The program includes assessment that is developmentally and linguistically appropriate for dual language children.
"Learning more than one language does not delay English acquisition or impede academic achievement in English."
Research shows that young children in English immersion programs may lose their ability to communicate in their first language, may develop communication problems in their native language, and start to prefer English over their native language.
The Bush Administration's program of testing 4- and 5-year-olds in Head Start programs, initiated in 2003, fails to meet "professional standards" and should not be used for accountability purposes, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The so-called National Reporting System (NRS) is a standardized test, designed for purposes of accountability and improvement of Head Start programs. Administered in English or Spanish or both, the NRS assesses children's oral language development, letter identification, basic math skills, and – for second-language learners – progress in speaking and understanding English. But in developing the NRS, the Head Start Bureau failed to follow rigorous scientific protocols to ensure the assessment is valid and reliable, the GAO found. Thus the NRS cannot be counted on to "provide reliable information on children's progress ... especially for Spanish-speaking children."
In response, the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee voted unanimously to prevent the NRS from being used for accountability purposes until questions about its validity and reliability can be resolved. This provision was included in the School Readiness Act of 2005 (HR 2123), a bill reauthorizing Head Start, which was passed and referred to the full House of Representatives on May 18. The Senate is working on similar legislation.
“Home language surveys may be supplemented with more detailed parent/guardian interviews which probe the child’s language background and possible language difficulties in more depth. For such surveys to be effective, parents must have the opportunity to fully comprehend the survey questions, with the assistance of an interpreter if necessary.”
Dual Language Learners in the Early Years, National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2008.
The DRDP-R is used to assess the cognitive, social, physical, and language skills of preschool children. It is given at entry to preschool and every six months to gauge children’s progress. Teachers rate students on a scale from 1 (Exploring) to 4 (Integrating). A level 4 is supposed to signify kindergarten readiness.
The DRDP-R is a valuable observational tool, which is not dependent upon children’s use of English. Instead, teachers observe children and assess their skills as the child participates in the daily program, whether in the home language or English. When using the DRDP-R, teachers who speak and understand the children’s home language should assess Dual Language Learners in order to accurately determine the developmental level demonstrated by each observed indicator.
It could be helpful to note which language is used during the observation and demonstration of skill attained
The most important thing to understand in interpreting this test for DLL children is that the results are not valid when a non-fluent child is assessed in English with a test developed for English speakers.
The use of the Spanish assessment with Spanish speaking children can yield valid results.
The parent component of the DRDP-R (Preschool Program Parent Surveys) measures parent satisfaction with program quality, facilities, hours of operation, services provided, cost, parent involvement). However, these results are not valid if the parents are not literate or are given assistance in completing the survey.
Two studies were done that provide some indication of how preschool children (with just under half DLLs) progressed in using the DRDP-R. These results can be helpful in understanding whether your results are similar to or different than the results in other schools.
“When school readiness indicators are defined around White, middle-class expectations, and when those who are assessing children aren’t knowledgeable about the role of culture in development, children from other cultural contexts (such as immigrant children) face a high probability of being mislabeled with developmental or behavioral problems.”
(Ready or Not?, p. 16)
It is very helpful to measure progress in both languages since many DLL students are using and learning two languages.
Assessments for vocabulary development: The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) is often used, but there is some concern that it may not be valid for English learners.
The preLAS 2000 is a norm and criterion referenced measure of children’s receptive and expressive language and pre-literacy skills. The assessment is available in both English and Spanish.
Observations and anecdotal records can be very beneficial in providing information about children’s development in different contexts.
“Language sampling, where the child’s natural use of the home language outside a formal assessment situation is observed or recorded can provide a more accurate picture of the child’s communicative abilities than formal testing. In evaluating the language data, the question Roseberry-McKibbin and O’Hanlon (2005, p. 182) recommend is: ‘Does the student communicate successfully with linguistically and culturally similar peers?’”
(Dual Language Learners in the Early Years, National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2008, p. 32).
“Dynamic assessment measures learning capacity rather than background knowledge, by testing the child’s ability to learn new material, rather than measuring their current language ability. Such assessment can reduce cultural bias or biases against children without previous education”
(Dual Language Learners in the Early Years, National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2008, p. 32).
“Because assessment frequently drives instruction, the more complete and accurate the different types of assessments, the better the instruction will be; the more comprehensive and valid the program accountability and evaluation efforts the more effective the program will be in improving the lives of the ELL children served.”
(Assessment Considerations for Young English Language Learners Across Different Levels of Accountability, 2007, p. 50).
Some children who are DLs undergo the phenomenon of language loss. As they learn English, they lose skills and fluency in their home language (L1) if their L1 is not reinforced and maintained. This is called subtractive bilingualism, and it can be cognitively and linguistically very detrimental to children's learning and to their family lives (especially if the parents speak only the L1 and no English). Ideally, children should experience additive bilingualism, where they learn English while their first language and culture are maintained and reinforced. Preschool settings that ignore the home language create this language loss.
What should I be aware of if a child might need further evaluations?
Check the following link (or watch the video embedded just below if your network allows you access) to hear Dr. Goldstein talk about Assessment of Phonological Skills in Bilingual Children: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5a1UrJUhTg.
How do I know if we are meeting the needs of our community?
It is helpful to conduct a community assessment to identify whether there are new or underserved children in your community. How to do this survey is detailed in the Head Start resource below.
Five Steps to Community Assessment: A Workbook for Head Start and Early Head Start Programs Serving Hispanic and Other Emerging Populations - The Community Assessment Workbook presents the five steps on how to conduct a thorough and up-to-date community assessment. The Workbook will help programs identify new or underserved populations in the service area, assess their needs and identify available resources. Head Start and Early Head Start grantees will find this resource useful in coordinating and executing their community assessment.