English as a Second Language

English As A Second Language Program Specialist

AIMS OF THE PROGRAM

The program's courses and related experiences were designed to meet the requirements set by PDE's Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation (July 9, 2002) and respect the national TESOL Standards produced by Teachers of English speakers of Other Languages, Inc., the

GOALS OF THE GRADUATE COURSES

The program will develop a level of cultural awareness sufficient to allow teachers who work with students for whom English is not their native language (i.e. English Language Learners/ELLs). It will help teachers understand and respect cultural, language, educational and other issues addressed by ELL students and their families. It will give teachers a deep awareness of the elements and intricacies of the English language and prepare them to use methods and materials that incorporate collaboration among and between the College, colleagues in education, ELL students and their families, and the community in developing ELL students' English language proficiency and achievement in school. Additionally, the program's participants will become knowledgeable of the educational, legal and community support systems needed by ELL students and their families.

Throughout the program's courses and related experiences and its activities, the administration, faculty, staff, and students involved will affirm the value of heritage languages and cultures. It will do so because the program's basic purpose will be to prepare teachers who can respectfully provide educational programming students who are ELLs need to become fully functioning participants in the American experience, which, given their involvement, will be enriched by their presence.

More specifically, the program will prepare participants to master all of the goals stated below. The program's goals are free standing, in that they are unique to the program. We have not integrated the program's goals with those of the Graduate Education Program.

Participants who complete the graduate level training programs will demonstrate an ability and willingness to:

explain the concept of multiculturalism, including by explaining whether and how local schools historically have been multicultural communities, albeit with a different generation of immigrants, and how local schools can and should adjust their current practices and procedures to welcome and meet the needs of new immigrants, ELL students and their families.
compare and contrast the elements of American culture with those found in other cultures, especially cultures that produce immigrants to America who opt to be educated in local schools. In doing so, identify reasons students and their families to immigrate to the US (e.g., economic).
explain the purpose of TESOL programs, including their historical and legal foundations and factors and trends that increase in the population of ELLs in local school districts.
identify and explain theories and research basic to TESOL that suggest program models and practices.
plan, explain and implement screening procedures to identify ELLs, including procedures that might be used with all students who transfer to districts.
explain the structures and forms of the English language and how second language learners learn to progressively function in English, including by explaining the value of ESL programs in facilitating the development of proficiency in English in listening, speaking, reading and writing for social and academic purposes.
using appropriate protocols (such as Himmmele's Language Assessment Rubric, 2002), determine language proficiency levels in listening, speaking, reading and writing as preconversational, beginning, intermediate, or advanced (i.e., the levels defined by the Northwest Regional Educational Equity Center; see www.nwrac.org) and use data derived from the protocols to identify goals and objectives for developing English language proficiency for individual ELL students.
using appropriate protocols and language sensitive curriculum-based assessment, determine the Educational needs, achievement levels, and native language proficiency of ELL students and use that data to make placement decisions.
set and communicate goals and objectives for individual ELL students placed in ESL programs, including those that relate to improving their levels of English language proficiency, to achieving in courses offered in regular Education, and to acclimating to their communities (including school communities).
plan, implement and assess developmentally appropriate units and lessons designed to improve students English language proficiency.
explain research based processes and procedures that can be used to integrate ELL students into classes with English-speaking teachers and peers.
assist English-speaking teachers in planning, implementing and assessing units and lessons in content courses in which ELL students are included.
involve parents in the education of their children, including by adequately informing parents of the purposes and structures of ESL programs, whether their children are eligible for such programs, and by identifying resources parents and their children might use to acclimate to their communities (including the schools).
explain how ESL teachers can and should advocate for ELL students to ensure their districts provide them with the opportunities to participate in all programs for which they qualify (e.g., gifted, special education, advanced placement, extracurricular activities, etc.).
based on needs assessments, plan, implements, and assess staff development activities that help school district staff and members of the community to understand and respect the purposes and practices of ESL programs and to identify their roles and responsibilities in support of such programs and the students and families they serve.
explain the resources needs of ESL programs in terms of adequate staffing (including professional development), space and materials, including by creating and monitoring annual budgets for ESL programs.
plan, conduct, and report program assessments, including to comport with state requirements.

GRADUATE REQUIREMENTS

Project based delivery

The graduate level component of the program will feature a projects based delivery system and incorporate the use of communications technology, including devices that will allow distance learning opportunities (and thus allow the use of experts external to the College). Teachers who participate in the graduate level component of the proposed program will be required to meet in cohort groups for course based presentations and discussions, albeit less frequently that with traditional graduate courses. Instead of doing traditional "seat time," participants will be required to spend time and energy completing a series of reality based projects - including some that will require the gathering of information and expertise from acknowledged experts in the field, both directly, vial distance learning and through their writings; travel to field sites and points of cultural interest to interact with ELL students and their families; and sharing their projects with other students and with faculty.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

Misericordia University application form.
Instructional level 1 or 2 certificate.
Act 34 and 151 clearances.

COURSES EDU 571 Cultural Awareness
EDU 572 Linguistics: Structures of the American Language
EDU 573 Teaching in ESL programs: Theory and Practice
EDU 574 ESL Support Systems
EDU 610 ESL Field Experience
EDU 615 ESL Culminating Experience

LINKS

http://www.eslconnect.com/links.html
http://iteslj.org/links/
http://iteslj.org/