Alder offers a Bilingual Authorization program in Spanish. Under Alder’s current structure, a grant provided by Alder means the authorization comes at no additional cost to residents. The authorization includes one additional course and prepares residents to teach in a bilingual education Spanish-English classroom anywhere in California. Any Alder resident with an approved bilingual classroom placement and a qualified bilingual mentor can pursue this program as part of Alder’s one-year residency program. Please note that Bilingual placements are dependent on the availability of approved bilingual placement classrooms and qualified mentor teachers, and are not guaranteed.
Alder’s Bilingual Authorization program is built on four foundational tenets that align with California’s Bilingual Teaching Performance Expectations and Alder’s Program Learning Outcomes.
- Critical Praxis
- Asset-Based Orientation to Language
- Linguistically and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies
- Joy in Teaching and Learning
Bilingual Authorization FAQs
Is there an additional cost to adding the Bilingual Authorization?
There is no additional cost for Alder residents who earn the Bilingual Authorization by participating in a bilingual education residency placement and Alder’s Bilingual Cohort.
What languages are offered in Bilingual Authorization?
Alder currently offers a Spanish Bilingual Authorization pathway. Alder students may, however, earn a Bilingual Authorization in other languages outside of Alder through CSET testing.
How proficient do I need to be in Spanish?
Applicants to the Bilingual Authorization Pathway must have at least Advanced Low proficiency in Spanish, as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). At this level, speakers can communicate in a variety of contexts, speak in connected, paragraph-length discourse, and discuss events in the past, present, and future. They can express their ideas with sufficient accuracy, clarity, and precision to express their intended message even when conversations take an unexpected turn. Some self-correction and influence from their dominant language are expected (ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, p. 20). Candidates do not need to know the content-specific vocabulary used in bilingual classrooms, as this vocabulary develops through coursework, residency, and teaching experience.
Important Note on Linguistic Diversity:
All regional and cultural varieties of Spanish are equally valid and welcomed. Alder takes a critical stance against racialized language hierarchies that position some varieties as more “correct” or “academic” than others, including biases against rural varieties such as español ranchero and varieties spoken by Caribbean and Central American communities that are often linguistically marginalized.
How do I indicate my interest in a Bilingual Authorization?
Candidates interested in a Bilingual placement should select Bilingual as their credential area preference when completing the initial application (e.g., Multiple Subject – Bilingual). This option appears under the “Credential/Subjects of Interest” question after you select a school partner. Note: not every school partner offers Multiple Subject – Bilingual placements, see which do on our locations page or in the next question.
Which partners offer Bilingual Authorization? How do I know which partners I can apply to?
Placement availability changes from year to year. Any Alder partner with a bilingual education program and a qualified bilingual mentor may host residents pursuing the Spanish Bilingual Authorization through classroom placement.
The following partners have residents in the Spanish Bilingual Authorization cohort for the 2026–2027 academic year:
Alameda County Office of Education
Alder WIDE
Desert Sands Unified School District
Hemet Unified School District
Lindsay Unified School District
Lynwood Unified School District
Monterey County Office of Education
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Palm Springs Unified School District
Pittsburg Unified School District
Rialto Unified School District
San Lorenzo Unified School District
San Juan Unified School District
San Mateo County Office of Education
San Rafael City Schools
Vallejo City Unified School District
Don’t see a partner near you that has Bilingual placements? Contact us to learn about an alternative pathway to earning your Bilingual Authorization without a Bilingual classroom placement.
What does a bilingual education residency placement look like?
If you are offered a Bilingual placement, you will be placed in a bilingual classroom with a mentor teacher who holds a Bilingual Authorization. Bilingual classrooms typically provide 50% or more of instruction in Spanish, giving you opportunities to plan, teach, and assess academic content in both Spanish and English. During your residency, you will gain experience teaching content areas such as mathematics, social studies, and science while supporting students’ biliteracy development.
Please note that Bilingual placements are dependent on the availability of approved bilingual placement classrooms and qualified mentor teachers, and are not guaranteed.
How does coursework look different for residents in the Bilingual Authorization Program?
Aside from one additional course, ED 206: Fundamentos y Práctica de la Educación Bilingüe, you will complete the same coursework as other residents in your credential track. As part of the Bilingual Cohort, however, you will take some courses in bilingual education sections that are taught in both Spanish and English. These courses provide opportunities to apply your learning to bilingual education contexts and collaborate with other residents pursuing the Bilingual Authorization.
If the school partner I want to teach with doesn’t offer Bilingual placements, can I still earn a Bilingual Authorization?
Yes. Residents who do not complete their residency in a bilingual education placement may still earn a Bilingual Authorization through CSET exams or qualifying prior coursework, independent of Alder coursework. Alder can help you complete this process.
I’m an Alder alum interested in earning Bilingual Authorization. Is there an option to earn it through Alder?
At this time, Alder does not offer the Bilingual Authorization pathway to alumni. We hope to offer this option to alumni in the near future.
Who can I contact if I have more questions about the Bilingual Authorization?
Email Mariah Klein (Registrar) at [email protected] for questions about credential processing, academic records, examinations, graduation requirements, and the CTC application and payment process.
Email Dra. Gladys Y. Aponte (Bilingual Education Professor) at [email protected] for questions about bilingual coursework, language proficiency expectations, and bilingual education.