Illinois recently became the first state in the nation to mandate bilingual education at the pre-K level. Bilingual programs are growing across the state not only in lower-income communities, but in diverse, middle-class suburbs, too, as parents discover their benefits. Illinois boasts the highest percentage of 3-year-olds served by state-funded preschool in the country. Yet despite the state's pioneering policies, Latino children have the lowest preschool enrollment rate in Illinois and exhibit wide learning gaps at school entry.

Panels include language-acquisition experts, teachers, parents, and veteran education reporters. The event is set for Tuesday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at DePaul University in Chicago. Online registration is closed, so you will have to register on-site.

For journalists, the Education Writers Association has a limited number of travel subsidies that cover one night of hotel and travel. Apply now for the subsidy. EWA would also like to gauge interest in a bilingual preschool site visit before or after the conference. The site visit would give journalists an opportunity to observe a bilingual preschool and speak to school administrators and teachers about their successes and challenges in beginning to comply with the new mandate.

Registered participants will receive additional details shortly. In the meantime, for more information, please contact Sara McElmurry at the Latino Policy Forum: smcelmurry@latinopolicyforum.org.