FACT SHEET: Supporting Dual Language Learners in Early Learning Settings

Ragamuffin Parade, Hoboken NJ 2017

Much of the research and support for Dual Language Learning was known when I first proposed a dual language program for the Hoboken School District in 2009. Unfortunately, many Hoboken Board of Education members felt they knew what was best for the district and so a majority of the Board of Education voted against allowing a dual language program into the Hoboken Public Schools (Hoboken Reporter Coverage). There was financial resources for the program, there was support from the State, there was adequate classroom space in the district (we had over 8 classrooms immediately available), there was solid research on the effectiveness of dual language education in the early grades, and there was more than adequate interest from parents in the city for a dual language program (a poll was conducted with very positive results and was reported to the Board). 

At the time, members of the "Kids First" political group and its Hoboken Board of Education board members made unsubstantiated claims that the dual language program did not meet certain bidding requirements. This was a clearly false claim. I assured the Board and the public this was not the case and that the program was in compliance. This was verified on February 20, 2009 when the district received correspondence from the New Jersey Department of Education indicting that the HOLA Dual Language Program intended for the Hoboken Public Schools met requirements under N. J. S. A. 18A:18A-5a(2).

   NJBOE HOLA Program Complicance Decision 2009 by Anthony Petrosino on Scribd

Nonetheless, the program did not have majority support from the Hoboken Board of Education and it was rejected by a single vote (4-3). Today, that dual language program is an award winning charter school with state, regional, and national recognition.

In the end, things worked out well for the dual language program and very well for the students and families who now attend the school. How well? 2016 PARCC scores place the school tied for first in the entire state of NJ in some areas (8th in the state of NJ). Unfortunately, the students of the traditional Hoboken Public Schools were denied this opportunity for a state of the art dual language program that was years ahead of its time. The schools these students attend are currently ranked 346th on the same PARCC assessment. I would have much rather seen the dual language program in the Hoboken Public Schools. Unfortunately, that was not to be. But I am happy that hundreds of children are now enjoying and being enriched by a dual language program years ahead of its time and offered as part of free, public education in Hoboken, NJ. 

Now, please take a few moments and read about all the benefits of dual language instruction and early childhood education. - Dr. Petrosino

In 2016 it was announced that in January 2017 the White House would release a new Federal policy statement from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education on better supporting our country’s youngest dual language learners (DLLs) in early childhood programs. The Obama Administration (and so far the Trump Administration) was joined by public and private sector organizations that will also announce new commitments to support DLLs. Additionally, the White House, in collaboration with Too Small to Fail and Invest in US, is holding a regional convening today at the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education in Miami, FL to highlight the importance of supporting our country’s DLLs in early childhood programs.

Data indicate that about one in five school-aged children speak a language other than English at home, a figure that has more than doubled in the past few decades. Estimates suggest that this number may be even higher for learners under the age of six; for example, nearly a third of children in Head Start programs are DLLs. Research with young DLLs clearly reflects that children’s bilingual skill development promotes overall language development and should be encouraged.

The Federal policy statement being released today recognizes the cultural and linguistic assets of this population of children, and provides important resources and recommendations to the early childhood field to ensure that our nation’s early education programs are accessible to these families, and that they appropriately foster the learning and development of this large and growing group of children. Today’s announcements also mark progress on the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, which aims to ensure that all young people, including children of color, can reach their full potential.

The Federal action include:

• A New Federal Policy Statement on More Effectively Supporting Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Programs: The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education (ED) will release a Federal policy statement on supporting DLLs in early childhood settings. The statement includes comprehensive policy recommendations to States and to early childhood programs. It also recommends that States and local communities work together to ensure that all early childhood programs are welcoming and linguistically accessible to families of DLLs, foster children’s emerging bilingualism and learning more broadly, and support the early childhood workforce in building their capacity to stimulate the learning of DLLs. 

   2017 Federal Policy Statement on More Effectively Supporting Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Prog... by Anthony Petrosino on Scribd