Meeting of the Board of Regents | October 2008
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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
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TO: |
Higher Education Committee |
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FROM: |
Johanna Duncan-Poitier |
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SUBJECT: |
Proposal to Address Statewide Shortages of Teachers of Languages Other Than English (LOTE) |
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DATE: |
October 8, 2008 |
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STRATEGIC GOAL: |
Goal 3 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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SUMMARY
Issue for Discussion
How can the Board of Regents address the severe shortage of teachers of Languages Other Than English (LOTE) without compromising teacher quality?
Reason(s) for Consideration
Review of Policy
Proposed Handling
This item will come before the Higher Education Committee for discussion at its October 2008 meeting.
Procedural History
As part of the strategy to help all students meet New York State Learning Standards, raise student achievement and close achievement gaps, the Board of Regents adopted a comprehensive set of teaching policies in 1998 that profoundly changed teacher preparation, certification, mentoring, professional development and performance evaluation for teachers. The Regents have regularly evaluated the implementation of the teaching policies and, in response to data and experience, have modified them when necessary.
The Department has reported to the Regents regularly on New York State’s progress towards meeting State and federal teacher quality goals, and on teacher supply and demand. In May 2008, the Board of Regents received teacher supply and demand data that showed that in 2006-07, nearly every large city and Need/Resource Capacity category of school districts had more than five percent of classes in languages other than English taught by teachers who were not highly qualified.
Background Information
The teacher supply and demand data has shown that, in school years 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, there were severe shortages of teachers of languages other than English (LOTE) in every region of the State causing districts to have difficulty in identifying certified teachers to meet the instructional needs of their schools and students.
School districts have expressed frustration in identifying certified LOTE teachers for existing course offerings and the inability to offer foreign language opportunities to their students in additional languages for which there are few to no certified teachers available. They have indicated that they are able to identify persons who are certified to teach other subjects and are fluent native speakers of these languages, and have asked the Department for some flexibility in providing certification options that would allow them to offer new language opportunities to their students.
Consistent with the P-16 policy direction of the Board of Regents, an internal work group that included staff from the Office of Higher Education and the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education, worked with constituents in the field to develop possible solutions. The following groups provided input during the development of the proposed recommendation for flexibility in certification requirements and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) have expressed support for this proposal:
- New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
- Executive Board of the New York State Association of Foreign
Language Teachers (NYSAFLT)
- LOTE District Supervisors
- Deans and Directors of Teacher Education
- Executive Boards of the New York State Association of Teacher Educators (NYSATE)/New York Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (NYACTE)
- District Superintendents
The Work Group developed the attached Issue Paper on addressing the statewide shortages of teachers of languages other than English (Attachment B). The main points of that paper are summarized in the first attachment to this item, “Information in Support of Recommendation” (Attachment A).
The recommendation to the Board of Regents is that candidates who have an acceptable level of language proficiency and cross-cultural competency be permitted to take two rigorous, internationally recognized examinations and, upon achieving a score of Intermediate High/Advanced Low on each, be permitted to use this in lieu of up to 30 semester hours of the content hours required for certification, while keeping all other certification requirements the same. This would include the satisfactory completion of the New York State Teacher Certification Examination’s Content Specialty Test (CST) in the target language.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board of Regents discuss the information provided by the Work Group and endorse the recommendation for flexibility by providing alternative ways to allow prospective teachers of languages other than English to meet certification requirements without compromising teacher quality.
Timetable for Implementation
If the Regents endorse the recommendation it will be implemented in Fall 2008/Winter 2009.
Attachments
Attachment A
Information in Support of Recommendation
Importance of teachers of languages other than English (LOTE)
The global economy will increasingly require New York citizens to have knowledge of languages and cross-cultural competencies in an increasing number of languages and associated cultures. To prepare New York State students for this reality, the New York State Learning Standards, State assessments in languages other than English, and college programs that prepare these teachers emphasize achievement of language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies. In addition, school districts across New York State are responding to public demand for providing opportunities for students to study languages and culture beyond those traditionally offered in public schools. This requires the districts to seek appropriately certified teachers to enhance and expand instruction in these additional languages. Districts attempt to meet such demands for language instruction in many ways, including:
- expanding language choices (adding low incidence languages to the list of district offerings);
- extending LOTE to the lower grades through Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) and through Bilingual, and Dual Language or 2-Way Immersion Programs; and
- offering upper level college/AP sequences.
