From Praxis to Program Development

Abstract: Because foreign language teacher candidates in Mississippi are required to pass the Praxis II: World Language Test for licensure in French, German, and Spanish, faculty at the institution under consideration sought to better understand their candidates' readiness for this assessment experience. This article describes how faculty modified students' learning experiences, ultimately leading students to success on the Praxis II: World Language Test by emphasizing the test requirements, clarifying proficiency expectations with students, altering instructional practices, strengthening the curriculum, developing new courses, and creating new K-12 partnerships. Challenges related to program development are also discussed.Key words: ACTFL/NCATE Standards, Praxis II, program development, teacher licensure, teacher preparationIt is undeniable that knowledge of content is a crucial component of effective teaching (Chambless, 2012; Darling-Hammond, 2000; NCATE, 2010). Specifically in the field of foreign languages, teachers must at the very least possess knowledge of the language they teach and the various cultures represented by that language. However, teaching a foreign language may be unique from other content areas because "language is not only the subject studied but also the medium of instruction" (Chambless, 2012, p. S142). Thus, knowledge of the language cannot be separated from one's ability to use the language (Liskin-Gasparro, 1987). Because foreign language teacher candidates in Mississippi at the institution under consideration are required to pass the Praxis II: World Language Test to demonstrate content knowledge for licensure in French, German, and Spanish, faculty sought to better understand their candidates' readiness for this assessment experience. This article describes how faculty modified students' learning experiences, ultimately leading students to success on the Praxis II: World Language Test by emphasizing the test requirements, clarifying proficiency expectations with students, altering instructional practices, strengthening the curriculum, developing new courses, and creating new K-12 partnerships.BackgroundIn 1988, ACTFL developed an initial framework for teacher education programs and joined other specialized professional associations in 2002, when the Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers were approved by NCATE. These professional standards (the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards; ACTFL, 2002) clearly define what teacher candidates should know and be able to do at the con- clusionofaprogramofstudy.Although NCATE recently merged with the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) to form a single accreditation agency-the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)-the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards1 (ACTFL, 2002) continue to identify the knowledge, skills, and profes- sional dispositions that are required of candi- dates seeking initial teacher licensure in a foreign language.Institutions seeking national recogni- tion through ACTFL/NCATE or, in the fu- ture through ACTFL/CAEP, submit reports on their programs using the standards cre- ated by specialized professional associations (SPAs) that are members of NCATE/CAEP. Because NCATE/CAEP makes decisions about the accreditation of institutions based on the outcome of content area reports sub- mitted to SPAs, being familiar with the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards (ACTFL, 2002) and the process involved in writing a report is crucial. To assist for- eign language education faculty, Shrum and Fox (2010) provided concrete suggestions for preparing a successful report. Since the development of the ACTFL/NCATE Pro- gram Standards, there has been a significant increase in the number of foreign language teacher education programs that are being recognized at the national level. In 2010, 67% of the reporting programs were identi- fied as receiving national recognition or rec- ognition with conditions (NCATE, 2011, n. …