ED477724 2002-09-00 The Preparation

and Professional Development of

Teachers of English Language Learners.

ERIC Digest.

ERIC Development Team

www.eric.ed.gov

Table of Contents

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The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of English

Language Learners. ERIC Digest......................................... 1

THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF TEACHERS FOR ELLS............. 2

REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARING TEACHERS OF ELLS.......... 3

ADDRESSING THE NEED: GUIDANCE................................... 4

CONCLUSION.................................................................. 5

REFERENCES.................................................................. 5

ERIC Identifier: ED477724

Publication Date: 2002-09-00

Author: Antunez, Beth

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education Washington DC.

The Preparation and Professional Development

of Teachers of English Language Learners.

ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

ED477724 2002-09-00 The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of

English Language Learners. ERIC Digest.

Page 1 of 7
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The population of school-aged English language learners (ELLs) has consistently and

significantly increased over the past decade, transforming America's public schools, the

instruction of its students, and the preparation of its teachers. The No Child Left Behind

Act of 2001 requires there be a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom by the end

of 2005, and school districts and teacher preparation institutions across the nation face

the challenge of preparing and hiring large numbers of teachers while retaining a focus

on quality. This digest will discuss the need for increasing the numbers of teachers of

ELLs and the particular linguistic and academic characteristics of ELLs.

THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF TEACHERS FOR

ELLS

During the 1999-2000 school year, 4.4 million students were identified as English

language learners (ELLs) in pre-K through 12 public schools. This number represents 9

percent of public school enrollment and a 27 percent increase over the 1997-98

enrollment (Kindler, 2002). In urban school districts, ELLs account for 21 percent of

students (Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., 2002).

ELLs are defined as students whose first language is not English and who are in the

process of learning English. According to a 1999-2000 survey, over 400 native

languages are spoken by the ELL school-age population (Kindler, 2002). The term ELL

is often used interchangeably with "limited English proficient" (LEP). Implicit in the

definition is that ELLs' English language proficiency is insufficient to academically

succeed in English-only classrooms (Lessow-Hurley, 1991). Also implicit is that ELLs

have different linguistic and academic needs from the mainstream school population,

and that ELLs require teachers qualified to address these needs.

Within the context of the nationwide need to hire teachers, which is projected at 2.2

million or more over the next decade (National Center for Education Statistics, 1998;

Hussar & Gerald, 1996; The White House, 2002), the need for teachers of ELLs is

particularly acute due to this population's rapid increase and the additional qualifications

required of these teachers. According to the Urban Teacher Challenge Report

(Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., 2002), 73 percent of the urban districts surveyed had

an immediate demand for bilingual education teachers, while 68 percent had an

immediate demand for English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers.

Currently, 41 percent of teachers in the U.S have taught ELLs, while less than 13

percent of U.S. teachers have received any training or professional development on

teaching these students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002). These figures

are alarming in light of the fact that researchers and teacher educators have agreed that

teachers of ELLs need at least the following knowledge and skills in order to effectively

meet the needs of their students:

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Page 2 of 7 ED477724 2002-09-00 The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of

English Language Learners. ERIC Digest.
* understanding of the basic constructs of bilingualism and second language

development;

* nature of language proficiency;

* role of first language and culture in learning;

* demands that mainstream education places on culturally diverse learners;

* capacity to make academic content accessible;

* ability to integrate language and content instruction;

* respect for and incorporation of students' first language in instruction;

* understanding of how differences in language and culture affect students' classroom

participation;

* needs and characteristics of students with limited formal schooling;

* understanding and ability to address students from families with little exposure to the

norms of U.S. schools; and

* belief in students as individuals for limited English proficiency and that limited

academic skills are not deficiencies

(Clair, 1993, 2000, Menken & Look, 2000, p. 22-23, Walqui, 1999).

REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARING TEACHERS

OF ELLS

Programs through which ELLs are currently being served can be divided into bilingual

education, ESL, and mainstream education. Requirements for teacher preparation

within each of these programs can differ depending on a variety of factors. However,

bilingual education programs generally require teachers trained in and competent to

teach students through their native language as well as English; ESL programs require

teachers trained to teach English reading, writing, speaking and listening skills to ELLs;

and mainstream programs conduct all instruction in English and do not, normally,

require teachers to be trained to teach ELLs. For more information on the

characteristics of bilingual education and ESL programs, see

http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/askncela/22models.htm.

Preparation is further complicated in that not all states provide certification in bilingual

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ED477724 2002-09-00 The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of

English Language Learners. ERIC Digest.

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education and/or ESL. According to a 1999 survey of State Education Agencies, 39

states and the District of Columbia offer ESL teacher certification or endorsement, while

24 states and the District of Columbia offer bilingual/dual language teacher certification

or endorsement (McKnight & Antunez, 1999). In states that do not offer bilingual

education or ESL certification, it is unclear what sorts of preparation teachers of ELLs

are receiving to enable them to meet the linguistic and academic needs of their

students.

ADDRESSING THE NEED: GUIDANCE

Several national organizations have addressed the issue of teacher preparation by

creating standards to delineate what teachers of ELLs should know and be able to do.

