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 2024-25 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 four institutions below are
offering ESOL Institutes for the 2024-25 cycle:
- Arkansas Tech University
- Henderson State University
- University of Central Arkansas
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
What is the ESOL Institute?
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 meaningful 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!
How to Apply for the ESOL Institute
Please refer to the complete 2024-25 Arkansas ESOL Institutes Registration Information (http://bit.ly/2425ESOLInstitute)
for full details including expectations, dates, locations, application
information/links, and site contact information. The
application deadline for priority consideration is Wednesday May 15, 2024. Applications received after that date will be
processed in the order they are received.
If there are
questions, please contact:
Maria Touchstone at Maria.Touchstone@ade.arkansas.gov or Rose Blair Rose.Blair@ade.arkansas.gov.