrisia, who's going to share a little bit about their age, their role in the work, why they're engaged, as well as their goals.

[00:06:26.13] - Patrisia González-Paz

Thank you, Carolyne, and thank you all for the opportunity to share some of the exciting work that the Early Education Division at the California Department of Education has been doing to support dual language learners in California state preschool programs. In the continued work on equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, supporting dual language learners or multilingual learners has been a key area of focus at CDE. Given that California is home to the nation's largest population of DLLs and a recommendation from the master plan, as Carolyne mentioned, we have— we were, since its passage, since the passage of AB 1363, CDE was tasked with helping to roll out that implementation with support from our partners such as Early Edge, California Together, Catalyst California, First Five California, as well as other co-sponsors of the bill and our Universal Prekindergarten research design team, we developed a— helped to develop the standardized process for CSPP contractors to identify the dual language learners that they enroll and serve and to help inform future policy and program decisions. We released initial guidance in August of 2022 with updates in December of 2022 and March of 2023 based on feedback from CSPP contractors and legislative Recently passed legislation in the form of AB 393 as well as AB 2268 have affected the way dual language learners are identified in California state preschool programs.

[00:08:05.29] - Patrisia González-Paz

These bills have allowed us to update and revise our guidance, not only as it applies to these bills, but in response to feedback from the profession. We have plans to release updated guidance as soon— in response to these two bills. Soon, and we're proud that this work is also grounded in inclusion. So based on the feedback from the profession, we've updated the tools used for identification to be— to better serve the deaf and hard of hearing community and have made them more inclusive. Prior to AB 1363, data collection on DLLs was very limited. In CSPP, data was only collected on whether there was a non-English language and families inconsistently reported that data. For example, if the child spoke English, families would often list English as a primary language and no other language was collected. More robust data was typically not collected until a child entered transitional kindergarten or kindergarten and the home language survey was administered. Now CSPPs are required to use the Family Language Instrument and the Family Language and Interest Interview to identify and learn information that helps support them to support DLLs. This allows our programs to understand the languages and cultures represented in each classroom, provide targeted support for students' language development, strengthen classroom practices and family partnerships.

This data allows CDE to use information to better support our programs and help inform policymakers. The process of identification is beneficial for teachers, children, and families. Um, the instrument and the interview help contractors to support dual language learners by learning about the child's language background, their language needs, to help build relationships with families, and by helping parents support their child's language development at home. The implementation of this legislation has helped us to move to a more inclusive, equitable, universal pre-kindergarten system by collecting the necessary data and information to better support dual language learners and address barriers to bilingual program models. Our engagement is grounded in 3 key goals. The first, to better understand and support dual language learners through consistent statewide data collection and practices, to inform recommendations to the governor and legislature that reflect the needs and strengths of dual language learners, to build a more inclusive and equitable universal pre-K system by honoring the diverse language and cultural experiences of our youngest learners, And this is why we are working hard to celebrate the asset of the diverse home languages that so many young children bring to California State Preschool programs. It is vital that to work collaboratively with families to sustain those assets and to ensure all children can not only be bilingual or multilingual, but to also become biliterate or multiliterate.

We want to also take this time to thank our legislative partners, advocates, our thought partners, all those in the profession and look forward to the continuing work together, now grounded in data, driven by equity, and shaped by the voices of our families. I will now pass it over to Jagdish at CDSS.

[00:11:31.03] - Jagdish Kaur Majju

Thank you so much. So I'm gonna go over some of the roles and why we're engaged as well. So the California Department of Social Services leads the Child Care Development Fund. CDSS administrates the California State Childcare Subsidy System, which focuses on access, quality, and equity. So I know there's a lot of acronyms, so CDSS is the California Department of Social Services. So in 2023, a statute required CDSS to lead the implementation of the new state law, Assembly Bill 393. We are working in collaboration with the California Department of Education to ensure that CDE and CDSS are aligned with the procedures, tools and guidance we develop. So why are we engaged? CDSS builds on the groundwork that was laid by an earlier law, AB 1363, in 2022 that focused on the state preschool and implementing the recommendations from the Governor's Master Plan for Early Learning and Care for supporting dual language learners in CDE programs. The intent for AB 393 is for child care contractors teachers, and staff to better understand the language and developmental needs of dual language learners enrolled in these programs by identifying them as dual language learners through a family language instrument, FLI, and support their needs through a family language and interest interview, FLI and II, now including CDS child care programs.

