Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program
Information about and resources regarding the 2024 Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program.The Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program (BTPDP) is authorized by the 2023–24 Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, Senate Bill 114 (Chapter 48, Statutes of 2023) Section 44
, which provides $20 million in competitive grants to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that California can meet the demand for bilingual teachers necessary for the implementation of dual language and other bilingual education programs as authorized by the California Education for a Global Economy (CA Ed.G.E.) Initiative and to ensure California is able to meet the demand in preparing bilingual education teachers.
The BTPDP Request for Applications was released on March 11, 2024, and final grant awards to six lead applicants were posted in June 2024. BTPDP projects will provide professional learning services to teachers and paraprofessionals who meet specific eligibility criteria through the 2028–29 fiscal year. Please select from the following topics to learn more about the BTPDP.
BTPDP Projects
2024 BTPDP funds were awarded to six lead applicants. Information regarding the services provided by each of the BTPDP projects is available below.
BTPDP Project Leads
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Sacramento County Office of Education
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
Yolo County Office of Education
Azusa Unified School District
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Name | Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL)’s Bilingual Teacher Pathway |
| Consortium Members | This list includes LEAs that currently have an active Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This is a revolving process. For more information, please contact BTPDinfo@seal.org if you want to know if your district currently partners with us.
|
| Project Partners | Because our program is open statewide, our partnerships continue to grow and are inclusive of the organizations below, and open to local organizations that best meet the needs of our participants.
|
| Scope/Reach | Statewide |
| Project Services | The services we are implementing advance three key levers of success: high-quality professional learning, personalized support, and financial assistance. Together, these strategies build educator capacity, reduce barriers to Bilingual Authorization, and strengthen sustainable bilingual programs that serve multilingual learners. Participants engage in research-based dual language professional learning, receive individualized coaching with clear milestones toward authorization, and access financial support for testing, coursework, and related costs. This integrated approach increases completion rates and strengthens high-quality bilingual instruction. |
| Project Contact/Web Page | We invite LEAs to attend a short virtual information session to meet the team, ask specific questions related to your context, and learn how neighboring districts are amplifying this opportunity to build their local bilingual teacher pipeline. SEAL’s Bilingual Teacher Pathway
Attend a Virtual Information Session
|
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Name | Region 8 - BTPDP Consortium |
| Consortium Members |
|
| Project Partners | Higher Education Institutions - Partners
Professional Learning - Partners
|
| Scope/Reach | We are currently accepting participants who work within the following counties:
Additionally, we work with individuals who are attending or affiliated with the following institutions of higher education, which offer a Bilingual Authorization:
|
| Project Services | We serve as liaisons between institutions of higher education and BTPDP participants, providing orientation sessions designed to promote enrollment in Bilingual Authorization programs. We collaborate closely with university program directors on recruitment strategies and funding opportunities, and we partner with site principals and Dual Language Immersion Coordinators across multiple school districts to support outreach efforts. Upon enrollment, participants are connected to consortium-led professional learning opportunities. We coordinate and facilitate these sessions, provide necessary materials, and engage expert consultants. In addition, we manage participant reimbursements and oversee university invoicing to ensure timely tuition coverage. |
| Project Contact/Web Page | Prospective participants can learn about our project by attending Orientation Meetings hosted by each county office of education (COE) within our region. For more information, interested individuals can contact their local COE or reach out to our project team directly.
