Spanish Language Pedagogy for Biliteracy Programs
About the Author

Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D. is Associate Professor Emerita from San Diego State University School of Teacher Education. at San Diego State University. Dr. Mora’s career as a biliteracy educator began in Texas where she was an elementary bilingual teacher, a secondary Spanish teacher and a consultant for the Texas Education Agency’s Region IV Service Center in Houston. She has engaged in scholarship, leadership and teaching as a university teacher educator specializing in preparing teachers for work with culturally and linguistically diverse students in Texas, California and Mexico.

Before beginning her tenure at SDSU in 1994, Dr. Mora resided in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where she founded and operated her own consulting company, Realizaciones, S.A. From 2003-2005, Dr. Mora served as Resident Director of the California State University System’s International Program and Bilingual Teacher Credential Program in Querétaro, Mexico. During her tenure as Resident Director, she was co-researcher of a comprehensive study of reforms of the Mexico National Reading Program (Programa de Español). She brings a valuable international perspective to the arena of Spanish language and literacy education in Spanish-speaking countries and in the United States.

Dr. Mora has received numerous honors and awards for her activism and scholarship. In 2024, Dr. Mora was honored to present for the Center for Equity for English Learners Featured Speakers Series at Loyola Marymount University. Her presentation was titled Reaffirming Our Multilingual/Multiliteracies Pedagogical Knowledge Base: Strengthening the Research to Practice Connection. Dr. Mora was recognized with the 2009 Promoting Biliteracy Award from the Two-way California Association for Bilingual Education for her strong advocacy for educational equity for language minority students. In 2002, she received the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarly Activity for her MoraModules Website for biliteracy and English language development educators.

In her active retirement, Dr. Mora continues to engage in advocacy for effective research-based instruction and programs for emergent bilingual learners. She is the lead co-author of a book titled Biliteracy and cross-cultural teaching: A framework for standards-based transfer instruction in dual language programs. She has authored many scholarly articles on the pedagogical knowledge base for Spanish literacy and biliteracy instruction. Dr. Mora consults with publishing companies such as Benchmark Education Company and organizations such as CABE to contribute her expertise in bilingualism and biliteracy education. She serves as a member of the California Committee for Effective Literacy sponsored by Californians Together. Dr. Mora was honored as a CABE Champion at the CABE 50th Anniversary Conference 2024 for her lifetime commitment to advancing the academic achievement of multilingual students.

Mora, J. K. (2025). Spanish language pedagogy for biliteracy programs (Second ed.). Montezuma Publishing.