English as a Second Language Endorsement - Arizona Department of Education, Endorsement

If you are interested in providing ESL instruction in public schools, you need either a bilingual or ESL endorsement. The ESL endorsement requires that you complete coursework, including foundations, ESL methods, linguistics, culture, and assessment of limited English proficiency (LEP) students. Studies will also require teaching reading and writing to LEPs, and a practicum in an NAU-approved ESL or bilingual setting at the appropriate grade level. This endorsement program can be embedded in the following degree programs: M.Ed. Elementary Education or the M.Ed. Bilingual and Multicultural Education.

Please be aware that to receive this endorsement, you must also be certified to teach elementary, secondary, or special education; the endorsement alone does not certify you to teach in Arizona.

We offer courses that meet the requirements for both Bilingual Education and ESL endorsements, and you can incorporate this coursework into your M.Ed. plan in Bilingual and Multicultural Education. However, the M.Ed. does not automatically lead to an endorsement.
After you have completed the appropriate courses, you can obtain the endorsement by applying directly to the Arizona Department of Education. Individuals who have the Arizona Bilingual Education Endorsement are also approved to teach English as a second language.

University Requirements

After you have completed the appropriate courses, you can obtain the endorsement by applying directly to the Arizona Department of Education. Please be aware that to receive an endorsement, you must also be certified to teach elementary, secondary, or special education; the endorsement alone does not certify you to teach in Arizona. Please note that all endorsements are granted through the Arizona Department of Education.

Visit the Arizona Department of Education page for Educator Certification for more information and access to the applications for endorsements: http://www.azed.gov/educator-certification/certificate-requirement/endorsements/

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

Complete individual plan requirements.

Minimum Units for Completion	21
Foreign Language	Required
Arizona Certification/Endorsement	Prepares student for Arizona Certification and/or Endorsement.
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Optional
Student Teaching/Supervised Teaching	Optional

Details

Arizona Endorsement Requirements

Take the following 21 units:

Foundations
- BME 210 or BME 530 (3 units)
Linguistics
- BME 438 or BME 538 (3 units)
ESL Methods
- Select one course from: BME 430, BME 437, BME 537, BME 631 (3 units)
Teaching Reading and Writing to LEP Students
- (BME 420 or BME 520) (3 units)
Assessment of LEP Students
- BME 481 or BME 634 (3 units)
School, Community, Culture, and Parental Involvement
- BME 480 or BME 637 (3 units)
Practicum
- BME 608 or ECI 493 (3 units)

- The practicum experience may be waived by documenting two years of certified teaching experience in a bilingual setting.

Your second-language learning experience must be documented by one of the following means:
- 6 units of coursework in a single language, or equivalent, verified by the department of language, education, or English at an accredited institution
- Completion of intensive language training by the Peace Corps, the Foreign Service, or the Defense Language Institute
- A passing score on the Arizona Classroom Spanish Proficiency Exam approved by the State Board of Education
- A passing score on the Navajo Language Test
- Placement by the language department of an accredited institution in a third-semester level
- Placement at level one - intermediate/low (or more advanced score) on the Oral Proficiency interview, verified by the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages
- Verification of proficiency in an American Indian language, signed by an official designated by the appropriate tribe