Multiple Subject with Bilingual Added Auth Literacy Certification

 A team of literacy experts among the SDSU faculty in the School of Teacher Education and the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education was established to review multiple subject credential program pathways to ensure alignment with the new literacy instruction standards and teaching performance expectations. This literacy working group was chaired by Dr. Sera Hernández, and included Dr. Kelly Johnson and Dr. Ixchel Samson. Collectively, the committee brings decades of teaching literacy across PK-12 settings, including early literacy, literacy in multilingual classrooms and with students with special needs. The literacy working group met weekly for several months to become familiar with the expectations around SB 488, the new standards and TPE’s, and the aligned literacy performance assessment. This included identifying where the state content and literacy resources were included in the program of study (e.g., CCSS, ELD Standards, ELA/ELD framework), identifying gaps in resources (e.g., California Dyslexia Standards), revisiting the overarching literacy goals California has established for its P-12 students, the guiding principles and circles of implementation from the ELA/ELD standards which are leverage the new literacy standard and TPEs. This included referencing other important state documents such as the California Preschool Curriculum Framework, California’s Dyslexia Guidelines, the California English Learner Roadmap, and the Guide to Understanding California MTSS, among others. 

The team also reviewed the “Resource Guide on Preparing Teachers for Effective Literacy Instruction“ that was released on June 2, 2022 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to ensure that the program pathways built on what the program was doing well related to SB 488 and revising or enhancing where needed to include the study of effective means of teaching literacy through an “evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills and print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition, and fluency to all pupils, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs” (from SB 488). The literacy working group team understands the need for the state’s efforts to elevate the explicit teaching of foundational skill as critical to student academic success, while acknowledging (as does the CCTC), that these skills are foundational but not sufficient to a comprehensive literacy approach and program.

This review of the program included reviewing course syllabi, clinical practice opportunities and assessments, and clinical practice handboooks.The lead of the committee, Dr. Hernández, and Dr. Nina Potter, SDSU College of Education’s Director of Accreditation, Program Review and Assessment, met to ensure that TPE 7 was reflected in teacher candidate assessments, specifically the TPE Rubric used by supervisors during clinical practice to observe and evaluate teacher candidates’ level of growth across all TPEs. This also included the revision of SDSU’s Clinical Practice Walkthrough Observation #2 to include screening for dyslexia and a foundational skill intervention lesson in conjunction with the Case Study Assignment, and the revision of SDSU’s Clinical Practice Walkthrough Observation #3 to include a language development / Designated ELD focus with the opportunity to plan, teach and assess a small group of English Learners.

Describe how the program has ensured that faculty teaching the literacy instruction courses understand the requirements in SB 488, the new standards and TPEs, and the evidence base supporting them. If this response differs by pathway, please respond for each pathway. 

SDSU’s literacy working group for multiple subject pathways ensured that faculty teaching the literacy instruction courses understood the requirements in SB 488, the new standards and TPEs, and the evidence-based supporting them in a variety of ways. Dr. Hernández met with the professors of the biliteracy courses (DLE 532 and DLE 931), Dr. Griselda Palma and Professor Diana Gomez, to review the materials, resources and expectations for SB 488. The team prepared for the program review and certification process by reading the literacy standard and TPEs and viewing and discussing the CCTC Webinars “Examining the Literacy Standard & TPEs for SB 488 Certification.” Each member also participated in modules and viewed webinars offered through the CCTC and CDE on literacy instruction. The lead of the literacy working group also attended office hours offered by CAR/W to ask questions and get clarity about the process where needed. The faculty in the literacy working group then met with the additional instructors of the literacy courses to share resources, modules, and other relevant information to meet the state’s literacy requirements for teacher preparation programs. The literacy standard and TPEs were also shared with all faculty during a summer 2024 faculty retreat, as the responsibility to address these competencies is a collective effort across the program. 

Describe how the institution/program has provided opportunities for faculty teaching these courses to engage in professional learning to ensure that they are prepared to teach new content as required by SB 488, the standards, and the performance expectations. If none has been provided to date, provide information about the implementation plan for specific professional development and learning that will take place. If these responses differ by pathway, please respond for each pathway. 

