Welcome to Dr.Jorge Osterling's Webpage

The Office English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (formerly the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs, OBEMLA) provides national leadership in promoting high quality education for the nation's population of English language learners (ELLs). OELA's mission is to include various elements of school reform in programs designed to assist the language minority agenda. These include an emphasis on high academic standards, school accountability, professional development, family literacy, early reading, and partnerships between parents and the communities.

The academic skills assessment for beginning teachers are designed to be taken early in a student's teacher education career. It measures a candidate's reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Both tests are available through either a paper-based computer-based format.

All professional educators seeking seeking initial certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia must take the PSST in either the paper-based or the computer-based format.

Individuals may now meet the Praxis I assessment requirement by achieving the scores established by the Board of Education October 26, 1995, on each of the three Praxis I tests - reading, writing, and mathematics - OR, by achieving the established composite scores on three tests. Combining PPST® and CBT scores to achieve a composite score will not be accepted as of 12/31/01. A minimum score on each test is not required provided the composite score is achieved.

The first digit of the "Session/Test Code" indicates the session during which the test is offered in the 2005-2006 testing year. There are no session numbers for the Computerized PPST tests, which are given by appointment, as explained in Praxis I Overview.

The computer-based tests are offered by appointment through a national network of Prometric^TM Testing Centers (many Prometric Testing Centers are located inside Sylvan Learning Centers), selected institutional sites, and ETS Field Service Offices. Visit Computer-based Test Centers for the locations near you.

You may take each Computerized PPST once per calendar month up to six times in a 12-month period. If you violate this restriction, the scores from your retest will not be reported and your test fees will not be refunded. This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously.

Please note that the PPST and the CPPST are the same tests, one taken as a paper-pencil test and the other taken on the computer. They have the same score scale.

To register for the Computer Based PPST, call PROMETRIC Testing Centers at (800) 853-6773 or call the Alexandria Testing Center (703)671-4860 where you wish to take the test.

From ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics
Bilingual Career Ladder Programs: An Answer to the ESL Teacher Shortage?
by Sally Morrison, ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistic

BIPACAL's Teacher Training English Academy
VESA 2003 presentation
by Prof. Laurie Miller

Bilingual Paraprofessional Career Ladder Project
A Partnership Between George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College,
Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William (VA) School Divisions

The Bilingual Paraprofessional Career Ladder Teacher Education Project (BIPACAL ) will address, in both a short and long-term manner, the critical shortage of bilingual English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers in Northern Virginia. The project features a rapid-response model in which thirty bilingual paraprofessionals will be recruited and prepared as K-12 ESL teachers.

The language minority (LM)/ ESL students in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William, VA, face the same challenges as their peers across the nation: economic disadvantage, unfulfilled academic potential and rising numbers. Identifying and employing credentialed ESL teachers has been a problem. For example, the districts have been unable to fill more than 50 ESL teacher positions in the current school year. Worse, projections are for these needs to continue in the foreseeable future.

BIPACAL addresses these needs by providing a clear academic career path at George Mason University (Mason) and Northern Virginia Community College-Alexandria (NVCC). The project will not only attend to academic needs of the paraprofessionals, but also the financial and social factors that can impede their completion of degree and credential. More important, the career path initiated in BIPACAL will continue after federal funds cease.

This proposal complies with Competitive Priority 2 by providing mediated assistance leading to a baccalaureate and master's degree and bilingual teacher certification requirements. The proposal attends to the invitational priority by collaborating with a 2-year institution of higher education to develop or improve teacher preparation programs for bilingual paraprofessionals. The program will be jointly managed out of Mason's College of Education and Human Development (GSE) and NVCC's Office of Counseling Services. While the partnership will share in all major decisions, each LEA will assess, nominate, and nurture bilingual paraeducators who want to become classroom teachers. The project will provide a master teacher as a personal, on-site mentor to each bilingual paraeducator throughout their entire experience. The paraeducators will take sufficient courses per year to achieve licensure within four to five years, and will attend regular meetings with advisors and other participants. Mason will take primary responsibility for their teacher preparation. Upon graduation, IHE and LEA partners will join in providing induction services during the initial year of teaching.

Source:
Virginia Department of Education, Richmond, September 1999 and 1996.
Participating school districts.

The dramatic increase in enrollment of LM/LEP students is tied to the expansion of the economy in Northern Virginia over the last decade. Availability of low-skill/ minimum wage jobs has attracted immigrants eager for a toehold on the American dream.

Need for ESL Teachers - The sharp increase in ESL students in Northern Virginia school divisions has created a critical shortage of ESL teachers. As with the rest of the nation, this inability to fill ESL classrooms is the single greatest barrier to the improvement of academic achievement for LEP students. The three districts report a combined need for 59 new ESL teachers in the current academic year, and have been able to fill less than 10 positions. Worse, these needs are projected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Mason's GSE, NVCC and participating LEAs are committed to improving teacher-supply and thereby the unfulfilled potential of K-12 ESL students by developing an accessible career path to ESL licensure. The proposed project will recruit, select, prepare, employ and provide induction services for 30 new ESL teachers from the existing pool of bilingual paraeducators currently in the school divisions. The paraprofessionals will be able to enter the stream at various points, but once embarked they will be "ferried" toward the goal of having their own ESL classrooms. In addition to the proposed project (and in order to further address the need), Mason is negotiating with the districts to provide an on-site TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) preparation program for practicing teachers. Eventually, it is hoped that BIPACAL and this new program will become aligned, and bilingual paraprofessionals will work toward their ESL licensure alongside in-service teachers.

