Melissa Duclos, Author at Children's Institute

Oregon’s Fastest Growing Population of Young Students: Dual Language and English Language Learners

by Melissa Duclos | Feb 28, 2018 | Dual Language Learners, National Research, Parents and Families, Preschool Landscape, Professional Learning

Oregon's Fastest Growing Population of Young Students: Dual Language and English Language Learners
According to the Migration Policy Institute, 28 percent of children under the age of 5 in Oregon are dual language learners (DLLs). Since 2000, Oregon’s young DLL population has increased by 32 percent, compared with 24 percent nationally. A recent report by the Department of Education reveals that in seven school districts in Oregon, English language learners (ELLs) and DLLs comprise 20 percent or more of the student body. This growing population of DLLs and ELLs suggests the need for a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities for educating non-native English speakers.

Oregon's Fastest Growing Population of Young Students: Dual Language and English Language Learners
Challenges and Opportunities

According to a new report from The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English, DLLs and ELLs often face additional barriers to their educational success. In Oregon, 62 percent of DLLs live in low-income households, compared with 44 percent of the non-DLL population, and DLLs are enrolled in preK programs at lower rates than their non-DLL peers. Nationwide, about 9 percent of DLLs and ELLs have learning disabilities; these Oregon's Fastest Growing Population of Young Students: Dual Language and English Language Learners students are less likely than native English speakers to be referred to early intervention and special education programs.While DLLs and ELLs face challenges in their education, those who become proficient in two languages will likely see benefits in their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Bilingual proficiency is more likely when students are consistently exposed to both English and their home language. It is therefore important for early childhood educators to learn strategies to support the maintenance of all languages.

Recommendations for Educating Young Dual Language and English Language Learners

The NASEM report provides the following recommendations for the education and support of young children from birth to grade 5:

Systematically introduce English during infant, toddler, and preK years while supporting home language development
Encourage adults to talk to young children in the language adults are most comfortable with
Provide visual and verbal supports to make core content comprehensible
Capitalize on students’ home language, knowledge, and cultural assets
Screen for language and literacy challenges and monitor progress
Provide explicit instruction in literacy components in grades K–5

Recommendations for Government Agencies and Policy Makers

The NASEM report includes the following recommendations for government agencies and programs to support the academic success of young children learning English:

Follow the lead of Head Start/Early Head Start and provide guidance and strategies to serve DLLs and their families
Use social media to promote the idea that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers have the capacity to learn more than one language
Evaluate district- and schoolwide practices for serving DLLs for adequacy and appropriateness
Programs that serve DLLs should increase their capacity to understand and interpret results of assessments administered to students in both English and their primary language

Here in Oregon, early childhood advocates including the Latino Network are advocating for the creation of an Early Childhood Equity Innovation Fund, which will provide dedicated to resources to culturally specific early learning services with prove track records of success.

Oregon's Fastest Growing Population of Young Students: Dual Language and English Language Learners

Dual Language Learning in Action

Oregon's Fastest Growing Population of Young Students: Dual Language and English Language Learners Twenty-four miles west of Portland in Forest Grove, Echo Shaw Elementary School hosts a bilingual Preschool Promise class, instructing 37 preschoolers in half- and full-day classes in English and Spanish. Students at Echo Shaw show up in kindergarten speaking two languages, both of which they will continue to learn in the dual language elementary school. Our recent story “Echo Shaw Prepares Children for Kindergarten in Two Languages” provides more information about the program.

For a more in-depth conversation about dual language learning in Oregon, check out our 20th podcast, “Promising Futures,” a with Ruby Takanishi, author of the book First Things First and co-editor of the NASEM report Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English; Maria Adams, language development specialist for the David Douglas School District; and Perla Rodriguez, principal of Echo Shaw Elementary School. In the podcast, we discuss the needs of English learners in our schools and early learning systems and take a look at two Oregon districts leading the way on language development for their students.

Advocacy in Action: Tips for Writing an Effective Letter to the Editor

by Melissa Duclos | Feb 27, 2018 | Benefits of Preschool, Community Engagement, Oregon Policy

Advocacy in Action: Tips for Writing an Effective Letter to the Editor
We know that getting all kids off to a successful start in life requires a greater investment from the state; in a year when our lawmakers opted not to restore cuts made in 2017 to early childhood systems and programs, they need to hear from constituents that these increased investments are a priority. Young children in Oregon are relying on us to speak up about the importance of high-quality childcare and early education. Feel free to use these tips to more effectively convey your position, whether you are writing a letter to the editor, an email to your state representatives (which you can do easily using our online advocacy tool), or a Facebook post to share with your network.

A concise position statement. Choose one position to support in order to keep your letter focused; make your point clear in the opening sentence or following a personal anecdote. Sample position statements:

By failing to restore cuts made in 2017 to early childhood, Oregon missed an opportunity to invest in services that prevent crises and ensure young children are safe, healthy, and prepared to learn.
Oregon cannot close the opportunity gap and prepare children for school if the state’s strategy is to only invest in young children in times of crisis.
Culturally specific organizations with a track record of serving children of color in Oregon need access to additional funds to expand their programming.

