Alternative Certification Inten

outline of globe Alternative Certification
Intensive Summer Institute for World Language Teachers

(Last Updated on April 12, 2007)

Overview

In the summer of 2007 Northern Kentucky University is offering an intensive summer institute to provide an alternative path to certification for Kentucky world language teachers. This program is intended to facilitate certification for those individuals who:

Already are proficient in a world language and
Already possess at least a Bachelor's Degree and
Fit into one of the following three categories:

Are currently teaching with emergency or limited certification or
Are working as a bilingual instructional aide, or
Wish to teach but do not have a background in education.

Program Description	Costs
Scholarship Information	Living Accommodations
Books and Materials	Entrance Criteria
Application Process	Exit Criteria
Certification	Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Information

Program Description

The program runs for seven weeks beginning June 4 and ending July 20, 2007. Classes meet weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Participants receive six hours of instruction per day for six weeks, five days a week for a total of 180 contact hours. In the seventh week, the program will offer a practice test for the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching and workshops on test taking strategies. Also in the seventh week, participants will take part in the STARTALK Camp, teaching language classes to children ages 6 to 17 under the supervision of Master Teachers.

Successful participants receive twelve semester hours of graduate credit.

Six of the semester hours focus on teaching methodologies for world language teachers. Topics are suitable for elementary, middle, and secondary school students, and include:

the use of technology in language teaching
the history of world language teaching
a review of second language acquisition research and its implications for teaching practice
research-based instructional approaches, methods, strategies and techniques for foreign language instruction
curriculum development, assessment, and evaluation

The other six hours will be in education:

two semester hours on child and adolescent growth and development
two semester hours on classroom management
two semester hours on knowledge of individual differences, including the teaching of exceptional children

All new teacher standards will be covered in the content of these courses.

Click HERE to view a tentative schedule for the Summer Program.

Costs

In-state tuition for Kentucky residents or applicants currently teaching in Kentucky is $3,516. Applicants teaching in Kentucky but not residing in Kentucky must provide written documentation from employer of current teaching assignment. Metro rates and out-of-state tuition rates are higher. For more information on tuition rates, please go to http://gradschool.nku.edu/tuition.html.

Scholarships covering in-state tuition are available for twenty participants on a first come, first served basis under the Improving Educator Quality Grant described below. There is no need to apply for a scholarship, once your application is received you will automatically be entered into the scholarship pool pending your qualification. Participants residing out of state or in the metro area who receive the tuition scholarship will be required to pay the difference.

Scholarship Information

We have received two separate grants for this program from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The Improving Educator Quality Grant entitled "Opening Doors to New Worlds: Certifying World Language Teachers for Kentucky."

Covers in-state tuition for twenty participants in the Intensive Summer Institute.
Provides $300 of instructional materials selected by participants.
Requires recipients to attend three follow-up workshops in the Fall of 2007 and three in the Spring of 2008. Workshops will be held on Saturdays, dates to be determined, in Louisville and/or Northern Kentucky, depending on where most of the participants are working.

Workshops are designed to enhance professional development
Develop materials and curriculum
Provide mentoring and peer support

Recipients will also be required to maintain a professional relationship with one of the workshop institute partners for mentoring.
The grant does not include books, room or board, or other university fees, such as the application fee.

STARTALK Grant ONLY for teachers of Arabic and Chinese.

Covers full tuition for the Intensive Summer Institute.
Provides a stipend towards on-campus housing costs for participants who do not live locally.
Provides additional development sessions specifically on the structure of Arabic or Chinese. These sessions will be held during the Intensive Summer Institute, the week of June 4th through 8th in the mornings.

Click Here for more information about the STARTALK Grant Program and Scholarships.

Living Accommodations

Participants who do not wish to commute can arrange dormitory rooms at NKU or at Thomas More College at their own expense. For information about NKU housing, contact University Housing at http://access.nku.edu/housing. For information about Thomas More housing, please contact Prof. Maria Garriga (Maria.Garriga@ThomasMore.edu), who can give you more information. Rates are in the range of $18-25 a night. Dining contracts are available in the summer, but dining hours may be abbreviated or limited.

Books and Materials

Participants will be expected to purchase books and materials for the institute at their own expense. Books should be purchased before classes begin. A list of textbooks and materials will be posted as soon as it is available.