So, um, the identification of dual language learners will improve program quality and inform the allocation and use of state and program resources to better support dual language learners and their linguistic and developmental needs for success in school and in life. So our goals are that the law requires us to develop and implement a standardized identification process and guidance for DLLs in programs which— with which we directly contract. It is modeled after what was developed for the State Preschool by CDE. This information is then used from the tools to inform the institutional and program policies and practices that are necessary to support simultaneous development of a child's home language and English. The law also requires that programs report key DLL data as a part of their existing funding applications and reporting procedures. Importantly, these procedures are designed to be implemented in collaboration with families, honoring families' critical role in a child's language development. I'm going to now pass it back to Carolyne. Thank you.

[00:14:20.23] - Carolyne Crolotte

Thank you both for that great update on where things are and why you're involved. So now we wanted to just do a little round robin, some questions. To you both about, first, what are you most proud of with this endeavor? That can be for Patrisia.

[00:14:41.12] - Patrisia González-Paz

Thank you. I would say it would be the data. So historically, our CSPP data on children's language was very limited. And so with the passage of AB 1363, we now have access to more robust data. And are using it to better understand the different languages and cultures in the classroom and better support the students that we serve. For example, data provided under most frequent written and verbal communication preferences on dual language learners has allowed us to provide translations of the instrument and the interview in the languages that make up the CSPP families. We also now have access to data on language proficiency amongst among preschool educators. So this allows us to look into our workforce and the language support that is being offered to help then make informed policy recommendations regarding workforce or professional development as needed.

[00:15:40.19] - Carolyne Crolotte

Thank you, Patrisia. That is very exciting. And Jagdish, what are you all at CDSS most proud of?

[00:15:48.19] - Jagdish Kaur Majju

I think it's really aligned with also what CDE, what Patrisia mentioned. We're most proud of our implementation of the new laws and how it has allowed us to more broadly support the families and the workforce in child care and development. This creates more responsive care across CDSS's child care and development programs, and it affirms a wide variety of communities reflected by California's children and families. We are also really proud of our collaboration with team members, partners, co-sponsors of the bill, our other state programs, and many experts from an interdisciplinary approach to the implementation of AB 393. Thank you.

[00:16:26.14] - Carolyne Crolotte

Thank you, Jagdish.

Yes, it is very exciting the way that partners, you know, co-sponsors of the bill and the state agencies across state agencies are able to collaborate in the implementation of both of the bills. You know, as a co-sponsor of the bills, you know, one thing that we're very proud of is the, you know, the fact that this work has been practitioner and family informed from the inception, you know, in just thinking about what what was needed, what would the process look like, you know, grounded in what the families and practitioners needed as well as experts, and really grounded in some key models, both Head Start and then also the Language Learning Project in Fresno, California. So that's very exciting as well. And so next, maybe Jagdish can start with this one. What has been your greatest challenge in implementing the identification process? And then how did you address these challenges?

[00:17:28.15] - Jagdish Kaur Majju

So, um, with, with some of the challenges we've seen is that the early child care field is often overlooked and it plays a crucial role in a child's development. So despite its importance, we still lack a consistent method for identifying children who are DLL in the early child care field. This is failing to give dual language learners the recognition and support they deserve and we are constantly learning how to best allocate resources to support these children, families, communities, and workforce based on the research and feedback from our partners. We also needed an innovative approach, and we work with CDE as a partner to reflect the variety of needs in our programs. So these needs are not only for our children, but also our families, our community, and our workforce, and we wanted to make sure that the tools and the questions reflected the variation in all of our programs statewide. California has a large and varied demographic as well of families to serve, and many of the families who participate in our programs are navigating very stressful times and experiences. As a state, we in turn have to navigate how to serve families, children, and the workforce best.

Most importantly, we want to continue to build the trust with our families and the workforce.

Thank you.

[00:18:47.17] - Carolyne Crolotte

Thank you, Jagdish. And how about you, Patrisia? What challenges did you all experience in implementation and how did you address them?