Bilingual Paraprofessionals as a Source of Bilingual Teachers

Bilingual Paraprofessionals can make ideal K-12 teachers of ESL students. Experienced in classroom instruction and management, especially with students who share their ethnic and language backgrounds, they can use their cultural assets to establish positive relationships with students, and to design culturally-relevant learning activities. The bilingual paraprofessionals often live in inner-city communities and work in the schools in which they will teach.

Participating LEAs possess a ready supply of bilingual paraprofessionals interested in becoming teachers. Arlington has 414 total instructional assistants; Fairfax has 1,475; and Prince William has 442. Fifteen percent of these, or nearly 350, are bilingual and bicultural.

The BIPACAL will enable mature individuals with relevant experiences and specialized skills, who might otherwise not enter teaching, to become K-12 ESL teachers. Bilingual paraeducators enrolled in IHEs have unique needs. Most are working-class people with family responsibilities; some work two jobs. Often they are the first in their family to complete high school and are not familiar with university admission issues, including loan and scholarship procedures. Most have not pursued higher education careers and/or teaching credentials due to various constraints:

Community colleges such as NVCC/Alexandria have traditionally served as postsecondary entry points for those who, for various reasons, do not attend 4-year colleges. NVCC provides a nurturing, yet academically-rigorous, experience. Its open admissions policy, comprehensive ESL curriculum, provision for credit-for-experience, and academic and career advising services are all perfectly suited for this project. Another advantage to NVCC is its five campuses.

Mason, NVCC and the participating LEAs have made important modifications to help bilingual paraeducators to access the TESL curriculum. For example, participants will continue working as paraeducators while enrolled at NVCC and Mason. In addition, LEAs have agreed to provide students time to study during the work day.
Support components (financial assistance, social, academic, and school-based) are included in BIPACAL to help bilingual paraeducators succeed. The project will support all tuition and fees, provide stipends for day-care, transportation and living expenses, supply the social and academic support necessary on campus, and "follow" the new teachers for induction services during their first year on the job. Additional information on "addressing the gaps" can be found on p. 13, in the Design segment of the section entitled "the project's research base.

This project seeks to assist bilingual paraeducators in becoming licensed K-12 ESL teachers by creating a career path composed of a personalized undergraduate liberal arts experience followed by a graduate TESL preparation program specifically structured for this population. The career path will feature academic, social and financial "cushions" which address the constraints identified above. Specific objectives are listed below. All objectives are quantifiable.

The recruitment and selection segments will largely be designed and implemented by the participating school districts. In each district, a committee of administrators, ESL teachers, and bilingual paraeducators will nominate bilingual paraeducators for the project.

1.1.1. Each of the three review committees will be asked to rate candidates along several dimensions, including:

(a) Paraeducator knowledge of students (i.e., skills, interests, aspirations, values) and capacity to engage all students in learning.
(b) Projected ability to create and maintain a caring, inclusive, safe, and linguistically and culturally diverse learning environment.
(c) Projected capacity to demonstrate professional growth as a future teacher.
(d) Openness to collaboration with a classroom teacher to plan instruction and design learning activities for all students.
(e) Bilingual ability and bicultural background (e.g., Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Urdu, Amharic, and any other language of an under-represented LM group).
(f) Capacity for successful performance at the IHE level.

1.1.2. Those recommended to the project will have transcripts reviewed for admission. It is important to note that NVCC will accept all applicants who cannot initially be admitted to Mason; thus, everyone accepted into the project will be guaranteed admission to an IHE; there will be no GPA or SAT requirement for admission).

(a) Students with less than 60 college credits will enroll at NVCC and will transfer to Mason upon completion of their AA degree.
(b) Students with more than 60 college credits will enroll in Mason's Bachelors in Individualized Study (BIS) program .

1.1.3. As a result of identification and recruitment activities, the project will maintain an
active membership of 30 bilingual paraeducators from the three participating LEAs.

(a) The project will maintain an active file of other acceptable candidates who will be recruited into the project as existing members graduate, receive their teaching credentials, and are hired as ESL teachers.
(b) On a space-available basis, non-participating bilingual paraeducators working in the participating school districts will be invited to attend project practicums, test preparation workshops, and other programs.

1.2.1. A BIPACAL advisor will be housed at each IHE (NOTE: The NVCC co-coordinator, Alice Hedley, will serve as the NVCC advisor. At Mason, the advisor will be a staff member in the Office of Minority Student Affairs.). Both will serve in addition to advisors for the major. Each BIPACAL advisor will monitor enrollment, grade point average, and completion of unit requirements. Advisors will address obstacles interfering with student success.
1.2.2. Each bilingual paraeducator will be assigned an ESL teacher mentor at their school site. This mentor, supported by the project, will meet regularly with the paraeducator to discuss professional development throughout the entire BIPACAL experience.
1.2.3. Throughout the school year, all project participants will attend monthly group meetings to share experiences and monthly individual meeting with the faculty advisor. In addition, students will be encouraged to attend professional development workshops on relevant topics.
1.2.4. A project website will be established and training provided, so that the participants can maintain continual contact. The website will also serve as a vehicle for information dissemination and a resource repository.
1.2.5. Prior to the PRAXIS test, all participants will be provided with a study workshop sponsored by Mason's Testing Center.
1.2.6. At the request of project students or upon recommendation of their mentor or adviser,
tutoring will be provided to assist with coursework.
1.2.7 Each BIPACAL participant will receive:

(a) A yearly stipend. Students are encouraged to use this money to cover necessary expenses associated with their school work (e.g., child care, transportation).
(b) Pre-paid tuition and fees, including summer sessions, at both IHEs.
(c) An annual book allowance.

1.2.8 The BIPACAL , working closely with NVCC's and Mason's financial aid offices, will assist interested paraeducators in locating other sources of assistance (e.g., supplemental scholarships, subsidized loans, grants).
1.2.9. To the greatest extent possible, BIPACAL will sponsor social gatherings (at non-federal expense) attended by paraprofessionals, their friends and family, LEA and IHE personnel and other Mason and NVCC students and faculty.

