Master of Arts in Teaching Plus ESOL Endorsement with Dual Language Specialty

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Plus ESOL Endorsement with Dual Language Specialty program is designed to provide a future teacher with the content and methods necessary to be an effective teacher. Thematic strands such as critical thinking, curriculum, classroom management, cultural proficiency, action research, and technology are integrated throughout the curriculum. The themes add qualities to the program that are not reflected in single courses but are interwoven throughout the curriculum. The form of the teacher education program includes a purposeful use of current research findings on the education of teachers as translated into practical experiences and methodologies.  Bilingual candidates desiring to add a Dual Language Specialty while earning the ESOL/Bilingual Endorsement at the same time as the initial license can do so within the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Bilingual teachers who have already earned the initial license and ESOL Endorsement desiring to add a Dual Language Specialty can do so as a stand-alone program.

The program is available to individuals who have completed an undergraduate BA or BS degree in a field other than education.

Educational Objectives

To enable students to:

• Build on their knowledge of subject matter as they develop pedagogical skills and research methodologies
• Gain knowledge about the psychological, sociological, historical, and philosophical foundations of education
• Apply these understandings in early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary classrooms
• Successfully meet the challenges of classroom teaching

Professional Objectives

To enable students to:

• Meet the federal government's "No Child Left Behind" definition of a "highly qualified teacher"
• Earn the ESOL or ESOL/Bilingual Specialist Endorsement
• Receive an Oregon Preliminary Teaching License upon completion of the program and passing scores on the appropriate standardized measures (Praxis Specialty Examination for secondary and middle-level licensure, ORELA for elementary licensure and middle-level authorization, and California Basic Educational Skills Test)

The Preliminary Teaching License may bear endorsements in the following areas: advanced mathematics, agriculture, art, basic mathematics,* biology, business, chemistry, drama,* family/consumer sciences, French, German, health education, integrated science,* Japanese, language arts, marketing, music, physical education, physics, Russian, social studies, speech communications,* Spanish, and technology education.

* These subjects may be added to another endorsement for high school applicants; integrated science and basic math may stand alone for elementary/middle school applicants.

Applicants seeking admission to the MAT Plus ESOL Endorsement with Dual Language Speciality program must hold a four-year baccalaureate degree program from an accredited college or university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of coursework. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

• Master of arts in teaching application and application fee
• Submit one official transcript from each college/university attended
• Completion of the character reference statement required by Oregon TSPC
• Three recommendations
• A group assessment with the MAT Admission Committee

If accepted into the program, a $200 enrollment deposit is required. Deadline for application is February 1 for the full-time format, June 1 for the MAT @ Night format, and October 1 for MAT in Your Community. Applications may be reviewed after those dates on a space-available basis. Preference will be given to those candidates who have had experience in schools working with students in their desired authorization level as well as to those candidates who have passed the appropriate ORELA exam.

Prior to full-time student teaching, students must have taken and passed the appropriate ORELA exam.  If a student has not completed this requirement, she/he may apply for an exception; however, if an exception is granted and the student does not pass the required exams prior to graduation, the director will not sign any official documents recommending the student as a candidate for licensure in Oregon or any other state.

No transfer credit is allowed toward the MAT Plus ESOL Endorsement with Dual Language Specialty program. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the Registrar's Office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.  

All 57 hours required for the MAT Plus ESOL Endorsement with Dual Language Specialty program must be taken in resident study at George Fox University. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the degree.

The Master of Arts in Teaching Plus ESOL Endorsement with Dual Language Specialty program is generally 1-2 years in length with 57 semester hours of course work required as a minimum for graduation. Of those hours, 19 are in prescribed core education courses, 6 in the area of specialization, 10 in ESOL endorsement courses, 11 Dual Language Specialty courses, and 11 practicum hours.

The program structure will be characterized by:

Cohort Model
Students will work in cohorts of 15 to 18 students. Cohorts will include early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary levels. Cohorts are both blended- and authorization-specific. Although they are separate cohorts, they will be blended together for certain experiences and courses.

Theory-Into-Practice Links
Practicum experiences will be a large component of the program, beginning with either an enrichment program planned and implemented by the students or a specific volunteer experience. The involvement in a variety of practicum experiences will provide preservice teachers with opportunities to apply learning from coursework. University faculty, cooperating teachers, and administrators from local districts will be involved in collaborative efforts to plan links between coursework and application in classrooms.

Action Research

A professional educator portfolio will be completed to support students in licensing and professional educator requirements.

Thematic Strands
Major strands, such as cultural proficiency, values, action research, and decision making, will be incorporated throughout the professional courses. Other topics such as classroom management and technology will also be integrated with several of the professional courses.

Study of the Subject Matter Knowledge and Structure
Students will research and discuss the nature and structure of the subject areas while concentrating on their major subject. They will engage in interdisciplinary discussions that will allow them to discern relationships between the subject areas.

Reflection
The ability to reflect on learning about teaching and on the practice of teaching will be developed in small- and large-group discussions, in journal entries, in papers, and in conferences with supervisors and cooperating teachers.

Endorsement Courses
Endorsement courses are completed concurrently with MAT cohort courses. Three courses are taken throughout the MAT cohort program and two courses are taken in May/June after Commencement. The endorsement courses blend with some MAT formats better than others.

In order to complete a Master of Arts in Teaching Plus ESOL Endorsement with Dual Language Specialty students must:

• Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 58 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Achieve no grade lower than a B in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a designated course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).
• Complete ESOL endorsement milestone project.  
• Complete a successful ESOL endorsement practicum experience.