Delaware

Thanks in part to the state’s education reform efforts outlined in our Race to the Top application, Delaware has launched a series of initiatives to further its efforts to internationalize our public K-12 schools. Governor Jack Markell signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hanban (the Office of Chinese Language Council International) to establish the Delaware Confucius Classrooms Network. This MOU will encourage schools to begin Mandarin Chinese language programs by providing them with additional start-up funds and a pool of highly qualified teacher applicants. Two teachers from China will arrive in July to begin programs in the Red Clay School District. The Governor’s intent is to use language learning to strengthen students’ competitiveness, especially for those students who are involved in the state’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs. Delaware will increase its number of Chinese language programs by 10% each year for the next three years. A part of the Governor’s Chinese Language Initiative also includes bringing the Chinese language and culture to students across the state who do not have access to a program in their school by participating in an Online Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture Course.

Other key initiatives in International Education in Delaware include:

• DOE MOUs have also benefited a number of Delaware school districts this year in helping internationalize learning experiences for their students: The Red Clay School District and the Christina School District have hired a total of 11 Visiting Teachers from Spain to teach in their elementary bilingual education and high school language programs. The Red Clay School District will also benefit from visiting teachers from France as a part of the Jules Verne program to teach French and German in one of their high schools. All of these efforts serve to internationalize school faculty and bring an international perspective to instruction and curriculum design.

• The Delaware Lighthouse Chinese Partnership, a collaborative effort between the Cape Henlopen School District, the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware, received a federal STARTALK grant to host a combined Teacher and Student Chinese STARTALK Program of Early Language Learners in July. Teachers from across the country have benefited from this highly praised program.

Contact information: Gregory Fulkerson at gfulkerson@doe.k12.de.us

Updated September 2011