Infusing Illinois Educator Preparation for the Education of Multilingual Learner

A longstanding opportunity gap persists between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers. This gap has been characterized as “a persistent and seemingly intractable educational problem” (Leider et al., 2021, p. 3). In response, this article outlines how a Midwestern educator preparation program has infused mainstream teacher preparation with the minimum content knowledge and pedagogical expertise necessary to meet the needs of multilingual learners. Curriculum infusion includes theoretical grounding, literacy instruction and assessment strategies, and field experiences nurturing culturally responsive dispositions. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, including integration of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Standards (Illinois State Board of Education, n.d.) and the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan (https://www.isbe.net/Documents/IL-Comp-Literacy-Plan-2024.pdf).