ESOL Category 1

OUT-OF-FIELD TRAINING REQUIREMENTS:

If you have been identified as teaching out-of-field in ESOL Category 1, you are mandated to complete ESOL courses within the timeline outlined below prior to the end of April in the school year in which you were placed out-of-field. You must continue to complete out-of-field training each school year or until you have obtained certification in ESOL.  Note that failure to comply will impact your future placement/assignments up to including non-renewal of your contract.

State mandated training in ESOL Category 1 begins the day and month you are assigned an ESOL student. Should your teaching assignment change, you must continue to complete requirements per the timeline below. Failure to do so will result in your non-renewal. 

Your out-of-field record will remain open until you have added ESOL to your certificate. Parent notification will be required to be sent home to the parents of the affected students.  Once you obtain the certificate reflecting ESOL, be sure to notify certificationrequests@browardschools.com so your out-of-field record can be closed.  Note: no money is saved by waiting to add a certification area to your certificate when you submit your application for renewal and/or your initial professional certificate.  You are urged to apply immediately for the addition once you have met and can document the subject area requirements.

REQUIREMENTS TO ADD ESOL:

OPTION 1:

Must complete required courses as district in-service or college coursework according to the timeline indicated above. Training timeline begins with the date of the initial contact with the English Language Learner (ELL). Listed below are the specific courses required to obtain the ESOL Endorsement.

15 semester hours, 300 inservice points, or a combination of both in ESOL with a credit in:

• Methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages
• ESOL curriculum and materials development
• Cross-cultural communication and understanding
• Testing and evaluation of ESOL
• Applied linguistics

NOTE:  If you feel you completed college courses that are applicable toward your ESOL training requirement, please submit a Request for College Course Evaluation with a scanned copy of your transcripts reflecting the courses in question and a course description from the university for each of the courses in question.  Please submit as an email attachment to:  certificationrequests@browardschools.com  with the subject line "Review of Courses for ESOL".

Once you have completed all courses required to add the ESOL Endorsement (if completed via district in-service courses) you will need to submit an application to the Florida Department of Education and fee (paid through the district) for the addition.  For complete steps on submitting the addition application and fee go to Talent Acquisition and Operations, Instructional (click on "Florida Certificate Additions").

If all five of the ESOL Endorsement courses were completed as college credit, you will need to submit an application, fee, and official transcripts (showing completion of the ESOL courses) to the Florida Department of Education.

If you elect to complete ESOL Category 1 training requirements as district in-service, it is imperative that you register as soon as possible for the course(s) as courses fill up quickly.  Register for courses through Learning Across Broward (LAB).   NOTE: If the course you attempt to register for is full, please email BVU@browardschools.com to request to be placed on a waiting list.

You also have the option of completing ESOL courses through BEACON Educator. Review course and registration information here.  Direct questions regarding BEACON Educator courses using the support request form found here. 

OPTION 2:

Pass the ESOL subject area exam and add the subject to your certificate.  Note that to maintain the ESOL subject coverage on your certificate (when adding via a passing exam) you will need to complete two 60-point in-service courses (or six hours of college credit) in ESOL within three years of adding the subject of ESOL K-12 to your certificate.  Exam information and registration is obtained at the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) web site.

Once you have passed the ESOL subject area exam you will need to submit an application and fee to the Florida Department of Education and fee (paid through the district) for the addition.  For complete steps on submitting the addition application and fee go to Talent Acquisition and Operations, Instructional (click on "Florida Certificate Additions).

NOTE: The Infield Status Rubric is not an option for satisfying out-of-field requirements in the subject of ESOL.