Ensuring Bilingual Candidates' Spanish Language Proficiency as a Democratic Principle

• In Event: Preparing Linguistically Qualified Bilingual/Dual Language Teachers: Challenges and Opportunities in Spanish Language Assessment and Development

Abstract

Objectives: To provide the outcome of implementing standards and testing for Spanish Language Proficiency for bilingual teacher candidates and to present promising strategies to ensure candidates’ success.

Theoretical framework: In a quest to ensure that bilingual candidates have the capacity to deliver content using academic Spanish in dual language programs, state level standards and assessment were created. Author (2002; 2004 ) cautioned that standards can become gate-keeping mechanisms, which prevent teacher candidates from moving forward in their program of study or in their career. While there is indeed a need to ensure that teachers can demonstrate academic Spanish language proficiency (Guerrero & Valadez, 2011), we must also recognize that many of bilingual teacher candidates have maintained their native language with little to no support throughout their schooling. Yet, upon arrival to the bilingual education teacher preparation program, we often began with an expectation that potential candidates beyond an intermediate level of Spanish proficiency. In addition to dissuading potential candidates, essentially, we are contributing to the bilingual education teacher shortage. As a result of implementation of an exit Spanish language proficiency test based on standards identified as necessary for the bilingual teacher candidate, we have created a high-stakes testing situation. According to Valenzuela (2004), policies result in high-stakes testing which further exacerbate the inequities of schooling. Rather than simply enacting policies and standards, we must create institutional mechanisms to ensure the success of potential bilingual education teacher candidates. Support systems, such as learning communities, have shown promise in supporting bilingual teacher candidates (Author, 2007). Other support mechanisms include course work delivered in Spanish and professional development. In sum, rather than disenfranchising potential bilingual teacher candidates, democratic principles and ethics require that we, as teacher educators, respond in a manner that provides the support and space for linguistic growth and efficacy.

Method: Testimonios as oral narratives are used as a tool for research. Testimonios are powerful as a safe space to share the participant’s voice. As such testimonios reduce the researcher subjectivity often related with qualitative research.

Data sources: Five teacher candidates’ testimonios will be culled for evidence of support systems that assisted their development of Spanish language proficiency in the bilingual education teacher preparation program.
Results: Preliminary results show bilingual teacher candidates academic language proficiency increased overtime and as a result, candidates were able to pass the state’s exit Spanish language proficiency assessment. Also candidates’ sense of efficacy in delivering and writing lessons and activities across content areas increased.

Significance: To increase the bilingual education teacher pool and to ensure teachers have the academic Spanish language proficiency requires concerted effort on the teacher preparation institution and candidate alike. These promising practices can be replicated and examined to advance the scholarship. Moreover, candidates’ capacity to deliver content using academic Spanish ensures equity for bilingual education students in their classrooms.

Author

• Belinda Bustos Flores, The University of Texas - San Antonio