California’s Global 2030 vision calls for universal bilingualism and biliteracy, and research indicates that bilingual instructional models are among the most effective strategies for improving literacy and long-term academic outcomes for both Multilingual Learners and monolingual students. But realizing that vision depends on building a strong, sustainable bilingual authorized (BLA) teacher workforce.

In this brief, the authors examine the BLA teacher workforce supply and demand trends using publicly available statewide data. Drawing on findings from WestEd’s 2024 analysis of English Learner programs in California, they find that while the state has made notable progress toward its goal of 2,000 new bilingual authorizations per year, significant gaps in statewide data make it difficult for state and local leaders to assess the return on their workforce investments—pointing to the urgent need for improved data systems, strategic planning, and pathway investment.

This is the first brief in the Advancing Achievement Through Biliteracy series. 
Read the second brief in this series here.