Education professor helps guide national dual language standards

Cato College of Education professor Joan Lachance and a colleague have authored a new publication that will provide educator preparation programs with a set of standards to guide dual language teacher preparation across the county.

The National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards (NDLETPS) aim to support federal, state and local stakeholders who prepare dual language educators for the linguistic, cultural and ideological depth of working in K-12 and potentially K-16 dual language programs.

Developed by Lachance, an assistant professor in the Department of Middle, Secondary and K-12 Education, and Michael Guerrero, a professor of bilingual studies at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, NDLETPS were released by Dual Language Education of New Mexico as part of the annual La Cosecha Dual Language Conference.

“With a sufficient qualified bilingual teacher workforce currently our biggest challenge in strengthening and expanding dual language programs, this standards document is timely in its release,” said David Rogers, executive director, Dual Language Education of New Mexico. “[It is] one of several guiding documents being developed; these standards should be viewed as a ‘back bone’ to any effective teacher preparation program that will also need to respond to the needs of its particular student, family and community demographics.”

NDLETPS was submitted to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation to be considered as a new Specialized Professional Association. Collaborative efforts will continue through 2019.