Shortages of LOTE teachers
In school years 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, supply and demand data reported to the Board of Regents showed that there were shortages of teachers of languages other than English in every region of the State. Students were less likely to have highly qualified teachers in their foreign language classrooms than in any other core academic subject classroom. In 2006-07, nearly every large city and Need/Resource Capacity category of districts had more than five percent of classes in languages other than English taught by teachers who were not highly qualified.
Barriers to increasing the supply of LOTE teachers
Candidates for LOTE certification must complete 30 semester hours of collegiate study in the target language, regardless of their native language proficiency and cross-cultural competency. This has proven to be a barrier to recruiting teachers from the pool of individuals residing in New York State who have native language proficiency and cross-cultural competency that is at or beyond the level acceptable for graduates of LOTE teacher preparation programs but have not completed formal collegiate study in their native language and culture.
Proposal for certification flexibility
To increase the supply of certified teachers of languages other than English, without compromising quality, we propose to permit candidates who demonstrate an acceptable level of language proficiency and cross-cultural competency to use a score of Intermediate High/Advanced Low on each of the two rigorous, internationally recognized examinations, in lieu of 24-30 semester hours of the 30 content hours required for certification, while keeping all other certification requirements the same, including satisfactory completion of the LOTE Content Specialty Test (CST). A comparison of current certification requirements and proposed modification appears in Table 1.
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Table 1 Comparison of Current Certification Requirements and Proposed Modification for Target Language and Cultural Proficiencies |
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Candidate’s Certification Status |
Current LOTE Certification Requirements |
Proposed Modification |
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Same as above plus:
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Same as above plus:
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*OPI is the Oral Proficiency Interview and WPT is the Written Proficiency Test. |
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Proposed exams and proficiency levels. The two exams for this proposal are:
- the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), a half hour person-to-person or phone interview between the candidate and a certified OPI evaluator; and
- the Written Proficiency Test (WPT), during which the candidates respond in writing to prompts.
These exams are developed and administered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and are offered in at least 37 languages. They have been equated to college-level coursework and are recognized for this purpose by the American Council for Education (ACE), the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the federal government. Seventeen other states use these exams to enable individuals with high language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies to become certified teachers.
The ACTFL exams rate a candidate’s language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies using a 10-point scale. The scale is divided into four major levels: Superior, Advanced, Intermediate and Novice. The four levels are then further divided into three sub-levels of High, Middle and Low. The resulting levels include:
- Superior
- Advanced
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- Advanced High
- Advanced Middle
- Advanced Low
- Intermediate
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- Intermediate High
- Intermediate Middle
- Intermediate Low
- Novice
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- Novice High
- Novice Middle
- Novice Low
It is proposed that a rating of Intermediate High or Advanced Low on each exam could be accepted in lieu of 12 to 15 semester hours of college coursework in the specific language. This level is recommended based on the amount of college classroom contact hours seen as necessary for a student to achieve the equivalent level of language proficiency, the needs of a LOTE classroom in Grades K-12, and accreditation standards. According to the Foreign Service Institute, at least 300 hours of college-level instruction are required for a learner with an average language learning aptitude to achieve an Intermediate High/Advanced Low rating and this would equate to 24 semester hours of collegiate study. A rating of Intermediate High verifies that a person’s language ability would allow an individual to interact with the target population in daily conversations and read and interpret authentic materials. In addition, these levels reflect the standards for teacher education students set by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), whose standards are adopted by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), as shown in Table 2. In contrast, the Superior level is marked by highly academic language and is typically achieved by only 10 percent of native speakers. Superior is not a level generally attained by candidates in college or university LOTE preparation programs.