SDSU has supported the literacy working group by providing professional development funding to both professors of the biliteracy courses. The members are deciding which professional development opportunity to attend for 2024-2025. In the meantime, they are actively participating in free CCTC and CDE-sponsored professional development on literacy to report back to the team and view previously recorded webinars on the topics of foundational skills, dyslexia, and early literacy. Resources from CSU’s Center for the Advancement of Reading/Writing (CAR/W) were shared with the working group by our faculty representative, Dr. Monica Baldonado. Dr. Baldonado recently joined the literacy working group to help support the implementation of TPE 7 in single-subject literacy courses across the college. At least one member from the literacy working group will participate in CAR/W’s professional learning events during the 2024-2025 academic year that focus on foundational skills, early literacy, dyslexia, literacy and multilingual learners. A literacy drive was created to house all materials in one place where all faculty, including those that teach literacy methods, can reference and utilize those resources.

What steps has the program taken or will take in the coming months to communicate to mentor/cooperating teachers and other PK-12 partners the new requirements of SB 488, the new literacy instruction program standards, TPEs, and upcoming performance assessment requirements? (meetings, notifications, handbook updates, etc.) 

The literacy working group has designed a plan to communicate to mentor teachers and other PK-12 partners the new requirements of SB 488, including the new literacy instruction program standards, TPEs, and upcoming performance assessment requirements through mentor teacher handbook updates, a video recorded introduction to SB 488 by the literacy working group members to be released in the Fall of 2025, and a mentor teacher workshop planned for February 2025. Literacy resources from the CCTC and CDE will be shared with the mentor teachers to encourage them to continue their professional development opportunities in the area of literacy.   

The next level of training will be for our site coordinators that run our governance meetings with partner districts to ensure that they are aware of the new requirements of SB 488, the new Literacy instruction program standards, TPEs, and performance assessment requirements.  This information is also included in our mentor teacher handbook, as well as in the district and SDSU Student Teaching Agreement/MOU. 

 In what ways did the program’s process for reviewing its coursework and clinical practice requirements against the new standards and TPEs include individuals with expertise in literacy instruction for multilingual/English learner students? 

The review process for the multiple subject programs at SDSU involved three professors that have expertise in literacy instruction in general and literacy instruction for multilingual/English learners. The review included examining coursework and clinical practice requirements with the new standards and TPEs by the three lead literacy working group members: 

Sera Hernández, Ph.D. is the Department Chair and an Associate Professor of Dual Language and English Learner Education at San Diego State University where she teaches graduate courses on language policy, multilingual education, and biliteracy. She earned her Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture in Education from the University of California, Berkeley and has worked in public K-12 schools and universities for over 25 years focusing on the education of multilingual learners and the preparation of the teachers that serve them. 

Kelly Johnson, PhD, a National Board Certified teacher, is a faculty member in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. Kelly teaches graduate courses, with a focus on literacy, in the credential, masters, and doctoral programs. Kelly is the recipient of the International Reading Association’s Celebrate Literacy Award which honors educators for their significant contributions in literacy. Often referred to by her colleagues as a teacher’s teacher, Kelly has appeared in many instructional videos on teacher modeling, assessment, writing, and instruction for multilingual learners.

Ixchel Samson, Ph.D. is the coordinator of the Graduate Reading program M.A. program and a lecturer in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University where she teaches courses on literacy for both credential and masters students and serves as a cohort leader and supervisor for student teachers. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teacher Education with a focus on language, literacy and culture from Stanford University. She proudly began her work as a bilingual elementary school teacher and has worked in public K-6 schools and universities for 30 years with a focus on preparing teachers to work effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse students. 

Provide links to syllabi that demonstrate that the English Language Arts (ELA) and Literacy Standards, English Language Development (ELD) Standards, and English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework are required and central components for candidates in literacy instruction coursework. These links should be bookmarked to the exact place in the syllabi where this occurs. Multiple links to different sections of the same syllabus are acceptable. 

DLE 532 requires California’s Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) Literacy Standards (CCSS) and the English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework as core course texts. Course content includes the use of the ELA CCSS, the SLA CCSS, and ELA/ELD Framework.

