Preparation of Early Childhood Teachers of Hispanic English Language Learners : Preparation of Early Childhood Teachers of Hispanic English Language Learners Delis Cuéllar
Bryant T. Jensen
and
Eugene E. García
Arizona State University
May 5-6, 2006
Overview : Overview Hispanic Demographics
Educational Well-Being of Young Hispanics (PK-3)
Importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
ECE System
Teacher Credentials
Improving Teacher Quality
Conclusion
Future Research
Hispanic Demographics* : Hispanic Demographics* Largest and fastest growing ethnic/racial minority group in US
Birth Rate – 2.75 for Hispanics
1.84 for White, non-Hispanics
Immigration (2000 Census)
62% of young Hispanic children (ages 0-8) live in immigrant families—approx. 9 in 10 are US-born *Sources: García, E., Jensen, B., Miller, S., andamp; Huerta, T. (2005). Early childhood education of Hispanics in the United States. Tempe, AZ: The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics. Hernandez, D. (2005). Young Hispanic children in the U.S.: A demographic portrait based on Census 2000. University at Albany, State University, NY: A report to the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics.
Hispanic Demographics* : Hispanic Demographics* A young population
2000 Census
Hispanics comprised 13% of total US population
Hispanics comprised 20% of the US population of young children (ages 0-8 years old)
Concentrated yet dispersing rapidly
72% of young Hispanics live in just 6 states (CA, TX, NY, FL, IL, AZ)
Over the last decade, NC and AR have experienced over 300% increases in Hispanic population *Sources: García, E., Jensen, B., Miller, S., andamp; Huerta, T. (2005). Early childhood education of Hispanics in the United States. Tempe, AZ: The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics. Hernandez, D. (2005). Young Hispanic children in the U.S.: A demographic portrait based on Census 2000. University at Albany, State University, NY: A report to the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics.
Hispanic Demographics* : Hispanic Demographics* Though diverse in their national origins, most are of Mexican decent
2000 Census
67% of all young Hispanic children (ages 0-8) were of Mexican origin
8% were 1st generation
59% were 2nd generation
33% were 3rd (+) generation
Diverse linguistic proficiency
Home language of Hispanics at 9-months (in 2002):
34% primarily Spanish with English
22% primarily English with Spanish
19% Spanish only
21% English only andamp; 4% other
75% are influenced by Spanish *Sources: Hernandez, D. (2005). Young Hispanic children in the U.S.: A demographic portrait based on Census 2000. University at Albany, State University, NY: A report to the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics. López, M., andamp; Barrueco, S. (2005). Latino infants and families: A national perspective of protective and risk factors for development. A report to the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics.
Educational Well-being of Young Hispanics (PK-3)* : Educational Well-being of Young Hispanics (PK-3)* Hispanics lag behind White and Asian peers in math and reading (andgt;.5 SD) at the beginning and throughout K-3 schooling
Partially explained by SES
School and Home processes are influential
Pre-school as a good investment
Economically (cost effective)
Neurologically
Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, Hispanics generally have lower enrollment rates in preschool programs *Sources: García, E., Jensen, B., Miller, S., andamp; Huerta, T. (2005). Early childhood education of Hispanics in the United States. Tempe, AZ: The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics. Reardon, S., andamp; Galindo, C. (2006). K-3 academic achievement patterns and trajectories of Hispanics and other racial/ethnic groups. Paper presented on April 11th at the Annual AERA Conference in San Francisco, CA.
Importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE)* : Importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE)* High quality preschool programs can have positive long-term impacts, especially for disadvantaged children:
Higher rates of academic achievement
Reduced grade retention
Reduced special education placements
Improved social adjustment
Greater employment stability
Higher income
Reduced criminality *Sources: Schweinhart, L. J. (2005). The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40 Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.