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Table 2 Standards for LOTE Candidates at Institutions Accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
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Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) |
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French |
Advanced Low |
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German |
Advanced Low |
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Hebrew |
Advanced Low |
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Italian |
Advanced Low |
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Portuguese |
Advanced Low |
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Russian |
Advanced Low |
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Spanish |
Advanced Low |
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Arabic |
Intermediate High |
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Chinese |
Intermediate High |
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Japanese |
Intermediate High |
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Korean |
Intermediate High |
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Written Proficiency Test (WPT) |
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Languages using the Roman alphabet |
Advanced Low |
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Languages using a non-Roman alphabet |
Intermediate High |
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Source: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (August 2002). Standard 1, pages 4-11. http://www.ncate.org/institutions/programstandards.asp?ch=52
Policy context of proposed modification for flexibility
ACTFL exams are fully aligned with the New York State Learning Standards in LOTE and are, therefore, appropriate for LOTE certification candidates. Accepting ACTFL exams in lieu of collegiate study for certification purposes does not require regulatory action because it is a continuation of existing policy. For example, in the Individual Evaluation (also called transcript evaluation) pathway to certification, the Department permits candidates for teacher certification to use satisfactory completion of the College Level Proficiency Examinations (CLEP) and New York University proficiency examinations to be used in lieu of semester hour credit requirements for certification. Higher education institutions accept proficiency examinations such as Advanced Placement (AP) exams and the CLEP exam in lieu of semester hours, in accordance with their academic policies. Accordingly, at their discretion, teacher preparation institutions could grant up to 12 - 15 credits for each ACTFL exam based on their academic policies, the standards of their teacher education accrediting agency, and guidance provided by the American Council on Education (ACE). The focus should be on valid and rigorous assessment demonstrating knowledge, skills and competencies, rather than seat time.
This proposal is applicable to both traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs leading to LOTE certification. Alternative programs could accept the OPI and WPT in lieu of up to 30 credits toward meeting a candidate’s content coursework requirement for Transitional B certification so that only a small number of additional credits might be required. This would enable individuals with high levels of language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies to obtain Transitional B certificates and enter the classroom after an intensive summer program and with extensive mentoring and support during their first year of teaching, as required in Commissioner’s Regulations.
Similarly, the proposal supports the Individual Evaluation pathway to certification for teachers who are already certified. Finally, certified teachers, at the request of their districts, could use the OPI and WPT for up to 30 credits to qualify for a Supplementary certificate in a LOTE while they complete the rest of their educational requirements.
Consultation with the field
The following groups provided input during the development of the proposed recommendation for flexibility in certification requirements and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) have expressed support for this proposal:
- New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
- Executive Board of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT)
- LOTE District Supervisors
- Deans and Directors of Teacher Education
- Executive Boards of the New York State Association of Teacher Educators (NYSATE)/New York Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (NYACTE)
- District Superintendents
Attachment B
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Issue Paper: Addressing Statewide Shortages of Teachers of Languages Other Than English (LOTE)
The New York State Education Department P-16 Education October 2008 |
This Issue Paper describes:
- the importance of teaching Languages Other than English (LOTE) in New York State;
- efforts made by the Department and school districts to enhance and expand LOTE instruction;
- shortages of LOTE teachers in every region of New York State;
- LOTE certificate requirements that are a barrier to increasing the number of LOTE teachers; and
- a proposal to increase the supply of LOTE teachers that could be adopted without regulatory action and without compromising quality.
In the global economy, there is growing demand for individuals with high levels of language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies, and the Regents Learning Standards in LOTE reflect that reality.
One in five U.S. jobs is currently tied to international trade and the number is expected to grow (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004). As countries such as China, India and Russia expand their reach in the global market, demand for speakers of their languages will also grow. For example, in 2004, China, India and Japan represented 18 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 30 years, these three countries are expected to account for 50 percent of the world’s GDP (Wilson, 2005). To compete in the rapidly changing and increasingly diversified global economy, U.S.-based multinational corporations and small businesses need employees with high levels of multiple language proficiency and knowledge of multiple cultures.