1.3.1. Thirty bilingual paraprofessionals will graduate with bachelors degrees and K-12 ESL teaching licenses.
1.3.1.1. The preparation segment begins with a pre-admissions process. Paraprofessionals' transcripts will be translated and evaluated in terms of U.S. university coursework by a transcript evaluation service.
1.3.1.2. At NVCC students who have not graduated from a U.S. high school will be assessed in English, math and science for course placement. Those requiring ESL training will be placed in one of the five levels available. Students will also take CLEP (credit for prior knowledge) exams and receive other credit for experience.
1.3.1.3. During the first year, 15 paraprofessionals will enroll in BIPACAL . They will be joined by an additional 15 participants during the 2nd year. As students graduate they will be replaced by others, so that a consistent enrollment of 30 will be maintained in years 2-5.
1.3.1.4. Enrollment in the first two years will be evenly split between NVCC and Mason. As students graduate from NVCC, enrollment will gradually shift to Mason.
1.3.1.5. As far as possible, participants will be given academic credit for experience and academic skill (e.g. in home language).
1.3.1.6. The BIPACAL will be linked to the LEAs' professional development plans. The bilingual paraprofessionals will take part in relevant district-based professional development activities, such as workshops on instructional strategies, conferences and other in-service programs.
1.3.1.7. Upon completion of their undergraduate education, paraeducators will receive a bachelors degree and enroll in the Mason's GSE to complete the five additional courses and internship for their ESL license.
1.3.1.8. Participants will complete the following seven courses for licensure. Two will be taken in their senior years, and the rest after completion of the bachelors degree.

1.3.1.9. The five graduate courses will apply toward a masters degree in multilingual/ multicultural education. While support for this advanced degree is not requested in this proposal, it is assumed that upon completion of BIPACAL , some of the paraprofessionals may wish to pursue this option.

Paraeducators finishing their coursework, will be placed in elementary or secondary ESL teaching positions by their districts. Assistance will be provided by the ESL coordinators in each LEA and the project Advisory Committee. Participants will probably remain in the high-need schools in which most are now serving. This objective will be achieved in Fall 04 and Fall 05.

The BIPACAL project will provide follow-up induction services to each teacher for the first year after assuming a position. Mason currently has an induction program operating in schools with high concentrations of LM/ ESL students. In each school, six beginning teachers join with a mentor and a university representative to engage in peer support and reflective practice throughout the academic year. The paraprofessional cohort of beginning teachers will join this model. Mason will work with each district to design an induction "team" composed of the bilingual beginning teacher, possibly other beginning teachers, a mentor teacher and a university professor. The Mason faculty (Jorge Osterling, the project coordinator, and Jack Levy) will primarily represent the university on these teams.

This objective will be achieved in years 05-06, during the induction phase of the project.

This project, like all bilingual teacher education programs, has a direct and indirect target population. By addressing the needs of its direct target population, i.e., bilingual paraprofessionals, BIPACAL will indirectly, but simultaneously, attend to the needs of K-12 ESL students.

Four types of needs for LM/ESL students were identified in the opening section: economic disadvantage, unfulfilled potential, rising enrollment and lack of ESL teachers. By preparing thirty bilingual ESL teachers, BIPACAL will address the unfulfilled academic potential of the LEAs' culturally and linguistically diverse students.
The BIPACAL 's strategies for addressing the needs of both bilingual paraprofessionals and their K-12 ESL students were described above in the "Addressing the gaps..." segment on pp. 3-6. In summary, the project will address the need for more ESL teachers by producing 30 new faculty, facilitating their employment and providing them with induction services. The paraprofessionals will be able to enter the stream at various points, but once embarked they will be "ferried" toward the goal of having their own ESL classrooms. Throughout their academic programs, in courses, fieldwork, practicums and internships, they will be instructing, assessing and monitoring ESL students' skill and knowledge levels. Thus, their impact on the indirect student population will be both immediate and long-term.

The BIPACAL recognizes the needs of bilingual paraeducators enrolled in IHEs and will provide a variety of academic, financial and social support services, as described in the Objectives section.

As mentioned, Mason, NVCC and the participating LEAs have made important modifications to help bilingual paraeducators access the TESL curriculum. For example, participants will continue to work as paraeducators while enrolled at NVCC and Mason. The LEAs have also agreed to provide a variable amount of study time to allow paraeducators to fulfill their student responsibilities. NVCC's liberal arts program and Mason's BIS will be adapted to address the needs of the bilingual paraprofessionals. NVCC will offer initial liberal arts coursework for those bilingual paraeducators who have never attended an IHE or have earned less than 60 college credits. In addition to liberal arts coursework, the NVCC component will feature comprehensive ESL offerings (when necessary), credit (for experience and by examination), and extensive academic and career advising services.

The following factors are generally regarded as critical in building project capacity in teacher education. They are presented in terms of their application to BIPACAL :

1. All partnership members are dedicated to project's outcomes and share a common vision.
2. All have relevant expertise in areas pertinent to the project.
3. All are familiar with the failures of past teacher education efforts for paraeducators.
4. The leaders of the partner institutions strongly support the project.
5. A strong, teacher education project.
6. Enthusiastic faculty members, school personnel and paraeducators.

Mason, NVCC, and the Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William (VA) school districts share a common vision, solidly support the project, and have the necessary experience and professional assets to build long-term capacity. Each of BIPACAL 's partners has submitted a strong letter of support for the project, and all have signed the commitment statement required for this application.

As a result of the development of a clear academic path towards K-12 ESL licensure, the project will continue beyond federal funding. Most components are already in place, such as the liberal arts offerings and academic and career support services at both IHEs, and Mason's BIS and TESOL programs. Do most of the project academic and support components currently exist, are relatively inexpensive and efficient. This project unites them for the first time, and provides for coordination, collaboration, monitoring and feedback.