Effects of Tulsa Pre-K Program by Race/Ethnicity of Student* : Effects of Tulsa Pre-K Program by Race/Ethnicity of Student* *Source: Gormley, W., Gayer, T., andamp; Dawson, B. (2004). The effects of universal pre-k on cognitive development. Washington, DC: Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University.
Recommended Credentials : Recommended Credentials According to…
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (ACTE)
The National Research Council (NRC)
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
a BA + practical experiences and/or EC accreditation should be required of early childhood educators
Credentials and Program’s Quality : Credentials and Program’s Quality Classroom quality, as measured by the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), was positively correlated to the proportion of teachers with a baccalaureate degree1
Teachers with 4-year degrees 'express greater warmth for children and greater enthusiasm, [and] communicated more clearly with children'2
Positive correlation between teacher's level of education and self reported developmentally appropriate practices (DAP)3
Sources: 1.Phillipsen, L. C., Burchinal, M. R., Howes, C., andamp; Cryer, D. (1997). The Prediction of Process Quality from Structural Features of Child Care. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12(3), 281-303. 2. Arnett, J. (1989). Caregivers in Day-Care Centers: Does Training Matter? Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 10, 541-552. 3. McMullen, M. B., andamp; Alat, K. (2002). Education Matters in the Nurturing of the Beliefs of Preschool Caregivers and Teachers. Early Childhood Research and Practice,vol 4(2).
Credentials and Teacher’s Quality : Credentials and Teacher’s Quality The fertile environment fostered by highly-educated teachers appears to be of greatest benefit for children from low-income homes. *Source: Votruba-Drzal, E., Coley, R. L., andamp; Chase-Lansdale, P. L. (2004). Child Care and Low-Income Children's Development: Direct and Moderated Effects. Child Development, 75(1), 296-312.
ECE System : ECE System Head Start
State Funded
State funded Universal Pre-K (UPK)
Private Programs
Teacher Credentials: Head Start* : Teacher Credentials: Head Start* 1998 legislation required that by 2002 50% of Head Start teachers obtain an associates degree
Presently
4% have a graduate degree in early childhood
27% have a bachelor’s degree
27% of teachers have an associate’s degree
27% have a CDA (120 college hours)
16% other *Sources:Hart, K., andamp; Schumacher. (2005). Making the Case: Improving Head Start Teacher Qualifications Requires Increased Investment: Center for Law and Social Policy.
Teachers’ Credentials in State-Funded Programs : *Sources: Barnett, W. S., Hustedt, J. T., Robin, K. B., andamp; Schulman, L. K. (2004). The State of Preschool: 2004 State of Preschool Yearbook. New Jersey: National Institute for Early Education Research.
Teachers’ Credentials in State-Funded Programs
Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) : Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Oklahoma
Georgia
New York
District of Columbia
California
Los Angeles County
Teacher Credentials: UPK Programs* : Teacher Credentials: UPK Programs* Oklahoma: B.A degree + early childhood education certificate + 15 hours of in-service training1
Georgia: Most teachers have a B.A. degrees 2
New York: Birth-Grade 2 teaching certificate3
District of Columbia: B.A degree + training in Pre-K to 3rd grade4 *Sources: 1. Gormley, W. T., andamp; Phillips, D. (2005). The Effects of Universal Pre-K in Oklahoma: Research Highlights and Policy Implications. Policy Studies Journal, 33(1), 65-81. 2. Ackerman, D. J. (2004). States' Efforts in Improving the Qualifications of Early Care and Education Teachers. Educational Policy, 18(2), 311-337.; 3. Lekies, K. S., andamp; Cochran, M. (2002). Early Childhood Workforce Preparation in New York State: A Pilot Study: Cornell Early Childhood Program.; Barnett, W. S., Hustedt, J. T., Robin, K. B., andamp; Schulman, L. K. (2004). The State of Preschool: 2004 State of Preschool Yearbook. New Jersey: National Institute for Early Education Research 4. Henry, G. T., Henderson, L. W., Ponder, B. D., Gordon, C. S., Mashburn, A. J., andamp; Rickman, D. K. (2002). Report of the Findings from the Early Childhood Study: 2001-02: Georgia State University: School of Public Policy Studies.
