Become a teacher, earn your master’s degree, use your language everyday in your classroom, and teach a subject you love! The Secondary Bilingual Teacher Pathway (BTP) program prepares future educators to fill the critical need to support emerging bilingual learners and extend their experience through high school.
What we know: There is a shortage of bilingual teachers in middle and high schools across much of the United States, yet our school districts are diverse. Students learn best from teachers who understand their home languages and cultural backgrounds. Our education system progresses only if it offers equitable learning experiences. Each student succeeds only if their teacher meets them where they are. School districts have extended their bilingual programs through middle and high school to provide bilingual education across the entire K-12 school experience, furthering the benefits and meeting the needs of all of our students. They need teachers who can effectively teach content areas in a bilingual environment to foster content knowledge and language development simultaneously.
The Bilingual Teacher Pathway (BTP) program works to fill this critical need. We recruit and prepare bilingual and bicultural individuals to become licensed teachers. As a graduate of this program, you will be prepared to support students’ linguistic, cultural, and academic growth. Your impact will shape students’ success in navigating a multilingual, multicultural world.
All teacher candidates are placed in schools that have bilingual or dual-language programs and/or have a population of bilingual and emerging bilingual K–12 students. Student teaching placements are made in collaboration with school districts to ensure that candidates are mentored by master teachers. The program historically has been a “grow your own”/career-ladder path for professional advancement for bilingual instructional assistants in schools. It has evolved and continues to improve to meet the needs of the surrounding community and partner school districts.
Program benefits
- Graduate with a Master of Education degree and a Preliminary Teaching License to teach a subject area in middle or high school, and an ESOL endorsement
- Develop practices to support working with linguistically and culturally diverse learners and their families
- Understand education through a social justice and equity lens
- Learn how to establish culturally responsive relationships and implement culturally responsive pedagogy and practices
- Benefit from your peers’ knowledge and experiences in our unique cohort model
- Experience incredible value: Learn from experienced teachers—and do so in convenient locations and at an accessible price
- Prepare to teach one of the following content areas: Biology, Chemistry, Integrated Science, Physics, English Language Arts, Math - Foundational, Math - Advanced, Music, Social Science, World Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish
- Teach Grant eligible!
Program Specifics
- Enjoy a flexible schedule of evening classes for working individuals
- Many of our students are employed in schools during our program either as the teacher of record or in another student-facing role.
- Student teaching often leads to employment.
- Our strong partnerships with school districts provide seamless educational experiences, employment opportunities, and support during student teaching and beyond
In April 2016, Oregon joined 32 other states in instituting the award of a State Seal of Biliteracy to high school students who are proficient in at least two languages by the time they graduate. More than half of Oregon’s school districts now aim to have their graduates obtain this honor on their diploma. Dual-language programs are at the forefront of this movement to promote bilingualism and biliteracy, so the demand for dual-language programs increases annually. As the leading public university in Oregon’s largest urban center, PSU supplies many of the state’s bilingual teachers. PSU’s deeply welcoming and inclusive environment provides space for BTP’s diverse students. Both at PSU and in BTP, education is a powerful scaffolding. It helps graduates be resilient in changing job markets and make a difference where you work.
The BTP program has been nationally recognized and awarded. Our revised program of study to focus on secondary teachers is relaunching in fall 2026 to continue to expand the impact of BTP. We have worked closely with our district partners to meet the needs of secondary bilingual teachers and students.
Our cohort model brings together bilingual students to build on each other’s cultural and linguistic strengths. You will learn together about culturally responsive pedagogy and practices and advocating for equity and social justice in education. BTP graduates are highly prepared to teach in dual-language settings and classrooms where there are multilingual students representing many languages.
BTP is a state leader in providing a teacher preparation program specifically designed for bilingual-bicultural students. The curriculum is centered around an equity lens that views language and culture as assets and that draws from the research and best practices for working with bilingual and emerging bilingual students and families. BTP graduates are highly prepared to teach in dual-language settings as well as in classrooms where there are multiple bilingual students representing many languages.
Over 400 bilingual teachers have graduated from BTP since its creation in 1998. Alumni of the BTP program are employed as teachers in schools, specialists in bilingual programs, vice principals, and principals. Many have moved into leadership roles in their districts or with the state. Become a bilingual teacher in general education classrooms, dual-immersion classrooms, and any school with linguistically and culturally diverse students and families.
Accreditation
The Bilingual Teacher Pathway program is accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).