file_Ensure_Educational_Success_for_All_Latino_Children

Ensure Educational Success for All Latino Children NCLR recognizes that for our public education system to truly succeed, the unique needs of Latino students must be specifically addressed. At the very outset of their school career, Latino children are entering kindergarten significantly behind their peers, an achievement gap that persists well into elementary and secondary school. However, culturally and linguistically appropriate early care and education (ECE) programs can help young Latino children enter school ready to succeed. Without such programs, Latino students will continue to confront academic challenges as they enter the K 12 system. Indeed, only half of Latino students who enter ninth grade graduate with a high school diploma. This is due in part to the low academic standards and limited resources of schools serving Latino students. NCLR supports several federal policies that will aid Latino students. Specifically, NCLR recommends that Congress: Pass the Early Learning Challenge Fund with provisions that ensure the success of Latino and English language learner (ELL) children ages zero to five. o Require states to develop early learning guidelines (ELGs) that take into account the learning needs of ELL children. By developing inclusive ELGs, states will help teachers understand how to track the progress of young ELL children and develop more effective instruction and professional development strategies. o Demand that states create pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse providers to obtain credentials and certification in early learning as part of their professional development plan. Although there is great diversity in the ECE workforce, states need to do more to recruit and retain providers that can work effectively with young ELL children and their families.

Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with specific provisions that would improve education for ELLs and Latinos. o Require states to use appropriate and reliable assessments for ELLs aligned to high academic standards. Congress should require certain states with a significant number of ELLs from one language group to develop native-language assessments. o Fully include ELLs in the accountability system. ELLs should not be exempt from being tested or having their test scores counted. History tells us that exempting ELLs from testing and accountability will result in schools ignoring them. o Ensure that states have the resources to provide high-quality instruction for ELLs and that they are using those funds appropriately. Congress should increase Title III funding and ensure that states are using these resources to supplement rather than supplant state funds for ELLs. Moreover, Title III funds should also be used to develop dual-language programs, as proposed in the Providing Resources to Improve Dual-Language Education (PRIDE) Act (H.R. 3753).

For more information, please contact Erika Beltran, Education Policy Analyst at (202) 776-1815 or ebeltran@nclr.or, or contact Josef Lukan, Education Policy Analyst at (202) 776-1701 or jlukan@nclr.org.