New York State’s economy reflects the global economy. In the global economy, New York State’s students must be prepared to:
- sell to the world;
- buy from the world;
- work for international companies;
- manage employees from other cultures and countries; and
- compete with international personnel for jobs and markets.
In recognition of these expectations, New York State Learning Standards require students to:
- be able to use a language other than English for communication; and
- be able to develop cross-cultural skills and understandings.
In this Issue Paper, the term, “cross-cultural competence” refers to “cross-cultural skills and understandings,” which is in Regents LOTE Learning Standard 2, available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/lote/lotestands/loteml2.html. According to this standard, effective communication involves “meanings that go beyond words and require an understanding of perceptions, gestures, folklore, and family and community dynamics. All of these elements can affect whether and how well a message is received.” Additional information may be found at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/lote/lotestands/loteml2.html. This standard expects students to recognize the connections between the culture that is lived and the language that is spoken and to develop awareness of other people’s world views, of their unique way of life, and of the patterns of behavior which order their world. It also expects students to learn about contributions of other cultures to the world at large and the solutions they offer to the common problems of humankind. The term “culture” is generally understood to include the philosophical perspectives (e.g., meanings, attitudes, values, ideas, etc.), the behavioral practices (patterns of social interaction), and the products - both tangible and intangible (e.g., books, tools, foods, laws, music, games, etc.) - of a society.
Under LOTE Learning Standard 2, students are expected to meet the following standards at three stages of their study:
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Checkpoint “A” |
Checkpoint “B” |
Checkpoint “C” |
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School districts are responding to increased demand for instruction in LOTE.
New York State school districts recognize that their students need extended, focused and articulated LOTE course sequences and increased language selections in order to respond to the global marketplace and attain required levels of language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies. The New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) recently surveyed its members to learn about the current status of LOTE programs. NYSAFLT received 268 validated responses, with 209 districts represented, which is 28 percent of all school districts. The survey found that during the two years prior to 2004-2005:
- 20 percent of districts increased the number of years of available LOTE study;
- 27 percent of districts increased the number of their LOTE staff; and
- 10 percent of districts increased the number of languages they offered.
NYSAFLT also found that other changes had occurred:
- LOTE courses were being extended to both lower and upper grades.
- Districts were adding FLES programs.
- Districts were creating more alternatives for advanced students in French and Spanish.
- High schools were adding Level 1 LOTE study to create the potential for learners to study more than one foreign language sequence beyond the middle school level.
Other evidence indicates that districts are expanding language instruction in many ways, including:
- expanded language choices;
- extending LOTE to the lower grades through FLES, Bilingual, and Dual Language or 2-Way Immersion Programs;
- International Baccalaureate programs that require highly focused language instruction; and
- upper level college/AP sequences.
School districts face severe shortages of certified LOTE teachers.
As New York State’s districts seek to enhance and expand LOTE instruction, they face severe shortages of LOTE teachers in all geographic regions of New York State (NYSED, 2007 and 2008). In every region except New York City, in school years 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, LOTE classes were more likely to be taught by teachers who were not highly qualified or who did not have appropriate certification than classes in any other core subject (NYSED, 2007 and 2008). In addition, in school years 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, LOTE was one of the few subject areas that did not have as many certificates issued to new teachers as vacancies for new teachers (NYSED, 2007 and 2008).
Severe shortages in LOTE are not new. Nearly all districts (96 percent) surveyed in 2004-2005 reported that LOTE teachers were “somewhat difficult or very difficult” to recruit, the highest percentage of any subject area (Balter and Duncombe, 2004). In 2005, the Rochester City School District had funding to implement a Chinese language program, but it had to wait for a year to find a teacher certified to teach Chinese. Shortages of LOTE teachers have a negative impact on existing programs and prevent new programs from being started.
To help districts meet demand for LOTE teachers in the Chinese language, the Department’s Office of Teaching Initiatives has been working with New York University (NYU) and the China Institute, through East China Normal University, to assist them with the process for acquiring certification for teacher candidates from China. But this has not supplied sufficient teachers to meet demand.
