Dual Language Learner (DLL) Professional Development: In 2018, Early Edge was instrumental in securing a $5 million budget allocation to support DLL professional development for early educators. This funding allowed 1,400 educators to gain invaluable professional development, and results from the initiative’s evaluation showed increased knowledge and confidence as well as improved parent and family engagement for participants.
DLL Policy Platform: In 2020, Early Edge and partners Catalyst California released the DLL Policy Platform, a policy roadmap for supporting DLL children and families. Many of these recommendations were included in the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and accompanying Knowledge Brief, Promoting Equitable Early Learning and Care for DLLs, establishing state policy that the legislature and state agencies could point to for supporting the needs of California’s DLL children and families in the early years.
Multilingual Learning Toolkit: In 2021, Early Edge, American Institutes for Research, and other key partners developed the Multilingual Learning Toolkit, an online resource hub for supporting ML children and families preschool through third grade. The website, developed for teachers, administrators, and higher education faculty, contains over 500 open-source resources that are aligned to evidence-based practices and strategies for supporting ML children.
Asset-Based DLL Identification: In 2022 Early Edge and partners sponsored bill AB 1363 was signed into law, establishing the first-in-the-nation asset-based process for identifying DLLs in California State Preschool Programs. In 2024, this process was expanded to general child care (CCTR) and migrant child care (CMIG) programs through the passage of Early Edge sponsored bill AB 393. These bills ensure children are identified, families receive resources about the benefits of bilingualism and home language development, and key data about children are collected to help inform decisions at the state and programmatic level.
Two Languages, Twice The Opportunities Communications Campaign: Early Edge contributed to the development of the Two Languages, Twice the Opportunities communications campaign, which was launched in 2023, in partnership with First 5 Los Angeles and other Quality Start Los Angeles members. This campaign, which is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, uplifts the benefits of bilingualism and offers resources and tools for families in developing their child’s home language.
Developmentally Appropriate Transitional Kindergarten (TK) ML Screeners: In 2024, with the expansion of TK to include younger four-year-olds, Early Edge and partners sponsored AB 2268, which exempted TK students from taking the English Language Proficiency Assessments of California (ELPAC), recognizing it as developmentally inappropriate for four-year-olds. Early Edge then championed a $10M budget allocation for the identification and rollout of alternate, developmentally appropriate tools to be used in TK. The newly selected tools will be piloted in the 2026-27 school year and implemented broadly in the 2027-28 school year.
Supporting Black (English) Language: In 2025, Early Edge joined partners Black ECE, Catalyst California, and Californians Together in bringing together researchers, language and literacy experts, practitioners, and families to identify policy and practice actions to uplift and affirm Black Language as a legitimate, rule-governed language in early childhood settings. We have recently released two knowledge briefs and are hosting a webinar series to share our findings. Read more in last month’s Policy Corner and register for our upcoming May 6th webinar.
Bilingual Teacher Pipeline: Most recently, Early Edge is sponsoring AB 2325 this legislative session in partnership with Californians Together to address the bilingual teacher pipeline shortage beginning in the early years. If signed, the bill would create a competitive grant program, administered by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, to support partnerships between Local Education Agencies, community colleges, and four-year institutions of higher education to establish or expand articulated pathways that prepare bilingual students to become bilingual teachers.