The project will seek alternative funding to build a larger pool of potential bilingual ESL teachers. The coordinator has been in touch with some educational foundations about support for future paraprofessionals. Mason's Grad School of Education has been negotiating with one of the districts to initiate an on-site TESOL preparation program for practicing teachers who would like to add an endorsement area. The agreement will stipulate be the inclusion of the bilingual paraprofessionals in coursework.

The project's coherence derives from its "flow" and coordination of three main components: 1) liberal arts study at NVCC, 2) Mason's BIS program, and 3) targeted TESL training in Mason's Grad School of Education. The project will offer a broad liberal arts education, followed by a foundation of professional knowledge and diverse, well-planned clinical experiences in K-12 schools, an evaluation of readiness through performance assessment, and finally, the ability to use knowledge in practice.

Currently, ESL teacher certification requires a 120-semester hour bachelors degree and an additional 2-year teacher education program. This normally involves a minimum of 152 semester hours of university coursework. The proposed project will accomplish this in approximately 130 hours. It is expected that the paraeducators will earn college credit for knowledge acquired outside the conventional college classroom (e.g., 16 credits for foreign language) or for prior university study. They will also be able to take two of their TESL graduate courses at the undergraduate level, in their senior years. Thus, the project expects to produce 30 new K-12 ESL teachers by the time the federal funding expires. The BIPACAL 's basic steps are listed below.

Basic Steps – BIPACAL Admission
• NVCC: High School diploma and/or less than 60 college credits. Opportunity for credit by experience or test-out. Automatic transition to Mason upon completion of Assoc Arts degree.
Mason: More than 60 college credits, Bachelors in Individualized Study
Academic Program
Complete BIS plus TESL licensure programs. Receive bachelors degree + ESL teaching credential.
On-site mentoring while paraprofessional on the job.
Optional masters degree
Placement and Induction
LEA places priority on employment of new ESL teachers.
After employment, induction for first year in which beginning teacher works with mentor and university representative.
Individualized induction plan for each new teacher.
• Reflective practice, action research and portfolio analysis.
• BIS program

The project's coherence is further indicated by its adherence to the English as a New Language Standards for National Board Certification (in addition to the competencies required by the VA Department of Education) as the conceptual framework for the TESL preparation program. The abbreviated standards appear below:

A. Preparing for Student Learning

I. Knowledge of Students
II. Knowledge of Language Development
III. Knowledge of Culture
IV. Knowledge of Subject Matter

B. Advancing Student Learning

(v) Meaningful Learning
(vi) Multiple Paths of Knowledge
(vii) Instructional Resources
(viii) Learning Environment
(ix) Assessment

C. Supporting Student Learning

(x) Reflective Practice
(xi) Linkages with Families
(xii) Professional Leadership.

The project reflects the most up-to-date knowledge in both its design and delivery.

Design - After establishing the overall goals, most basic curriculum or program development models begin with an examination of the needs of the participants. Toward this end, we reviewed the literature on paraeducators-to-teachers, and discovered a number of important facts which informed the design:

1. Nearly half --49 percent-- of the nation's 650,000 k-12 educational support personnel are interested in training to become teachers. Most did not pursue teaching credentials because of: (a) financial constrains; (b) workloads; (c) lack of confidence to return to college. Almost all work full-time and have many family responsibilities.

2. 95% of all paraeducators are women working for little more than the minimum wage.

3. More than 3/4 of those enrolled in teacher education programs are members of minority groups; one third are Hispanic.

4. Paraeducators generally live in the inner-city communities and work in the schools for which they are being recruited to teach.

5. Among the 42 paraeducator programs funded by the DeWitt Wallace Fund, paraprofessionals had a very strong retention rate of 81%, compared with 60% in traditional teacher education (ibid). This speaks to their strong motivation to become teachers.

6. Paraprofessionals have generally lower attrition rates as beginning teachers than others.

7. Paraprofessionals are experienced in classroom management and how to work with students and teachers in urban schools. They reported using their background knowledge and experience to establish motivational relationships with students and develop learning activities. (cf. DeWitt Wallace-Readers Digest, Pathways Scholars, op. cit).

We also examined effective features of existing paraeducator certification programs, i.e.: credit for life experience; enhanced mentorship and advisement; cohort grouping; flexible scheduling; financial incentives - grants, scholarships; social support - programs and events for sensitizing paraeducators' support community to academic and social pressures they may encounter; and school-site-assisted performance and a nurturing environment mediating the career path into teaching, including direct mentoring.

BIPACAL , by incorporating the above features, provides a great many support services, including English language instruction, academic advising and tutoring, counseling, child care, transportation, tuition, book payments, and stipends to cover missed salary due to university attendance. Wherever possible, coursework will be offered on-site at accessible times for paraeducators (evenings, weekends, summer). The instructional assistants will form cohorts, and have the support of NVCC, Mason and their school-based mentors throughout the program and continuing throughout their first year of teaching.

From the literature on adult education we understand that adult learners are more apt to respond to reality-based, experiential curricula which have a clear, practical purpose and outcome. Learning activities must take a funds of knowledge approach, in that they recognize that the paraeducators bring a wealth of prior relevant experience to the classroom. Further, due to their background, many adults respond to a transactional, facilitative type of instructional style, in which all involved (including instructors) are both teachers and learners.

