Admission Criteria for the Advanced Certificate in TESOL

Applications for admission to the Advanced Certificate TESOL program in the department of curriculum and teaching are made to the Graduate Admissions Office. Students who do not fully meet admission requirements may be required to complete prerequisite courses concurrently with completion of the certification program requirements. Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

1. Possession of a master’s or higher degree in education.
2. New York state certification in an area other than TESOL (provisional, permanent, initial or professional).
3. An overall GPA of 2.75 or higher in all course work.
4. Two letters of reference addressing the applicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession and in the program course work.
5. Interview with the director of the TESOL Program.
6. A written personal statement of professional intent or rationale.
7. 12 s.h. of foreign language study or demonstrated proficiency in a second language.
8. Students who hold provisional or permanent certification must also complete General Education and Content core requirements.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a student’s potential for success in the program. Candidates may wish to apply even if they do not meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience might compensate.

Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 15

Field Experiences Prior to Student Teaching

A minimum of 50 clock-hours of participation/observation is required prior to practicum. At least one field placement must be in a district identified as high-needs by New York State Education Department. All field experiences are incorporated into the course curricula. Placements are arranged by the Office of Field Placement. Department policy is to place prospective teachers in districts other than those in which they reside or in schools that they attended.

Participation/observation field experiences in designated schools are required in each of the following courses:

• ELED 225 - Teaching English as a Second Language Semester Hours: 3

• 25 hours in settings with English Language Learners with special-needs (grades K-6)

• SED 267 - Teaching English to Adolescent and Adult Speakers of Other Languages Semester Hours: 3

• 25 hours in settings with English Language Learners in high-needs schools (grades 7-12)

Practicum

The practicum (CT 268) involves 20 days of college-supervised teaching practiced by teacher candidates in the elementary and secondary level ESL classrooms. Students will qualify for admission to practicum after they have satisfied the following requirements:

1) Completion of CT 226 or LYST 208; ELED 225; SED 267.
2) A grade point average of 3.0 or higher in overall course work.

Applications are obtainable from the Office of Field Placement and are due on May 1 for the succeeding spring semester and February 15 for the succeeding fall semester.

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of all course work for the Certification Program with an overall GPA of 3.0.
2. Completion of the 15 s.h. course requirements in the Certification Program with no fewer than 12 s.h. in residence.
3. Completion of a portfolio illustrating the student’s educational and professional accomplishments.
4. All course work taken in satisfaction of the degree requirements must have been completed within a three-year period.

Footnote*

Course requires participation/observation in designated schools.

Teacher Certification Requirements

Upon the successful completion of a Hofstra state-approved teacher education program, students are eligible for the University’s recommendation for New York state certification. A request for recommendation must be submitted to the Office of Educational Support Services the semester in which the student is graduating. There will be opportunities to attend a certification workshop during the student’s final semester, to receive all the necessary information regarding applying for certification. Individuals who apply directly to New York state for certification are responsible for learning about and satisfying the certification requirements set by the state. It should be noted that such requirements may differ from those in Hofstra’s registered programs.

All prospective early childhood (Birth-Grade 2), childhood (Grades 1-6), adolescent (Grades 7-12) and special subject, students with disabilities, gifted, TESOL, bilingual, literacy, speech and language disabilities teachers, as well as school leadership candidates, are required to pass the New York State Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) administered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc., For state certification requirements, students should consult with the Office of Educational Support Services regarding the appropriate examinations for their area of study.

We anticipate that teacher and school building leader candidates applying for certification on or after May 1, 2014, will be required to take certain new exams. Candidates who graduate and apply for certification on or before April 30, 2014, but do not meet all the requirements for an initial certificate on or before April 30, 2014, will also be required to pass the new exams. Candidates will not be permitted to mix and match examinations from the old and new tests. Please contact the Office of Educational Support Services at Hofstra University at 516-463-5747 or consult the state website.

In addition to fulfilling the required courses of study, the Commissioner’s Regulations mandate that all prospective teachers, pupil personnel and education leaders receive instructions regarding:

1. Identification of Child Abuse and Maltreatment
2. Fire and Arson Prevention
3. School Violence Prevention and Intervention
4. Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Abuse
5. Highway and School Safety/Prevention of Child Abduction
6. Training in Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention required under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

New York state legislation also requires all persons seeking certification in special education, speech and language disabilities or school administrators working in special education, to have training in the area of children with autism.

Hofstra University offers the above listed educational law seminars through the Office of Educational Support Services. All of these seminars must be completed before the conferral of the degree and recommendation for certification.

Forms for applying for certification can be found at the Office of Educational Support Services Web page under the certification tab.

Fingerprinting
Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE), requires that applicants for teaching and administrative and pupil services personnel certification and perspective employees of covered schools (school districts, charter schools and BOCES) must undergo fingerprint supported criminal history background check. However, many school districts and institutions across the metropolitan New York area are now requiring that all student teachers, observers, interns or externs receive fingerprint clearance before they are placed in educational settings that are required for this degree program. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for fingerprint clearance upon acceptance to the program. Fingerprinting can be completed through Hofstra University using LIVESCAN technology, arranged by the Office of Educational Support Services each semester. You may contact us at 516-463-5747 or visit Hagedorn Hall, Room 129. You may also register online. Fingerprint clearance is also required for New York state certification.

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