If State requirements for LOTE certification were more flexible, they would enable the large pool of individuals in New York State with high levels of language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies to become teachers.
Compared to other subject areas, LOTE is unique because of the many ways that prospective teachers can acquire the language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies required to teach to the New York State Learning Standards in LOTE. In addition to formal education at the collegiate level, individuals can attain language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies through immigration, their home language environment and extended international volunteering or work. Although it is impossible to quantify precisely the number of individuals with the language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies who are potential teachers of LOTE, the data in Figure 2 suggest that a significant number do reside in the state.
Figure 2
US
Census Bureau, 2007
However, current LOTE certification requirements may discourage individuals with native language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies from becoming certified LOTE teachers in New York State.
Current LOTE certification requirements for Grades 5-9 and/or 7-12
To qualify for LOTE certification for Grades 5-9 or 7-12, among other requirements, a candidate must complete 30 semester hours of collegiate study in the target language (or in a language department at a university) and pass a New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) Content Specialty Test (CST) in the target language. For individuals who have language proficiencies and cross-cultural knowledge, the 30 semester hour requirement is a barrier to LOTE certification. Many potential teachers are not willing to spend their time and resources for college courses in a language and culture they already know. In addition, in less commonly taught languages, such as Chinese or Arabic, it is very difficult, even impossible in regions outside New York City, to find a college or university that offers 30 semester hours in the language.
Current LOTE certification requirements for Grades 1-6
To qualify for LOTE certification for Grades 1-6, an individual must have LOTE certification for Grades 5-9 or Grades 7-12 and a LOTE 1-6 Extension Certificate. This means that teachers who are certified to teach common branch subjects in Grades 1-6 and who have language proficiency and cross-cultural competency must also become certified LOTE teachers for Grades 5-9 (by completing 30 semester hours in the target language) and completing 3 semester hours in LOTE methods for Grades 1-6. The barriers to becoming certified in LOTE for Grades 5-9 or 7-12 also apply to becoming certified in LOTE for Grades 1-6.
Two rigorous, internationally recognized exams that assess language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies could be used to replace some or all collegiate study required for certification without compromising quality.
A comparison of current LOTE certification requirements and proposed flexibility using two rigorous, internationally recognized examinations is found in Table 1.
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) develops and administers two rigorous, internationally recognized exams in at least 37 languages. The exams are:
- the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), which is a half hour person-to-person or telephone interview between the candidate and a certified OPI tester; and
- the Written Proficiency Test (WPT), on which the candidates respond in writing to prompts.
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Table 1 Comparison of Current Certification Requirements and Proposed Flexibility for Target Language and Cultural Proficiencies
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Candidate’s Certification Status |
Current LOTE Certification Requirements |
Proposed Flexibility |
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Same as above plus:
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Same as above plus:
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OPI is the Oral Proficiency Interview and WPT is the Written Proficiency Test. |
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These exams have been equated to college-level coursework and are recognized for this purpose by the American Council for Education (ACE), the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the federal government. Nineteen other states use these exams to enable individuals with high language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies to become certified teachers.
The ACTFL exams rate a candidate’s language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies using a 10-point scale. The scale is divided into four major levels: Superior, Advanced, Intermediate and Novice. The major levels are then further divided into three sub-levels of High, Middle and Low. The resulting levels include:
Superior
- Advanced
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- Advanced High
- Advanced Middle
- Advanced Low
- Intermediate
-
- Intermediate High
- Intermediate Middle
- Intermediate Low
- Novice
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- Novice High
- Novice Middle
- Novice Low
It is proposed that a rating of Intermediate High or Advanced Low on each exam should be accepted in lieu of 12 -15 semester hours of college coursework in the content area. This level is recommended based on the amount of college classroom contact hours necessary to achieve the different levels of language proficiency, the needs of a LOTE classroom in Grades K-12, and accreditation standards. According to the Foreign Service Institute, approximately 300 hours of college-level instruction are required for a learner with an average language learning aptitude to achieve an Intermediate High/Advanced Low and would equate to 24 semester hours in New York State, as shown in Appendix C. Intermediate High ability allows an individual to interact with the target population in daily conversations as well as read and interpret authentic materials. In addition, these levels reflect the standards for teacher education students set by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), whose standards are adopted by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), as shown in Table 2. In contrast, the Superior level is marked by highly academic language and is typically achieved by only 10 percent of a native speaking population. Superior is not a level generally attained by college or university prepared LOTE candidates.