In considering various culturally-influenced learning preferences which affect classroom behavior (e.g., approach to authority, structure, individual-group orientation, and different communication styles), the project embraced the innovation, flexibility and accessibility of Mason's BIS program rather than a traditional academic major. The BIS allows for a comprehensive interdisciplinary A/S curriculum, which allows each paraeducator to design her own program of studies according to interests, strengths and needs. While much of the concentration will be a shared experience (in response to the need for support), it will also include a substantial amount of individual activities such as targeted field experience projects. The TESL preparation program will feature additional field work, internship, and a culminating action research project. The project is results-driven in that it will be judged ultimately by what its graduates know and can do, rather than by the courses they took or grades received.

Delivery - In keeping with design considerations, the delivery mechanism follows an organismic rather than mechanistic approach wherein the learning environment is dynamic, and teachers are viewed as multidimensional and evolving. While there is a certain amount of knowledge and instructional skills which are required, it is equally important for teachers to understand their own dispositions and expectations toward the subject matter, students and school. Further, they need to have a clear understanding of their own role in the classroom activity - do they assume the transfer role in which they are the fountain of knowledge or the transactional role in which they are more of a facilitator. Clearly, good teaching requires both, but we generally favor the latter.

In teaching paraeducators, the GSE delivery system will feature constructivist teaching and learning activities, reflective practice, an emphasis on culturally-responsive teaching, and targeted field experiences whose objectives are closely tied to university coursework.

Constructivism - Constructivism refers to the process in which meaning and knowledge is constructed by the individual through her/his interactions with the environment. Thus, knowledge is individually constructed from within, rather than existing "out there" in an objective form. In this sense, learning is more effective and lasting when it develops from what the student already knows (funds of knowledge), when it is reality-based, and when it involves human interaction (since we rely on shared or negotiated meanings, better thought of as cooperative rather than authoritative or manipulative in nature.

Mason's BIS coursework is noted for its inquiry-oriented, flexible way of developing instructional skill and knowledge. Students learn cooperatively and apply concepts to various settings with the guidance of instructors.

Reflective Practice - Usually associated with Donald Schon and Chris Argyris, reflective practice refers to a learning mode in which thought and action are integrated with reflection. It involves thinking about and critically analyzing one's actions with the goal of improving one's professional practice. Engaging in reflective practice requires individuals to assume the perspective of an external observer in order to identify the assumptions and feelings underlying practice, and then to speculate about how they affect practice. BIS and GSE students regularly reflect on their own practice through journaling, dialogue and action research.

Culturally-Responsive Pedagogy - Teaching methods which align themselves with students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds will be modeled at both NVCC and Mason (often by the paraeducators themselves). Included, for example, will be a focus on second language acquisition principles, in recognition that language can be taught and learned across the curriculum. We agree with Garcia's idea that "...effective second-language learning is best accomplished under conditions that simulate natural communicative interactions and minimize the formal instruction of linguistic structures...". Thus, certain concepts may be presented bilingually. Cooperative learning activities, for example, might be used to demonstrate the importance of blending language, content and interactive skills learning.

As mentioned, BIPACAL Project embraces a "funds of knowledge" approach to teaching, in keeping with the project's view of the importance of understanding the whole child and taking a systemic view of child development. The paraeducators will be taught ethnographic techniques to study the social and cultural practices of the community and its families, for eventual use in the classroom. One outcome will be the development of case-studies of a child in a family and community context, including instructional applications.

Dr. Lorraine Valdez-Pierce (a nationally-recognized specialist on assessment), on the Mason faculty will train paraeducators in alternative assessment techniques including the development of authentic assessment mechanisms, portfolios and other alternatives to traditional, standardized testing. These are critically important for English language learners, who are still disproportionately represented in special education.

Field Experiences/Internships/Role Models - Naturally, clinical experiences are an integral part of any teacher education program. The project will take an immersion approach to this aspect.

To save time and resources, paraeducators will divide their field experiences between their own schools and others in the community. However, they must have an opportunity to learn not only from other teachers, but also from the children, their families, and the community. Thus, every teacher education course, and many other BIS classes, will have field experience components, enabling paraeducators to observe and apply university-based content to real settings.

Finally, the project has devoted a great deal of energy to the selection of expert instructional models. Not only will paraeducators be working with school-based mentors on a daily basis, but BIPACAL will ensure that they are witnessing effective practices. Wherever possible, paraeducators will observe and work with teachers in Mason's Professional Development Schools, a network of 10 elementary and secondary sites which feature partnerships between master teachers, interns and other pre-service teachers, and university faculty dedicated to instructional improvement and teacher education. Further, the bilingual paraprofessionals will be taking TESL methods coursework with three Mason faculty members who are known internationally for their work in bilingual education: Virginia Collier (second language acquisition, methods), Lorraine Valdez Pierce (assessment) and Harold Chu (multicultural education).

Coordination with similar efforts...

George Mason University - The project will closely coordinate with other GSE programs which serve LM/LEP populations, including our masters and doctoral programs in Multilingual/Multicultural Education (M/M/E) , the M/M teacher induction program which operates in schools with significant numbers of LM/ESL students, and our overall teacher education curriculum which highly values development of culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategies. The teacher induction program will specifically provide assistance during the phase of BIPACAL in which the new ESL teachers are in their initial year of service.

Community - The BIPACAL will also coordinate with a number of community agencies on internship sites, action research projects, child care, language instruction and other support. These include the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Association for the Education and Advancement of Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese Americans (NAFEA), Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC), the Salvadoran Association, the Central American Resource Center, the Ethiopian Community Development Council, the Columbia Heights West Child Development Center and a number of churches which serve Hispanic, Asian, and African congregations.

Over the last 20 years, the M/M/E program has prepared over a thousand teachers and other educators for service with LM/ESL students. Since many of our graduates have remained in the Northern Virginia/ DC metro area, there is a large network of Mason M/M alumnae who can be called on for mentoring, field supervision, course instruction, and guidance for action research plans. The proposed project will take full advantage of them.

