Bridging Standards and Practice: A Multidimensional Case Study of a Dual-Language Teacher Preparation Program

This mixed-methods study examines one public university’s dual-language bilingual education (DLBE) teacher preparation program through the lens of the National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards (NDLETPSs). Data sources include course syllabi, classroom observations, and participant surveys, providing a comprehensive overview of program design and implementation. The analysis highlights clear and robust alignment in bilingualism and biliteracy, sociocultural competence, and instructional practices. Alignment with assessment and professionalism is also reflected in the program, though it is conveyed in a less visible or less explicit manner in the documents reviewed. Quantitative comparisons of stated versus observed NDLETPS alignment are triangulated with qualitative coding and participant perspectives. While grounded in a U.S. context, the study offers insights that are relevant to global bilingual education efforts by highlighting transferable themes such as teacher agency, critical consciousness, and collaboration. These findings contribute to this Education Sciences Special Issue’s goal of advancing bilingual education as a transformative tool for linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural development in diverse educational landscapes.