School of Education Master’s Program Launches Bilingual Authorization Program
Partnership with Department of Spanish and Portuguese to strengthen pathway for UCI undergraduates to become bilingual K-12 teachers.
Beginning in summer 2021, the UCI School of Education’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) + Credential Program will offer a Bilingual Authorization Program (BAP) within its Multiple Subject Credential Program.
The BAP addresses a growing need across Orange County and California. More than half of Orange County’s 28 school districts offer dual immersion programs in their schools, and more than a thousand additional schools across California offer dual immersion programs. There is an increasing demand for both admission to these programs and for teachers to staff the schools.
“The Bilingual Authorization Program will provide our talented MAT students with the skills necessary to excel as leaders of dual immersion programs and instruction,” said Richard Arum, dean and professor, UCI School of Education. “With more than 100 teacher candidates graduating from the MAT program annually, this will be a great boon to K-12 schools across Orange County and California.”
“I am so proud of the work our team has done to build a strong bilingual program, and pleased that our BAP graduates will continue to promote linguistic diversity in our local schools and communities,” said Virginia Panish, director of teacher education, UCI School of Education.
The BAP will allow candidates to add a Bilingual Authorization in Spanish to their Multiple Subject Credential. Qualified students will be placed in a local K-12 dual immersion classroom with a bilingual master teacher. UCI currently partners with dual immersion schools in the Anaheim Elementary School District, Capistrano Unified School District, Garden Grove Unified School District, Magnolia School District, Newport-Mesa Unified School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, and Santa Ana Unified School District.
In a dual immersion program, students learn and are taught in both English and a second language over the course of their K-12 education. The main goals for all dual immersion programs are for students to achieve strong levels of academic proficiency in all subject areas, become bilingual and biliterate and to develop sociocultural competence. Students who complete a dual immersion program may earn an official Seal of Biliteracy on their high school diploma.
The new BAP Program should be of particular interest to UCI undergraduates who obtained a minor in Spanish/English Bilingual Education, offered by the School of Humanities’ Department of Spanish & Portuguese. Those who earned that minor and enroll in the BAP will be able to waive a required California Educator Credentialing Assessments exam, the CSET Spanish Subtest V.
“We have an incredibly vibrant bilingual community on our campus, specifically in our School of Education undergraduate population,” said Susan Guilfoyle, School of Education lecturer and BAP coordinator. “Having these two options will allow us to grow our own bilingual teachers from the bilingual education undergraduate minor and continue to mentor and develop all of our future bilingual teacher candidates in our MAT program. I anticipate the number of bilingual teachers from our program will greatly increase in the upcoming years and I am beyond thrilled that we will be able to serve this growing need in our local public schools and beyond.”
Over the past decade, the MAT Program has produced more than 100 bilingual teachers, with 17 more pursuing Bilingual Authorization in the current cohort, a record high. There is a strong alumni base of bilingual MAT teachers working in dual immersion schools, many of whom helped launch dual immersion programs at their respective schools. Several have also gone on to serve as mentor teachers for the School’s bilingual teacher candidates.
“Our bilingual candidates have gone on to serve their communities as bilingual teachers and mentor teachers,” said Susan Toma-Berge, coordinator for the MAT’s Multiple Subject Program. “The MAT program is fortunate to work with dedicated mentor teachers, many who are UCI alumni, and who have opened up their classrooms for our student teachers. The BAP program has the benefit of a Master Mentor Teacher, who supports all the bilingual candidates at the school site.”
“In the last few years, UCI has become a hub for bilingualism studies and research in Southern California,” said Julio Torres, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese. “We are thrilled that this includes the preparation of future teachers in dual immersion schools who will have gained the knowledge and experience to promote the sustainability and development of a bilingual student population in California.”
More information about the new BAP Program can be found here.
The School of Education MAT + Credential Program enables students to receive a master’s degree and a single or multiple subject teaching credential in 14 months. New cohorts of teacher candidates begin the program in late June, and complete the program the following July, allowing for a seamless transition to the workforce at the start of the academic year.
The BAP addresses a growing need across Orange County and California. More than half of Orange County’s 28 school districts offer dual immersion programs in their schools, and more than a thousand additional schools across California offer dual immersion programs. There is an increasing demand for both admission to these programs and for teachers to staff the schools.
