Loyola Marymount University’s School of Education has secured a $650,000 grant from the nonprofit Sobrato Family Foundation to further its work in bilingual education, including efforts to ease the shortage of bilingual teachers and to help shape state policies affecting English language learners.
LMU SOE’s Center for Equity for English Learners – which offers research-based resources and professional development opportunities for schools, educational partners and policymakers with the goal of advancing multilingualism – will conduct the work over the course of 18 months.
The grant will fund CEEL’s efforts to: develop a plan for a coalition of private and Jesuit universities to increase the number of state-approved programs that prepare teacher candidates for bilingual authorization; improve the implementation of model English Learner and bi-literacy curriculum; collaborate with state agencies to support the implementation of programs and evaluations under Proposition 58, which authorized California school districts to establish dual-language immersion programs; and serve as a resource to policymakers.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Sobrato Family Foundation to expand our efforts to improve outcomes for English Learners at the state level,” said CEEL Executive Director Magaly Lavadenz. “This support allows our dynamic team to build on our previous work and collaborations in order to have a greater impact on English Learner achievement.”
To maximize and leverage CEEL’s efforts with state policymakers, LMU SOE has named Lavadenz as Distinguished Professor of English Learner Policy, Research and Practice.
The Sobrato Family Foundation has committed a $30 million investment to support efforts to improve English Learner policy and education statewide. This grant will support CEEL’s work in these areas. The Sobrato Family Foundation is committed to sustaining the philanthropic legacy of the Sobrato family, which specializes in commercial and residential real estate in Silicon Valley.