The following organizations have all developed such standards:

* Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE): Standards for

Effective Teaching Practice (1998)

* National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE): Professional

Bilingual/Multicultural Teachers (1992)

* National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS): English as a New

Language Standards (1998)

* Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL): Pre-K-12 ESL

Teacher Education Standards (forthcoming)

These standards include such elements as proficiency in two languages, an

understanding of the impact of students' cultures on their learning, and how to assist

students in the development of their language abilities. Increasingly, standards are

being used as the foundation for state licensure, teacher preparation and professional

development programs to ensure that these programs are inclusive of the ELL

population (Menken & Holmes, 2000).

In addition to these organizations' standards, the American Association of Colleges for

Teacher Education (AACTE), an organization of colleges and universities with teacher

preparation programs, has adopted a resolution entitled Preparing Teachers for Second

Language Learners. Intended to guide its member colleges and universities, the

resolution addresses the preparation of all teachers for second language learners. To

read the resolution, go to: http://www.aacte.org/Multicultural/bilingual_resolution.htm.

Another guidance instrument, from the Center for Research on Education, Diversity and

Excellence (CREDE) is The National Directory of Teacher Preparation Programs

(Preservice and Inservice) for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students. This

directory identifies exemplary programs of professional teacher preparation that

address, promote, and implement professional preparation for teachers in culturally and

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Page 4 of 7 ED477724 2002-09-00 The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of

English Language Learners. ERIC Digest.
linguistically diverse classrooms. It includes a typology that divides and provides

characteristics of the range of programs that prepare teachers for linguistically and

culturally diverse classrooms into the following seven categories:

* General education with a multicultural emphasis

* Multicultural education

* English as a second language

* English language development and multicultural education

* Bilingual/bicultural education

* Bilingual/multicultural education

* Bilingual/biliterate/multicultural/bicultural education.

To access the directory, go to

http://www.Colorado.edu/education/BUENO/crede/intro.html.

CONCLUSION

While the ELL population rapidly and steadily increases, so too does the need for a

teaching force prepared to effectively meet the linguistic and academic needs of this

population. The unique knowledge and skills needed in the successful preparation of

teachers for this population have been identified. Efforts are now being concentrated in

the implementation of programs that incorporate the elements of effective preparation

and professional development of teachers of ELLs.

REFERENCES

Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (2001). National Directory

of Teacher Preparation (Preservice and Inservice) Programs for Teachers of

Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students. Santa Cruz: CREDE.

Clair, N. (1993). Beliefs, self-reported practices and professional development needs of

three classroom teachers with language minority students. Unpublished doctoral

dissertation, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York.

Hussar, W. & Gerald, D. (1996) Projection of education statistics to 2006. Washington,

DC: National Center for Education Statistics. [Online] Available at:

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsold/pj2006/projhil.html [2001, July 18].

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED477724 2002-09-00 The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of

English Language Learners. ERIC Digest.

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Kindler, A. (2002). Survey of the States' Limited English Proficient Students and

Available Educational Programs and Services: 1999-2000 Summary Report.

Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and

Language Instruction Educational Programs.

Lessow-Hurley, J. (1991). A Commonsense Guide to Bilingual Education. Alexandria,

VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

McKnight, A. and Antunez, B. (1999). State Survey of Legislative Requirements for

Educating Limited English Proficient Students. Washington, DC: NCBE.

Menken, K. & Holmes, P. (2000). Ensuring English language learners' success:

Balancing teacher quantity with quality. Washington, DC: NCBE.

Menken, K. & Look, K. (2000, February). Meeting the needs of linguistically and

culturally diverse students. Schools in the Middle. Washington, DC: National

Association of Secondary School Principals.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2002). 1999-2000 Schools and staffing survey:

Overview of the Data for Public, Private, Public Charter and Bureau of Indian Affairs

Elementary and Secondary Schools. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education,

Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

Success for English Language Learners: Teacher Preparation Policies and Practices.

California Council on the Education of Teachers, 2001.

Torres-Guzm n, M. & Goodman, A.L. (1995). Urban bilingual teachers and national

standards: Mentoring for the future. Education and Urban Society, 28, 48-66.

The Urban Teacher Challenge Report. (2002). Recruiting New Teachers, Inc.

Walqui, A. (1999, July) Professional development for teachers of English language

learners. Paper presented at an invitational conference sponsored by the National

Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board, the Office of Educational Research

and Improvement, and the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs,

Washington, DC.

The White House. (2002). White House Fact Sheet: A Quality Teacher in Every

Classroom. [Online] Available:

http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/03-2002/wh-020304.html [2002, April 29].

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This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U. S.

Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, under

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Page 6 of 7 ED477724 2002-09-00 The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of

English Language Learners. ERIC Digest.
contract number ED-99-CO-0007. The content of this publication does not necessarily

reflect the views of or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of

trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U. S.

Government.

Title: The Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers of English Language

Learners. ERIC Digest.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

Available From: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education, American

Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1307 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite

300, Washington, DC 20005-4701. Tel: 202-293-2450; Tel: 800-822-9229 (Toll Free);

Fax: 202-457-8095; e-mail: query@aacte.org; Web site: http://www.ericsp.org.

Descriptors: Academic Standards, Bilingual Education, Cultural Influences, Elementary

Secondary Education, English (Second Language), Faculty Development, Higher

Education, Inservice Teacher Education, Limited English Speaking, Preservice Teacher

Education, Teacher Qualifications, Teacher Supply and Demand, Teaching Skills

Identifiers: ERIC Digests

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