Riley asks about dual-language and enhanced language program availability

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Deputy Chancellor, and to the panel that came out here today for testifying.

We truly appreciate it.

My question is going to be surrounded around program models and access.

So the DOE offers the dual language and enhanced language support programs.

The dual language programs teach English and target languages.

So does the DOE and contracted early childhood programs, how many, excuse me, how many DOE and contracted early childhood programs currently offer dual language or enhanced language?

And do you have that by borough, language, and seat count?

Thank you for that question.

First, I'll talk a little bit about what we've been talking about, the dual language piece and the enhanced language and how we think about that.

And then I'll turn it over to Dr.

Pembroke to provide some of the detail about the specific programs that we have.

So dual language programs, we have 99 of those, and they're very specific of the different languages.

The enhanced language supports is a designation within my schools that indicates that a school is able to, you know, offer supports and resources.

But in reality, on the ground, we actually expect all schools to be able to do that.

And so the enhanced language supports, you know, we believe that all of the schools have the resources and the expectations to be able to meet any multilingual child that comes into the program.

So I will turn it over.

To Dr.

Branch, you're going to take that question.

That one.

I just wanted to also just offer a little bit more in terms of the explanation of the enhanced language supports, because we see it on my schools.

You know, I saw it even before I came to the division and always wondered what it really meant.

And what it truly means is that a family can go to a program and there's someone there who speaks their home language, right?

That person could be a lead teacher, a teacher's assistant.

It could be a custodial staff.

It could be a secretary, any individual.

It is not an instructional program, though.

That's what's important to note.

So that it's not...

Similar or on the same continuum as dual language.

It's literally about language access.

And what you just heard in terms of what DC Phillips shared is that that's the expectation of all of our programs.

So not only enhanced language programs, but the expectation is that supports are being provided in a family's home language at each and every one of our programs.

So that's actually expanded beyond the enhanced language.

In terms of the breakdown,

Don't have it by district, but I can give you specifically how many programs in pre-K, 3K, and what the languages are, if that's helpful.

Okay, so in terms of pre-K programs, we have five programs that support Mandarin Chinese exclusively.

We have one program that supports Mandarin Chinese and Arabic, so you'll find both languages in that program.

We have two programs that support Chinese, Mandarin, and Spanish.

Again, you'll find both in those programs.

We have two programs, two French dual language programs, one Italian,

one Korean, one Polish, two Russian, one program that has Russian and Spanish, and 77 Spanish dual language programs in pre-K.

I'm sorry, this is all early childhood?

All.

Early childhood, the littles.

Thank you.

Yes.

For 3K, you know, we're very, very excited about the two new 3K programs that we opened this year.

And right now, the 3K programs, they support Russian, one.

One supports Spanish.

Okay.

So those are the two.