BESD ESL Endorsement Program

English as a Second Language (ESL)

Slider is playing

Why should I earn an ESL Endorsement?

Earning your ESL endorsement empowers you with specialized strategies and insights to support English Language Learners (ELLs) effectively. This training enriches your teaching toolkit with language development techniques, cultural understanding, and tailored instructional methods. It equips you to foster inclusive classrooms where all students, regardless of their linguistic background, can achieve academic success and grow their English skills. By obtaining this endorsement, you'll enhance your ability to meet the diverse needs of multilingual students, ensuring they flourish in a globally connected educational environment.

Completing the program, you will also earn 18 USBE Credits. (6 courses, 3 credits each)

What does the ESL Endorsement Program entail?

6 USBE Canvas Courses

There are 6 USBE Canvas courses that are based on the 5 TESOL standards:

ESL 0: Supporting Students Learning English, 5 TESOL Standards

ESL 1: Language Acquisition and Teaching Academic Language

ESL 2: Cultural Diversity

ESL 3: Methods and Materials for the Bilingual/ESL Classroom

ESL 4: Assessing Linguistically Diverse Students

ESL 5: Family and PArent Involvement in Education, Professionalism

Each course is 3 MIDAS Credits. The courses are self-paced, with due dates on the 15th and last day of every month to help ESL endorsement candidates pace themselves. Most courses are 2 months long (see program schedule for specifics). Each course will begin with a self evaluation and the creation of a personal learning plan for the course (Module 1). It will culminate with a Capstone (Module 12) that shows mastery of the course content. Each module will have reading/viewing materials, an assignment, and participation in a discussion board, responding to at least two other candidates. The capstone for each course forms a portfolio that showcases candidates' mastery of the TESOL standards.

The courses are competency-based, where candidates meet expectations, or revise and resubmit work to show competency.

Cohort Meetings

Each month, candidates will meet as a cohort to discuss what they are learning, how they are implementing that knowledge, what challenges they are facing, and to share ideas with one another. The schedule and location for these meetings will be determined by the cohort and their course instructor.

Coaching

Each ESL endorsement candidate will meet with their instructional coach and complete an initial observation, two coaching cycles based on the candidates TESOL goals focusing on classroom instruction, and a final observation and reflection. The coaching cycles do not impact course grades and coaches do not report back to the course instructor. Their purpose is to support the candidate's goals in implementing what they are learning. They are required to earn the ESL endorsement.

FAQs

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Link to Schedule

Program Schedule for BESD ESL Endorsement

Contact

ELL Director

Jeremy Young

jeremy.young@besd.net

Administrative Secretary

Cindy Romney

cindy.romney@besd.net

ELL Coach

Jennie Cross

jennie.cross@besd.net