M. Beatriz Arias, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Arias is Senior Research Scientist for the Center for Applied Linguistics with a focus on Dual Language and Bilingual Education.
Arias was formerly an Associate Professor in the Department of English with a focus on Applied Linguistics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. She has extensive experience in obtaining grants from the Federal Government, and served as the Principal Investigator for three Title VII Doctoral Programs, three Educational teacher preparation grants, one research grant from the National Institutes of Education and one National Professional Development Program. Arias has also been engaged in seed grant activities with the Carnegie and Kellogg Foundations to explore the implications of restricted language policies on student outcomes and is consistently engaged in the proposal preparation process for both federal and philanthropic foundations.
In addition to her development expertise, Arias has extensive experience in the field of applied linguistics. She edited a volume for Multilingual Matters (2012) on the implementation of Structured English Immersion Programs in Arizona. She is currently co-authoring a volume of Research in Second Language Learning focusing on academic language to be published later this year. Arias’ scholarly interests focus on educational policy and programs for English Language Learners (ELLs). A recent on-line series of Teachers College Record published the work that Arias and her colleagues have recently completed, Teachers College Record Volume 114 Number 9, 2012.
Arias, a National Education Policy Fellow, has been a Court-appointed expert in many school desegregation cases across the nation, including Los Angeles, CA, Denver, CO and Chicago, IL. She was a federally appointed Court Monitor in San Jose CA from 1987 through the termination of the desegregation decree in 2003. She also served as a member of a court appointed panels in Los Angeles and in Denver. In her capacity as a Court Monitor or expert, she has been asked to focus on educational programs which promote equity for English Learners, including but not limited to bilingual/dual language programs, language focused magnet programs, advanced placement programs for native speakers of Spanish or Chinese, and International Baccalaureate Programs which stress language development.
Projects
Investigating Language Policies in IB World Schools
CAL conducted research on behalf of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization to examine language policy development and implementation in IB schools.
Resources
CAL Commentary
CAL is developing a series of free downloadable deliverables designed to connect research to practice around key topics related language and culture. Learn more about the first in the series.
CAL Series on Language Education
This series provides accessible, high-quality, research-based resources and serves to inform teachers' classroom practice, enhance teacher education, and build the background knowledge of undergraduate and graduate students in applied linguistics and other language-related fields.


Language Policy Processes and Consequences: Arizona Case Studies
This book traces the recent socio-historical trajectory of educational language policy in Arizona, and includes chapters by scholars and practitioners who have been directly involved in documenting, and contesting, Arizona's restrictive English-only policies.

Implementing Educational Language Policy in Arizona: Legal, Historical and Current Practices in SEI
Scholars and researchers present their latest findings regarding the impact of a restrictive language policy on teacher preparation and classroom practice through the lens of the decade-long implementation of Structured English Immersion (SEI) in Arizona.
News
CAL Commentary: Interrogating the "Language Gap"
This document highlights the work of Dr. Jonathan Rosa who introduces a raciolinguistic framework as a way to interrogate the language gap and other deficit perspectives.
America’s Languages: Investing in Language Education for the 21st Century – New Report Released
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences today released the final report and recommendations of the Commission on Language Learning for building the nation’s language capacity.
Newcomer Schools Ease Transition for Unaccompanied Minors
This year, newcomer school programs may be more critical than ever as thousands of unaccompanied minors will enroll in U.S. schools.