TESOL Receives Grant from W. K. Kellogg Foundation to Support English Learners
Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) March 12, 2014 -- TESOL International Association (TESOL) has received a $300,000 grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan, to develop resources to help improve school district capacity for supporting English learners (ELs) in U.S. schools. Leveraging the expertise of the English language teaching field that it represents, TESOL will develop resources that can be used by preservice and in-service ESL and content-area teachers, as well as resources for school administrators.
Using the TESOL P-12 Professional Teaching Standards as a foundation, the innovative project will be executed in three phases with a target audience for each phase: preservice teachers, in-service teachers, and school administrators. For phase one, TESOL will develop a catalogue of resources and pilot a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) for university professors to use with their preservice teacher candidates. In phase two, TESOL will design and pilot an online professional learning community that in-service teachers will use to strengthen their practice and share resources. Phase three will include guidelines on using the TESOL P-12 Professional Teaching Standards in administration certificate programs and attracting diverse candidates for administrator positions.
“As the population of ELs in U.S. schools continues to grow, districts need a knowledgeable and qualified educator workforce to meet the needs of this student population,” explained TESOL Executive Director Rosa Aronson. “Unfortunately, content-area and general-education teachers continue to report being unprepared to work with ELs. With this project, generously supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, TESOL will help build the capacity of teachers and administrators to serve all students, including ELs.”
Arelis E. Diaz, program officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, remarked: “English learners are the fastest growing population of students in the United States. This project will provide extended learning for teachers and educators in order to support multilingual students in maximizing their learning. We are excited about the potential impact of this grant.” TESOL will report its finding and recommendations at the 50th Anniversary TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo in 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland USA.
About TESOL International Association
Founded in 1966, TESOL International Association is a professional community of educators, researchers, administrators, and students committed to advancing excellence in English language teaching for speakers of other languages worldwide. With more than 13,000 members representing over 150 countries, TESOL fosters the exchange of ideas, research, and peer-to-peer knowledge, and provides expertise, resources, and a powerful voice on issues affecting the profession. Through professional development programs, its international conference, special interest groups, and publications, TESOL engages tens of thousands of professionals to collaborate globally and create a world of opportunity for millions of people of all ages who want to learn English. For more information, please visit http://www.tesol.org.
About the W. K. Kellogg Foundation
The W. K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work, and life.
The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit http://www.wkkf.org.
Barry Pilson, TESOL International Association, http://www.tesol.org, +1 703.518.2512, [email protected]
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