Improving Teacher Preparation to Support California’s Dual Language Learners
A Policy Report from Early Edge California and Dr. Giselle Navarro-Cruz

Early Edge California, with support from Dr. Giselle Navarro-Cruz, conducted a comprehensive review of the status of Early Learning teacher preparation through a survey, website analysis, interviews, and advisory groups meeting. The research revealed that many colleges and universities offer limited or no coursework regarding best practices in dual language development, and consequently, that many Early Learning teachers receive little to no training in supporting DLLs. In order to create an Early Learning system in which every DLL child has the opportunity to develop and sustain their bilingualism, Early Learning teachers will need specialized preparation and ongoing training and coaching. In order to accomplish this, California must develop a system for Institutes of Higher Education that prepares all Early Learning teachers to support and nurture DLLs. Read the full report to learn more about our findings and our recommendations to support Early Learning teachers working with DLL students.