DLE 915A requires the English Language Development (ELD) Standards and English Language Arts/English  Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework as core course texts. Course content includes the use of both the ELD Standards HERE and HERE, and ELA/ELD Framework.

***Phase III Feedback response**
Table 3.1 - updates are highlighted in yellow

** Links for second round of Phase III feedback - - updates are bolded**
Shortcuts directly to the updated assignments and activities are included below

7.5 g (P&A) Added “connected, decodable text” to the Case Study assignment description and rubric, as well as the Walk-Thru Reading Profile assignment.
TPE 7.5 g Practice: See updated Case Study Assignment and Rubric .
TPE 7.5 g Assessed: See updated Case Study Assignment and Rubric and updated Walkthrough Reading Profile Assignment

7.5 h (P&A) Added new fluency practice activities that target spelling and syllable patterns, semantics, morphology, and syntax. Added new fluency assessment that targets spelling and syllable patterns, semantics, morphology, and syntax.
7.5 h Practiced: Reading Fluency activity
7.5 h Assessed: Reading Fluency Assessment

7.5 i Introduced:  Added slide deck to introduce TCs to Case Study Assignment and additional examples in course for practice are included in matrix.

Bilingual teacher candidates are prepared to teach foundational skills through DLE 532: Biliteracy/Teaching Language Arts. This course is designed to be the first of a two semester course in reading/language arts for bilingual multiple subject teachers. This course begins a 2-semester Biliteracy course series that develops a deeper understanding of the multi-facets of literacy and how biliteracy can be encompassed in a Dual Language Program. The focus of this Fall Semester course is on multi-literacy theory and research, application in the planning, teaching, and assessing of reading foundational skills in the elementary classroom as a part of a comprehensive literacy model in Spanish Language Arts (SLA) that can be carried over into English Language Arts (ELA) for biliteracy development. Through DLE 532’s explicit focus on foundational skills, bilingual teacher candidates are introduced, have opportunities to practice and are assessed on reading instruction that is structured and organized, as well as direct, systematic, and explicit. Teacher candidates are provided learning opportunities and assessments on reading instruction that includes the following core elements: print concepts, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, word recognition, decoding, encoding, morphological awareness, and fluency. Additionally, the class bridges the CCSS for Spanish Language Arts (SLA) with the CCSS for English Language Arts (ELA). 

**Phase III Feedback Response**
Please see the Mentor Teacher Handbook

**Original Response**
SDSU’s College of Education has included information for LEAs/school districts about the requirements of SB 488 specifically related to their responsibility in providing opportunities for teacher candidates to practice literacy competencies in clinical practice settings for their future classroom teaching and to pass the CCTC approved literacy assessment in our Sample SDSU STA/MOU. Additional details on reading foundational skills can also be found HERE. 

**Phase III Feedback Response**
The qualtrics version of the TPE Rubric that supervisors use for clinical practice has sections for written comments/feedback. We share it here. 

**Original Submission**
See Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education (DLE) Clinical Practice Handbook HERE and HERE.

**Phase III Feedback Response**
Table 4.1 - updates are in yellow

** Links for second round of Phase III feedback - - updates are bolded**
Shortcuts directly to the updated assignments and activities are included below

7.6  I This link was updated to include where students are introduced to “Engage students in reading, listening, speaking, writing, and viewing closely to draw evidence from texts, ask and answer questions, and support analysis, reflection, and research.”

7.7 P&A The areas where "Create environments that foster students’ oral and written language development, including discipline-specific academic language" are included in the lesson plan are highlighted.

7.8 A The assignment was updated to be a video-recorded lesson (not reflective essay) to prepare for a reflective conversation with clinical practice supervisor.

**Response to Phase III Feeback**
Please see the Mentor Teacher Handbook

**Original Response**
SDSU’s College of Education has included information in our sample SDSU STA/MOU for LEAs/school districts about the requirements of SB 488 specifically related to their responsibility in providing opportunities for teacher candidates to practice literacy competencies in clinical practice settings related to oral and written language.

**Response to Phase III Feeback**
The qualtrics version of the TPE Rubric that supervisors use for clinical practice has sections for written comments/feedback. We share it here. 

