Center for Research & Development in Dual Language & Literacy Acquisition

09/11/2026

Thinking about adding your ESL Supplemental Certification?
Project EBEST offers a FREE TExES 154 (ESL) Prep Webinar designed to help Texas educators prepare with confidence.
✅ On-demand training (complete at your own pace)
✅ 3-hour prep webinar
✅ FREE TExES 154 (ESL) Study Guide
✅ Exam fee reimbursement for eligible participants
Whether you're a pre-service or in-service Texas educator, we're here to support your certification journey.
Register today and take the next step toward ESL certification: tx.ag/ebestwebinar

09/09/2026

Meet Elda Pacheco, a BTLPT Instructional Consultant with EBEST! 🌟

As part of the EBEST team, she brings her expertise and dedication to supporting educators as they prepare for the BTLPT and take the next step toward bilingual teaching. Get to know more about Elda Pacheco and the experience she brings to EBEST below! 👇

"With over 25 years of professional experience in education, I am a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist and Spanish instructor. I hold a Master of Science in Communication Disorders from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Arts in Spanish Literature from the University of Northern Iowa. To further deepen my expertise, I completed the first phase of the Máster en Lengua y Cultura Españolas at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain this past summer and will complete the degree next summer.

As a certified Speech-Language Pathologist in Texas and a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, I have extensive experience conducting bilingual speech and language assessments, writing diagnostic reports, and supporting linguistically diverse student populations. My professional background includes college-level teaching, high school and university Spanish instruction, and district-wide evaluation work in multilingual settings.

I am also a dedicated Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) Spanish tutor, proudly guiding my students to a 100% pass rate, and I have been recognized for excellence in bilingual education. I enthusiastically recommend EBEST as a certification prep course because its comprehensive, evidence-based approach builds both linguistic confidence and targeted test-taking strategy for candidate success. My instructional approach emphasizes cultural responsiveness, academic rigor, and practical application for future educators." - Elda Pacheco

09/08/2026

Are you a graduate student looking to get published?
We're excited to kick off Paths to Publication (P2P) for Fall 2026!
Founded by Dr. Beverly J. Irby, P2P connects graduate students and researchers with leading scholars to explore the journey from research to publication.
Register: tx.ag/TAMUP2P
Let’s turn great research into published scholarship!

09/02/2026

Meet Dr. Catalina Lugo, a BTLPT Instructional Consultant with EBEST! 🌟 As part of the EBEST team, Dr. Lugo brings her expertise and dedication to supporting educators as they prepare for the BTLPT and take the next step toward bilingual teaching. Get to know more about Dr. Lugo and the experience she brings to EBEST below! 👇

Dr. Catalina Lugo Angeles is an author, educator, and researcher who views second-language acquisition as a vital doorway to another community’s values, traditions, humor, and worldview. Guided by this perspective, she designs innovative instructional activities that make language learning both engaging and effective.
A specialist in teacher preparation, Dr. Lugo has developed numerous courses to equip candidates for the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT). She strongly advocates for Texas A&M University’s EBEST 190—a premier prep course that delivers guided practice, interactive online tutorials, timely, individualized feedback, and one-on-one mentorship for future bilingual educators.

08/31/2026

08/20/2026

From Aggieland to Cambodia, education has the power to connect communities.
Texas A&M University’s Education Leadership Research Center (ELRC) and Center for Research & Development in Dual Language & Literacy Acquisition (CRDLLA) recently welcomed leaders from Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS) to renew a Memorandum of Agreement that continues years of collaboration in educational leadership, research and professional learning.

Together, we are strengthening global partnerships that support educators, students and communities around the world.

08/18/2026

Ready to take the next step toward teacher certification?

Project EBEST offers FREE preparation for the ESL, Bilingual Supplemental, and BTLPT certification exams to help eligible Texas educators succeed.

✅ Free/subsidized courses
✅ All course materials provided
✅ Exam fee reimbursement

Take advantage of this opportunity and start preparing with confidence.

Register today: tx.ag/EBESTCert

08/14/2026

Throughout 2026, Mahreen Kashif Ghayas, our PhD student, served as an AAACE Leadership Mentorship Program Mentor, creating a space for collaboration, encouragement, and scholarly development with a fellow Texas A&M doctoral student. Her commitment to mentorship and her doctoral journey were also recognized with an AAACE Graduate Student Grant, supporting her continued professional and scholarly development.

For Mahreen, mentorship is more than guidance; it is a fellowship where scholars learn from one another, grow together, and create possibilities for what comes next.

So proud of you, Mahreen!