In addition to collaboration with APS, FCPS and PWCS, the project will also coordinate with other LEAs in our region through the general partnership efforts of the Center for Multilingual and Multicultural Education.
State - Even though the Virginia Department of Education has reorganized the bilingual/ESL office, Mason still maintains close contact with the responsible SEA authorities. Mason Center faculty assist the state office each year with the Virginia ESL/Bilingual Conference (Dr. Valdez Pierce is the current President) and we respond to requests for needs in other parts of the state, such as Tidewater and the Shenandoah Valley, which have rapidly-increasing LM populations.

Mason Center faculty also maintain close contact with the District of Columbia SEA on numbers of LM/ESL students and special needs for DCPS personnel training. The BIPACAL may take advantage of these linkages in coordinating clinical experiences, employment and other arrangements.

Federal/National - Being located in the home of the federal government, the three project partners are familiar with the various federal resources which serve language minority/ESL populations. In the U.S. Education Department these include, for example, the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs, Office of Postsecondary Education and Office of Special Education. The Department also supports various research and evaluation efforts which the project will keep abreast of. In addition, a number of other federal agencies, including the Departments of Labor, Health/Human Services and Justice (conflict resolution programs), as well as the National Science Foundation, offer services which can dovetail with BIPACAL .

Washington is also home to many education-oriented associations, and Mason has been involved in a number of projects. The GSE is a member of NEA's Teacher Education Initiative, a partnership between schools, universities and the National Education Association.

Finally, the Dean of GSE is especially active in The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Coordination between Mason, NVCC, APS, FCPS, PWCS and community, state and federal agencies will be managed by the project coordinator, each district's Director of Bilingual Services and the Advisory Committee.

Comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning ...

The comprehensive nature of the project can be seen in its attempt to address the academic, financial and social needs of the target population through the collaboration of the project partners. The BIPACAL is intended to bring together specialists in the liberal arts and sciences (including anthropology and linguistics), language minority education (including ESL instruction), higher education student services, child development, parenting, and K-12 curriculum and instruction. Their primary goal will be to implement a system which incorporates the most current thinking on language minority, adult, postsecondary and paraprofessional education. The system will feature extensive support services and a training design that will develop skills in attending to the range of learning needs and preferences of language minority and other elementary youngsters in high-need schools. It will be delivered in an atmosphere which features inclusion, reflective practice, constructivist approaches to teaching and learning, extensive field experience and continual group interaction. Through this comprehensive effort to unite human and material resources, a group of 30 paraeducators will become a cohort of well-trained, high-quality ESL teachers.

Rigorous Academic Standards. As mentioned in the Needs section, the Virginia Board of Education recently promulgated a new statewide curriculum and assessment system called the Standards of Learning (SOLs). The SOLs are generally seen as more rigorous than past K-12 academic requirements, and were developed to enable Virginia to leapfrog other states in academic performance. For accountability, the SOLs call for "gatekeeper" achievement exams at four different grade levels prior to high school graduation (these exams are given in English, and have already caused controversy among educators of LM students). The SOLs have become an integral part of the teacher education curriculum at Mason. Teacher candidates must demonstrate mastery of content, instructional methods and assessment techniques which will insure maximum success of K-12 students on SOL exams. Included are performance assessment tasks during practicum and internship experiences which require our teacher education participants to formatively and summatively evaluate their K-12 students.

Improve Teaching and Learning - The project will also improve teaching and learning by infusing the teaching staffs of APS, FCPS, and PWCS with 30 high-quality K-12 ESL teachers who share their students linguistic and cultural background. As Becket has commented, "Teachers with the same background and language as the students could provide more positive role models, create better communication between teachers and students, develop more relevant curricula, and improve student attitudes toward school.

The project intends to prepare paraeducators for certification, follow them through the employment process, and provide induction assistance in their first year of teaching. Teaching competence will be assessed (for professional development, rather than evaluation, purposes) and student achievement monitored.
Formal assessment of the paraeducators' teaching ability is conducted by the state of VA through its Praxis exams. Graduates of Mason's teacher education programs have consistently been at the top of VA's teacher education institutions, and have never fallen below an 82% pass rate.

Project participants are to be selected ...
Participating school districts identify, assess, and nominate bilingual paraprofessionals to join the project. Several factors described in the Objectives section are considered in the selection of project participants: prior academic excellence, as measured by quantity and quality of prior postsecondary experience, grade point average, recommendations from instructors and other relevant personnel, and specialized skills and knowledge. Eligibility requirements include a high school diploma or GED, bilingual fluency, and work in a participating school district as an instructional assistant for at least three years. Emphasis will be placed on identifying bilingual/bicultural paraprofessionals.

Applicants must submit a resume, academic credentials including transcripts, three letters of recommendation including one from their principal or another person who has supervised their work, and a completed NVCC or Mason application form. As noted in the selection criteria listed on p. 7, the project will place importance on the academic potential of the candidate. Entry into Mason's TESL preparation program (for all applicants, not just paraprofessionals) will be limited to those with a 3.0 GPA.

Equal access and treatment for eligible project participants ...

Mason and NVCC are not only committed to equal access and treatment for the bilingual paraprofessionals who participate, but firmly believe in equal outcomes. The BIPACAL 's fundamental premise is that participation of this group will provide equal access and treatment for underserved language minority groups in participating LEAs.
Both Mason and NVCC have strong records for actively and successfully recruiting students who represent a wide range of backgrounds in terms of ethnicity, national origin, gender, age and disabling conditions, including students from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented. Of the 24,000+ students currently enrolled at Mason, approximately one-third are of minority background, and this percentage is increasing. Of the 60,000 students at all five NVCC campuses, approximately 37% are of minority background. Within GSE, more than half of the students in the - program come from language minority backgrounds. Most are seeking ESL licensure. Mason has therefore had a long and successful experience with preparing former ESL students to become ESL teachers.

