News Update

New law will identify preschoolers’ home languages

A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday requires all state-subsidized preschool programs to identify the languages children speak at home and the language spoken by program staff.

The bill, AB 1363, authored by Assemblymember Luz Rivas, D-North Hollywood, requires preschool programs that receive state funds to serve low-income children to identify the language spoken at home of every child enrolled, as well as the languages used in the classroom and spoken by the preschool teachers.

In addition, the bill requires programs to show they support children in developing both their home language and English in order to be considered a “quality” program by the state.

“Over 60 percent of California’s students come from a home where English is not the primary language, and today we are taking decisive action to strengthen our bilingual students’ early learning opportunities,” Rivas said. “With the governor’s signing of AB 1363, California leads the nation in education policy once more by becoming the first state to create a standardized process that identifies and supports K-12 dual language learners at an early age.”

The identification of preschoolers’ home languages and how well their preschool programs are meeting their language needs was one of the priorities set forth in California’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care.


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