Program Overview

Bilingual Education Certificate Program

The Bilingual Education Certificate (BEC) is a three-component instructional series of professional development courses for teachers seeking Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) endorsement for bilingual education.

Program Overview

The program is designed for teachers, administrators, literacy specialists, and coaches, as well as paraprofessionals. It can be completed in a 12-month period, with courses offered online in a combination of asynchronous and synchronous participation.

Course Details

• Foundations of Bilingual Education: This course explores the history and politics of bilingual education, as well as the characteristics of language education programs in the U.S. It is offered online, asynchronously, during the Summer 2024 semester, and is worth 15 Professional Development Points (PDPs) at a cost of $400.
• Bilingualism, Second Language, and Literacy Acquisition: This hybrid course model provides exposure to contemporary theory and research in bilingualism and literacy. It takes place from September 30 to December 6, 2024, and is worth 45 PDPs at a cost of $1,200.
• Bilingual Literacy and Literature: Focused on praxis, this course applies theory to practice to promote change and evolution in teaching. It is offered from January 22 to April 12, 2024, and is worth 45 PDPs at a cost of $1,200.

Learning Outcomes

Key learning outcomes include understanding the foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism, social and political contexts of language use and instruction, enhanced ways of teaching language through content, bilingual language arts and literacy instruction, and text selection for multilingual children and youth.

Program Faculty

• Patrick Proctor: Professor and Department Chair, Teaching, Curriculum, and Society, with a focus on bilingualism, bilingual education, language, and literacy.

Program Requirements

To qualify for the DESE Bilingual Education Endorsement, participants must complete the 3-course sequence and demonstrate subject matter knowledge and skill requirements. Additionally, they must complete 75 hours of field-based experience, achieve a passing score on a foreign language test, and apply through ELAR.