Services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity ...

The BIPACAL will provide quality services throughout all phases: selection based on sound criteria, careful diagnosis of entry level knowledge and skill, the provision of individualized academic coursework, carefully-designed TESL classes and clinical experiences, and induction services during the first year of teaching.
The requirements for this program consist of a total of approximately 130 semester hours of postsecondary coursework (plus credit for prior knowledge and experience) which balance theory and practice in a comprehensive curriculum jointly emphasizing the liberal arts and teaching in multicultural/ multilingual settings. As part of the program, paraeducators participate in a variety of supervised field experiences, and benefit from induction services during initial teaching year. That insures that the professional skills developed during their ESL certification program will further improve.

The project's quality has been described in the Project Design section. It will conform to the most recent thinking on ESL teacher education, learning and induction. Further, because BIPACAL will be constructed out of already-existing (but uncoordinated) services, the project will have a long-term impact.

The project personnel include: (1) the Mason and NVCC coordinators, (2) Mason faculty in multilingual/multicultural education, (3) Mason Minority Student Affairs Advisor, (4) mentor teachers; (5) the district coordinators of bilingual services; and (6) the Advisory Committee. Mason's Jorge Osterling will serve as the project coordinator, and NVCC's Alice Hedley will be the co-coordinator. They are described below, along with their responsibilities.

1. Project Coordinators

Jorge P. Osterling , Associate Professor of Education at Mason, is an Hispanic-American with proficiency in Spanish, English and German. Dr. Osterling has over 30 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, researcher, and author. With a Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, he has been teaching at Mason since 1996. His interests are in the areas of community-oriented pedagogy, teacher professional development, and sociocultural change. His life-long concern with the negative effects of poverty, the environment, urban life and economic development on our educational system are reflected in his recent books and publications. He also serves as a member of the board of directors or as a pro bono consultant to various educational grassroots organizations which serve inner-city and minority youth.

Dr. Osterling has committed 0.25 of his time to the project. Along with Ms. Hedley, the NVCC Co-coordinator, he will: oversee the planning, budgeting and general administration of the program; address the preparation segment by overseeing the admissions process, assisting with academic program development, coordinating with the NVCC and BIS programs, arranging for teacher education coursework and field sites, and supervising paraeducators' practica, internships and projects; work with Mason's Office of Minority Student Affairs to provide academic advising, counseling, tutoring and orientation services to the paraeducators; and oversee the development and maintenance of the project website.

NVCC's Alice Hedley will serve as Co-coordinator of the project. Ms. Hedley is the coordinator of NVCC's Retention and Tutoring Services, and is also a counselor in the Counseling Services Office. She will coordinate participants' experiences at NVCC in admissions, diagnosis, credit for experience, course placement and selection, support services and the transition to Mason. She will also assist Dr. Osterling in overseeing the entire BIPACAL . Ms. Hedley received her masters degree in Counseling from The University of Virginia, and is bilingual in Spanish and English. She has committed 0.25 of her time to the project.
Both Dr. Osterling and Ms. Hedley will meet monthly with the cohort of paraeducators to facilitate peer support, learn about potential difficulties and monitor progress.

2. Mason Multilingual/Multicultural Education Faculty

Dr. Jack Levy is a professor and co-coordinator of the Center for Multilingual/ Multicultural Education. He also coordinates the Language Minority Teacher Induction Project, which will be aligned with BIPACAL during its induction phase. Dr. Levy has had over 30 years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, researcher, author, consultant, and federal official in bilingual education. He began his education career in 1968 as a Spanish high school teacher and taught in one of New York City's first bilingual programs. With a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Southern California, Dr. Levy has been a professor of multilingual/ multicultural education at Mason since 1978.

Because of his experience with federal bilingual projects, Dr. Levy will assist Dr. Osterling and Ms. Hedley in the general administration of BIPACAL . He will play an increasingly active role as the paraprofessionals progress through the curriculum. He will come into contact with the participants as an instructor (EDCI 516 and EDUC 537) and university representative for field experiences and induction. For this reasons, Dr. Levy's time commitment to BIPACAL will increase from .10 during years 1-2 to .25 in years 3-5. He will also serve on the Advisory Committee.

Other M/M/E faculty include Virginia Collier (second language acquisition), Lorraine Valdez Pierce (assessment) and Harold Chu (multicultural education).

3. Minority Student Affairs Advisor - Contributing .25 of his/her time, the advisor will help monitor participants' academic progress and transition-to-campus on a weekly basis. S/he will individually meet with participants regularly and arrange for tutoring, English language instruction, or other support services when needed. S/he will also attend the cohort's monthly meetings with the coordinators and serve on the Advisory Committee.

4. Mentor Teachers - Since the project anticipates having thirty paraprofessionals, up to thirty faculty mentors will be selected. They will be recruited from a pool of successful, veteran ESL teachers, most of whom teach at the paraprofessionals' home schools. In addition to guiding paraprofessionals in all aspects of curriculum/instruction and school life, mentors will help address routine and non-routine instructional or social problems encountered by participants.

5. District Coordinators of Bilingual Services - Emma Violand-Sanchez (Arlington), Carol Bass (Prince William), and Keith Buchanan (Interim coordinator in Fairfax) will primarily be responsible for overseeing the recruiting and selection of project participants and coordinating their employment. They will manage the information dissemination process through which potential applicants are contacted, coordinate applications to the program (including contacting supervisors for recommendations), and lead the selection process. Once paraeducators have been selected they will manage personnel matters involving payment of fringe benefits and employment of replacement instructional assistants. They will also both serve on the Advisory Committee. Each of these personnel have more than 10 years' experience teaching and managing ESL programs. All are frequent presenters at Virginia's annual ESL conference.