|
Los Angeles County Office of Education
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Name | Bilingual Teacher Pathways (BTP) Project |
| Consortium Members |
|
| Project Partners |
|
| Scope/Reach | Regional: California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) Region 4 (Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Solano), Region 5 (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz), Region 9 (Imperial and San Diego), and Region 11 (Los Angeles County) |
| Project Services | The BTP English Learner Roadmap Power in Collaboration Across California (EPICC) South project will fully prepare prospective Bilingual Authorization candidates. Participants will receive free test preparation for the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET), subsidized tuition/fees for all coursework, and access to communities of practice across a range of topics related to Dual Language Immersion. |
| Project Contact/Web Page | For information regarding the project, please contact the LACOE Multilingual Academic Support Unit at 562-922-6332 or MASUnit@lacoe.edu. |
Sacramento County Office of Education
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Name | Bilingual Teacher Pathways (BTP) |
| Consortium Members |
|
| Project Partners |
|
| Scope/Reach | Regional: CCSESA Regions 3 and 6 Counties: Alpine, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yuba, Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne. |
| Project Services | The MÁS Maestros BTP project prepares current and future bilingual authorization educators to build fluency and biliteracy. Participants receive free CSET test prep, reduced tuition and fees, and access to professional development and communities of practice focused on Dual Language Immersion. The program strengthens bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism through evidence‑based strategies and supports regional efforts to expand the bilingual educator workforce and improve learning opportunities for multilingual students. |
| Project Contact/Web Page | For information regarding the project, please contact BTPDP@scoe.net or gtorres@scoe.net. |
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Name | San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program |
| Consortium Members | N/A |
| Project Partners |
|
| Scope/Reach | Statewide |
| Project Services | Our project currently offers tuition support for teachers interested in obtaining their Bilingual Authorization (BILA) through enrollment in one of our partner institutions’ BILA programs. Additionally, we are developing a series of Professional Learning Opportunities (PLOs) for paraprofessionals who support multilingual learners and/or are considering becoming bilingual teachers. These PLOs will focus on building foundational skills, deepening understanding of the roles and responsibilities of bilingual educators, and providing an overview of the BILA and credentialing process. We will also offer PLOs for teachers that explore language development strategies and effective practices for supporting English learners. These supplemental professional development opportunities are designed to foster continued growth, strengthen instructional practices, and build leadership capacity in multilingual education. |
| Project Contact/Web Page | Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program
Rosalba Gonzalez, Ed.D., Program Manager: rosalba.gonzalez@sbcss.net Serena Straka, Ed.D., Director: pam.lowers@sbcss.net |
Yolo County Office of Education
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Name | CRECEMOS: Growing Bilingual Teachers |
| Consortium Members |
|
| Project Partners |
|
| Scope/Reach | Counties: Yolo County, Glenn County, and Tehama County District: Hamilton Unified School District, 11-76562-0000000 |
| Project Services | CRECEMOS consists of three strands: support for credentialed bilingual teachers to earn the Bilingual Authorization (through CSUS, SJSU, or CSETs); tuition support for paraprofessionals interested in continuing their education toward a bilingual credential; and the CRECEMOS Professional Learning Network, a collaborative professional learning series for bilingual educators, facilitated in Spanish by a team of bilingual scholar-educators from our partner institutions of higher education. Grant-eligible participants are provided with advising and support by a member of the CRECEMOS leadership team. |
| Project Contact/Web Page | Heather Schlaman |
BTPDP Background
The 2023–24 Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, Senate Bill 114 (Chapter 48, Statutes of 2023) Section 44
, provides $20 million, through the 2028–29 fiscal year, to support five or more competitive Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program (BTPDP) grants to ensure that California can meet the demand for bilingual teachers necessary for the implementation of dual language and other bilingual education programs as authorized by the California Education for a Global Economy (CA Ed.G.E.) Initiative and to ensure California is able to meet the demand in preparing bilingual education teachers.
Per California Education Code Section 52202(b)
, the California Department of Education (CDE) shall allocate grant funding to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs), including county offices of education (COEs), school districts, charter schools, or consortia of LEAs. LEAs may partner with community colleges, public or private four-year institutions of postsecondary education, and professional organizations or nonprofit organizations with English learner expertise. Applicants had to have a demonstrated commitment to bilingual or multilingual education and bilingual teacher development and demonstrate their capacity to fully prepare teachers to obtain bilingual authorizations and to provide professional learning to eligible participants.
When selecting grantees, the CDE had to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that grantees are balanced with regard to geographic region and urban and rural settings.
The CDE, in consultation with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, administers this grant program.
Request for Applications Timeline
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Request for Applications (RFA) Release | Week of March 11, 2024 |
| Application Technical Assistance Webinar | March 20, 2024 |
| Application due to the CDE | April 15, 2024, by 4 p.m. |
| Intent to Award posted | Week of May 6, 2024 |
| Last day for appeals to be received by the CDE | One week after the Intent to Awards is posted |
| Final Awards posted | June 2024 |
Application Technical Assistance Webinar
The BTPDP Application Technical Assistance (TA) Webinar was held on March 20, 2024.
Authorizing Statute
California Education Code Section 52202