Teacher Training: Training To Meet The Needs of Diversity

The number of English Learners in the United States has grown exponentially in the past 15 years. There are now over 1.4 million children in California who are not fluent in English, as opposed to approximately 550,000 in 1985 (de Cos, 1999). This growth has led various state and national organizations to examine how to prepare teachers to meet the needs of these students.

For example, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has joined with Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) to develop standards for institutions who prepare ESL teachers. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards which certifies experienced teachers, has already developed such standards for teachers of English As A New Language. Other agencies, such as INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium), while not focusing on ESL in particular, are looking at what kinds of support new teachers in general need to be able to do to meet current student needs. Outside of the U.S., the United Kingdom has a task force now examining ESL/EFL teacher preparation internationally, as a precursor to the development of U.K. standards for teachers.

In California, this examination of teacher needs has been operationalized under Assembly Bill 2042. This bill created a panel of experts to recommend to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing how to both prepare and support new teachers. It is expected that this panel will recommend that the current structure (see below) or something similar to it become the "basic" credential in California and a variation of the INTASC model be used for support of new teachers.
In this article, I will discuss the development of the existing credentialing system in California to meet the needs of diverse students in today’s classrooms, and how one institution has implemented the system over the past eight years.

The Case in California
In 1992, CTC authorized a new structure for preparing beginning teachers in order to meet the needs of English Learners. The new credentials that evolved from this authorization are known as Bilingual/ Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development (B/CLAD). Those proficient in one of the ten most common languages, as demonstrated through a teacher preparation program or through state examination, may receive the BCLAD, while those who are not bilingual receive the CLAD (which also requires the equivalent of six units of study of a language other than English).

In 1995, CTC authorized the CLAD and BCLAD certificates, which can be obtained by already credentialed ("in-service") teachers by state examination. Also, the CLAD can be obtained through 12 units of approved coursework. As a result of further state legislation experienced teachers can take a shortened, 45 hour or 90 hour model, depending on the number of years of experience a teacher has in the classroom. The CLAD is a prerequisite for obtaining the BCLAD.

The requirements for the CLAD, both for the pre-service preparation program, and the in-service certificate (whether through coursework or examination), include three areas of competency:

(1) Language structure and first and second language acquisition and development;
(2) Methodology of Bilingual, English Language Development (ELD) and content instruction (Specially Designed Academic Instruc-tion in English, or SDAIE);
(3) Culture and cultural diversity.
For the BCLAD certificate, candidates take an examination that covers three more competency areas:
(1) Methodology for primary-language instruction;
(2) the culture of emphasis;
(3) the language of emphasis, specifically speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Currently there are no course options to obtain the BCLAD Certificate, only the state examination.

San Diego State University, College of Education Model
SDSU offers both the CLAD and BCLAD (Spanish/English) credentials for pre-service elementary or secondary teachers, and a CLAD Certificate for those who already have their credentials. The pre-service CLAD Credential for both elementary and secondary teachers is housed in the School of Teacher Education. The pre-service program for BCLAD (which includes CLAD requirements) and the CLAD Certificate are housed in the Policy Studies in Language and Cross Cultural Education Department, both in the College of Education. Both programs are based on a philosophy of empowerment, multiculturalism and equity.

To enter either the CLAD or BCLAD credential programs, the candidate must meet all entrance requirements both to the university and to the specific program. The specific program entrance requirements are different depending on whether the individual is applying for an elementary or secondary credential, a CLAD or BCLAD. Common requirements include a statewide test of basic skills (The California Basic English Skills Test-CBEST), and one for academic content if the student did not complete an appropriate major (e.g. MSAT or PRAXIS) in addition to other general requirements. Also, there are prerequisite courses, which vary by whether the candidate is pursuing the CLAD or BCLAD, but generally include coursework in multicultural education, language structure and acquisition and bilingual models.

Both the B/CLAD certificates and the CLAD credential programs require the same foundational competencies, as indicated above (language and language acquisition; pedagogy; and culture), however the manner of delivery changes. For those in the pre-service CLAD credential program, the foundation for these areas is generally met through pre- or co-requisites. This foundation is then embedded in practice and theory throughout the credential preparation year.
In addition to its campus programs, SDSU participates in a California State University (CSU)-wide BCLAD program through our CSU International Programs Office. This program includes sending California teacher candidates with moderate to full proficiency in Spanish to spend the academic year in Queretaro, Mexico, and a ten week summer session at SDSU. It is governed by the International Teacher Education Council (ITEC) under the auspices of the CSU International Programs Office, and is comprised of a consortium of six CSU campuses (Fresno, Hayward, Long Beach, Sacramento, San Bernardino and San Diego). Five cohorts (approximately 55 candidates) have graduated from the original program site in Mexico City and are now teaching throughout California (except for a few who chose to remain in Mexico!). A website for the CSU International Programs office provides additional information about this program.

CLAD Certificate at San Diego State University
For those who have already completed their basic credentials, they may add the CLAD Certificate by either taking the statewide examination, or by taking 12 units of coursework in an approved university program. The courses are similar or the same as offered in the CLAD teacher preparation program, but usually are taken at the graduate level. Teachers add this knowledge, in a sense "overlay" the knowledge with what they already know about teaching. Those that choose the test route must themselves internalize the knowledge base and make the applications. Some districts and county offices of education provide review courses to prepare for the examination, and some of this review may be practical in nature.

Some candidates have gotten a "regular", i.e. non-CLAD credential and then immediately take the CLAD Certificate courses before they actually start teaching, while others come to the certificate with extensive experience in the classroom and would like to tie the coursework to an M.A. degree. Others have been credentialed in other states and are new to California. The new teachers are building a foundation for teaching and for teaching English Learners, while the experienced teachers are adding to what they already know and have experienced in the classroom. For this reason, at SDSU we developed multiple models to meet the basic competencies, through both undergraduate and graduate coursework. While the core knowledge base is the same, the focus and level of work expected for classroom teachers (graduate students) is different.

While CTC has authorized a 12-unit certificate, the SDSU model adds a 3-unit prerequisite, creating in essence a 15-unit sequence. Courses are required in five categories: language structure, language acquisition, culture and cultural diversity, language policy & program models, and methods of ELD/SDAIE. We felt that each of these competency areas required individual attention. One can see our model as forming building blocks (see table).

All courses, except those at the 600 level, are offered every semester, as well as winter and summer sessions which provides easy access for teachers. The 600 level classes are typically offered only once a year. The courses can be taken either as regularly enrolled students or through extension. For the past five years, the Certificate has been offered in East San Diego County, sponsored primarily by the Grossmont High School (9-12) and the La Mesa/Spring Valley School Districts (K-8). In this model the districts pay for the instructors and the teachers pay a minimal extension fee. As a Special Sessions model, credits may still apply to an M.A. and several teachers have pursued this option.

Conclusion
Teacher preparation in California, as throughout the United States, is going through changes as the demographics of our schools’ children changes. The CLAD/BCLAD model offers one route to meeting the needs of our changing classrooms.