“The Bilingual Authorization Program will provide our talented MAT students with the skills necessary to excel as leaders of dual immersion programs and instruction,” said Richard Arum, dean and professor, UCI School of Education. “With more than 100 teacher candidates graduating from the MAT program annually, this will be a great boon to K-12 schools across Orange County and California.”
“I am so proud of the work our team has done to build a strong bilingual program, and pleased that our BAP graduates will continue to promote linguistic diversity in our local schools and communities,” said Virginia Panish, director of teacher education, UCI School of Education.
The BAP will allow candidates to add a Bilingual Authorization in Spanish to their Multiple Subject Credential. Qualified students will be placed in a local K-12 dual immersion classroom with a bilingual master teacher. UCI currently partners with dual immersion schools in the Anaheim Elementary School District, Capistrano Unified School District, Garden Grove Unified School District, Magnolia School District, Newport-Mesa Unified School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, and Santa Ana Unified School District.
In a dual immersion program, students learn and are taught in both English and a second language over the course of their K-12 education. The main goals for all dual immersion programs are for students to achieve strong levels of academic proficiency in all subject areas, become bilingual and biliterate and to develop sociocultural competence. Students who complete a dual immersion program may earn an official Seal of Biliteracy on their high school diploma.
The new BAP Program should be of particular interest to UCI undergraduates who obtained a minor in Spanish/English Bilingual Education, offered by the School of Humanities’ Department of Spanish & Portuguese. Those who earned that minor and enroll in the BAP will be able to waive a required California Educator Credentialing Assessments exam, the CSET Spanish Subtest V.
“We have an incredibly vibrant bilingual community on our campus, specifically in our School of Education undergraduate population,” said Susan Guilfoyle, School of Education lecturer and BAP coordinator. “Having these two options will allow us to grow our own bilingual teachers from the bilingual education undergraduate minor and continue to mentor and develop all of our future bilingual teacher candidates in our MAT program. I anticipate the number of bilingual teachers from our program will greatly increase in the upcoming years and I am beyond thrilled that we will be able to serve this growing need in our local public schools and beyond.”
Over the past decade, the MAT Program has produced more than 100 bilingual teachers, with 17 more pursuing Bilingual Authorization in the current cohort, a record high. There is a strong alumni base of bilingual MAT teachers working in dual immersion schools, many of whom helped launch dual immersion programs at their respective schools. Several have also gone on to serve as mentor teachers for the School’s bilingual teacher candidates.
“Our bilingual candidates have gone on to serve their communities as bilingual teachers and mentor teachers,” said Susan Toma-Berge, coordinator for the MAT’s Multiple Subject Program. “The MAT program is fortunate to work with dedicated mentor teachers, many who are UCI alumni, and who have opened up their classrooms for our student teachers. The BAP program has the benefit of a Master Mentor Teacher, who supports all the bilingual candidates at the school site.”
“In the last few years, UCI has become a hub for bilingualism studies and research in Southern California,” said Julio Torres, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese. “We are thrilled that this includes the preparation of future teachers in dual immersion schools who will have gained the knowledge and experience to promote the sustainability and development of a bilingual student population in California.”
More information about the new BAP Program can be found here.
The School of Education MAT + Credential Program enables students to receive a master’s degree and a single or multiple subject teaching credential in 14 months. New cohorts of teacher candidates begin the program in late June, and complete the program the following July, allowing for a seamless transition to the workforce at the start of the academic year.
ABOUT THE UCI SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
One of the nation’s premier education schools, the UCI School of Education is focused on advancing educational sciences and contributing to improved educational opportunities and outcomes for individuals across the entire lifespan. A diverse, dynamic and collaborative institution, the School of Education’s research, community partnerships and programming are dedicated to producing innovative scholarship, addressing the needs of local schools, and inspiring future generations of educators. Established in 2012, the School of Education ranks No. 20 in the U.S. News & World Report’s list of top graduate schools of education, No. 10 among public schools. Located in the heart of diverse and burgeoning Orange County – the nation’s sixth most populous county – the School of Education is uniquely positioned to serve as a model for a 21st Century school of education.
