Institution Texas Woman's University State Texas Academic Level Graduate Issue Area Academic Program Website https://twu.edu/literacy-and-learning/graduate-programs/ma-in-multilingual-and- multicultural-studies/ Key Personnel Alexandra (Ale) Babino Program Focus Bilingual /ESL, Mentoring Overview The Master of Arts in Multilingual and Multicultural Studies (MMS) program at Texas Woman's University equips educators to teach for biliteracy, fostering proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in two or more languages. Designed for all educators, it emphasizes equitable curriculum and assessments in English and another language, such as Spanish. The program's goals include completing 10 courses focused on bilingualism and biliteracy, engaging in service-learning with bilingual children and youth in local schools, and extensively reading biliteracy research. Participants complete a portfolio demonstrating their knowledge of equitable curriculum and assessments, preparing them to effectively support bilingual students. Program Description All educators serve bilingual students, yet very few have adequate training on how to teach for biliteracy. Research shows that students who develop literacy in their home language alongside English are more successful academically, socially, and economically. The MMS program addresses this need by offering coursework in both English and Spanish, and recruiting Latino educators to mirror the PreK-12 student population. The initial graduate certificate had 50% of educators who were Latino. Recognizing the need for alignment with the demographics of the bilingual student population in Texas, the program bolstered recruitment efforts and now has 79% Latino students in the most recent cohort. They concurrently increased the amount of coursework available in Spanish and were intentional to invite students to complete part of their graduate coursework in Spanish, which could include essays, portfolios, lesson plans, and presentations. They purposefully selected professors and graduate assistants who could support students in Spanish and well as in English. Outcome The MMS program is deeply committed to promoting the academic and professional success of its students. MMS served 79% Latino students this past academic year. Graduation Data: There were 14 total graduates in 2023, 10 of which were Latino. Average total student score on the Biliteracy Portfolio Assessment: 92%. Average Latino student score: 97%. Three Latina students' portfolios were selected as exemplars. Student Achievements: In 2024, Latino graduates earned 4 awards, presented at 12 local, regional, national, and international conferences, and co-authored 4 publications in research and practitioner journals. Learn more about Latino College Completion in Texas Return to Growing What Works Database
