District Administration - July/August 2012 - (Page 54)

A Running StARt foR ELLs Clark County (Nev.) School District has the sixth-largest population of ELLs nationwide, serving 54,398 ELL students. The district has seen its population of ELLs increase by roughly 2 percent each year. Despite the large population of ELLs, the state of Nevada does not require early education and most districts only provide what is affordable through federal grants like Head Start. Above, two preschool classes in the Clark County district. No Child Left Behind played a large role in bringing ELL and minority students to the forefront. One decade later, however, the accountability numbers are still staggering. In the 2008-2009 school year, only 10 states met their target goals for ELLs under NCLB, according to the “National Evaluation of Title III Implementation,” a study released May 11 by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the U.S. Department of Education. The study is the most comprehensive report to date of the federal Title III program, which under NCLB gives federal aid to states and districts for English-languageacquisition programs. Federal initiatives such as President Obama’s $1.1 billion Early Head Start investment in 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Race to the Top, and a competitive federal Head Start grant announced last fall for states totaling $7.6 billion have put early education in the spotlight. Just as NCLB has raised the bar for ELLs, the Common Core State Standards and the impending revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), of which NCLB is the latest incarnation, will do so even further. Despite large pushes in funding at the federal level, individual state funding still lags. This is in part due to state budget deficits, but also because some legislators lack the gumption to invest in the early years. “Funding for [early learning] has become a political hot potato,” says Ott. “It’s difficult enough for elected officials and districts to carve out enough funds for the basic core K12 programs. These are not easy decisions in a budget crisis, but the cost of students not being ready is greater, and it only starts appearing when they’re already behind.” Start at the Very Beginning There is a vast body of research linking students’ performance in their early years to their success in the K12 arena. Achieve- ment patterns in language and reading are established largely in the period from birth through the end of the primary grades, according to a 2010 white paper “Young English-Language Learners: Current Research and Emerging Directions for Practice and Policy” by Eugene Garcia and Ellen Frede, National Institute for Early Education Research Advisory Board member and co-director, respectively. Researchers have also linked early learning to various long-term benefits, including high employment and lower crime rates, compared to those who don’t have access. “Early learning programs help bridge the gaps in school readiness, and it’s in those younger years when the brain is best suited for language acquisition,” says Park. Head Start was founded in 1964 under President Lyndon Johnson as part of his Great Society campaign. According to 2007-2008 data, the program served 906,922 children nationwide and spent an average of $7,909 per child. To date, Hispanic students, despite 54 July/August 2012 District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - July/August 2012

District Administration - July/August 2012
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Research Center
Professional Opinion
Supervisor's Opinion
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Gaming Gains Respect
A Running Start for ELLs
Paul Vallas for Sale
Unsung Heroes
CIO News
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Virtual Schooling
Noteworthy Books
New Products
Product Focus
Problem Solution

District Administration - July/August 2012