A Study of the Effectiveness of an Alternative Licensure Program for Urban Elementary Teachers of English Language Learners

Abstract

This study examined the qualifying portfolios of graduates of an alternative teacher licensure program to determine the extent to which the teachers evidenced effective instructional strategies for English language learners (ELLs). All study participants taught during the 2004-2005 school year in elementary classrooms in New York City public schools where at least 20% of the students were ELLs. The teachers in this study graduated from the Mercy College New Teacher Residency Program, a master’s degree and alternative teacher licensure program. This study used the standards for the preparation of teachers of ELLs produced by Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the relevant research on the effective instruction of ELLs as an evaluative framework. Data revealed that the study participants did not satisfy the requirements of the TESOL/NCATE standards. However, the teachers demonstrated some instructional practices effective for ELLs as defined in the TESOL/NCATE standards and the research literature by implementing content-area instruction that was assessment-driven, standards-based, and differentiated according to students’ academic needs.