Entrance Criteria:

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or a graduate degree in an area related to certification. All transcripts submitted to NKU must be official and should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Programs from the issuing institution. Transcripts must have the registrar’s signature and/or official seal of the institution to be considered official. Official transcripts in envelopes sealed by the institution’s registrar with stamp or signature across the flap and sent with the application are acceptable. Transcripts from every institution attended must be sent. A summary of credit transferred from one institution and recorded on the transcript of another institution is not acceptable.

Applicants with a degree from an institution outside the U.S. must have their transcripts evaluated by an approved foreign education evaluation service.

Applicants who are already teaching in a school district in Kentucky can request that the school district send a photocopy of the foreign transcript or diploma to NKU’s Office of Graduate Admissions, but the transcript evaluation must be received directly from the credentials service.

GRE test. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree or bachelor’s equivalent need to take the GRE tests and have a score report sent directly to NKU from Educational Testing Service. For information about the GRE, please contact Educational Testing Service. In the U.S. the test is computer-based and is offered at various depending on the test location. To register for the test, locate a test center near you and then CALL and set up your test date. Test sites may be busy at certain times of the year, so please schedule it as soon as you can. Applicants who hold a graduate degree in an area related to certification are not required to submit GRE scores.

Praxis content test. Passing or near passing scores on the Praxis test in your content area of Spanish, German, or French. There is no Praxis test for Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic. Participants in these areas will be asked to provide evidence of their proficiency in the language through other means.

***If you are signed up for the Praxis test in April, please go ahead and take the on-line WebCape test so we have at least some scores to use when considering your application. You still WILL NEED to take the Praxis before entering the program.

TOEFL test. Non-native speakers of English must submit a TOEFL score or other evidence of academic English language proficiency. Please look here for more information or follow this site to register for the TOEFL.

Application Process

Fill out NKU's Graduate Application: All applicants must complete NKU’s Graduate Application. Information related to the application process can be found at http://gradschool.nku.edu/graddeadlines.html. Complete one of the following:

***Please make note when filling out the Application for Graduate Admission: On question 11, mark Non-degree (Unclassified) and check the Other box, fill in ISIWLT on the blank line provided. On question 17 in regards to transferring any credit, mark No.

On-line graduate application ($25 fee) or

download an application form and submit it by mail ($40 fee).

Fill out Intensive Summer Institute for World Language Teachers 2007 Application: All applicants, including those who intend to enroll later in a graduate program at Northern or who already have a graduate degree, must complete the Unclassified Graduate Application modified specifically for this program. This application cannot be submitted electronically! Please download the form and return via US mail or in person to the Office of Graduate Programs. On this application, boxes have been checked to indicate that you are unable to be admitted to a master's program at this time, but intend to pursue a master’s degree at some point in the future and that you plan to take courses in education. Indicate whether or not you intend to apply for the tuition stipend. You are not obligating yourself in any way to pursue a graduate degree in the future at Northern or limiting your options to do so by signing this form.

Pay the application fee. Your fee will depend on the application that you choose to use for your application. Prices are listed above. This fee can be paid directly to the Office of Graduate Studies, http://gradschool.nku.edu/contact.html, by check, credit card, or money order. Please include your social security number on your check or money order. (You do not have to pay the application fee if you have already obtained a bachelor’s or master’s degree from NKU or you are a full-time employee and submit a copy of your faculty ID with your application.)

Send Confirmation of Teaching: Please submit some form of confirmation of teaching experience in Kentucky:

Proof of current teaching position or

Proof of your intention to teach in Kentucky, such as a letter from your principal, a copy of a contract from a school for the coming year or a statement from a principal committed to or interested in hiring you for the coming year or

A statement that you are currently seeking employment in a Kentucky school.

All applications, Transcripts, GRE scores, Praxis content scores, TOEFL scores and all other documents and fees should be sent to:

                    Office of Graduate Programs
                    302 Lucas Administrative Center
                    Highland Heights, KY 41099

Exit Criteria

To be recommended for certification, participants must do the following:

1. Pass all courses in the intensive program with a grade of B or better

2. Achieve an acceptable score on the Praxis Tests in your subject area if you teach French (159), German (157), or Spanish (160)

3. Achieve an acceptable score on the Praxis Test Principles of Teaching and Learning (161).

Certification

Participants who meet the above requirements will receive an initial one-year certificate and become eligible for employment in Kentucky as first-year teachers and for participation in the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP).

Frequently Asked Questions

Several people have contacted us with questions, read the Frequently Asked Questions to see if they help you too.

Contact Information

Dr. Gay N. Washburn
College of Education and Human Services
BEP 262
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Tel. 859-572-7516
Fax 859-572- 6096
e-mail: option7@nku.edu