English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Requirements
ESOL is a professional field of study which trains classroom teachers to meet the needs of English Language Learners (ELL) who are learning English as a second language.
The current subject(s) taught will determine the appropriate ESOL category requirement as indicated in the table below:
Category 1 300 Inservice Points | Category II 60 Inservice Points | Category III 18 Inservice Points | Category IV 60 Inservice Points |
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Includes: Elementary, Middle, High, and ESE Instructors |
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Includes: ESE Itinerants (OT, PT, SLP) Media Specialists Social Workers School Psychologists All Resource, Vocational, and ROTC Instructors |
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NOTE: Effective July 1, 2011, per FLDOE, courses taken through ACT, EPI, and basic ESOL Strategies course offerings (i.e., Teaching Diverse Populations, Diversity) do not meet ESOL endorsement requirements; however, credit may be applied for Categories II, III &IV compliance.
Category Requirements
Category I | Must complete a minimum of one ESOL (60 inservice points) course per school year, beginning with the school year of hire, until the requirements have been met and the endorsement or certification has been added to the educator’s certificate. See Option A & B below. |
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Category II, III, IV | Must complete the category requirements within the first school year of hire. |
Category I Options
Option A: ESOL Endorsement
The ESOL endorsement is a “rider” added to an existing approved subject area on an educator’s certificate. An endorsement does not provide appropriate certification by itself; it must be attached to a core academic subject area. Below are the five (5) course requirements for the ESOL endorsement (300 inservice points or 15 college semester credits):
Endorsement | Inservice Points |
|---|---|
ESOL Cross Cultural Communication | 60 inservice points |
ESOL Applied Linguistics | 60 inservice points |
ESOL Methods of Teaching | 60 inservice points |
ESOL Curriculum & Materials Development | 60 inservice points |
ESOL Testing & Evaluation | 60 inservice points |
Option B: ESOL K-12 Certification
Certified teachers may obtain “coverage” in basic ESOL K-12 by:
Obtaining 120 hours in approved ESOL courses -- any two (2) of the above courses AND
Obtaining a passing score on the ESOL K-12 subject area exam (SAE)
ESOL Endorsement Course Option
Literacy Solutions - No Participant Fee - Instructions for registration and course access is available on the landing page at http://highlandscounty.literacysolutions.net/. Participants will review the tutorial found in the self-registration link on the landing page. Instructions for course enrollment and requirements are very thorough and easy to understand. Registrants may save the Literacy Solutions link to their favorites/bookmark. Participants must notify Chrystal Grundy (email or phone) upon self-registration with course name and date. Courses not completed within the 12 week timeline will be subject to a reimbursement fee of $195.00 per course (amount subject to change). Participant must provide the Certification Office (Brianna McCartney) a copy of the course certificate upon course completion to receive credit
NOTE: It is the responsibility of the qualifying educator to contact the Human Resources Certification Office, upon completion of all ESOL endorsement/certification requirements, to add the applicable ESOL coverage to their certificate. It is advisable to maintain a running record of completed ESOL courses AND to contact the HR Certification Office to ensure course work is not duplicated.