CLAD in STEP: One Program's Efforts to Prepare Teachers for Linguistic and Cultural Diversity

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) effectively prepares new teachers to meet the needs of language minority students in California. Specifically, the authors studied the extent to which the program prepares students to meet the criteria of the Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) credential, which currently authorizes teachers to teach English Language Learners (ELLs). The knowledge and skill areas of CLAD are organized into three domains: (1) language structure and first and second language development; (2) methods of bilingual, English language development and content instruction; and (3) culture and cultural diversity. Recently, the STEP program made the decision to integrate the CLAD principles throughout its curriculum, instead of creating a separate CLAD track. As a result, STEP students earn CLAD certification upon completion of the program. Integrating the CLAD requirements into the general teacher education program offers both powerful opportunities and profound challenges, especially in a one-year program. This project focused on some of the results of that integration through a review of the syllabi of key courses, interviews with eight STEP students, and case studies of student teachers' portfolios. (Contains 4 notes.)