**Original Response**
Teacher candidates will practice teaching oral and written language to students during one of their classroom observations during the second semester of their program. Credential supervisors use the TPE Rubric 7.7 as the mechanism to provide guidance for planning and formative feedback during the coaching and debrief meeting that follows the observation. 

**Phase III Feedback Response**
Table 5.1 - updates are highlighted in yellow

** Links for second round of Phase III feedback - - updates are bolded**
Shortcuts directly to the updated assignments and activities are included below

TPE 7.10 I & A: A Family and School Partnerships Module was added to DLE 931.

SDSU’s College of Education has included information in our sample SDSU STA/MOU for LEAs/school districts about the requirements of SB 488 specifically related to their responsibility in providing opportunities for teacher candidates to learn about, and where possible, observe, how schools/teachers are using screening and diagnostic techniques to inform teaching and assessment and early intervention technique.

Bilingual teacher candidates will administer and interpret 3 assessments including but not limited to the following: background information interview, reading attitude/preferences survey, concepts of print letter recognition, phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, comprehension, word reading and a writing sample. DLE 532 and Case Study Guidelines.

Teacher candidates are also expected to debrief with their university supervisor and mentor teacher about their reading intervention lesson on a foundational skill during SDSU’s Clinical Practice Walkthrough #2 which is based on the Case Study Assignment where teacher candidates are expected to demonstrate that they have included reading data that can screen for dyslexia or other literacy-related disabilities.

Lastly, bilingual teacher candidates are expected to debrief with their university supervisor and mentor teacher about their Designated ELD lesson during SDSU’s Clinical Practice Walkthrough Observation #3 which included planning, teaching and assessing a small group of English Learners at the same English Language proficiency level.

The California Dyslexia Guidelines are incorporated into the bilingual multiple subject pathway through the first literacy course in the program’s biliteracy sequence (i.e., DLE 532). Bilingual teacher candidates read the California Dyslexia Guidelines (Chapter 9: Screening and Assessment for Dyslexia, Chapter 10: Special Education and 504 Plans, Chapter 11: Effective Approaches for Teaching Students with Dyslexia). In the second course in the sequence (i.e., DLE 931) teacher candidates complete the dyslexia module from the UC/CSU Collaborative for Neurodiversity and Learning and receive training in screening and assessment.

DLE 532 and DLE 931

**Response to Phase III Feeback**
Through the alignment of two course assignments, the DLE 532 case study assignment and the DLE 961 walk-thru reading profiles assignment (which is the course for clinical practice) teacher candidates will have an opportunity to conduct a reading screening and provide intervention lesson planning and teaching. For students that do not have access to a child with dyslexia in their clinical practice setting, the mentor teacher will agree to provide access to another classroom with a child with dyslexia (per the mentor teacher handbook).  

**Original Response**
Bilingual teacher candidates are also expected to debrief with their university supervisor and mentor teacher about their reading intervention lesson on a foundational skill during SDSU’s Clinical Practice Walkthrough #2 which is based on the Case Study Assignment where teacher candidates are expected to demonstrate that they have included reading data that can screen for dyslexia or other literacy-related disabilities.

All bilingual teacher candidates are provided opportunities in their DLE 532 to hear from an expert in the field on Dyslexia and consider reading difficulties in conjunction with the research on dyslexia when applying their assessments to screen for reading difficulties in the Case Study Assignment. 

SDSU’s College of Education has included information in our sample SDSU STA/MOU for LEAs/school districts about the requirements of SB 488 specifically related to their responsibility in providing, to the extent practicable, opportunities for candidates in clinical  practice settings to observe and practice the concepts and strategies included in  the California Dyslexia Guidelines.

See Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education (DLE) Clinical Practice Handbook.

**Response to Phase III Feeback**
Through the alignment of two course assignments, the DLE 532 case study assignment and the DLE 961 walk-thru reading profiles assignment (which is the course for clinical practice) teacher candidates will have an opportunity to conduct a reading screening and provide intervention lesson planning and teaching. For students that do not have access to a child with dyslexia in their clinical practice setting, the mentor teacher will agree to provide access to another classroom with a child with dyslexia (per the mentor teacher handbook).  

**Original Response**
See SDSU’s Clinical Practice Walkthrough #2.