If It's Different in the South, It's Really Different in Florida

• In Event: 31.049 - The South Is Different: Preparing Teachers to Work With English Learners in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

Despite its geography, Florida can be considered not only Southern, but also Northeastern and Midwestern, thanks to the long history of fugitives from winter cold. Moreover, unlike many other Southern states that only recently have experienced explosive growth in PK-12 English learner (EL) enrollment, Florida has absorbed immigrant English learners in its schools for decades (some might argue centuries). But Florida is tethered by location to longstanding Southern traditions, political and cultural, and for this reason it belongs among its neighboring Southern states to the north and west.

With over 200,000 English learners in its PK-12 schools (Migration Policy Institute, 2012), Florida has the third highest number of ELs in the nation. Like other parts of the country, Florida has experienced high growth in EL populations, a northward expansion beyond Dade, Broward, and surrounding counties. For instance, English learners in Central Florida school districts have increased substantially, both in numbers and proportion of PK-12 students (Florida Department of Education, 2012). Yet, there are counties in Florida that have few or no English learners in their public schools (e.g., Gulf County reported no English learners in AY 2011-12, Florida Department of Education, 2012).

The uneven distribution of English learners across the state poses a problem for teacher education programs. All school districts and teacher preparation institutions throughout the state are held to the provisions of a Consent Decree mandating that teachers of English learners (regardless of subject or grade level) complete varying degrees of specialized training; however, teacher preparation institutions serving areas outside of the major centers of PK-12 English learner enrollment struggle to provide their candidates field placements with linguistically diverse students.

As a provision of the Florida Consent Decree, teacher candidates in certification areas that include language arts instruction are required to complete the English for Speakers of Other Languages Endorsement, which historically required 15 credits in teaching ESOL (TESOL) coursework. This continues to be an option, particularly for institutions without adequate access to English learners for candidate field placements. The other, more prevalent option, ESOL endorsement through infusion, requires 6 credits of TESOL coursework in addition to an array of other requisites comprising the remaining content of the 9 eliminated credits. A major element of the infusion approach is a full-time internship in a classroom that includes one or more English learners, supervised by an ESOL-certified or endorsed teacher.

Because these two paths to ESOL endorsement have coexisted for over a decade, research is now shedding light on various aspects of their implementation. In addition, because the Consent Decree requires a lesser degree of specialized training for teachers of academic subjects, their impact on English learners’ achievement has been under study in Florida institutions as well. The presenter will explicate the Florida context and summarize existing research and ongoing studies examining how effectively teacher preparation programs equip candidates to meet the needs of English learners during internship and as beginning teachers.

Author

• Joyce Watson Nutta, University of Central Florida