Teacher Credentials: Private Programs* : Teacher Credentials: Private Programs* Usually high school diploma1
Only four states require pre-service training from a college or university
California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont2
Average number of ongoing training is 13 hours annually ranging from zero to thirty3 *Sources: 1. Barnett, W. S. (2003). Better Teachers Better Preschools: Student Achievement Linked to Teacher's Qualifications: National Institute for Early Education Research. 2. Ackerman, D. J. (2004). States' Efforts in Improving the Qualifications of Early Care and Education Teachers. Educational Policy, 18(2), 311-337. 3. Barnett, W. S., Hustedt, J. T., Robin, K. B., andamp; Schulman, L. K. (2004). The State of Preschool: 2004 State of Preschool Yearbook. New Jersey: National Institute for Early Education Research
Teacher Credentials: Training to Serve Diverse Populations* : Teacher Credentials: Training to Serve Diverse Populations* Course requirements for 167 teacher programs for early childhood educators were examined:
The majority of universities require students to take one semester hour or less of diversity course work
3% of the universities required a student teaching placement in a 'diverse' setting.
20% require future teachers to take a foreign language *Sources: Ray, A., Bowman, B., andamp; Robbins, J. (2005). Educating Early Childhood Teachers About Diversity: The Contribution of State Boards of Education, Professional Accreditation Organizations and Institutions of Higher Education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of NAEYC National Professional Conference, Miami, Florida.
Teacher Credentials for Hispanic Population* : Teacher Credentials for Hispanic Population* Three university’s requirements for BA, BS, and MA in ECE training programs
Low Population of Hispanics
3% are Hispanic Minors
Medium Population of Hispanics
36% are Hispanic Minors
High Population of Hispanics
44% are Hispanic Minors
ECE Teacher Curriculum by Hispanic Population : ECE Teacher Curriculum by Hispanic Population
Improving Teacher Quality* : Improving Teacher Quality* Administrators from around the country reported that the most pressing challenges in serving Hispanic children are the lack of sufficient training of ECE teachers and the lack of bilingual staff1
Hispanic parents indicate that parental involvement in schools would be improved greatly if the schools offered interpreters who spoke Spanish2
Spanish proficiency can leverage early academic achievement for Hispanic ELLs3 *Sources: 1. Buysse, V., Castro, D. C., West, T., andamp; Skinner, M. L. (2004). Addressing the Needs of Latino Children: A National Survey of State Administrators of Early Childhood Programs. Executive Summary. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, FPG Child Development Institute. 2. Ramirez, A. Y. F. (2003). Dismay and Disappointment: Parental Involvement of Latino Immigrant Parents. The Urban Review, 35(2). 3. Jensen, B. (2006). Mathematics achievement of Spanish-speaking kindergartners (SSK) and the impact of teacher characteristics. Paper presented on April 11th at the Annual AERA Conference in San Francisco, CA.
Improving Teacher Quality : Improving Teacher Quality Recommendations
Require some competency in Spanish for future teachers
Teacher programs should include more culturally rich coursework that are specific about the Hispanic population
Improve the in-service educational opportunities for already practicing teachers
Conclusion : Conclusion Young Hispanics are a large population of academically at-risk children in the US
Quality ECE programs can improve Hispanics’ early academic achievement
Efforts are being made to gauge teacher quality (i.e. teacher credentials) in ECE programs
For Hispanics, discussions of teacher quality should include rigorous linguistic and cultural teacher preparation
Future Research : Future Research In-depth degree requirement research
Transcript analyses – what courses are related to teacher quality (for young Hispanic ELLs)?
Specific teacher characteristics that influence student achievement
Approaches to help teachers gain and use meaningful Spanish proficiency
Intersection between teacher characteristics and home variables