Workforce Development in the Early Care and Education Context: The Landscape of Supports for Dual Language Learner Instruction in California

• In Event: Preparing Educators to Serve Dual Language Learners in Early Care and Education Settings: Existing Practices and Promising Solutions

Abstract

Purpose:
The First 5 California Dual Language Learner (DLL) Pilot Study is a groundbreaking statewide study of the learning contexts, supports, and outcomes for DLLs and their families designed to inform policy and programmatic decisions about DLL services.

Perspective(s) or theoretical framework:
The first phase of the study is a descriptive account of the DLL policies, practices, and approaches in use throughout the state in early care and education (ECE) settings. The framework for analysis was developed based on key state and federal policy documents about DLLs in ECE.

Methods and Data Sources:
Data for this landscape study came from focus groups with county-level early learning administrators and surveys of ECE program administrators across 16 counties in California, selected to be broadly representative of the state’s DLL population.

County Focus Groups. The study team conducted focus groups in late 2018 and early 2019 with nearly 100 key stakeholders from 16 counties across California, including First 5 county agencies, resource and referral agencies, county offices of education, professional development providers, as well as local organizations directly serving DLLs in ECE settings. Respondents were asked about DLL-focused professional learning opportunities and other supports for the ECE workforce. The study team analyzed the focus group data using rigorous qualitative coding procedures, summarizing text by topic and highlighting emerging themes.

Site Surveys. More than 500 ECE administrators across the 16 counties were surveyed in May-July 2019. The survey data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, to both corroborate findings from the county level analysis as well as provide additional site level details.


Results:
Preliminary findings highlight the following common themes:
• While there are numerous opportunities for workforce development across the state (i.e., coaching, training, leadership capacity building, professional learning communities), there are relatively few opportunities that are specifically focused on working with DLLs.
• While there are some state-level guidance documents on serving DLLs and specific local initiatives around workforce development, there are no universal requirements for providers to have a foundational understanding of language acquisition for DLLs or best practices for serving DLLs, and there is wide variation in educator preparation and capacity.
• Additional challenges to a prepared workforce reported by study respondents included limited funding for professional development, lack of trainers who can provide training in non-English languages, and limited professional supports for unlicensed settings and infant-toddler teachers.

These findings will be supplemented by specific statistics on ECE program expectations for participation in professional development and overall participation rates.

Significance:
These findings highlight the current need for professional learning opportunities focused explicitly on supporting DLLs and the systemic challenges confronted by administrators working to support educators serving DLLs. Implications for the development of local- and statewide initiatives for improving workforce preparation will be discussed.

Authors

• Heather Quick, American Institutes for Research

• Rebecca Bergey, American Institutes for Research

• Lisa Jean White, American Institutes for Research

• Karen Manship, American Institutes for Research

• David Dodds