[00:18:56.10] - Patrisia González-Paz

So first, this was a big change with lots of moving parts that needed to be addressed carefully. I wouldn't necessarily call it— call them challenges because it was— it has allowed us to bring about such amazing data and progress. For example, we had to develop a new data reporting system called the Preschool Language Information System, PLIS, to collect the required information. So this was a process, of course, that came with challenges at rollout, but it has yielded great and useful data. The implementation efforts and the rollout efforts were also very much grounded in listening to the profession and their needs and how we could best support them. Things that have come out since then have been something like the Dual Language Learner Support webpage or the Preschool Language and Information System landing page, both pages that we developed as a response to this to better support the profession. Additionally, as implementation rolled out, we would realize that changing, like a small change to implementation, will really strengthen the end result. Or new legislation would pass, which resulted in us having to revise and rescind our guidance. However, as I mentioned previously, each instance then gave us the opportunity to make meaningful adaptations.

As I mentioned before, we were able to go back in and make some of the guidance clearer and update our tools to be more inclusive. So even though they could be seen as initial challenges at start, they really do allow us to take all of that information back and see how we could best support the profession, dual language learners, and the families that we serve.

[00:20:39.11] - Carolyne Crolotte

That's great. Thank you. That is one piece that, that we didn't mention, that, you know, the AB 393, which came second in the legislation, it really called for collaboration with Department of Education and also to create a DLL identification process really aligned and very similar to the one that's being implemented in CSPP. And part of the reason is that many contractors, they run both CSPP and general child care programs. So to really have ease, you know, not additional burden for our contractors, how can we create a process that's seamless across? And so it really gave that opportunity to even improve the process that was being implemented in CSPP programs, as Patrisia mentioned. So thank you so much. And then the last question is, what are you most excited about moving forward? So we can start with Jagdish for this one.

[00:21:39.14] - Jagdish Kaur Majju

So what we're most excited about is that we have a team of specialists and that are going to work for dual language learners and helps create the supports and guidance we would need in the future. And so that is what we're most excited about. We're also excited about using the data to get a better understanding of the demographics of children and of child— sorry, of child— children in child care and development programs and their needs to support data-informed decisions. We're also really excited to help family child care home providers in California. As you mentioned, Carolyne, we have a vast majority of programs, and so in the future, we want to use our, our tools, the DLL tools, to help our family child care home providers build on their expertise with families in their programs. We are also looking forward to providing ongoing support to families and the workforce through our quality initiatives in California. And I think something that I want to say that our team has really accomplished is our guidance and tools. We had a webinar where we had over 400 attendees already, so that's super exciting. We have that engagement and then also being able to provide these tools in 13 different languages.

One of them is English, but it's so exciting to be able to ensure that our families are getting the resources they need. So that is at the center of our team, our specialists' motivation for this, and it's super exciting to move forward with this approach. Thank you.

[00:23:12.16] - Carolyne Crolotte

Thank you, Jagdish. Yes, that is very exciting, the translation in so many different languages to really make the information and the tools accessible to so many families. And Patrisia, what are you all most excited about moving forward?

[00:23:28.01] - Patrisia González-Paz

Um, we are most excited to see the response to the updated guidance from the profession, to the response to the updated inclusive tools from parents and families, as well as the expansion of the translations available now in response to the languages that we see in our actual classrooms, and, um, and also the response to upcoming support documents for both the profession and parents and families that we are working on. Again, a lot of this comes from hearing from the profession and parents and families. So we have worked internally with the Multilingual Support Division to create parent-facing documents that really walks them through the language identification process from preschool through the, through the 3rd grade system, so P-3 system, and also a an educator-facing document that really helps to make that connection and make it more of a seamless transition in for both educators and families. So as you mentioned before, Carolyne, we do have that, that connection, that cradle to career, and we really want to make it as seamless as possible with all the supports that we can provide. Um, and we're also very excited, of course, for the wider reach of the work that now that it will have with the implementation of AB 393.

It has been great to really be thought partners with CDSS as we both look forward to having our guidance out and supporting the profession. And I'm of course just excited to see what, what more is to come because I mean when AB 1363 came out, now having AB 393, the possibilities are now limitless. So we're very excited to see what else is to come and what it could offer for, for the profession and for our families.

