Texas A&M SEHD Awarded New Education Grant to Support Texas Teachers of English Learners 

COLLEGE STATION, TX – A new federal grant will bolster the Texas A&M University School of Education and Human Development’s (SEHD) goal of helping Pre K-12 teachers of English learner (EL) students in Texas. The $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) will help SEHD’s Center for Research and Development in Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition (CRDLLA) provide professional development for those teachers.

Project Enhancing Quality Teacher Preparation Through Research-based Instructional Best Practices for Bilingual and English Learners (EBEST) will work initially with 33 Texas school districts to prepare 1,125 English as a second language (ESL) and bilingual education teachers over five years. The project will impact the academic lives of over 23,000 students in Texas.

In-service teachers who participate in the project will receive virtual professional development (VPD) courses to prepare for state teacher certification exams and to serve in EL classrooms. EBEST will also examine the efficacy of virtual instructional mentoring and coaching for teachers.

SEHD faculty Drs. Rafael Lara-Alecio, Regents Professor (principal investigator), Beverly Irby, Regents Professor (Co-PI), and Fuhui Tong (Co-PI) will lead the project. Dr. David Jimenez will lead the implementation of the project. Under the direction of Dr. Steven Ross, the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University will serve as the external evaluator.

“There is a great need in the state of Texas and beyond for educators who are prepared to work effectively with ELs,” Dr. Lara-Alecio said. “We look forward to serving Texas schools, teachers, and students to meet this important need. Through quality, research-based practices, we will be able to reach no less than 33 school district settings located in rural, suburban, and urban areas that cover an expanse of almost half of the state in 12 Education Service Centers.”

Participating EBEST school districts across Texas

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ABOUT SEHD: For over 50 years, SEHD has developed future leaders in the classroom, office, research lab and athletic field. Our School consists of four departments: Educational Administration & Human Resource Development, Educational Psychology, Kinesiology & Sport Management and Teaching, Learning & Culture. We are recognized as a premier school for teacher preparation in Texas.

For media inquiries, contact Ruben Hidalgo.