Your personal connection to the issue. If you benefit from a state-funded preschool program, have a child in a licensed childcare setting that requires state oversight, or are a Head Start teacher, make sure you say so! Personal stories help to strengthen your point and will make your letter stand out.

If you are less directly connected to childcare or early education, you may still have a personal connection to include. Consider the following questions:

Did you attend a state-funded preschool program?
Did you or your children attend a private preschool program, the benefits of which you believe should be more widely available?
Do you or anyone you know make use of family childcare providers who would benefit from increased training?
Would you like access to early education programming or family supports that better represent your culture and/or home language?

Evidence to support your position. You don’t need a PhD in early childhood development to write a letter of support. Your evidence can build off of your personal experiences. For example, if you are a parent with a child who has benefitted from Head Start, the changes you observed in your child as a result of the program count as evidence. More specific evidence is more persuasive: explaining that you child started kindergarten knowing the alphabet is better than just saying the program was beneficial.

While research isn’t necessary, it can help augment personal evidence. We’ve compiled a list of key evidence in support of these priorities that you may find useful.

According to the Education Week Research Center, Oregon ranks 46th for providing learning opportunities to 3–5-year-olds.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, only 33 percent of Oregon families can afford preschool for a 4-year-old.

According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, Oregon ranks 31st in the percentage of 4-year-olds who attend state-funded preschool.

Three children have died in from 2016–2017 in licensed childcare facilities in Portland.

Oregon childcare licensing specialist oversee 150 facilities each, three times the recommended number.

Multiple studies conducted at Harvard, Georgetown, and elsewhere have found that attendance in a high-quality early education program has lasting educational benefits.

High-quality early education has a positive impact on children’s behavior, emotional maturity, and social interactions.
According to Nobel Prize winning economist James Heckman, high-quality birth–five early education programs provide a 13 percent return on investment.

According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, Head Start teachers in Oregon with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $30,000 less than public elementary school teachers, a discrepancy that is larger than the national average.

A clear statement of what you want your reader to do in response. The “ask” in your letter will depend on who you are writing to. If you’re contacting a legislator, the list below helps to summarize the asks based on the priorities. Include this ask at the end of your letter.

In 2019, please remember that Oregon must prioritize funding a comprehensive early childhood system if our children and our state are to be successful.

Oregon cannot afford to fall any further behind in education. Please support early childhood programs and services in 2019 so that our state can get ahead.

Please vote in favor of HB 4066 to establish the creation of an Early Childhood Equity Fund.

If you are posting about your priority on social media, you can ask people in your network to check out this post and then make use of our advocacy tool to send their own letter of support.

The examples in the links below highlight the combination of the components listed above. If you’d like to share your own letter of support, feel free to comment on this post, and remember to contact your state legislators.

Lack of Early Education Severely Limits a Child’s Future

PreK Education a Vital Service to Children, Businesses, Society

Letter: Support Early Childhood Education

Thank you for speaking up on behalf of Oregon’s kids!

Note: This post was updated on March 2, 2018 to reflect budget decisions made by the state legislature.

Early Childhood Advocacy Day 2018

by Melissa Duclos | Feb 15, 2018 | Benefits of Preschool, Community Engagement, Oregon Policy, Parents and Families, School Readiness

Early Childhood Advocacy Day 2018
Kelli Stevens speaks with House Speaker Kotek about Preschool Promise.

Kelli Stevens, a mother with three children ages 5, 3, and 1, made the two-hour trip from her home in Yoncalla to the state capitol in Salem on Monday to join a coalition of early childhood advocates for meetings with state lawmakers. Ms. Stevens’ 5-year-old is in kindergarten this year and was in the first Preschool Promise class offered in Yoncalla last year. Her 3-year-old started Preschool Promise this year, and her 1-year-old is enrolled in Early Head Start. Speaking with Governor Brown, House Speaker Kotek (N/NE Portland), Senator Monroe (Clackamas), and Representative Lively (Springfield), Ms. Stevens described the profound impact the programs have had on both her children and her parenting.

“I watched my 3-year-old blossom from a really shy child into a very social girl,” she said. Her kindergartener started the school year ready to learn, and Ms. Stevens reported that she would not have the parenting skills she does were it not for the parenting education provided by the program.

Advocates across Oregon agree on the importance of full funding for early childhood programs that help keep children healthy, safe, and ready to learn. Thirty-five parents, childcare providers, Early Learning Hub leaders, advocates, and Ready for School leaders met with 16 legislators and the governor. Some were regular visitors to the state capitol and others like Ms. Stevens were coming for the first time. Together they asked Oregon lawmakers to restore cuts made to early childhood systems and programs in 2017, invest in childcare safety, provide funds to assess and invest in culturally specific early learning programs, and improve access to training for childcare providers.

