The MLE4ALL Framework

The Campaign for a Multilingual Schooling System for California

INTRODUCTION

California is a multilingual state with nearly 200 languages spoken in California homes. We are the most linguistically diverse state in our nation. About 41.5% of California's school students speak a language other than English in their homes. About 60% of children ages zero to eight have home languages other than English. California schools enroll nearly 1.1 million who are classified as English Learners (ELs). Positioned on the Pacific Rim, with the fifth largest economy in the world, California is a major player in a global economy. Our cultural and linguistic diversity are remarkable assets for the state, as bilingualism is linked not only to economic growth, but also to improved health, social empathy, community cohesion, educational attainment and civic engagement. Our cultural and linguistic diversity enriches community life across the state.

In a turn away from what had been a quarter century of English-Only education campaigns and policy, in the past decade California began to build a policy framework to foster more robust, research-based language and dual language education. Our State Seal of Biliteracy fostered a national movement to honor the skill of proficiency in two or more languages on the diplomas of graduating seniors. Now every state in the union has adopted the Seal, and over a half million California students have received the honor. In 2016, California voters overturned key provisions of the restrictive English Only Proposition 227 policy – opening the door again to bilingual approaches. The following year, the aspirational California English Learner Roadmap policy was adopted to supersede Proposition 227, calling for assets based education that values the cultures and languages of students and provides intellectually rich instruction and meaningful access to the full curriculum for the state’s English learner students. In 2020, a Global California 2030 call to action from the then State Superintendent of Instruction issued a set of goals towards creating a schooling system to support biliteracy.

Yet “on the ground”, California schools continue to perpetuate subtractive schooling in which students who enroll in CA schools lose their home language as they develop English, only a small minority of students graduate biliterate, and gaps in educational outcomes persist between English learners and students who are “English Only”. As research increasingly documents the benefits of dual language education over English-only instruction, and evidence builds about the benefits of biliteracy to individuals and to society, a far more robust strategy is called for in order to create the schooling system appropriate to who California is and what California needs.

The following DRAFT Framework for a Multilingual Education for All Campaign outlines the vision and goal of a comprehensive long-view campaign, a suggested rationale, components and strategy to build the conditions and policy commitments in California to embed multilingualism as a signature feature of our schools. The Framework was developed after a year of exploration, research, interviews and dialogues – with educators, advocates, policymakers. We are particularly indebted to the UCLA Civil Rights Project and their briefs on moving Bilingual Education forward, to the participants and co-sponsors of our April 2024 convening kicking off this effort, to the entire Californians Together coalition, and to the many educators and advocates who consented to be interviewed for their perspectives on a campaign for multilingual education in California.

THE VISION

The affirmation and development of multilingualism will be a signature feature of California education P-12, as is appropriate for our richly diverse state and our global economy. The development of multilingualism will be a core feature of a rigorous educational program that prepares all students for a global world, and closes achievement gaps for the culturally and linguistically diverse students in our state by providing research-based dual language educational models. Multilingualism will be a win for the California economy providing a labor force with skills to participate and lead in our diverse communities and in an international and global economy. Through the emphasis on multilingualism, our schools will foster connections across communities, across the world, and prepare our students to thrive in an interconnected diverse world. Multilingualism is internationally the norm, and by developing schools that promote multilingualism, we join with nations throughout the world that recognize the social, intellectual and economic benefits of multilingual skills.

In a multilingual schooling system, every student will be engaged in some form of language study, affirmation of multilingualism will be a permeating value, opportunities for development of proficiency in two or more languages will be built into the schooling of all students, and dual language/biliteracy programs will be the standard for English learners.

California is a large state with a wide range of local community contexts. The demographics of each community, the size and resources of school districts, and local priorities all shape the specific options for multilingual education that are possible and preferable. The vision is a state with multiple multiliteracy programs and delivery options –all serving as pathways to the benefits of multilingualism. This will include dual language/biliteracy programs, but will also allow for the district and demographic contexts that require other program models including, for example, world language programs, bilingual language enrichment opportunities, community-based models, heritage language, and tribal language revitalization, etc.

Because home language abandonment and language loss occur at very young ages, and because 0-8 is a major phase for language development, the commitment to multilingual education will begin with preschool/early education and will continue through graduation from high school. No languages lost! The program models and delivery are not a one-size-fits-all mandate, but all are focused upon affirming multilingualism and preparing all students for engagement with languages in addition to English – with the goal of literacy and proficiency in two or more languages – and the promise that all students in California will experience engagement in language study in two or more languages.

Whether this eventually is approached as a high school graduation state requirement for all students, an EdCode programmatic requirement P-12, as a formal board-adopted State Plan for Multiliteracy, or approached through a different policy mechanism is yet to be identified. However, it will specifically impact the base English Learner program by augmenting the current Integrated and Designated ELD with bilingual/ dual language instruction as the standard program for all English Learners (wherever possible). The “roll out” will prioritize EL-classified student access to programs. The promise is that every child who enters as an English learner will become English proficient, will leverage and develop their home language as part of their educational journey, and graduate from high school literate in two or more languages.

A vision is a description of the end-goal, of a systems commitment. Once the vision and end goal are established and committed to, the work focuses upon creating the conditions for effective and successful implementation.

COMPONENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN:
BUILDING THE CONDITIONS, PAVING THE WAY

For each of the following “conditions” that need to be addressed in order to pave the way for statewide provision of multiliteracy education, there are interim policy steps and investments proposed. Each of these areas require “building out” into specific policy proposals and recommendations for philanthropic action, legislation, budget asks, and other actions.

A. Establish the vision as a state commitment with benchmarks and timelines

The framework and basic commitment to creating a schooling system for California with the goal of multilingual proficiency for all students should be formally established with a timeline for establishing the conditions and fully implementing the promise by 2035. This commitment should include benchmark indicators, and a state process for measuring progress towards those benchmarks.

B. Address the Teacher Shortage/Build the Teacher Workforce

A major lesson from history is that mandating programs before there is sufficient capacity for districts to be able to implement those programs is a recipe for ineffective programs, backlash and rejection. A major roadblock even to the current level of effort to start and expand dual language/bilingual programs has been the shortage of bilingual teachers. This was one of the first and highest priority challenges to a Multilingual Education for All campaign that was raised by people interviewed in the past year. A primary component in creating the conditions for our vision will be a robust set of initiatives and investments to build the bilingual teacher workforce. Lessons from the Bilingual Teacher Pipeline Development Project grants should be gleaned. A specific omnibus bilingual workforce development piece of legislation could include support for all/some of the following ideas – or these could be approached as pilots for philanthropy to support:

Require all teacher education programs in the state to offer bilingual authorizations, with funding to build and support those bilingual authorization programs.
Amend the Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) for all California teacher credentials to include competencies related to bilingual pedagogy and global education.
Provide stipends for candidates to obtain their bilingual authorizations
Expand and support the development of the Integrated Credential with the bilingual authorization within a system of 4-year BA Bilingual Teacher credential programs at CSU and UC teacher preparation programs.
Create a pipeline for Bilingual instructional Assistants to move into teaching positions
Grant additional credential flexibility and provide substantial resources for Seal of Biliteracy recipients interested in pursuing bilingual teaching roles in TK or the broader TK–12 education system. Include collaboration between high schools and universities on the development of high school CTEs, Bilingual clubs, etc.
Create high school bilingual teacher academies as career education pathways.
Recruit high school seniors upon graduation with the State Seal of Biliteracy to be employed to work in TK classrooms while enrolled at the university.
Provide professional development aimed at non-bilingual teachers on supportive bilingual pedagogy within English instructed settings – with certificates/badges
Grow the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program by an order of magnitude, providing at least $200 million in funding for the next round of grants.
Concentrate future Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program grants into larger awards for teacher training programs with strong foundations in bilingual teacher preparation, as well as with the potential to scale up rapidly.
Commit at least half of future Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program grants towards alternative teacher credentialing pathways, such as apprenticeships, residencies, and/or “grow-your-own” models.
Prioritize the training of bilingual teachers in all subsequent rounds of California’s Teacher Residency Grant Program, Golden State Pathways Program, and Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program
Launch a statewide program to provide bilingual teacher candidates with stipend support during their student teaching service.
Invest greater resources in new pathways for bilingual early educators to gain the credentials they need to serve in California’s rapidly growing transitional kindergarten system.
Other

C. Develop, Define, Describe diverse Delivery Models and Program Options

Multilingual Education for All depends on providing a variety of models and delivery options that address local contexts and demographics. While strong documentation, definition and guidance exist for effective two-way Dual Language programs and Developmental Bilingual programs, there is less field knowledge or clear definition and guidance for other multilingual education models. To some degree this is a task of pulling together existing research and program descriptions that address specific contexts (e.g., superdiverse language settings, specific languages, small rural districts with fewer teaching resources, community-based language programs and partnerships, tribal language revitalization). It may require combing the state for a variety of multilingual Bright Spots and approaches that serve different demographic, linguistic and district contexts. It might also include funding pilots of delivery approaches for contexts that are less well developed and tested (e.g., small dispersed rural districts).

The end result should be a description of a variety of options for multilingual education for inclusion in state policy and guidance. The process of selecting, piloting, researching and defining these options should include a review of research and evidence on effectiveness, good documentation of components of the models, and vetting of the approach by educators, school leaders and community members in the various contexts that options are meant to address.

D. Design accountability measures and systems, and develop biliteracy assessments

Goals for California school outcomes must be measured, and provisions put in place that meaningfully, fairly and equitably hold our schools accountable for providing effective programs and supports that enable students to reach desired outcomes. The disincentives to multiliteracy education of an English-only assessment and accountability system that currently exist have to be erased. The second language has to “count”, and attainment of biliteracy and proficiency in multiple languages has to be assessed as part of state monitoring of outcomes. This requires developing systems indicators based on “inputs”, as well as student assessments that validly measure student multilingual skills through which students can demonstrate performance and growth towards multilingual proficiency.

It also requires adjusting current monolingual expectations applied to multilingual learners in order to measure growth along biliteracy trajectories. While bilingual/biliteracy assessments are needed for all languages, the priority should be given to developing/selecting assessments in at least the top five languages in California schools – beginning with Spanish. A Dashboard category of Multilingual/Multiliteracy Engagement and Attainment can incorporate participation data, Seal of Biliteracy awards, progress towards attainment of standards of proficiency in languages other than English, etc. The State System of Support can incorporate the implementation of biliteracy programs as one model of differentiated assistance leading to better outcomes for ELs.