ESOL REQUIREMENTS:
Teachers for the 21st Century

In 1990, the Florida Department of Education entered into an agreement (a consent decree) with advocacy groups for English language learners (ELLs) that requires school districts to provide various accommodations to enable them to succeed academically.

There are many components to the agreement, but one element is the precursor to ESOL infusion. Teachers who are the primary language arts providers for preK-12 students (Early Childhood, Elementary, English, and Special Education) must complete an ESOL endorsement, which is an add-on to their certificate.

The endorsement requires 15 graduate credits of coursework or 300 clock hours of in-service in ESOL Methods, ESOL Testing, ESOL Curriculum, Applied Linguistics, and Cross-Cultural Issues for ESOL.

In the year 2000 a state board rule required all teacher preparation programs to graduate students in the targeted areas with the ESOL endorsement. Institutions can choose to require the 5 graduate courses or to implement an infusion approach.

An infusion approach reduces the number of ESOL courses, by incorporating content from the 5 ESOL courses into other classes and field experiences, including ESOL as a natural part of all the curriculum and instruction, not as an adjunct.

2 or 3 ESOL courses
Infuse ESOL into most education (& some content) courses
Early & late ESOL field experiences

• Faculty development for those teaching ESOL-infused courses and supervising internships

• Formative and summative evaluation system for the 25 ESOL Performance Standards

• Endorsement is a form of certification--in Florida, the ESOL Endorsement is the full credential for being an ESOL teacher--self-contained, specialist Early Childhood, Elementary, English, and Special Education

• You will be an ESOL teacher as well as an Elementary or Special Education teacher!

Infusion--7 Credits versus 15

• ESOL I (FLE 4315), ESOL II (FLE 4316), and ESOL III (EDG 4909--temporary)
• ESOL Portfolio
• ESOL Early Field Experience
• ESOL Late Field Experience
• Comprehensive ESOL Exam

ESOL Course Sequence

• ESOL I
• ESOL II
• ESOL III

ESOL Portfolio--Documenting Achieving the 25 ESOL Performance Standards

• Collection of ESOL assignments in the three ESOL courses and the ESOL-infused courses
• Reflections on the assignments and on your development as an ESOL teacher
• If course does not include an ESOL assignment, add ESOL wherever possible

ESOL Field Experiences

Comprehensive Exam

• Split into 4 parts
• FLE 4315 midterm and final--averaged together
• FLE 4316 midterm and final--averaged together
• Can re-take in ESOL III--must add 1 credit