ESL Academy Scholarship Information

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) 

Announcement and Application for  

2012 ESL GRADUATE ACADEMY 

For Henderson State University sites at Arkadelphia and Little Rock 

TO:  ESL COORDINATORS/ ESL TEACHERS/ PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS WHO WORK WITH LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS 

JUNE 11-23, 2012:  Arkadelphia  and  Little Rock 

Application deadline:   Monday, March 26, 2012 

Note:  Applications received after the deadline will be waitlisted and accepted as space permits. 

We would like to invite you and members of your staff who work with language minority students to apply to participate in our 2012 ESL Graduate Academy that will take place June 11-23, 2012, at Arkadelphia and Little Rock.  The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), Programs for Language Minority Students, in partnership with Henderson State University (HSU) has planned intensive graduate instruction for educators interested in learning about teaching language minority students. This is a unique opportunity to acquire the training and credit needed to complete requirements for the ESL endorsement issued by ADE. 

The thirteen-day Academy will focus on the areas of language acquisition, ESL methodology, assessment of Limited English Proficient (LEP)/English Language Learner (ELL) students, and working with students from language minority cultures, and will include the application of ESL teaching skills to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  

Upon successful completion of the ESL Graduate Academy, including successful completion of project work for college credit from Henderson State University, participants will be awarded twelve hours of graduate credit, which together with a passing score on the Praxis II assessment,  Principles of Learning and Teaching, will meet ADE’s program requirements for the ESL endorsement. 

The ESL Graduate Academy will assume responsibility for all materials, registration, and college tuition expenses.  Henderson State University (HSU) will conduct the ESL Academies and issue the credit hours at the HSU/Arkadelphia and Little Rock sites. All participants must provide an official transcript from the school where their undergraduate degree was awarded.  

While we will try to assign participants to attend the Academy closest to their homes, if space is NOT available at that site, participants will be assigned to another Academy site WHEREVER SPACE IS AVAILABLE.  Participants may choose to wait and attend next year’s Academy if this is not an acceptable option.  All transportation expenses to and from the Academies (including those of commuting “day students”) will be assumed by the participant.   

The ESL Graduate Academy will assume responsibility for food at each of the Academy sites and for lodging for those ADE-sponsored participants who are not within commuting distance.  Lodging will be available at the Arkadelphia site.  The Little Rock site will be a “drive-in” academy for commuting “day students” only; no lodging will be provided at the Little Rock sites. 

          Acceptance to the ESL Graduate Academy will be limited to the space available at both host sites.  We urge you to apply as early as possible.  Criteria for selection will include the need for ESL services in your school district, as reflected in your written application, as well as the need to balance participation by geographic region of the state, district size, number of LEP/ELL enrollment, and the applicant’s role within the school.  In order to qualify for consideration, applicants must be licensed and employed full-time in Arkansas public schools. 

Once selected, participants will be required to complete all requirements for ADE’s ESL endorsement and to apply for the ESL teaching endorsement from the State of Arkansas.  Failure to complete the requirements for the ESL endorsement will require you to refund all expenses associated with the ESL Academy that will be invested in your participation. We also ask you to note that, owing to the teaching/contact-hours requirement for graduate credit, you must attend all sessions during the Academy.  This will be an intensive, productive, demanding two weeks for us all, but we know you are up to this challenge.  Our language minority students are depending on all of us to help them succeed in school. 

Applicants who applied for last year’s ESL Academy and were placed on the “wait list” must indicate in their application statement that they were “wait-listed” last year. 

If you are applying for the 2012 ESL Graduate Academy at the Arkadelphia or Little Rock sites, please submit a completed application found at the following link: 

CLICK HERE FOR 2012 HSU ESL ACADEMY APPLICATION

BEFORE clicking SUBMIT, (1) print a copy of the application and fax it with your signature to (870) 230-2068, and (2) submit the online application.  

After submitting the online application to HSU, you will receive an automated e-mail reply the following business day confirming your successful submission. After you have faxed the printed, signed copy, you will receive a verification e-mail.  We must have your signature for the application process to be complete.  If e-mail confirmation of the faxed, signed copy is not received within a few days, please telephone (870) 230-5546 or e-mail: 

clp@hsu.edu 

We cannot be responsible for misdirected applications.  To be considered for acceptance, applicants are responsible to verify receipt of their application forms.  Notification of acceptance will be made by the end of April. 

For general information concerning the ESL Academy, you may direct questions to the following: 

Arkansas Department of Education:  Dr. Andre Guerrero, Tel. (501) 682-5014 

 Henderson State University (for information on the Arkadelphia and Little Rock ESL Academies):  Julia Correia or Denise Thibodeaux, Tel. (870) 230-5546 

Please share this application with interested colleagues. 

 

 

Note our fax number has changed to (870)230-2068.  Please complete the application, print and fax signed copy.

 

 Application Deadline is March 26, 2012.