[00:25:18.03] - Carolyne Crolotte

Thank you, Patrisia. Yes, it is very exciting. And, you know, just want to congratulate both agencies for just continuing the feedback loop, you know, with practitioners on the ground, with their staff who are on the ground connecting with families, connecting, you know, with children and families and hearing what's needed in terms of implementation and then being responsive. And so it's also as co-sponsors, We've been meeting regularly with the agencies and thinking about what additional tools, resources can be developed. We'll share some in the chat, and, and then also the agencies have been great about putting on webinars, trainings, not just about the tools themselves, but then also strategies for supporting home language development, information about benefits of bilingualism, and how we can support children and families further. And I see Jagdish has something else to add.

[00:26:12.02] - Jagdish Kaur Majju

I wanted to highlight our quality initiatives in California too, so that's a big part of how we move forward on something like DLL. So we have quality initiatives that will support dual language learners, and if my team can, we'll pop in the, the link for it in the chat for you all. Thank you.

[00:26:34.23] - Carolyne Crolotte

So those were all of the questions that we had. I think we're now turning it over to the Q&A that Kate is going to facilitate. So thank you all so much.

[00:26:43.20] - Katherine Habben

Yes, thank you all so much. Thank you, Carolyne, for facilitating those questions and for CDE and CDSS for giving such amazing answers to these questions and for filling us in on all of the amazing work happening in California. We have a few questions from the audience, so I'll read them out and then I'll pass them along to each of you in turn. So we've talked a little bit about the different languages available, but, you know, someone's asked here that Often when we talk about ELs and DLLs, especially in the state of California, you often think of Spanish speakers. So could you speak a little bit more about how folks are thinking about this more broadly? What other communities specifically are being involved? What languages have been translated? And are there plans to translate into any more languages beyond the ones that are already available? Patrisia, if you want to take it first.

[[FOR THE Q&A PORTION OF THE TRANSCRIPT, SPEAKERS ARE NOT IDENTIFIED BY NAME. PLEASE SEE THE RECORDING TO IDENTIFY SPEAKERS.]]

[00:27:36.28] - Speaker 2

Yes, thank you. And I'm looking at some of the data now. The most used languages that we have identified just within CSPP have been English, Spanish, Cantonese, Punjabi, Persian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Haitian, and then we also have a field that indicates other. Now, the other field does help us in the long run to help to determine what other languages we need to do further translations, either for the tools or just communications documents as they are released. The list that I provided now, that would be the list of the translated documents that we will be— the translations that we will be offering for the Family Language Instrument and the Family Language and Interest Interview. Again, that was just based on the data that has been collected from the PLIS from the start of implementation and now, which we were able to go back in and offer those translations. With regards to what more can we expect, again, if ever given the opportunity to go back in and either make changes due to legislation or whatever the case, and we are allowed or permitted or have the means to do so, we will more than likely look back into our data and see like, okay, which new languages are representing our communities and our families, and we will make the necessary updates as needed.

[00:29:05.27] - Speaker 2

Thank you.

[00:29:08.10] - Speaker 4

Thank you, Patrisia. Jagdish or Momna, do you have anything to add to that as well?

[00:29:14.01] - Speaker 3

Yeah, I can add that. That's a really amazing question, and I really appreciate that question because we are a state with a lot of variety in our demographic, and pockets of our state have different languages, and we need to make sure there are resources available for our child care providers and contractors in those pockets. So I do want to emphasize that our tools are in the top 12 home native languages. So the tools are more focused on home language. And so it's not only, you know, we know that there are a lot of Spanish-speaking children, but it's not only for that demographic. We are also making sure that we get feedback from our contractors and providers on the ground to ensure that we provide them the tools they need. And then I would like to also say that we, we want to work with our partners to also translate resources. So any toolkits that can be available to parents or the workforce, we want to also do that. And in the future, we are collecting data. So that's an ongoing process and it's a process of improvement, right? So as you collect data, you see what the needs of the communities are.

[00:30:28.07] - Speaker 3

And so that's really at the basis of our our work is to ensure that our communities and our providers and childcare contractors are getting what they need for their families. So that is kind of the approach we're taking. And as we're going, we're learning a lot and we're ensuring that we're using the most relevant information and research we can to give the tools to our families and our providers and childcare workers that they need in real time.