6. Advisory Committee - Comprised of Drs. Osterling, Levy, Ms. Hedley, the Mason Minority Student Affairs Advisor, a district ESL coordinator, a principal, teacher and paraeducator. The committee will meet twice per year and advise on all phases the project, from recruitment and selection to evaluation. It will also assist in the employment process as well as keep project directors apprised of developments in the schools and community.

Encourages applications for employment from persons who...

In the hiring of faculty and staff, both NVCC and Mason encourage applications for employment of personnel from underserved culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Mason's and NVCC's nondiscriminatory practices and policies regarding equal opportunity and affirmative action for students, faculty and staff are described in the catalogs of each institution.

Adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project ...
As can be seen from the attached graphic, the project has four main components - recruitment and selection, the NVCC and Mason academic programs leading to the bachelors degree, TESL teacher preparation at Mason and employment induction.

Recruitment/Selection - As indicated, the LEAs will have primary responsibility for this phase of BIPACAL . Under the auspices of the ESL coordinators, bilingual paraprofessionals will be identified, screened and selected. Both project coordinators will serve this phase in an advisory capacity, as will the Advisory Committee.

NVCC-Mason Academic Programs - Depending on their academic backgrounds, the coordinators will refer individual participants to NVCC or Mason. They will then be admitted, diagnosed (if necessary), and enrolled in coursework. The project coordinators will have primary responsibility for this phase. Support services in the form of academic tutoring, English language instruction, career counseling and assistance with transition will be provided by the various staff members on each campus. Regular meetings will be conducted with the cohorts by both coordinators and the Mason Minority Student Affairs advisor. Participants will also meet regularly with their ESL teacher mentors. The project coordinators will monitor individual progress and troubleshoot where necessary. Participants will graduate from Mason with a bachelors degree in individualized studies.

TESL Teacher Preparation - Drs. Osterling and Levy will assume primary responsibility for advising during this phase. Dr. Levy, along with other faculty in the Center for Multilingual/Multicultural Education, will serve as a course instructor. The ESL teacher mentors will provide important instructional service in the field.

Employment and Induction - The LEA ESL coordinators will facilitate employment for the new ESL teachers, most likely in their home schools. Drs. Osterling and Levy, with other Mason faculty in TESL, will represent the university on induction teams. Each team will be comprised of the new ESL teacher, other beginning teachers if available, the teacher mentor and a university representative. The focus of the group will be on reflective practice and action research to fulfill the academic potential of ESL students.

The evaluation plan will include formative analyses throughout each year, and a final summative analysis. The formative data will be used to improve the program as necessary. Each of the objectives of the project will be evaluated in both a process- and product-orientation. The following evaluation questions will guide the data collection and analysis:

1. To what degree has the project met its objective to establish a recruiting, training, placement and induction system in which 30 bilingual paraeducators will become new K-12 ESL teachers?

2: To what degree has the project met its objective to place 100% of the participants in ESL teaching positions?

3. To what degree has the project met its objective of providing induction services for program graduates during their first year of teaching?

As mentioned in the section on goals and objectives, each of the objectives is quantifiable.

The following quantitative and qualitative data will be collected according to each objective.

1. Establishing a recruiting, training and induction system.

1.1 Student Recruitment and Selection - (Oct-Dec 2000; June-July 2001; thereafter as necessary)
- Recruitment data - announcements, records of meetings, etc. (Beginning Oct 2000)
- List of criteria for selection (Oct 2000)
- Pool of possible candidates (Oct 2000 and thereafter)
- Profiles of accepted participants - prior education, experience, recommendations, goal statements, language background. (Dec 2000; July 2001 and thereafter)
- Documentation of selection meetings. (Beginning Oct 2000)

1.2 Student Training Objectives- Support - (Beginning Jan 2001)
- Record of meetings with advisors, coordinators, teacher mentors (Beg Jan 2001)
- Documentation regarding need for tutoring, English language instruction, other
support. (As needed)
- Records of yearly stipends, tuition, fees, financial aid (Beginning Jan 01)
- Records of additional financial sources. (As applicable)
- Website data - # of communications, amount of information disseminated (Beg. Jan 01)

1.3 Student Training Objectives - Academic (Dec 00)
- Documentation of admissions process. (Dec 00; June 01)
- Records of assessment and course placement and enrollment.(Jan 01, July 01)
- Documentation of credit for experience. (Jan-Apr 01; Sept-Nov 01)
- Progress reports on completion of degree and licensure (Beg Jan 01, ongoing)
- Student performance data from internships, practica (As applicable)
- Performance assessments in classes, especially teacher education curriculum (as applicable)
- Student course evaluations (after each course)
- Website data - academic (throughout each semester)

2. Placement in ESL Teaching Positions

- Documentation on job placement (after graduation)

3. Induction Services

- Reports of observations, meetings between mentor, beginning ESL teacher and univ representative. (During first year of teaching)
- Student performance data (During first year of teaching)
- Supervisor evaluations (During first year of teaching)
- Self reports (During first year of teaching)
- Outcomes of action research (End of induction year)

The information listed above will be collected at a variety of points during the year. It will provide important feedback to the project coordinators as they make adjustments for the future. Special attention, for example will be placed on quantitative and qualitative data regarding academic progress and affective status.

Data management will provide effective evaluation. through feedback mechanisms. Feedback will be "360º" in nature from all project personnel, the participants and K-12 ESL students. Wherever possible, participants can provide their perceptions using their native language, via interviews instead of written products, etc.
All participants and personnel will be encouraged to post impressions, forms and other data on BIPACAL website. The participants will have access to computer labs and instruction.
The comprehensive nature and variety of the data to be collected and analyzed will enable the coordinators to make informed decisions on the project's progress.