Conceptual Framework

The Bilingual Authorization (BLA) pathway prepares teachers to work in bilingual classrooms, dual language classrooms, English language development classrooms, content-area single-subject classrooms, and special education classrooms where Spanish is used for instruction. By completing additional requirements, the bilingual authorization may be added to a multiple-subject, single-subject, or education specialist credential.

The School of Education conceptual framework guides all of our programs, including the Bilingual Authorization Program, and it is informed by three interconnected tenets: inclusion, social justice, and collaboration and reflective practice.  Inclusion refers to each and everyone. Intersecting identities may consist of race, indigeneity, socioeconomic status, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, immigration/refugee status, spirituality, language, and education (Crenshaw, 1991; Martinez, 2018; Timothy, 2019). The School of Education is committed to enacting culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogical (Paris & Alim, 2017) approaches that are accessible, inclusive of abilities, multiple literacies, and the intersectional identities that impact the lived experiences of children, youth, families, and communities. 

Social Justice:  As Cochran-Smith (2001) argued, it is “not enough for beginning teachers to learn the basic skills of managing classrooms and constructing well-crafted lessons for all students” (p.3). Additionally, education professionals (for example: teachers, counselors, administrators, and other educational leaders) must be prepared to critique and reimagine educational practices as well as envision education as a “practice of freedom” (hooks, 1994, p. 12). CSUCI’s School of Education is committed to developing future education professionals who will be able to discern and think critically about systems of power that have shaped and continue to influence our educational landscape (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Our School of Education is dedicated to preparing future education professionals to be active agents of change who take a stance and disrupt systemic racism, inequities, and injustices that manifest themselves in and outside of classrooms to transform our local communities and beyond. These efforts will be informed by theory, systemic, and systematic inquiry as students combine practical and research knowledge around problems of practice to transform educational systems. 

Collaboration & Reflection: The School of Education sees education professionals as learners who critically engage in inquiry through self-reflection and research-informed approaches to advance equity-minded practices (Bolman & Deal, 2017; Hernandez & Endo, 2017). Critical reflective education professionals participate in ongoing learning (Han, Blank & Berson, 2020),  embody a sense of care and accountability towards communities, and demonstrate positive dispositions towards families’ funds of knowledge, which helps them understand the cultural-historical contexts of the communities they serve (Moll, 2019) and thus create strong positionalities to sustain reciprocal community partnerships. 

See References Here (pp. 4-5)

Community Partnerships

CSUCI partners with local education agencies (LEAs) throughout Ventura County. Our students complete their fieldwork placements in many schools throughout the region, such as Oxnard Elementary School District, Oxnard Union School District, Hueneme Elementary School District, Santa Paula Unified School District, and many others. For a detailed view of where our students are placed, please see: CSU Channel Islands School of Education School & DES Asset Placement, Fall 2014-Spring 2024.

Resources and Support for the BLA Program

We offer various supports for our students seeking to add a bilingual authorization to their teaching credential. One is through the bilingual Teacher Residency Program with the following partner districts: Oxnard School District (OSD), Oxnard Union High School District (OUHSD), Rio School District, and Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD). The program, funded by California's Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), is in partnership with schools (LEAs) and provides stipends, tuition, and year-round classroom experience for teacher residents seeking a credential and bilingual authorization.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $1.1 M to CSUCI (Principal Investigator Dr. Michelle Dean and co-PIs Drs. Luz Yadira Herrera and Tiina Itkonen) for "Proyecto SABER" (Special and Bilingual Educator Retention), which will provide scholars seeking an Education Specialist Credential and bilingual authorization with benefits such as tuition reimbursement, stipend, and other resources to support their program completion. 

Bilingual Authorization Transition Plan 

Program Summary