Invitation to Arkansas Educators:

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is pleased to invite Arkansas educators to apply to an ESOL Institute of their choosing! Participants will have the opportunity to complete the ESOL Institute and earn 12 graduate credits; qualified licensed educators can apply for an ESL Endorsement with a passing score on the ESL Praxis exam. 

For the 2022-23 year, each participant will receive a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition/fees and one administration of the ESL Praxis. Participants must sign an ESOL Institute Educator Commitment Form with their chosen university. Participants will be required to complete the institute and apply for and receive an ESL Endorsement or reimburse the university the cost of the scholarship issued on their behalf. (Past ESOL Institutes have over a 98% ESL Praxis pass rate; the ESL Praxis can be taken more than once!)

ESOL Institute Sites

The five institutions below are offering ESOL Institutes for the 2022-23 cycle:

• Arkansas Tech University
• Henderson State University in collaboration with Dawson Education Cooperative
• John Brown University
• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
• University of Central Arkansas

Please refer to the complete 2022-23 Arkansas ESOL Institutes Registration Info Flyer for full details including expectations, dates, locations, registration information/links, and site contact information. The application deadline for priority consideration is Friday, April 15, 2022. Applications received after that date will be processed in the order they are received.

The ESOL Institute is a high-quality educator training program for Arkansas licensed educators leading to their eligibility to apply for an Arkansas ESL Endorsement. School districts have an obligation to provide the personnel and resources necessary to effectively implement their self-selected ESOL program delivery model. This includes ensuring an adequate number of highly qualified teachers to provide English Language Development (ELD) and access to core instruction, as well as trained administrators who can evaluate teachers. 

The ESOL Institute is a hybrid program, which includes:  

• 80 hours of face-to-face or synchronous training,
• Four on-line courses requiring at least an additional 25+ hours of work per course, and
• 12 graduate credit hours earned upon completion.

Approximately half of the 80 hours of face-to-face/synchronous learning takes place in the summer, with the additional hours completed throughout the school year alongside online course modules as participants apply new concepts in their classrooms. A value added beyond simply taking the 12 graduate hours through a traditional program is the opportunity to also hear from national and regional experts on effectively teaching English Learners!  

If there are questions, please contact Tricia Kerr at Tricia.Kerr@ade.arkansas.gov.