[00:31:01.08] - Speaker 4

Thank you, Jagdish. A question kind of in a similar vein. We have someone wondering if you can share if you've run into any issues with implementation since the executive order regarding English as the official language in the United States. If Patrisia or Valentina want to jump in, or I can also pass it to Jagdish or Momna or Sandra, whoever is interested in answering this question. Jagdish?

[00:31:31.16] - Speaker 3

Sorry, I was still muted. I can take this question. We are really aware of the executive orders and the executive orders on DEI and immigration status and we're tracking that information. CDSS does fund immigration legal services and other immigration integrated focus work through the department's contractors on the ground in communities across the state. So while we are unable to give further comments on this, we do want you to know that we are tracking and we're really focused on giving our families the tools they need and our programs and educators the resources they need. So right now we're focused on developing the procedures that can be effectively used for the dual language learners And we do appreciate the question, and we just wanted to give you all a little bit of what we were tracking on our side.

[00:32:21.29] - Speaker 2

Thank you. Likewise, um, very much appreciate the question and the flag and raising that importance. And, um, CDE is also very much tracking that. And as Jagdish mentioned, it's just a lot of the effort is very much just, um, hearing from our— the profession and looking at ways to, to best support them as, as these, um as this information is coming out. And with, with CDE, we do have our Program Quality Implementation Office, so the profession is able to reach out directly to them, you know, if they are facing, you know, if they do have additional questions or concerns, and then that gets relayed across the department, across the divisions, and so we are able to help them in that sense. But we are also just tracking the information that's coming out and looking just at the best ways to support the profession and our families. Thank you.

[00:33:23.10] - Speaker 4

Thank you both so much for answering that question. Another question that we have, the first one is, can you talk more about the types of questions included on the home language survey? And how did you capture the information about homes where two or more languages were used concurrently? And also, I'd also be interested to know what are the differences between those two home language surveys, the one that's being used by CDSS and the one being used by CDE, if there's any major differences between the two?

[00:33:53.19] - Speaker 2

I'll take this question. Quickly want to clarify that the home language survey is a separate and distinct process that applies to the TK through 12 space. Within our work, it's called the Family Language Instrument and the Family Language and Interest Interview. And so the types of questions included in the instrument and the interview within CDE, it was, as we mentioned, a lot of great collaboration with the co-sponsors of the bill, our internal universal prekindergarten research design team that helped to develop those questions. And since then, as we mentioned, we have been able to go back in and make them more inclusive to the deaf and hard of hearing community. And the second part of the question was, how do we capture where two or more languages are used concurrently? There are certain questions that do allow for multiple responses because because we do want to capture the whole child and all the language exposures of the child. There's like a specific dataset question that asks the most used language, and that is, you know, where we do ask one single language choice to be selected. But then there's the other language selection that says which languages, you know, are in the home or which languages does your child speak.

[00:35:16.15] - Speaker 2

And we do allow for multiple responses to be included there because we do want to get the full picture of the child. And there are instances within CDE and within CSPP where their most used language is English and they're still a dual language learner because that is the case. A child is still a dual language learner even though their most used language is English as indicated. And I'm sorry, was there a third part to the question or did I address both?

[00:35:44.26] - Speaker 4

I also was just curious what the differences were between the tools being used at CDE and CDSS specifically.

[00:35:53.21] - Speaker 2

Yes, and into that, I think Jagdish did a great, made a great point earlier that they had to adapt the instrument in the interview as it related to the programs that they serve. So there will be some differences just based on the programs that we serve, but all in all, in an effort, you know, to, for the programs and as implementation had already rolled out, we did come together as thought partners to make it, to make them as similar as possible, but of course with adaptations needing to be made throughout. But I'll hand it over to Jagdish to clarify.

