Understanding and Supporting Dual Language Learners in ECEAP Classrooms. Revised

Statewide Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) enrollment data suggests that the percentage of children from homes where English is not the primary language has remained steady over the past four years at around a third of the enrolled population (33% in 2015-16 and 32% in 2019-20). In ECEAP, children from homes where English is not the primary language are broadly referred to as Dual Language Learners (DLL). It is necessary to understand how DLLs are being identified in ECEAP and, relatedly, what is known about these children as a group and as specific subgroups. This report examines the available classroom language models (CLM) data, which are formal approaches to instructing DLLs. It also examines the relationship between CLM type and academic and developmental outcomes for DLLs. This analysis includes all 3 and 4-year-olds enrolled in ECEAP during the 2018-19 academic year. This is the first year programs began reporting CLM information in ECEAP's Early Learning Management System (ELMS). It is also the most current academic year when child and program data collection was not impacted by COVID-19.