Abstract:

This presentation examines how one flagship public school for teacher preparation in the United States is making systematic institutional efforts to support and improve the circumstances for emergent bilinguals locally and globally through an interrelated suite of teacher preparation programs. As the number of students who are learning English as an additional language continues to rise both locally and globally [1] the need for highly qualified professionals who can teach and support emergent bilingual students’ academic achievement and personal success has never been greater [2]. Likewise, as future, and current teachers seek to address the demographic and linguistic shifts that are occurring in the classroom [3], the need for professional development has resulted in an increased number of teachers adding endorsements, certificates and even returning to pursue specialized master’s degrees. To this end, the presentation reviews how our institution, and specifically programs within the School of Teacher Education, are designed and implemented at both the undergraduate and graduate level to enhance teachers’ capacity to design, deliver, and assess learning with culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Grounded in a curriculum mapping and review process this presentation analyzes the programs, courses, and student learning outcomes, as well as the interrelations among programs. We begin by illustrating how accredited programs in undergraduate teacher education, including endorsements in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education, prepare future teachers to work with the increasing numbers of immigrant and refugee students, and speakers of other languages in K-12 schools. We then review how our Graduate Programs range from 12 credit certificates and build up to 33 credit master’s degrees that offer professional development pathways and training for in-service teachers working in the US and for those teaching and learning English in international contexts.

We show through visual representations how program curricula align to teacher quality standards, including Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) international standards at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We discuss how the different programs allow teachers to progressively expand their professional knowledge and skills through interrelated learning opportunities. These include but are not limited to the following: recognition of undergraduate course work that counts toward a graduate endorsement, pathways for advancement through certificate and graduate programs, partnerships and cooperative models with local school districts and other professional programs that recognize experiential and prior learning, and international partnerships that facilitate ongoing teacher professional development for teachers to support emergent bilinguals’ academic success.

References:
[1] S. J. Shin, Bilingualism in schools and society: Language, identity, and policy. Routledge, 2017.
[2] C. F. Escobar, “Transforming Schooling for Second Language Learners: Theoretical Insights, Policies, Pedagogies and Practices,” edited by Pacheco, M., Morales, Z., & Hamilton, C.
[3] W. E. Wright, S. Boun, and O. García, The handbook of bilingual and multilingual education. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

Keywords:

Teacher Preparation, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education, emergent bilinguals, CLD Programming, Curriculum, Professional Development Pathways.