Services for Diverse Populations

The Early Childhood Research Institute on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS), funded by OSEP, is a collaborative effort of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The Council for Exceptional Children, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. CLAS identifies, evaluates, and promotes effective and appropriate early intervention practices and preschool practices that are sensitive and respectful to children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Some of the fundamental beliefs about culture and language in CLASs research, training and dissemination activities are: individuals and families are members of many cultures; cultures have many faces and are always changing; acquisition of different languages is a good thing; and learning the first language well helps a child learn a second language.

Early Childhood Research Institute on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61 Children's Research Center, 51 Gerty Drive, Champaign, IL 61821, Voice 217-333-4123, Toll-free Voice/TTY 800-583-4135, http://clas.uiuc.edu, clas@ericps.crc.uiuc.edu.