A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Model Strategies in Bilingual Education: Professional Development - 1995

Recruiting Teacher Candidates

Improving the quality of any sector of the workforce usually involves improving the size and quality of the applicant pool. Studies of the instructional workforce for LEP students (for example, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1989, and the California Department of Education, 1991b) have revealed several helpful strategies that can be used to improve the applicant pool for this kind of teaching, including targeting language minority populations, fostering young people's interest in teaching as a career, and providing financial and logistical support for enrollment in teacher education programs.

Targeting Language Minority Populations

Many states target language minority populations for recruiting bilingual teachers, especially for languages that are difficult for English speakers to learn. This practice generates at least two benefits. First, language minorities are underrepresented in the teacher workforce and in the college-bound population in general. The limitations of educational opportunities for students who are poor--a significant proportion of language minority children--combined with the difficulty of learning from instruction offered in English, provide scant support for the academic attainment required to go on to higher education (National Council of La Raza, 1991). LEP students have one of the highest dropout rates in the country (National Education Goals Panel, 1992). Offering an attractive and manageable career track to potential teacher candidates from language minority groups--adding resources while holding standards constant--is one way to address early inequities in educational opportunity. (See reports by AACTE, 1989, and the National Forum, 1990.) Second, when language minority teachers are from the same culture as their students, they may make the school experience less alienating and connect it to the students' cultural experience. Programs preparing teachers for language minority students welcome bilingual native English speakers, but, in the United States, bilingualism is a relatively rare competence except among language minorities. Targeting language minority communities for recruiting new teachers capitalizes on a rich vein of language resources.

The Latino Teacher Project (LTP) in Los Angeles focuses recruiting efforts on bilingual teaching assistants (TAs) employed in schools in South Central Los Angeles to meet the increasing need for a stable, bilingual workforce in that neighborhood. One administrator reported that South Central has the highest concentration of language minority students in the country, indicating the presence of a significant population of language minority adults. Project developers advertised openings in this region, and they were rewarded with a flood of applications. Because many applicants were already known by school system personnel, project staff received reliable references from several sources. Project staff choose very promising candidates and keep them on track through graduation and certification. One TA with deep roots in South Central commented, "TAs provide role models for kids because they live in the community." A colleague added, "I talk to my brothers and nieces about going to school. This project is a stepping stone for the whole family."

Fontana Unified School District (USD) and surrounding districts make Career Ladder programs part of their comprehensive plans for bilingual education. They target bilingual employees who want to become certified teachers and involve them in teaching while they study. The Bilingual Educators' Career Advancement (BECA) project at California State University, San Bernardino, serves primarily Hispanic paraprofessionals from nearby school districts--including Fontana--in programs designed to expedite their progress toward earning a bilingual teaching credential. District and postsecondary bilingual program staff maintain a close network that ensures prompt identification of potential bilingual participants and enthusiastic support for their teacher candidacy.

The American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI) at the University of Arizona was originated by and for bilingual Native American teachers and aides whose goal was to improve literacy in Native languages and teach English as a Second Language in schools serving Native American communities. The project founders contracted with experts to provide Native speakers with the tools to record their languages in writing, some for the first time. Tribal educators have continued to use AILDI to develop Native language literature and curriculum materials. For many participants, a keen interest in preserving Native languages was the principal motivation for enrolling in AILDI summer after summer. College credits earned at AILDI form the core of their college experience, and they have used AILDI as the springboard to full-time college attendance and graduation. (AILDI still predominantly attracts and serves Native American language speakers, but now about 10 percent of its participants are non-Natives who serve in Native American schools.)

The Educational Leadership in Bilingual Education (ELBE) project at the University of Texas at San Antonio draws language minority applicants from every level of professional aspiration. Bilingual college sophomores, juniors, and seniors participate in formal and informal educational experiences that cultivate the language skills needed to conduct professional activities in English and Spanish. Masters students and administrators also use bilingual proficiency in program activities. ELBE's positive influence begins with the participants themselves, according to one informant: "I started out a different person. This program taught me to be proud. It gave me a cultural identity. Now I use Spanish all the time . . . and involve parents to help me make choices." ELBE helps participants develop and use high levels of proficiency in both English and Spanish to become better teachers.

Encouraging Teaching as a Career Choice

Programs that cultivate the college ambitions of language minority students as early as middle school can support the necessary levels of early educational attainment and underscore the desirability of the education professions as a career choice. When they highlight the accomplishments of language minority educators and community leaders and offer opportunities to meet and work with new role models, early-contact programs provide a tempting alternative to less productive options that present themselves in high school. In addition, college scholarships and loan forgiveness programs for students in bilingual or ESL preservice education programs attract and hold eligible students (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1989).

