ESOL Orientation

ESOL Requirements Information

Dear New Student :

Welcome to the College of Education (COE) at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The administration, faculty, and staff are committed to preparing COE students to excel in teaching children from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In Florida there are hundreds of thousands of K-12 students who are in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs, and the Florida Department of Education (FL DOE) requires that every graduate of a teacher certification program complete coursework and other requirements to prepare them for teaching ESOL students. The requirements are as follows:

Future teachers of subjects other than Language Arts take one course, FLE 4365 or FLE 4315 (ESOL 1), to meet the state requirements. Future Language Arts teachers are required to obtain the ESOL Endorsement (a form of an add-on certificate) and have two options to meet this requirement: 1) they may take 5 courses (15 credits) in ESOL Education; OR 2) they may complete the requirements for the ESOL Endorsement Through Infusion option. Students at USFSP complete the ESOL endorsement through infusion.

The following information applies only to students in Early Childhood, Elementary, English, and Special Education

The ESOL Endorsement Through Infusion option is a special program approved by the Florida Department of Education that allows students to take 7 credits of ESOL courses (FLE 4315 and FLE 4316, which are 3 credits each and ESOL 3, which is 1 credit) and complete other ESOL requirements that take the place of the remaining 8 credits of coursework. Students who graduate from these programs have a double area of specialization: Early Childhood/ESOL, Elementary/ESOL, English/ESOL, Special Education/ESOL. This means that in addition to being certified in their primary area, they are fully credentialed ESOL teachers and can be hired as such.

Special Requirements of ESOL Endorsement through Infusion
When students in any of the 4 Language Arts areas obtain their degree, they are eligible for certification in their area (e.g., Elementary Education) as well as the ESOL

Endorsement. Because the ESOL Endorsement through Infusion option waives 8 credits of coursework, the Florida Department of Education requires documentation proving that each student has met the same standards as if s/he completed the 5 ESOL Education courses. In addition to completing FLE 4315, 4316, and ESOL 3, each student is expected to complete the following:

•  An ESOL portfolio that presents evidence of ESOL-related assignments in most of the courses taken as part of the major, with reflections on how the student demonstrated meeting the 25 ESOL Performance Standards.

•  An early field experience with ESOL students;

•  A late field experience (or internship) with ESOL students;

•  A comprehensive ESOL Education examination.

Items 1-4 take the place of 8 credits of ESOL Education coursework and are required, in addition to FLE 4315, 4316, and ESOL 3 to graduate from the 4 program areas.

Components of the ESOL Endorsement Through Infusion Program

ESOL Education Course Sequence--FLE 4315 (ESOL 1), FLE 4316 (ESOL 2) and ESOL 3 (temporary course number EDG 4909)

Please note--these courses are offered as EDG 6931 for graduate students and must be taken at the graduate level for those in M.A. or M.A.T. programs. The graduate course titles are slightly different from the undergraduate titles. Look for them in the schedule as EDG 6931: ESOL 1, EDG 6931: ESOL 2, and EDG 6931: ESOL 3.

Students in Early Childhood, Elementary, English, and Special Education must enroll in FLE 4315, ESOL 1: Teaching Students with Limited English Proficiency K-12, during their first semester in the College of Education. This means that when these students reach junior status and are first admitted to the College of Education, and/or when students take the first course in the College of Education (other than the 3 prerequisite education courses necessary for admission to the College of Education), they must enroll in FLE 4315. This course gives an overview of the field of ESOL and helps students organize their ESOL portfolio. Students complete their ESOL early field experience in this course, by volunteering at an adult education center for 20 hours. FLE 4315 is the prerequisite for FLE 4316.

FLE 4316, ESOL 2: Language Principles and Acquisition, must be taken two semesters prior to the final internship. *   This course revisits many of the topics from FLE 4315 from a more complex and theoretical standpoint, incorporating students' knowledge gained through taking courses that infused ESOL assignments and activities. A primary focus of this course is on language and its particular areas of challenge for students who are English language learners (ELLs). FLE 4316 is a prerequisite for ESOL 3.

* Exception: Undergraduate students who entered their program prior to fall 2003 may complete their ESOL late field experience during ESOL 2 (FLE 4316) and may enroll in ESOL 3 during their final internship.

The course entitled ESOL 3: ESOL Practicum, does not have a permanent number at this time, so it uses a generic number, EDG 4909. This is the culminating course for the ESOL endorsement. In this course, students complete reflections on the work in their ESOL portfolios and complete activities to remediate any deficiencies in their meeting the 25 ESOL Performance Standards. This course also is where students re-take any portions of the comprehensive exam that they did not pass. In addition, students complete their ESOL late field experience in this course*. This field experience requires 60 hours of planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction for one or more ELLs under the supervision of an ESOL-endorsed teacher. Students need to complete this requirement by spending full or half-days at an ESOL center, so please plan your schedule accordingly. Because this course includes the late field experience, it is not offered during the summer semesters. ESOL 3 is typically taken for 1 credit, but if there are deficiencies in the portfolio or comprehensive exam, it may increase to 2 or 3 credits. You will be informed of this in FLE 4316. ESOL 3 should be taken the semester prior to the final internship (unless it is the summer semester). * See Exception above.

FLE 4315 and 4316 are offered on campus as well as through distance learning (web-based). ESOL 3 has two class meetings (1 st and last class) in addition to web-based weekly activities and individual appointments.

