Certification, Teacher Education, and Professional Development Marcia Harmon Rosenbusch

1. Certification, Teacher Education, and Professional Development Marcia Harmon Rosenbusch National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center Iowa State University mrosenbu@iastate.edu Jacque Bott Van Houten World Language and International Education Consultant Kentucky Department of Education jacqueline.vanhouten@education.ky.gov

2. Teacher Education and Professional Development and their connection to National Standards

3. Overview of Standards

4. ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of FL Teachers • Developed by ACTFL and approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in 2002. • Beginning in 2004, to be an ACTFL/NCATE-Approved Program, K-12 teacher preparation programs are required to base their program design on the 2002 standards.

5. ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of FL Teachers ACTFL/NCATE Purpose: Monitor the quality of language teachers being certified by institutions throughout the country. Serve as a quality control mechanism for rigorous, high quality language teacher preparation. Reflect the profession’s expectations for the specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions that foreign language teachers should have when they enter the field.

6. ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of FL Teachers Requirements for Programs • Reflect the profession’s expectations for the specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions that FL teachers should have as they enter K-12 classrooms. • Consider FL teacher preparation a joint responsibility between faculty in Foreign Languages and Education. • Require a methods course specific to FL education taught by qualified faculty.

7. ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of FL Teachers Requirements for Programs (cont.) • Include language, linguistics, culture and literature components. • Require development of foreign language proficiency with special emphasis on oral proficiency. • Require assessment of candidates’ oral proficiency and diagnostic feedback on their progress.

8. ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of FL Teachers Requirements for Programs (cont.) • Require that field experiences and supervised student teaching be in foreign language classrooms. • Encourage experience with technology-enhanced instruction. • Encourage participation in a structured study abroad program and/or intensive immersion experiences in a target language community.

9. INTASC: Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium INTASC Purpose Promote standards-based reform of the licensing process by working with state education agencies responsible for teacher licensing, professional development, and program approval.

10. INTASC: Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium • Core Standards: Define the knowledge, dispositions, and performances deemed essential for all teachers regardless of subject or grade level. • Foreign Language Standards:Define what foreign language teachers should know and be able to do to effectively teach a student a foreign language.

11. Certification for Accomplished Teachers of World Languages: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) NBPTS Purpose Establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.

12. Certification for Accomplished Teachers of World Languages Purpose (cont.) Develop and operate a national voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards. Advance related education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools.

13. NCSSFL Endorsement http://www.ncssfl.org/papers/FinalTEdpaper.pdf • Performance-based model of integrated foreign language teacher preparation and ongoing professional development • Rigorous standards for accomplished teaching as endorsed by NBPTS • Current reforms in teacher preparation, licensure, and professionalism

14. Existing Models* • Traditional 4-year B.A. • Four-year B.A. with language major, followed by Masters in Teaching • Six-year B.A.-M.A. program *with state and local variations

15. Issues for Reform • U.S. demographic and social changes • American’s school age population diversity • Critical shortage of teachers • Teachers without credentials or with alternative certification.

16. Essential Program Elements • Sound academic components • Blend of theory and practice • Collaboration • Mentorship • Varied field experience • Time for language profiency and pedagogical skill development

17. Changing Focus to Learner • Is tied to federal funding • Impacts curriculum and instruction • Requires support from cooperating teachers, mentors and administrators, and • Widens the gap between U.S. and foreign teachers

18. To Alleviate Teacher Shortage • Tap international resources • Recruit non-traditional students • Target the heritage community • Develop alternative programs • Change prevailing attitude

19. Guest Teacher Program • State MOUs • Candidate requirements • J1 visa status • School responsibilities • Orientation needs • Socialization to school and American life

20. Alternative Certification Routes • States’ programs vary in requirements, content, and length. • Programs need to: --address the wide spectrum of teaching possibilities --target heritage language speakers --remember the purpose of teacher preparation

21. Issues in Teacher Preparation Meet the need for teachers in critical languages without forfeiting high standards • K-16 collaboration: K-12 schools, higher education, state department of education • State certification requirements: • Performance-based accreditation • Incorporate critical languages • Provide alternative certification routes

22. Issues . . . • Teacher recruitment and retention • Redefinition of the candidate pool • Incentives • Mentoring of new teachers • Continuous professional development • Teacher candidates proficient in the language and in pedagogical skills

23. Certification, Teacher Education, and Professional Development Marcia Harmon Rosenbusch National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center Iowa State University mrosenbu@iastate.edu Jacque Bott Van Houten World Language and International Education Consultant Kentucky Department of Education jacqueline.vanhouten@education.ky.gov