[00:36:32.27] - Speaker 3

Thank you. So one of the main differences I would say for CDSS is that we serve infants and toddlers and we serve up to 13-year-olds in our programs for child care and development. And we also have some programs that serve children, older children with special needs. And so we wanted to ensure that our tools were inclusive of all of the age ranges and developmental needs that are within our programs. And I can speak to the, the tools for the Family Language Instrument. That instrument is given to the family initially, and that these are optional. I do want to emphasize that this is Collaborative. This is optional for a family to partake in, and we want to make sure that there is a built— relationships are built between child care workers and the families so that they feel comfortable with these tools. So there's a Family Language Instrument, and then there's a Family Language Interest Interview. The interview dives in deeper to get to know the family, so it gives a more comprehensive look of Where is the child exposed to different languages? What is the language that parents might speak at home? What does, what activities does a child do in certain languages?

[00:37:52.05] - Speaker 3

So it really gives a deeper dive into the child as a whole and different contexts that they might be in. And this is all to really inform the teacher and the child care providers or workers to help them understand what the needs of the child are and the family. So we really want to emphasize that it's the child and the family because we have different communities and we want to ensure that there is trust built. So I hope that answers the question. We could put the, we could put the links in the chat as well. But there are, we aligned with CDE as best as we could, and we were highly, we were excited that we could create such a robust, we could create robust tools that really reflected California in general. So it was, it's highly accessible to our field. And you can use it with infants, you can use it with a 5-year-old, and you can do the instrument beforehand. And if the family doesn't want the interest interview, that's okay. So it's really about building that trust and being able to engage families. Because if you don't engage families, you can't really engage the child as well, right?

[00:39:02.14] - Speaker 3

And so that's what we're really focused on. Thank you for that question. I really appreciate it.

[00:39:08.05] - Speaker 4

Absolutely. Thank you, Jagdish and Patrisia. We have another question here. So how do you all, if you do, envision these tools being used to expand access to dual language education for preschool? So again, this is more for Patrisia for CDE.

[00:39:28.19] - Speaker 2

So I think Carolyne raised her hand.

[00:39:32.14] - Speaker 4

Carolyne.

[00:39:34.11] - Speaker 1

I can add here just from the policy side, um, that in the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, it also calls for the expansion of dual language programs in early childhood, um, and so it's particularly when there's a large percentage of children from the same language background. So the implementation of these bills is allowing us to capture information about children and the language, the different languages that they speak, to then be able to make informed decisions about where we can expand such programs. But there is definitely, with the passage of Prop 58, as I mentioned, and just our asset-based policies in support of multilingualism here in California, we do have the opportunity and we know the benefits that dual language education bring to children, and particularly in those first 5 years of life. So that's, you know, definitely on, at least on our side, and I know that CDE as well and CDSS are looking into how we can expand further using the information that we're obtaining.

[00:40:35.20] - Speaker 4

Thanks, Carolyne. Patrisia, do you have anything to add there?

[00:40:39.24] - Speaker 2

Yes, I would just add like internally that has allowed for us to have a lot of those great conversations, as Carolyne mentioned, of carrying out, you know, the goals laid out from the master plan. And it has also allowed for us to see how we can best support the profession, if, you know, with supporting bilingual program models. And as we capture data on program type, how they're identifying their program type, how they're identifying home language support, the needs for home language support if none are indicated. So a lot of great has come from, from these bills and from the data and what we're able to then use to help make those informed policy decisions and recommendations.

[00:41:31.19] - Speaker 4

Thank you so much. No, thank you. Another question we have here, are there specific types of support you're giving to providers that are operating in super diverse contexts, those serving children speaking multiple different languages within the same program? Jagdish?

[00:41:51.02] - Speaker 3

Yeah, I can speak to this, and I, I do want to emphasize that although we are child care and development programs, we do have a quality within our programs that you can speak to as education components. So when we have any kind of monitoring or technical assistance, we have in-field consultants that work closely with their own region and their own contractors who can provide that, those resources and supports and make it individualized. So as you know, California is vast and we're huge, but we do have consultants that have their own regions and that will go in and help these contractors and the child care providers with the supports they need for the children that they're working with. Thank you.

[00:42:39.16] - Speaker 4

Thank you. Anyone from CDE or Carolyne, anything to add?

[00:42:46.13] - Speaker 1

I can share. I'm sorry.

[00:42:49.08] - Speaker 4

No, go ahead, Carolyne, and then we'll go to Sandra.

