ARE ALL TEACHERS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ESOL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS?
- For those hired July 1, 2020 and after: You must start training once you are assigned an ESOL student and complete training even if an ESOL student is not assigned to you in subsequent years.
- For those hired prior to July 1, 2020: You must start and complete training whether or not you have an ESOL student.
HOW MANY HOURS OF TRAINING ARE REQUIRED?
The number of hours required depends on your area of teaching assignment.
- All Primary Language Arts/English Teachers, Reading Teachers assigned an ESOL student, and ESE Self-Contained Teachers assigned an ESOL student must obtain the ESOL Endorsement or Certification by one of the following paths:
- ESOL Endorsement: 15 semester hours or 300 in-service hours/points (Can combine semester and in-service hours if approved by FDOE.)
- ESOL Certification: Passing Score on ESOL Subject Area Exam and 120 hours/points of approved ESOL in-service courses within a three (3) year time period.
- All Computer Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Reading Teachers not assigned an ESOL student, and ESE Teachers not assigned an ESOL student must complete 60 hours of approved ESOL in-service hours/points or 3 semester hours of approved ESOL college coursework. (Curriculum and Materials is the preferred course.)
- All other teachers not listed above must complete 18 hours/points of approved ESOL in-service.
- Note: If you are an alt cert/PDCP participant, you will need Curriculum and Materials, a 60 hour course.
WHAT COURSES ARE REQUIRED FOR THE ESOL ENDORSEMENT?
The ESOL Endorsement consists of five classes taken in the following order:
- Curriculum and Materials
- Testing and Evaluation
- Cross Cultural Communication
- Methods of Teaching
- Applied Linguistics
WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME FOR COMPLETING THE ESOL COURSES?
- For those hired July 1, 2020 and after: You must complete the first course by July 15 after being assigned an ESOL student. If the endorsement is required, you must complete a 60 hour course by July 15 each subsequent year until the endorsement/certification is completed and added to your teaching certificate. (You may take two or more courses in one academic year, but you are still required to take one course each subsequent year even if you work ahead of the timeline.)
- For those hired prior to July 1, 2020: You must complete your first course by September 1st of the following academic year after initial date of hire. If the endorsement is required, you must complete a 60 hour course by Sept. 1 each subsequent year until the endorsement/certification is completed and added to your teaching certificate. (You may take two or more courses in one academic year, but you are still required to take one course each subsequent year even if you work ahead of the timeline.)
HOW MUCH DO THESE COURSES COST?
The district pays for all of the required ESOL courses if taken through Beacon Educator. However, failure to complete courses that you have started, could result in having to self-pay for future courses. (See section “What If I Can’t Complete the Course in Beacon on Time”.)
HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE ESOL COURSES?
- Go to beaconeducator.com
- After logging in, select the following:
- Offerings
- Santa Rosa – ESOL Enrollment for Teachers
- Choose a course and date
- Request Registration
- Beacon’s system automatically sends us an email when you register, so you do not have to let us know you have registered for a class.
- If you register in advance, your status will remain pending until closer to the start date, but you are guaranteed a spot in the course.
- Once registration moves from pending to approved, you will receive an email confirmation from Beacon. You will have access to the assignments on the official start day of the course and your course facilitator will email you with specific directions.
CAN I TAKE THE ESOL SUBJECT AREA EXAM INSTEAD OF TAKING COURSES?
Taking the ESOL subject area exam leads to the ESOL certification instead of an endorsement. If you take the ESOL subject area exam, you must still take two of the 60 hour ESOL courses within 3 years of taking the ESOL subject area exam. The district does not pay for the exam.
If you have questions about certification vs. endorsement, please contact Terri Powell if you are a middle or high school teacher or Kim Berry if you are an elementary teacher.
[email protected] [email protected]
WILL ANY OF MY COLLEGE COURSES COUNT TOWARD THE REQUIRED ESOL TRAINING?
If you are not required to get the endorsement, but do need the 60 hours or 18 hours of ESOL training, the district can review your transcripts for equivalent coursework.
If you are required to obtain the endorsement, college coursework may be applicable toward the endorsement; however, the district is not authorized to review transcripts to determine if your ESOL college coursework is equivalent to any of the endorsement’s required courses. You will need to apply to FDOE for an official review of your transcript, for which there is a fee. (When you pay this fee now, you will not have to pay later when you have the endorsement added to your certificate.) A Statement of Status of Eligibility is generated that officially lists any college courses that will count toward the endorsement.
When you receive the Statement of Status of Eligibility, please submit a copy to Donna Walker at [email protected] The district will use that information to determine which of the remaining ESOL courses you will need to take. Once you complete the endorsement program, the district will submit verification and FDOE will process your endorsement application.
The link below gives additional information regarding adding an endorsement to a Florida Certificate:
http://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/additions/adding-an-endorsement.stml
WILL ANY OF MY ESOL COURSES FROM A PREVIOUS FLORIDA DISTRICT COUNT TOWARD THE REQUIRED TRAINING?
If you have taken any ESOL courses through professional development in another Florida district, please contact that district and ask them to send a copy of your ESOL Professional Development Records on the official FLDOE In-service Teacher Education Transfer Record. Copies should be sent to our Office of Professional Development at [email protected]. Your records will be reviewed for equivalent courses.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE AN ESOL COURSE IN BEACON?
Each 60 hour course is self-paced although there is a window of time in which you must complete the course. Most courses allow you about 10 weeks to finish, although you can finish sooner.
WHAT IF I CAN’T COMPLETE THE COURSE IN BEACON ON TIME?
You may withdraw yourself at any time prior to submitting an assignment. If you have submitted assignments, but cannot finish before the course end date, please contact Donna Walker at [email protected] before your course end date to have your course transferred to another session. (Failure to do so could result in having to self-pay future Beacon courses.)
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO AFTER I COMPLETE A BEACON ESOL COURSE?
Beacon’s system will notify the district that you have completed a course. Your credits will appear on your MyPD transcript usually within two weeks after the end date of the session. (If ESOL endorsement is required, after completing your last course, you will need to have the endorsement added to your teaching certificate.)
HOW TO I ADD THE ENDORSEMENT TO MY TEACHING CERTIFICATE?
The district’s certification office will guide you in adding the endorsement to your teaching certificate. After all training is complete, elementary teachers should contact Kim Berry. Middle and high school teachers should contact Terri Powell. B[email protected] [email protected]
WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
If you have additional questions, refer to the ESOL Pre-service Training Agreement you electronically signed when you were first hired or contact Katherine Jackson at [email protected]