SACRAMENTO

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced the release of the Multilingual Program search feature within the California Department of Education’s (CDE) California Schools Mobile Application. The California Schools Mobile Application provides quick access to information on all public schools in California with their location identified on a map. This new feature of the application allows users to search for schools that offer multilingual programs in specific geographic areas.

“As the child of an immigrant, I understand the importance of cultural and linguistic pride,” said Thurmond. “One of my top priorities is the growth of more multilingual programs in the state, and this mobile app search function will help parents give students the opportunity to be bilingual so that they can not only succeed, but lead, in the twenty-first century.”

Interest in multilingual programs have increased exponentially throughout California since the passage of Proposition 58 in the November 2016 election. More than 73 percent of California voters approved the measure, which encourages school districts to provide opportunities for all students to become proficient in more than one language. A growing number of parents are searching for schools that offer multilingual programs. Based on data collected in the fall of 2018, the CDE estimates that 1,346 schools offer at least one type of multilingual program.

The California Schools Mobile Application can be found on the iOS App store, the Android Play Store, and the Microsoft Store by searching the term “CA Schools.” More information about the application is available on the CDE California Schools Mobile Application web page. More information regarding multilingual programs can be found on the CDE Multilingual Programs web page.