[00:42:51.15] - Speaker 1

Okay, I can just share about another resource, which is the Multilingual Learning Toolkit, which is a resource that has many, you know, strategies and resources for supporting multilingual learners from preschool through 3rd grade. And, you know, that's, you know, research-based. It was developed by the American Institutes for research in collaboration with Early Edge and other partners, including CDE, CDSS. And so in that website, there is a section that's focused on how do I support children's home language if I do not speak that child's home language. And so there's a whole section that has a lot of resources and strategies because we know, you know, we do live in a super diverse state. It's not possible for everyone to speak every single language. And so we want to support our teachers because there are many things that we can do even if we don't speak the child's home language. So I can share that resource in the chat.

[00:43:47.22] - Speaker 4

Thanks, Carolyne. Sandra?

[00:43:50.11] - Speaker 5

Thank you, Kate. I wanted to share, and I think it's already in the links, but it's the Quality Care and Development Quality Initiatives. And we have this page and actually have a lot of Training that support the workforce through professional development and workforce initiatives. And that's what we engage in continuous quality improvement for our workforce. And it's in the, in the link, the links are in the chat.

[00:44:17.04] - Speaker 5

Thank you.

[00:44:19.25] - Speaker 4

Thank you, Sandra. I have another question here, and this is one that we were asked during our last session with Illinois as well. We, especially in relation to families, I know you've mentioned that having a strong relationship with families is really central to this work. And people have noticed that families are not necessarily wanting to come into childcares or schools or to programs due to fears around immigration. So how can you assure families, or what processes do you have in place to assure families that their information and their data is safe when it's being collected by these tools?

[00:44:56.21] - Speaker 2

I can speak to this. As I mentioned, we are working internally with our partners in the Multilingual Support Division on these parent-facing documents. And the goal is to share some of that information on there to really help assure and reaffirm, you know, that this process and the importance of this process and the— to address the concerns that they might have. And we made it a point to, in both the family language instrument, the family language and interest interview, to have some of that same reassuring language throughout to help them really see the, the importance of, of sharing this information, what it will be used for, and helping to address any of the concerns ahead of time. But yes, the goal of that parent-facing document and any other supports and resources that we share to our dual language learner support webpage will be, you know, framed around how we can best support families and addressing any concerns, any concerns around stigma, any concerns around this, this topic, just as they are flagged for us either from, you know, parents and families reaching out directly to the department, parents and families reaching out directly to, to our division, or contractors and the profession reaching out directly through their program quality and implementation office, and then we look to build out either with more resources and supports on the webpage or looking at that parent-facing document to see how we can best reassure them of any concerns.

[00:46:48.20] - Speaker 2

Thank you.

[00:46:49.29] - Speaker 4

Thanks, Patrisia. Jagdish, I see you have your hand up.

[00:46:52.29] - Speaker 3

Yeah, so just adding to that, we are really focused on creating a supportive environment for all families. So our tools and data are designed to help educators support DLLs, ensuring every child has the quality education they deserve, and we provide resources to providers and families to help them build a trusting relationship. To speak a little bit on the data, this is a question we've had, um, several times, so I do want to emphasize that the data stays within the child's file, and it's only for the educators to use. And it's not— so I'm not a data expert, but the way I'll say it is it's not, it's not child-specific, so you wouldn't be able to get the specifics on the child, but it goes into a system where we would know, like, in this region, we need these kinds of supports and resources for families. So I hope that answers the question. I can't get into the specifics of the data, But it's, it's created to ensure that the data is only for the educators, the child care staff to use to support children and families. And we understand that this is a, this is a sensitive time.

[00:47:58.22] - Speaker 3

And so we're acknowledging that and really helping to inform our child care staff, our providers, all of the field and the communities that CDSS is really focused on supporting them and what their needs are right now. Thank you.

[00:48:16.05] - Speaker 4

Thank you both so much for that information. Yeah, the more information I think is really what will support families. So thank you so much for that. The next question we have here: Does the state provide a language line or other support for translation and interpretation if needed to support communication between program staff and children's parents? And I'll open that up to, to anyone that's interested in answering. Jagdish, you had your hand up from last time, or is it up afresh?

[00:48:44.25] - Speaker 2

Would you mind repeating the question, please? I'm sorry.

[00:48:53.29] - Speaker 4

Sure, sure. So they're just wondering, does the state provide a language line or any support for translation? So interpretation supports that is needed between staff and then the children's parents.