Project Adelante at Kean College of New Jersey reaches into middle and high schools to encourage Hispanic students to graduate. Participants in grades 6 through 12 attend enrichment classes at Kean on Saturdays during the school year and five days a week during the five-week summer session. Class sessions last two hours to permit fuller development of learning activities. Ten certified teachers, 15 college students enrolled in professional education courses, and 15 high school tutors, all of whom are bilingual, use both Spanish and English during classes based on thematic units in core subjects. For the college students, the sessions provide field experiences tied to their professional training. The high school tutors, who must have good grades and proficiency in English and Spanish, take a three-credit college course on instructional methods and work with younger students throughout the year. Each tutor consults with a teacher-mentor while working with peers to plan and teach lessons. Students are paid for their work as tutors.

The Fontana Future Bilingual Teachers of America (FFBTA) program offers an afternoon course designed to help high school students fluent in minority languages learn about the goals and methods of bilingual and ESL instruction. Students who complete the course successfully are eligible for summer and school-year jobs as teaching assistants and tutors in the district's bilingual or ESL classrooms. Although they do not make a commitment beyond their immediate assignment, program participants are one source of candidates for Fontana's Career Ladder program, which supports bilingual aides during their preservice education.

The coordinator of the Teacher Learning Community Center (TLCC) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) traveled to high schools within a 50-mile radius of the campus to identify promising bilingual students. He organized workshops at UTEP for prospective teacher candidates and their parents and arranged presentations on topics such as admissions policies, financial aid, and the advantages of a career in bilingual education. The Center's services included transportation to and from the UTEP campus for students and families participating in its events. Prominent Hispanic community members and others--including UTEP's president--addressed parents and students separately and together, promoting college attendance in general and bilingual education in particular. One student planning to enroll at UTEP in the coming year commented that TLCC events clarified the application process and made college more attainable. Others said that they were motivated in part by TLCC presentations about the severity of the problem of Hispanic dropout rates and its implications for their families and communities. They decided to become teachers who could help their people succeed in school and experience the value of education's contribution to their lives.

Using Multiple Resources to Support Successful Participation

Many programs use existing employment and training opportunities in combination with a variety of funding sources to select and support candidates. For example, districts address shortages of certified personnel fluent in minority languages by hiring teaching assistants from language minority communities. Because their bilingual competence makes such assistants especially attractive, districts find it productive to facilitate their further education. The training required to improve their competence as assistants often can be arranged as part of a longer-term certification process, including earning a bachelor's degree and/or completing endorsement requirements. (See American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education, 1989; California Department of Education, 1991a; and National Forum, 1990.) One middle school principal in the study reported the benefits of his district's recruitment program enthusiastically: "It gives us a chance to resolve the shortage by choosing someone we know will be good to get credentialed." A project participant added, "My friends try to work in this district so they can get in the program."

Economically disadvantaged students may be discouraged from college attendance by the costs of everything from tuition and books to transportation and child care. Even modest support for college costs may make a big difference in their ability to persist in college. Virtually all the projects visited for this study provide educational experiences at no cost to participants for tuition or fees. Almost all are supported directly by local, state, federal, or foundation funds. Even in projects supported by tuition, many participants are reimbursed by their school districts or by special funds. Project developers and participants agree that for many earning certification or endorsement, the costs associated with enrollment would have precluded their participation had they not been underwritten by outside sources.

The Career Ladder Program in Fontana (CA) USD reimburses participants--bilingual paraprofessionals and other eligible district employees--for all expenses related to preservice education: tuition at the community college or university, textbook and school supply costs, and parking and other miscellaneous fees. Participants in turn sign a contract agreeing to teach in the district (at regular salary) one year for every year of support they receive for college. The Bilingual Educators' Career Advancement project at CSU, San Bernardino, uses a Title VII grant to fund other program participants from Fontana and nearby districts.

The Latino Teacher Project provides participants with two $500 stipends a year to cover costs related to college enrollment--for example, books and supplies, transportation, and child care. In addition, members of the project's governing board who are employed by the three universities associated with the project make sure that each eligible participant receives financial aid from other sources whenever possible. For instance, the University of Southern California has worked with its Mexican-American Alumni Association to set up a special scholarship fund for LTP participants, and the two campuses of California State University provide support from state and federal funds--including Title VII--allocated for that purpose.

The four programs in the Educational Leadership in Bilingual Education project cover tuition and fees for all participants and provide a special stipend for undergraduates to help with school-related expenses. Project INTERACT, in Missouri, also covers tuition for participants. Many continuing education projects distinguish between the costs for education and the costs for credit. Balderas Elementary School in Fresno, California, for example, uses categorical funds to pay for the educational services provided to all faculty by CSU, Fresno, but teachers who want to receive graduate credit for their work must pay for it themselves (and, ordinarily, complete additional assignments).

Many projects provide opportunities for participants to earn money for project-related work. The teachers involved in Project Adelante and in the research components of Funds of Knowledge for Teaching receive an hourly wage for time spent in training and developing curriculum materials. The Southwest Memory Project sponsored by the University of Arizona also pays a stipend for participation. Participants who are tutors in Fontana's Future Teachers group, Project Adelante, and the Latino Teacher Project earn at least the minimum wage for their work.

Whether newly recruited teacher candidates become effective teachers depends on the quality of their professional preparation program. These programs are the subject of the next section.
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[Overview of Projects with Promising Practices] [Table of Contents] [Preparing New Teachers]