The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends recognition of satisfactory achievement on the OPI as equivalent to up to 12 credits, depending on the language and the candidate’s rating on the assessment. The ACE’s recommendation on the collegiate credit equivalence of satisfactory completion of the WPT is expected to be finalized on May 1, 2008. Appendix B contains the detailed recommendations of the ACE.
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Table 2 Standards for LOTE Candidates at Institutions Accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) |
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Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) |
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French |
Advanced Low |
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German |
Advanced Low |
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Hebrew |
Advanced Low |
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Italian |
Advanced Low |
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Portuguese |
Advanced Low |
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Russian |
Advanced Low |
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Spanish |
Advanced Low |
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Arabic |
Intermediate High |
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Chinese |
Intermediate High |
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Japanese |
Intermediate High |
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Korean |
Intermediate High |
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Written Proficiency Test (WPT) |
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Languages using the Roman alphabet |
Advanced-Low |
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Languages using a non-Roman alphabet |
Intermediate-High |
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Levels assume that the teacher candidate’s native language is English. |
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Source: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (August 2002). Standard1, pages 4-11. http://www.ncate.org/institutions/programstandards.asp?ch=52
The OPI and WPT are widely used, as shown in Appendix A. Seventeen other states, including neighboring states such as Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont, currently accept the OPI and WPT for some part of the certification process. Twelve of the states use the exams in lieu of semester hours in foreign language content for teachers seeking additional certifications.
As noted above, NCATE requires teacher education students in LOTE to demonstrate language proficiency and cross-cultural competency using the OPI and WPT. In addition, the following federal agencies use the exams: the State Department, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the CIA and FBI, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Customs and Immigration and Border Patrol and the U.S. Postal Service.
The OPI and WPT are aligned with New York State Learning Standards. The New York State Second Language Proficiency and Comprehensive Regents exams are proficiency–based assessments. The OPI and the WPT apply a similar assessment structure to teacher candidate proficiency. Their international recognition and alignment with New York State standards and assessments make the OPI and WPT uniquely suited to serve as tools for recognizing high levels of language proficiency and cultural competency for New York State LOTE certification.
The OPI and WPT could fill the void where NYSTCE LOTE Content Specialty Tests, which are required for certification in LOTE, are not available. CST exams are only produced in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian and Spanish. If a candidate is seeking certification in a LOTE that does not have a CST, then we do not require the CST for certification and there are no plans to create CSTs in additional languages.
No regulatory action is needed to implement LOTE certification flexibility and the flexibility supports current Learning Standards and policies.
ACTFL exams are fully aligned with Regents Learning Standards in LOTE and are, therefore, appropriate for LOTE certification candidates. Accepting ACTFL exams in lieu of collegiate study for certification purposes does not require regulatory action because it is a continuation of existing policy. For example, in the Individual Evaluation (also called transcript evaluation) pathway to certification, the Department permits candidates for teacher certification to use satisfactory completion of College Level Proficiency Examinations (CLEP) in lieu of semester hour requirements. Similarly, the Department permits teacher preparation institutions to accept Advanced Placement (AP) exams and the CLEP exam in lieu of semester hours in accordance with their academic policies. At their discretion, teacher preparation institutions could grant up to 12 credits for each ACTFL exam based on their academic policies, the standards of their teacher education accrediting agency and guidance provided by the American Council on Education (ACE). The emphasis should be on valid and rigorous demonstrations of knowledge, skills and competency rather than seat time.
