Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide an inclusive and cost-effective preschool program through the Early Education Act. The law requires the Superintendent develop procedures for state preschool contractors to identify and report data on dual language learners enrolled in the preschool program. The procedures must include, at minimum, the inclusion of a distribution and collection of a family language instrument and a family language interest interview.
AB 393 requires the Director of Social Services to develop procedures for general or migrant childcare and development contractors to identify and report data on dual language learners enrolled in a general childcare and development program or migrant childcare and development program (collectively “a program”). The Director must develop informal directives and adopt regulations to implement these provisions. The bill also requires the Superintendent and the Director to coordinate efforts to implement these provisions.
This bill amends existing law to allow a state preschool contractor to use the previous designation of a child as a dual language learner by a general childcare and development program to identify the child as dual language learner.
AB 393 provides that parents or guardians cannot be compelled to participate in the data collection and a family’s refusal to complete the family language instrument or family language and interest interview shall not affect the contract of a program contractor. Such refusal does not affect the child’s eligibility to enroll in a program.
AB 393 establishes new requirements. It requires that teachers conduct an interview with the parents of any child identified as a dual language learner to inquire and discuss the strengths and interests of the child, the language background of the child, and the needs of parents, guardians, or family member of the child to support the language and development of the child.
(AB 393 amends Section 8241.5 of the Education Code, and adds Section 10206.6 to the Welfare and Institutions Code.)