Early Childhood Advocacy Day 2018 Robert Harding described his experiences as a child to Governor Kate Brown. Raised by a single mother who immigrated from Brazil, Mr. Harding, now a senior vice president at Columbia Bank in Portland, said that the Head Start program he was enrolled in as a child changed his life. “The program taught me to read and put me on the right trajectory,” he said, and the after-school program at the Head Start kept him safe.

Representative Lively, who has long been a champion for early education, listened to Bess Day, an advocate from the United Way of Lane County, describe the success of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) Program providing support to children prior to the start of kindergarten to improve literacy, self-regulation, and social skills. One young girl described by Ms. Day who needed these interventions, in Robert Harding shares his experiences with Governor Brown order to be ready for school is now the

“star” of her kindergarten class. KITS changed this young student’s first experiences with school and set her on a better course for her academic future.

On the whole lawmakers were receptive to the message: early education works, and investing in the health, safety, and education of young children pays off down the road. With a challenging budget facing them, it remains to be seen how much money lawmakers will invest in these important programs. Representative Nathanson, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means explained that the legislature is in “receiving mode” right now, “receiving information about priorities” before any decisions are made about how to allocate funding. Decisions will begin to be made after the state receives an updated forecast on Friday, telling lawmakers how much money they expect to collect during this two-year budget.

If you agree that early education should be a priority for our state, make sure your lawmakers hear from you. Our advocacy tool makes it easy to send an email in support of early education and allows you to share your own stories.

Making the Case for Early Education

by Melissa Duclos | Feb 9, 2018 | Benefits of Preschool, National Research, School Readiness

Making the Case for Early Education Only 42 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in Oregon are enrolled in early education. If you’re unaware of the benefits of high-quality early education, you might be inclined to believe that the remaining 58 percent of children in our state, who don’t begin attending school until kindergarten, will catch up with their peers quickly. You might be inclined to believe that early education doesn’t matter in the long run.

The research tells us otherwise. We are advocating for increased investments in early education to expand early learning opportunities to more children across the state because we know that it will make a difference over the course of their lives.

What are the benefits of high-quality preschool, and how do we know that they impact a child’s future success? Four recent studies shed some light on the lasting impacts of high-quality early education.

Investing Early: Taking Stock of Outcomes and Economic Returns from Early Childhood Programs
A team of researchers at the Rand Corporation has been studying early childhood for 20 years. Their latest report, released in November of 2017, compiles research on 115 early childhood intervention programs. The outcomes examined were varied, including behavior, test scores, health, and happiness. Eighty-nine percent of the programs—102 of them—had a positive impact on at least one outcome being examined by the researchers. The study found that many of the social and economic benefits of the programs continue to pay dividends as the children who attended become adults. The Rand Review provides a thorough discussion of the study.

Impacts of Early Childhood Education on Medium- and Long-Term Educational Outcomes
Researchers at Harvard considered 22 studies on early education published over 56 years, finding that kids in high-quality early education programs are less likely to be placed in special education, less likely to be held back in school, and more likely to graduate from high school. An editorial in the Dallas News provides a detailed overview of these findings.

Making the Case for Early Education The Effects of Tulsa’s Pre-K Program on Middle School Student Performance
Discussed in both The New York Times and New America, this study conducted by researchers at Georgetown examined the impact of Tulsa’s universal school-based preK program that was launched almost 20 years ago. The study found the preschool program had enduring effects on math achievement, enrollment in honors classes, and grade retention. The benefits of the program were visible as late as middle school.

A Multicomponent, Preschool to Third Grade Preventive Intervention and Educational Attainment at 35 Years of Age
Examining data on 1,539 minority youth in high-poverty neighborhoods in Chicago, researchers found that children who attended the Chicago Child-Parent Centers completed more education by age 35 than children who hadn’t participated. The CPC program was school-based and offered preschool, professional development for teachers and principals, and curriculum alignment from preK through third grade. Education Week discusses the results of the study and compares the study to other long-term early childhood studies.

Twitter Chat: Pay and Credentials for Early Educators

by Melissa Duclos | Jan 24, 2018 | Oregon Policy, Preschool Landscape, Teacher Voice

Thanks to all who participated in our Twitter chat on #PreKPay! There were several key take-aways from the chat that we need to continue to discuss:

We need to raise awareness that early childhood is a critical time in a child’s life for brain development, and consequently change the perception of the work early educators do.

Educators need to be paid more for this important work.

Any conversations about credentials or degrees need to factor in our history of inequality in higher education, as well as questions of cultural responsiveness in our early education programs.

The government must invest in early education to improve both teacher pay and access to high-quality programs.
Check out an archive of the full chat below, and continue to use the hashtag #PreKPay to let us know what you think of this important issue!

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