ESOL Portfolio
The ESOL Portfolio collects all ESOL-related assignments from courses taken in the College of Education. The structure of the portfolio is explained in FLE 4315 where students receive a portfolio checklist for their specific program, which lists assignments and other products related to ESOL for most courses in their program. As they complete each course on the list, students place the ESOL-related assignment(s) in their portfolios. In addition, they write and include a short reflection for each course, noting how ESOL was addressed and what they learned about ESOL. If the course either does not include the assignment noted on the checklist or if the assignment is included but does not address ESOL, then the student should speak with the instructor and/or find a way to incorporate ESOL 1nto the assignment or an equivalent assignment. Please see http://www.fcit.usf.edu/esol/sum/summative.html for a description of standard ESOL assignments by course.

In FLE 4316, the instructor completes a preliminary review of students' portfolios, listing which areas require additional work. If the student is missing more than 25% of the portfolio contents, she will add 1 credit to the ESOL 3 course (total of 2 credits, or 3 if part 1 or part 2 of the comprehensive exam must be re-taken). During ESOL 3, the instructor completes the final portfolio review after the student has completed any necessary additional work and all reflections.

ESOL Early Field Experience
Students complete a 20-hour early field experience with an adult ESOL student in FLE 4315. The course instructor helps students find a field experience placement at an adult education center or community-based organization, and students complete a series of structured assignments including 6 volunteer tutoring hours with one or more students learning English for Speakers of Other Languages and 14 hours of course-related activities which involve an ESOL student. In certain cases, students work with the ESOL student's family as well. Students in FLE 4315 are released from approximately 2 class meetings to compensate for a portion of the 20 field experience hours.

ESOL Late Field Experience
Toward the end of students' degree program, they are required to plan, implement, and evaluate lessons for one or more ESOL students over a series of weeks. Students complete this requirement during the ESOL 3 course, which is taken the semester prior to the final internship* (except during the summer semester). The instructor places students in appropriate classrooms and collaborates with the cooperating teacher to evaluate the student. *See Exception on page 2.

In most late field experience/internship situations, students will be placed in a self-contained ESOL class. If this is not possible, students may be placed with a regular classroom teacher who has obtained or is in the process of obtaining the ESOL Endorsement, and an ESOL resource teacher will be consulted to help supervise the student's internship as necessary. Students must complete 60 hours of late field experience, so please plan your schedule accordingly. The 60 hours can be completed as half or full days and must be arranged in accordance with the cooperating teacher's schedule.

ESOL Comprehensive Examination
Students must pass a comprehensive ESOL Education examination in order to receive the ESOL endorsement. This exam covers the content of the ESOL Education courses as well as the ESOL 1 information that was "infused" into the program courses. The exam is divided into two sections: the final exam of FLE 4315 and the final exam of FLE 4316. If a student fails either exam, then s/he will have to re-take it during the ESOL 3 course and will add 1 credit to the course (total of 2 credits, or 3 credits if the portfolio was not sufficient in the preliminary review). Students will receive a study guide in FLE 4315 and FLE 4316.

Exceptions to the Above for Master's Degree Students
Students in the MAT in Special Education program may need to take a special version of ESOL 3 for 3 credits. Students who began in a master's program prior to fall 2002 and who will graduate prior to summer 2004 may not be required to complete the ESOL endorsement. The graduate ESOL courses are listed under the temporary number EDG 6931, and their titles differ slightly from the undergraduate course titles (please see above under ESOL Education Course Sequence on page 2).

Frequently Asked Questions About ESOL Endorsement Through Infusion

1. Where can I find information on the ESOL Portfolio requirements?
   
   The ESOL Education website, at http://www.fcit.usf.edu/esol includes detailed information on the portfolio requirements as well as the portfolio checklists for each program.

2. What if I transferred courses from another institution?
   
   If courses that were accepted in place of USF ESOL-infused courses addressed ESOL Performance Standards, students can include these course assignments and a list of the associated ESOL Performance Standards in their portfolios. Please mark these courses as transfer courses and be explicit about which ESOL Performance Standards they address and why.
   
   If the courses did not address ESOL, then students may choose two options: 1) complete the ESOL assignments for the corresponding courses at USFSP (assignments are listed on the ESOL Education website) or substitute alternate activities that address the ESOL Performance Standards which the equivalent USF ESOL-infused courses cover. Please go to the ESOL Education website for alternate activities.

3. What if I took College of Education courses prior to the date that the ESOL Endorsement through Infusion program was approved?
   
   Students who began taking ESOL-infused College of Education courses prior to certain dates (Spring 1999 for Early Childhood and Elementary, Fall 1999 for Special, and Fall 2000 for English Education) may be required to complete activities that address ESOL Performance Standards that are now addressed in those courses. Students who began initial certification master's degree programs as of fall 2002 or later and all students who will graduate as of summer 2004 or later must meet the ESOL requirements. You will find guidance on how to select appropriate alternate activities to compensate for the courses taken prior to when they became ESOL-infused in any of the 3 ESOL classes.

4. How do I prepare for the ESOL Comprehensive Exam?
   
   Your FLE 4315 and FLE 4316 instructors will provide reviews for the exams.

5. How do I know when to enroll in the right courses?
   
   Your Student Academic Services (SAS) report indicates which courses you need each semester. Please consult with your advisor on a regular basis to be sure that your schedule is appropriate. The rule is that FLE 4315 must be taken the first semester in the college, FLE 4316 must be taken two semesters prior to the final internship, and ESOL 3 must be taken the semester prior to final internship.* If, for any reason, you need to diverge from this rule, please consult your advisor.
   
   *Please see Exception above.

6.   How do I get ESOL noted on my certificate?
   
   When you graduate, your transcript will indicate that you graduated from an approved program in Early Childhood/ESOL, Elementary/ESOL, English/ESOL, or Special/ESOL Education. You will need to submit paperwork to the Florida Department of Education to obtain your certificate and your endorsement. There is a fee for each