Group Action Plans

Confirmed Priority Concerns:

Proposed Strategies for Addressing at least three top Identified Concerns:

Organization(s) that have the resources or authority to take the lead in addressing the concerns:

Our global society demands that instruction in foreign languages be implemented at the primary level (pre-K) in order to facilitate language acquisition and to enable the students to participate fully in the world economy. Instruction must be clearly articulated from pre-K through university and beyond.

• Create certification/credential programs for elementary language education.
• Fund more research projects that investigate the influence of early foreign language learning on achievement in all other academic areas.
• Identify and/or develop programs based on research that demonstrate the benefit of elementary foreign language instruction.
• Provide on-going articulation and mentoring of FLES/dual immersion pilot programs.
• Create age appropriate foreign language materials for use in the elementary grades.
• Provide a variety of resources and materials for elementary foreign language programs in the area of technology.

California needs foreign language standards and a framework that re-establishes foreign language as a core subject with clear curricular goals mandating language proficiency as a high school graduation requirement.

• Write a framework with clear objectives for K-16 instruction and well-defined benchmarks for each curricular goal.
• Create state standards and a framework, both aligned with National Standards while addressing California's specific concerns.
• Make foreign language a state requirement for high school graduation separate from fine arts.

California schools need an articulated state policy to address the curricular, instructional, and assessment issues of native speakers of languages other than English.

• Develop a policy as stated in the identified issue.
• Disseminate clear and consistent information about the policy to counselors and administrators throughout the K-12 system and to Education and Language Departments at institutions of higher learning.
• Establish and pursue grants and other alternative funding for the professional training of heritage language teachers and the development of articulated curricula and resources for heritage language classes.
• Develop a policy of granting high school graduation and college entrance credit for heritage language classes, native country schooling (e.g. 8 years equals high school levels) or via proficiency testing.