Critical Statewide Support for Multilingual Learner Teachers

With a $5 million federal grant, University of Delaware will partner with the Delaware Department of Education to support multilingual learner certification and professional learning

Delaware is home to nearly 19,000 multilingual learners (MLL), or students whose home language is not English. Yet, only 34 of 227 Delaware public schools had a teacher certified as a Teacher of English Learners or a Bilingual Teacher in 2025, according to Rodel’s 2025 Fact Sheet.

“The need for support in MLL education is significant,” said Annastasia Purinton, director of University of Delaware’s Partnership for Public Education, housed in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). “We need to expand access to specialized preparation and professional learning so that we not only support individual educators, but also strengthen the capacity of schools across the state to serve a growing population of MLLs.”

With a new, $5 million National Professional Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education, CEHD is now poised to offer that support in partnership with the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) and BELLA Learning. The Partnership for Public Education and CEHD faculty will help the state build long-term capacity for supporting MLL educators through professional learning, educator certification and collaborative instructional improvement over the next five years.

The project includes three complementary efforts to address both immediate instructional needs and the long-term development of Delaware’s educator workforce.

First, the team will expand access to the BELLA Professional Learning Program, offered through BELLA Learning, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Steve Amendum, professor and director of CEHD’s School of Education. The evidence-based, job-embedded program brings together K-2 classroom teachers and MLL specialists to strengthen language and literacy instruction for MLL students.

Second, the team will refine and increase access to the CEHD’s multilingual learner certification pathway. 

Third, the team will unite educators, school and district leaders, DDOE staff and UD researchers to collaboratively develop a statewide instructional framework for MLL education. This process will draw on expertise from practice, policy and research to build a shared understanding of effective teaching practices that support MLLs.

“This award represents an investment not only in professional learning and educator preparation, but also in the value of sustained collaboration between state education agencies and institutions of higher education,” said Purinton, principal investigator. “Work like this involves building relationships, developing trust, understanding shared priorities, and creating opportunities for researchers, policymakers and practitioners to work together. This project demonstrates what becomes possible when we invest in those relationships over time.”

The project team includes Purinton, CEHD Associate Professors Christina Budde and Adrian Pasquarella, who both specialize in MLL education, members of the DDOE, including Maria Rodriguez and Cary Knight, and BELLA Learning educators. 

CEHD faculty members Benjamin James, Leigh McLean, Henry May and doctoral students will bring complementary expertise in MLL education, literacy instruction, professional learning and evaluation.

Work on the project began in October 2026 and will continue through September 2031. This year, the team will focus on planning, development and coordination with its DDOE partners to ensure that the project is responsive to Delaware’s priorities and well-positioned for implementation in schools and districts. Additional information about opportunities for schools and educators will be shared soon.

With this work, UD and its partners lead the way toward lasting change for Delaware educators and students, complementing CEHD’s longstanding commitment to MLLs and their teachers.

To learn more about CEHD research in literacy and language or professional development, visit its research webpage.

Article by Jessica Henderson. Photo by Evan Krape.