[00:49:08.20] - Speaker 3

So I can say that we do have, um, we do have our in-field consultants who go out, and our regional contractors and providers can reach out to them. And then we do have emails, and we do have numbers that families can call for support. I think I also mentioned that we have legal services that our contractors work on, immigration integrated focused through our department contractors. So we do have some resources for the families to reach out to for as well, but they're more on the local level, I would say. And then families do— we do have families reach out on our emails as well that are public.

[00:49:51.05] - Speaker 3

Yeah.

[00:49:54.08] - Speaker 4

Great. Thank you so much. Another question here, this might be more for CDE, about how state and local leaders are distinguishing between DLLs and ELs in early childhood education. Particularly in TK, and what strategies are being developed to support DLLs even without like a more formal identification. So especially given concerns about the developmental appropriateness of identifying DLLs in earlier years before they go to K through 12.

[00:50:27.12] - Speaker 2

Yes, and to that, I know our Multilingual Support Division has released several great communications of what's to come and what they could do in the meantime just to support, um, that the TK students, um, as they transition. Um, I, I would say that that was the main focus of why we had— we created that educator-facing document that really emphasized on the differences, um, because, you know, terminology was huge. So we have CSPP, um, dual language learners, TK. We do not have a specified term for them just yet. We don't have a specific screener just yet. And then we have K-12 ELs. So the— that educator-facing document really goes deeper into the differences, how to support them at each stage of that language, of their language development through their educational careers. Again, like I said, it was really a great effort from the Multilingual Support Division to release what's to come and what to do when it comes to TK. That's not something that we would speak to. I will say for those children that are dually enrolled in CSPP and TK or K, we have updated our guidance as to how to identify those students if they— only if they are dually enrolled.

[00:51:58.10] - Speaker 2

So if a child is dually enrolled in CSPP and TK, that child will now be administered the family language instrument. If they are dually enrolled in CSPP and kindergarten, we would use their— we can use their EL identification from kindergarten for their DLL status. So we did have to go in, in response to Assembly Bill 2268, and make updates to our guidance with regards to those dually enrolled students, but we really cannot speak specifically to the processes or what's coming, what's to come with TK, but I believe Carolyne is going to.

[00:52:36.01] - Speaker 1

I can add more here just to provide some more context for those who are not from California on the call, and AB 2268 that Patrisia mentioned was Early Edge is built also in collaboration with Californians Together and CABE. Here in California, we have a program, Transitional Kindergarten, which originally served children born— older 4-year-olds born between September and December. Very exciting, we have now expanded this program to be available to all 4-year-olds in the state. Universal preschool, we're becoming the largest universal preschool program in the nation with, with this expansion. And so with that, we're now serving much younger children. And so to ensure that we are implementing developmentally appropriate practices and assessments, we implemented the Bill AB 2268 to find a way of identifying our multilingual learners using a developmentally appropriate assessment, because the one that was being used previously was developed for older 4-year-olds and kindergarten children. So that process is still underway, and so in the latest final budget, the governor included $10 million for an allocation to identify a language screener for multilingual learners in TK. And so we're excited to share next steps and additional information once that becomes available. But in the interim, as Patrisia mentioned, the Department of Education has released guidance and resources for how to identify and support multilingual learners in the interim.

[00:54:15.06] - Speaker 1

And there are a lot of great resources. And they also put together a webinar to support the field with resources and strategies for how we can support our young multilingual learners in developmentally appropriate ways and really supporting their home language as well as English development.

[00:54:33.24] - Speaker 4

Thank you, Carolyne. We're coming close to the end of our time here, so I want to go ahead and take a moment to thank everyone who was able to join us. Carolyne from Early Edge and everyone from the Department of Education, the Department of Social Services, we really appreciate your time and your wonderful insights into all the wonderful work that's happening in California. Thank you to the audience for everyone who was able to join us. Apologize, I apologize if we weren't able to get to your question, but we answered as many as we were able to get to. Get to today, but an audio and a video recording of this event will be available on MPI's website. Reporters on the call can contact Michelle Mittelstadt with any questions that they might have. So thank you once again to everyone who was able to participate today, our audience members, and have a wonderful rest of your day. Thank you so much.