This proposal supports both traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs leading to LOTE certification. Alternative programs could accept the OPI and WPT in lieu of up to 24-30 credits toward meeting a candidate’s content coursework requirement for Transitional B certification so that only a small number of additional credits in the content core might be required. This would enable individuals with high levels of language proficiencies and cross-cultural competencies to obtain Transitional B certificates and enter the classroom after an intensive summer program and with extensive mentoring and support during their first year of teaching, as required in Commissioner’s Regulations.
Similarly, the proposal supports the Individual Evaluation pathway to certification for teachers who are already certified. Finally, certified teachers, at the request of their districts, could use the OPI and WPT for up to 24-30 credits to qualify for a Supplementary certificate in a LOTE while they completed the rest of their educational requirements.
Interested parties support the proposal for LOTE certification flexibility.
Consistent with the P-16 policy direction of the Board of Regents, an internal work group that included staff from the Office of Higher Education and the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education, worked with constituents in the field to develop possible solutions. The following groups provided input during the development of the proposed recommendation for flexibility in certification requirements and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) have expressed support for this proposal:
- New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
- Executive Board of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT)
- LOTE District Supervisors
- Deans and Directors of Teacher Education
- Executive Boards of the New York State Association of Teacher Educators (NYSATE)/New York Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (NYACTE)
- District Superintendents
This Issue Paper was researched and written by a team of staff from several units in the New York State Education Department’s Office of P-16 Education. Please address questions and comments to Joseph Frey, Associate Commissioner for Higher Education, at (518) 486-3633 or via E-mail to jfrey@mail.nysed.gov.
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APPENDIX A States Using Official ACTFL Testing in Foreign Languages as Part of Initial Certification or to Add Languages for Certified Teachers |
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State |
Test |
Purposes Regarding Certification |
Required |
Minimal level required |
LOTE certified teachers adding certificates and minimum proficiency level |
Non-LOTE certified teachers adding certificates and minimum proficiency level |
Uncertified candidates pursuing certification and minimum proficiency level |
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Alaska |
OPI /WPT |
Highly qualified status |
Russian, Japanese and Chinese teachers |
Advanced Mid/ Advanced Low |
No |
No |
No |
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Arkansas |
OPI /WPT |
Teacher certification |
Chinese Mandarin teacher |
Intermediate High |
To add Chinese Certification/ no additional coursework Intermediate High |
To add Chinese certification/no additional coursework Intermediate High |
To add Chinese certification/no additional content coursework Intermediate High |
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California |
OPI /WPT |
World Language (WL) teachers |
Novice High |
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Connecticut |
OPI /WPT |
Teacher certification |
WL teachers |
Intermediate High |
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Delaware |
OPI /WPT |
Teacher permit |
WL teachers |
Advanced Low |
in lieu of 30 credits/Advanced Low Level 4 languages/Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/Advanced Low Level 4 languages/Intermediate High |
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Florida |
OPI /WPT |
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Georgia |
OPI /WPT |
Teacher permit Teacher permit |
LOTE using Roman alphabet LOTE using Non-roman alphabets |
Advanced Low Intermediate High |
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If uncertified they can use OPI and WPT as part of a professional development package |
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Maine |
OPI /WPT |
Teacher certification |
WL teachers |
Advanced Low |
|
|
|
|
Maryland |
OPI /WPT |
Teacher certification |
Arabic, Chinese, Italian Japanese and Russian teachers |
Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Intermediate High |
No |
|
New Jersey |
OPI OPI
|
WL teacher
|
Teachers of Category I, II, and III |
Advanced Low Intermediate High |
No |
No |
No |
|
North Carolina |
OPI /WPT |
Lateral entry and added area certification |
WL languages |
Intermediate High |
|
|
|
|
Pennsylvania |
OPI /WPT |
Alternative to Praxis |
WL teachers |
Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/Intermediate High if candidate has a BA |
|
Virginia |
OPI /WPT |
Certification |
Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish |
Advanced Low |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Advanced Low Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Advanced Low Intermediate High |
If the candidates have a BA, they can use the scores for certification |
|
Texas |
OPI /WPT |
Certification |
Arabic, Chinese Japanese, Russian, Vietnamese |
Advanced Low Intermediate high Advanced mid |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Advanced Low
|
in lieu of 30 credits/ Advanced Low
|
in lieu of 30 credits/ Advanced Low
|
|
Utah |
OPI /WPT |
Certification |
LOTE of Roman alphabet LOTE of non-roman alphabet languages |
Advanced Middle Intermediate High |
|
|
|
|
Vermont |
OPI /WPT |
Certification |
All modern languages |
Advanced Low |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Advanced Low Level 4 languages/Intermediate High |
in lieu of 30 credits/ Advanced Low Level 4 languages/Intermediate High |
|
|
Wyoming |
OPI /WPT |
Certification |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SOURCE: ACTFL, 2008. |
|||||||
APPENDIX B
ACE Credit Recommendations for ACTFL OPI/WPT
The ACTFL OPI is recognized by ACE (American Council on Education) for the awarding of college credit. Individuals who have native language ability in languages listed in the chart below may be awarded college credit through the American Council on Education’s (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service for that competency as demonstrated by an Official ACTFL OPI rating. For more information on receiving college credit for an official ACTFL OPI rating contact testing@languagetesting.com
Summary of ACE Credit Recommendation for Official ACTFL OPI Ratings
20
|
Official OPI Rating |
Category 1 Dutch, English, French, Haitian Creole Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish Swahili and Swedish |
Category II German, Modern Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Punjabe and Urdu |
Category III Cambodian, Czech, Hmong, Hebrew, Hungarian, Lao, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak, Tagalog, Turkish, Thai Ukrainian and Vietnamese |
Category IV Arabic, Cantonese,Japanese, Korean, and mandarin |
|
Novice High/ Intermediate Low |
2 LD |
2LD |
3LD |
3LD |
|
Intermediate Mid |
4LD |
5LD |
6LD |
6LD |
|
Intermediate High/Advanced Low |
8 LD |
8LD + 2LD |
6LD + 3 LD |
6LD + 3 LD |
|
Advanced Mid |
10 LD |
8LD + 4 UD |
6LD + 6 UD |
6LD+ 6 UD |
|
Advanced High/ Superior |
10 LD + 2 UD |
8 LD + 4 UD |
6 LD + 6 UD |
6 LD + 6 UD |
Legend
*English is treated as a foreign language
**Serbian and Croatian have been combined to Serbo-Croatian
Credit recommendations are based on a semester hour
LD = Lower division
UD = Upper division baccalaureate degree category
References
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (Initial Level for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs for K-12 and Secondary Certification Programs) August 1, 2002. Approved by the Specialty Areas Studies Board of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, October 19, 2002.
Balter, Dana and Duncombe, William. Staffing Classrooms: How New York State School Districts Find Their Teachers. Syracuse University, 2004. Unpublished paper.
Empire State Development. International Investment in NYS. http://www.nylovesbix.com/NYS Home to Business/investinginny.ask
Freidman, T.L. (2005) The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New: York. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Hughes, K., & O’Toole, J. (2008) K-12 Foreign Language Programs in the Era of NCLB: Survey Results and What We Can Learn From Them. NYSAFLT
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Program Standards, Subject Professional Association (SPA), American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) http://www.ncate.org/institutions/programstandards.asp?ch=52
New York State Education Department (2007) Second Annual Report: Teacher Supply and Demand in New York State in 2005-2006.
New York State Education Department (2008) Progress Report on Highly Qualified Teachers. April 2008. http://www.highered.nysed.gov/
New York State Education Department (2008) Teacher Supply and Demand in New York State: Third Annual Report. http://www.highered.nysed.gov/
State Export Data, Trade Stats Express: http://tse.export.gov.
Stewart, V... Becoming Citizens of the World. Educational Leadership, (April 2007) Volume 64. Number 7. Peps. 8-14
U.S Census Bureau, http://quickfacts. Census/gfd/states/36000.hmtl. Last access: 26 December 2007
U.S Census Bureau. (2004) Table 2. in Exports from Manufacturing Establishments: 2001 (p.8) Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Commerce State Export Data, Trade Stats Express: http://tse.export.gov.
U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-Born Workers in 2004.
Bilingual, Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) Examination