Association of Bilingual Education plans Oct. 15 conference

"Using a Child's First Language to Help Close the Achievement Gap" will be the theme of this year's Utah Association for Bilingual Education conference.

Kathy Escamilla, associate professor of education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will keynote the conference to be held Saturday, Oct. 15, at Mi Ranchito Grill at 9550 S. State.

Escamilla's research centers on educational issues related to Spanish-speaking students, specifically in issues related to the development of bilingualism and biliteracy in early elementary grades. Her recent research has also examined assessment practices and the impact of high stakes testing on these children.

Registration forms and nomination forms for bilingual awards are available online at www.uabe.org.