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Meredith to Offer First Initial ESL Licensure Program in North
Carolina
 eredith
is the first college or university in North Carolina to offer
an initial teaching licensure program in English-as-a-Second-Language
(ESL). The N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) recently
approved Meredith’s program, which begins in August 2003.
In the past, state educational regulations required teachers
to obtain licensure in another area, such as elementary education,
before they acquired an ESL license, which was known as an
“add-on” license. The state changed the regulations
in October 2002 to allow teachers to get their first license
in ESL.
 About
60,000 public school students statewide have limited English
proficiency, said Alesha McCauley, ESL consultant with DPI.
“ESL programs are gaining national attention through
Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. For the
first time in our nation's history, schools and school districts
will now be held accountable for the academic successes and
failures of limited-English proficient students,” McCauley
said. “Educators must now begin to focus on finding ways
to assist these students and ensure their success in American
schools.”
Many current teachers leading ESL classes are not certified
as ESL teachers, said Dr. Ellen Graden, assistant professor
of education at Meredith. In some cases, ESL teachers may
be professionals from other fields who have no formal training
as educators. The Meredith program is designed to serve them
as well as current college students, Graden said.
McCauley said, “The stand-alone license is important
because people can pursue an ESL license without having been
certified in another subject area first. That helps folks
from other professions (lateral entry) enter the world of
ESL teaching in a different way.”
In addition, the No Child Left Behind Act, a federal government
program, requires all teachers to be certified in the area
or areas they teach by 2006, said McCauley, who holds a bachelor’s
degree in Spanish and a Master of Education in ESL, both from
Meredith.
The ESL licensure program at Meredith emphasizes language
and communication skills, teaching methods, and hands-on experience
in school classrooms. In addition, Meredith’s General
Education program requires all undergraduates to participate
in courses that emphasize cultural awareness and global perspectives.
While many ESL teachers are bilingual, they don’t have
to speak a foreign language to succeed in the classroom, Graden
said. More than 170 different languages are spoken among ESL
students in North Carolina, although Spanish is the most common
language.
McCauley said, “ESL teachers try to focus on the standard
courses of study… and teach those main concepts in simpler
ways, without such a dependence on English. Many ESL teachers
also serve as translators (if they're bilingual) and parent
liaisons as well.”
For more information about the ESL initial licensure program
at Meredith College, please contact the School of Education
at ext. 8315.
LeaderShape
Participants Create Visions For the Future
The Meredith LeaderShape
Institute, held in May at Fort Caswell, N.C., is designed
to help participants lead with integrity. Participants focused
on a variety of leadership development skills such as practicing
decision making for ethical dilemmas, learning how to work
in high performance teams, dealing with change, understanding
and respecting others’ values, and clarifying personal
values and standards. In 2001, Meredith became the first women’s
college and first college in North Carolina to hold a LeaderShape
session for its students.
The 2003 session attracted 40 Meredith students. As part of
the program, participants developed vision statements related
to the organizations and issues they want to support.
“LeaderShape Institute 2003 taught me more about myself
than I could have ever imagined,” said participant Erin
Rains, ’06. “I learned about my leadership style,
my strengths, weaknesses, and things I can do to help myself
become a better leader.”
Many of the vision statements created this year revolved around
improving the quality of life for children, valuing diversity
in all forms, and raising the self-esteem of young girls.
“Participants return from the LeaderShape Institute prepared
to make a difference in society and the energy that is shared
by each student is contagious. LeaderShape is special because
it gives students the courage to explore their own leadership
styles,” said Kelly Scott, assistant director of student
activities and leadership development. “Our students
are ready to produce results and act on their own visions
upon their return.”
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O’Briant
volunteers one night a week for a three hour shift, but she
usually stays longer. She is a night patient care volunteer
who is about to reach 200 hours of service. She performs a
variety of tasks including providing patients with blankets,
towels and anything else to make them feel at ease. She also
stocks medical supplies on carts, passes out ice buckets and
makes charts.