SB 210 - Lead K

California was the first state to pass a Language Equality & Acquisition for Deaf Kids - Kindergarten-Readiness (LEAD-K) law – SB 210 in 2015. It is now being implemented in our schools. Senate Bill (SB) 210 (Galgiani) requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to select language developmental milestones from existing standardized norms and develop a resource for use by parents of children who are Deaf (birth-five). The California Department of Education (CDE) assembled a committee of stakeholders that has developed a series of Language Milestones for children who are Deaf birth to age five. You can find information about Language Milestones on the CDE Senate Bill 210 Language Milestones Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ss/dh/sb210langmilestones.asp.

The LEAD-K Campaign is a direct response to the alarming number of Deaf and hard of hearing children arriving at school without language. Language deprivation has irreparable catastrophic consequences on the educational, social and vocational development of Deaf and hard of hearing children. The goal is to ensure language acquisition regardless of the language used, whether ASL or English or both. Deaf children who have language are Kindergarten-ready.

The committee of stakeholders chose the SKI-HI Language Development Scale (LDS) as the instrument to be used to track and monitor the spoken English and/or American Sign language development of young Deaf children. Early Start and preschool teachers of the deaf will be administering the SKI-HI LDS twice per year, and reporting the results to the CDE. The committee tasked the CDE with the development of a Parent Profile, which will be provided to parents of children ages 0-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing, so that they can track their child’s language development over time. The goal of these activities is that all children who are deaf or hard of hearing will develop age-appropriate language skills and be ready for Kindergarten at age five.

In October 2017 CDE provided several webinar sessions to train Early Start and preschool teachers of the deaf, and parents, about the requirements of SB 210. The training included the use of the SKI-HI LDS and the Parent Profile. Teachers will provide results of the assessment to CDE which will also be shared with teachers and parents.

The SKI-HI Learning Development Scale (LDS) has been sent out to each SELPA based on the number of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in the CALPADS. Early Start teachers and Pre- School/Pre-Kinder teachers are required to submit the LDS twice a year starting this Spring of 2018.