The UCR Teacher Education Program’s (TEP’s) BILA program has been preparing teachers to teach in Spanish dual language immersion (DLI) programs for over 25 years. We have embedded the Bilingual Teaching Performance Expectations (BTPEs) across the courses you will take in the TEP’s credential program. One of these courses is specifically for BILA credential candidates: EDUC179B, Language Development in the Content Areas in Dual Language Immersion Classrooms. In this course, the development of early literacy in Spanish, supporting students’ development of biliteracy, crosslinguistic transfer, translanguaging, and Spanish language development are among the critical topics covered. 

For your student teaching, the TEP will endeavor to place you in a DLI classroom for a portion of the year to allow you the opportunity to broaden your student teaching experience and prepare you for teaching in Spanish in a DLI program. Our Bilingual Program Coordinator supports all students toward success in completing the requirements for their BILA.

All credential candidates interested in earning a BILA take the CSET Subtest III (test code 147) to verify their Spanish language proficiency. You must pass this test before starting your in-charge student teaching in the winter quarter if you are placed in a Spanish dual language immersion (DLI) classroom. 

You will also do a portion of their student teaching in a DLI classroom and take EDUC179B, Language Development in the Content Areas in a Dual Language Classroom. This course is cross-listed as both an upper division and a graduate level course, so those in the M.Ed. program will take it as one of their elective graduate courses. Education Specialist credential candidates will take a similar class that focuses on teaching in a Special Education classroom in a Spanish DLI program.

To complete your BILA, you have three options: 

• Option 1: Take the following classes through UC Riverside Extension (in lieu of CSET IV) and take the CSET V test (test code 258):
  • EDUC X426.51 – Survey of Bilingual Issues (4 units);
  • EDUC X426.52 – Assessment & Methods of Instruction in Bilingual Settings (6 units); 
  • EDUC X426.53 – Reading and Biliteracy in Spanish and English (4 units)
• Option 2: Take the CSET IV test (test code 250) and the following class through UC Riverside Extension (in lieu of CSET V):
  • EDUC X426.54 – Culture and Diversity in Bilingual Settings (4 units)

If you opt to do the course work through UC Riverside Extension, you may not finish your BILA until the end of summer after you finish their credential (depending on what course[s] you take; for Education Specialist [Special Education] credential candidates, you would potentially finish both your credentials and your BILA at the same time at the end of your second summer in the credential program). Please review the schedule of the courses offered through UC Riverside Extension for the BILA for more information on cost and when the courses are offered. 

Teachers with a BILA are in great demand across the nation, including California, and especially in the Inland Empire! Due to this extreme shortage, there often is a stipend for teachers who have a BILA and are teaching in a Dual Language program.

Another benefit is that teachers with a BILA teaching in a Dual Language program are put on a separate seniority list in the event of a reduction-in-force (RIF) layoff situation.

But perhaps the greatest benefit is being able to support your students, both native speakers of Spanish and native speakers of English, toward high levels of literacy in Spanish and English and high academic achievement in both languages!

As the BILA program does not have a formal enrollment process, all you have to do during the admission process is to indicate that you are interested in earning your BILA. You can also join the BILA program after you have been formally admitted even if you did not indicate your interest in the program during the admission process. However, we strongly encourage you to make the decision regarding earning your BILA during the admission process so that you can be placed in a cohort with others who are working on their BILA (as available) and so that you can enroll in EDUC179B in the winter quarter (the only quarter it is offered), which is a required class for your BILA.

The UCR Teacher Education Program (TEP) partners with school districts in the Riverside and San Bernardino areas. Student teachers are placed with a District Cooperating Teacher by the TEP Placement Coordinator, in collaboration with the district and the Supervisor of Teacher Education (STE). Below are some of the districts that we are currently partnering with and look forward to adding more in the future.

• Alvord Unified
• Coachella Valley Unified
• Jurupa Unified
• Moreno Valley Unified
• Riverside Unified
• Val Verde Unified