Cuellar Amendment To Help Improve Progress Towards English language Proficiency For Head Start Students

Press Release

CUELLAR AMENDMENT TO HELP IMPROVE PROGRESS TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY FOR HEAD START STUDENTS

Yesterday, Rep. Henry Cuellar offered an amendment to the Head Start Act of 2007 that will help improve Head Start students' progress towards English Language Proficiency. The Cuellar Amendment aims to help enhance consistency in how the progress of students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is measured.

The Improving Head Start Act of 2007 requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to produce a report one year after its enactment detailing the progress of students with LEP. The Cuellar Amendment adds the requirement that such assessments be described. The Amendment is supported by the National Education Association, the National Council of La Raza and the Texas Head Start Association.

"Having grown up in South Texas, I know from personal experience how important it is to learn English early in life. It is important to me that Congress addresses the education needs of all students and provides them with tools to help them be successful," said Congressman Cuellar.

Studies have shown that early childhood is the easiest time for an individual to learn a new language. The Head Start program is an ideal vehicle for teaching children English. The Cuellar Amendment will take the first steps towards providing a consistent standard to measure progress and help lay down the groundwork for the establishment of a list of specific assessment tactics for Head Start providers.

"Education has always been and remains one of my top priorities. At the federal level, we have the responsibility to help our children achieve academic success. I have two young children, so it is a very personal goal of mine to continue to provide all kids with the resources they need to be competitive in school and in further pursuits," said Cuellar.

Key Provisions in the Head Start Act of 2007

* Authorizes and additional $450 million for Head Start in 2008 to a maximum of $7.3 billion, which would allow up to 10,000 more children to receive Head Start

* Increases funding for teacher and staff salaries, professional development, training and assistance, and the hiring of additional staff

* Allows local programs the discretion to convert portions of their grant to Early Head Start, which services children under the age of three

* Terminates the National Reporting System and replaces it with an updated standards for assessment based on the most current and up-to-date science

* Improves coordination between Head Start and child care programs to increase full-day and full-year services

* Increases accountability through a new system of application review, allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to quickly strip low-quality and inefficient programs of funding

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