2025 MABE Dual Language Bilingual Education Conference

Translanguaging (García, 2009) has emerged as a critical and socially just pedagogical and linguistic frame that affirms and leverages multilingual students’ full communicative repertoires in order to successfully access and transform academic spaces and challenges. However, there are many myths that discourage teachers and administrators from accessing its full potential. We would like to address some of the myths around translanguaging and share scholarship that dispels these myths. Specifically, this presentation will look at seven myths around translanguaging and then provide participants with resources and best practices to enact translanguaging - through policy, planning, assessment - with multilingual students.

This presentation will focus on the operationalization of sociocultural competence (SC) in DLBE programs and will be grounded in Palmieri's (2021) research on teacher perceptions of sociocultural competence in DLBE. This session will provide participants with a) an overview of the current research on SC in DLBE, b) pedagogical practices to operationalize SC in the DLBE classroom, c) an opportunity to share ideas with other DLBE educators around the operationalization and conceptualization of SC, and d) space for critical reflection and dialogue around SC, guided by the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education. Participants will learn about six pillars of sociocultural competence (Palmieri, 2021) a) critical consciousness, b) student identity development, c) teacher identity development, d) target culture/s development, e) Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, and f) student empathy development and cross cultural awareness.

DLBE programs thrive best when a range of stakeholders’ practices are firmly grounded in systems of collaborative, shared leadership. In this way the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs can better rest on the four pillars of DLBE. Anchored to the Lachance and Honigsfeld framework for Collaboration in DLBE (2023), this workshop is ideal for pairs or small teams of teacher leaders and/or their administrators to attend together. We will explore tools for collaborative leadership to then reflect on current and/or planned programming. Participants from districts/schools with DLBE programs both as stand-alone or strand configurations will interact within the workshop to consider effective approaches for developing and fostering collaborative partnerships norms.


Workshop participants use tools aligned with GP Strand 1, Effective Leadership. These tools emphasize cohesion, collegiality, and collaborative planning. Outcomes focus on program leadership, advocacy, and model development centered on collaboration; Outcomes are aligned to EMMA Standards 5-6.

Discover how the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) can transform English language learning by creating personalized, efficient, and engaging teaching experiences. This session will explore practical strategies for educators to promote the ethical and responsible use of AI tools while training students to think critically and act responsibly in the digital age. Participants will gain insights into how AI can enhance dual language education by supporting bilingualism, biliteracy, and academic achievement. Attendees will leave with actionable steps to implement AI-driven tools in culturally responsive and equitable ways, ensuring a meaningful and inclusive learning experience for all learners.

This panel will share highlights from the Coalition for a Multilingual Rhode Island’s Train the Trainer: Multilingual Education Advocacy program which launched in Fall 2025. Panelists will share outcomes from training in six areas, including bilingual and dual language programs, advocacy strategies, and parent and student rights. They’ll discuss how they’re driving systemic change for multilingual students, educators, and communities. Attendees will learn about the program’s impact, its role in fostering equity, and strategies for replication in other regions. Join us to explore how trained advocates are creating lasting change in schools, districts, and communities statewide.

Discover how educational technology and dual language principles are being used to revive the Taíno Indigenous language, dormant for nearly 500 years. This session explores innovative curriculum design, translanguaging strategies, and tools like gamification, spaced repetition, and Declaratively Accelerated Blended Learning (DABL). Learn how technology facilitates the flipped classroom approach, enabling students to engage with content at home and apply knowledge in collaborative classroom activities. Attendees will explore how tech supports cultural revitalization while fostering bilingualism, biliteracy, and sociocultural competence. Walk away with actionable insights on integrating EdTech and culture to preserve endangered languages and enhance student-centered learning.

This presentation will share the findings of a recent study conducted regarding students’ sense of belonging in a Spanish-English dual language immersion program. Results illuminate students’ views on contributors to their sense of belonging in school, such as teacher care and separation of language, among others. TWBI teachers and administrators will learn about classroom practices and a program model that together can potentially resist the typical decrease in Latin@ students’ sense of belonging within TWBI programs at the upper elementary/middle school levels. TWBI bilingual and monolingual staff will also learn about translanguaging practices in grades 3-6 that impact belonging.

The increasing presence of Multilingual Learners in U.S. public schools highlights the need for multilingual educators to ensure academic success and promote multiliteracy. Currently, there is a shortage of qualified educators, with many multilingual individuals working as paraeducators who could transition into teaching roles. This presentation examines the historical exclusionary practices in U.S. education that contribute to teacher shortages, discusses the advantages of having congruent educators for diverse students, showcases successful paraeducator-to-teacher preparation programs, and identifies barriers multilingual candidates face in entering the profession, along with strategies to overcome these challenges.

Dual language (DL) programs are highly specialized. In Massachusetts, educators providing instruction in the partner language within a bilingual education setting are required to obtain the bilingual education endorsement (BEE); however, there is not a licensure requirement specific to dual language practices for school leaders. The problem is some principals in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts do not have an understanding of bilingual education practices due to a lack of training. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the perceived challenges principals face in fulfilling their responsibilities to oversee bilingual education programs without standardized training. There is a gap in the literature pertaining to leadership competency recommendations for overseeing dual language programs. Servant leadership theory provides the theoretical framework for the study. Research questions include what the challenges of leading DL programs without standardized training in bilingual education in Massachusetts, how are leaders obtaining the competencies necessary to lead bilingual programs, and what gaps exist in leadership competencies specific to bilingual education programs. The target population is the 59 current dual language principals in Massachusetts who do not hold the BEE. All participants who satisfy the inclusion criteria will be invited to complete an electronic open-ended questionnaire. Simple random sampling will be used to select a sample of 15. Creswell and Poth’s data spiral will be used for data analysis.
Keywords: bilingual education, dual language, leadership, Massachusetts, principals

We know that emotional well-being influences academic success, but what do we do to make our students feel better? Do we really know our students?
The objective of this session is to learn about the relationship between social-emotional well-being and academic success through scientific evidence, as well as to participate in activities that act as a bridge between the social-emotional and academic factors while we have fun and we get to know each other. In addition, the most effective strategies in bilingual education will be presented.
If you are interested in bilingual education and interpersonal relationships this is the workshop for you.