Project Enhancing Quality Teacher Preparation Through Research-based Instructional Best Practices for Bilingual and English Learners (Project EBEST), a National Professional Development Program grantee at Texas A&M University, focuses on preparing educators to effectively support emergent bilingual students. The program goes beyond helping teachers pass certification exams by providing intentional support, research-based instruction, meaningful mentorship, and preparation grounded in real classroom practice.
Project EBEST works to increase the number of highly qualified bilingual education and English as a Second Language (ESL) certified teachers serving students across Texas schools. Through online professional development, the program prepares both pre-service and in-service teachers to work with emergent bilingual students while supporting success on state-required certification exams.
Project Director Rafael Lara-Alecio shared that what makes Project EBEST stand out is its intentional, participant-centered support. Embedded throughout the online courses are high-quality certification preparation materials, ongoing guidance, meaningful and specific feedback, and a strong professional learning community for aspiring bilingual and ESL educators.
At the core of the program is an integrated approach that combines language development, evidence-based instructional practices, and contextualized experiences. Participants are not only trained in instructional strategies but are immersed in data-driven decision-making and responsive practices that help support both language acquisition and academic achievement.
“Project EBEST most powerfully demonstrates its impact through the development of highly prepared bilingual and ESL educators equipped with both content and pedagogical expertise,” shared Lara-Alecio. “What distinguishes Project EBEST is its emphasis on preparing educators who can effectively serve emergent bilingual students in school classrooms.”
The program’s reach continues to grow across Texas, impacting schools and students in all regions of the state. In 2026 alone, Project EBEST has served more than 1,200 participating pre-service and in-service teachers.
A major component of the program’s success is its emphasis on mentoring and individualized support. In addition to certification preparation coursework, participants receive one-on-one written feedback from experienced bilingual and ESL educators, along with opportunities for virtual mentoring and coaching sessions. According to Lara-Alecio, this support helps build teacher confidence and readiness from the very beginning.
“An important lesson for other institutions is that certification preparation must be both rigorous and individualized to support the needs of each teacher,” Lara-Alecio explained. “While high-quality preparation materials are essential, teachers also benefit from ongoing guidance, mentoring, encouragement, and opportunities to feel connected throughout the certification process.”
Lara-Alecio also shared several lessons that have emerged through the EBEST experience:
- Integrate language and content instruction rather than treating them as separate domains
- Prioritize mentoring and sustained support
- Ground preparation in research and data use, including reflective practice
- Center standards-aligned linguistic responsiveness as a foundational component
Perhaps most importantly, Lara-Alecio emphasized that bilingual and ESL teacher preparation should be viewed as both a technical and student success-focused endeavor that requires intentional design, sustained partnerships, and continuous improvement.
Looking ahead, Project EBEST plans to continue expanding its impact through new course offerings, enhanced mentoring systems, and the integration of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The program is currently developing additional flexible learning opportunities, including short webinars and overview sessions, along with a generative AI-powered Spanish proficiency practice app designed to strengthen participants’ speaking and writing skills through targeted feedback and recommendations for growth.
Project EBEST also plans to disseminate research findings and best practices through peer-reviewed publications, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder engagement efforts to help strengthen bilingual and ESL educator preparation beyond Texas. According to Lara-Alecio, these efforts will help position EBEST as a “replicable and scalable model for bilingual/ESL/dual language educator preparation.”
The program’s impact is reflected in participants’ experiences. One educator shared:
“Overall, I’ve really found the TAMU ESL EBEST program helpful and easy to follow. The content is clear and gives a solid understanding of how to support English language learners in the classroom.
What I appreciate most is how the course connects theory to real classroom situations. Learning about strategies like scaffolding, comprehensible input, and differentiation has helped me better understand how to support different types of learners. The practice questions and scenarios are also useful because they help me think more critically about what I might face on the certification exam and in real teaching situations.”
Another story that captures the program’s personalized approach is that of Minelli Molano, a former Project EBEST participant. After completing her preparation with EBEST, Molano successfully passed both the TExES Bilingual Supplemental and BTLPT-Spanish certification exams on her first attempt. In March 2026, she attended the Texas A&M Education Career Fair to reconnect with one of her former instructors and brought a colleague to join the program. Her story reflects the lasting relationships and ripple effect the program continues to build within the bilingual and ESL educator community.