NATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION MODEL
(53 votes – first priority)

We will develop national recommendations for FL Education programs that focuses on the following areas of knowledge, competence and experience:

• Second Language Acquisition
  
• Technology
  
• Professionalism – leadership training
  
• Assessment/portfolio preparation
  
• Diverse learner characteristics
  
• Field experiences
  
• K-16 sequences
  
• Standards-based curriculum
  
• Classroom management
  
• Culture
  
• Qualifications for foreign language education and foreign language instructors (Gas, adjuncts, Tas )
  
• Research awareness

1. We will conduct a needs assessment of the foreign language education field that focuses on these areas of interest:

1.1. Past failures
1.2. Changing needs of pre-service teachers
1.3. Needs of first-year teachers
1.4. Needs of student teachers
1.5. Needs of cooperating teachers
1.6. Need for long term professional development for practicing teachers
1.7. Descriptions of existing programs

2. We will identify, develop and disseminate model training materials and frameworks that contain the following characteristics:

2.1. A major that is horizontally articulated
2.2. A focus on culture
2.3. Appropriate attention to teaching literature
2.4. A focus on language maintenance
2.5. A focus on service learning
2.6. Inclusion of immersion/study abroad/internships
2.7. Alternative modes of delivery, including: online materials, course syllabi, access to experts in the field, videos

3. We will identify essential subject matter competencies required to function effectively as a foreign language educator and assess attainment of these competencies prior to licensure, including:

3.1. Proficiency levels (OPIs and related tests)
3.2. Performance on Praxis examinations

4. We will identify model teacher preparation programs (similar to FLES model programs selected by the Center for Applied Linguistics)

5. We will take full advantage of participation in the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) to assure the accreditation of only high quality foreign language teacher education programs

• ACTFL/MLA
  Needs assessment survey results (#2)
  U.S. Department of Education (USED) grants
  FL Teach
  Professional literature
  National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

• ACTFL
  
• Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)
  
• E-mail
  
• Existing research/review of the literature

• Funded projects to refine and develop models (USED, NEH and FIPSE)
  FL Teach

• Network of "language across the curriculum" teachers
  
• NEH and FIPSE
  
• ACTFL/MLA
  
• AATs (language-specific associations)
  
• American Association for Higher Education (AAHE)
  
• National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

• County and state foreign language supervisors
  
• State organizations
  
• ACTFL team of experts

NCATE
ACTFL

Years 1-2

Year 1

Years 1-5

Year 1-3

Year 1-2

ATJ (Association of Teachers of Japanese),
Thomas Adams, Theresa Austin, Arnold Bleicher, Patricia Carlin, Greg Duncan, Diane Ging, Isabelle Kaplan, Hiroko Kataoka, Susan Knight, , David McAlpine, Rebecca OxfordDebbie Wilburn Robinson, Lynn A. Sandstedt, Carol Saunders, Duarte Silva, David Stillman, Mara Sukholetskaya, Yashy Tohsaku

ATJ, Hiroko Kataoka, Susan Knight, David McAlpine, Yashy Tohsaku

Interested foreign language educators
Teacher Development SIG
ERIC
Patricia Carlin, Isabelle Kaplan, David McAlpine, Carol Saunders, David Stillman

Thomas Adams, Arnold Bleicher, Patricia Carlin, Isabelle Kaplan, Susan Knight, David McAlpine, Carol Saunders, Elvira Swender, Carmen Tesser

AATs, CAL, NNELL (National Network for Early Language Learning) and ACTFL Teacher Development SIG
Thomas Adams, Susan Knight, David McAlpine,
Mary Lynn Redmond

Funding to staff the effort

MENTORING PROGRAM
(50 votes – second priority)

We will define a model mentoring program that will:
1. Identify successful mentoring programs.
2. Set standards and outline mentor skills training that is based on:

2.1 Professional experience
2.2 Managerial skills
2.3 Instructional abilities
2.4 Communication skills
2.5 Observational skills
2.6 Modeling reflective practice
2.7 Modeling professional participation
2.8 Knowledge of content standards

3. Establish mentor training guidelines.

4. Establish guidelines for the selection of mentors from the various constituencies:

4.1 Retirees
4.2 University professors
4.3 State organizations (members who could serve through an on-line
process)
4.4 Cross-language peers
4.5 Department chairs/peers

5. Recommend built-in rewards/recognition for mentors and mentees such as:

5.1 Stipends
5.2 Recertification points/inservice credit
5.3 Organizational public recognition
5.4 Release time (which should be required – not optional)
5.5 Possess the following characteristics:

6. Describe model core programs that:

6.1 Extend over a period of 1 – 3 years
6.2 Provide 6 – 8 training sessions
6.3 Match mentors to candidate teachers
6.4 Allow release time for mentors
6.5 Provide a model for professional participation
6.6 Provide for in-school, on-going orientation
6.7 Provide intervention processes
6.8 Provides for the flow of information among those involved
6.9 Obtains administrative and financial support
6.10 Examines appropriate research
6.11 Includes follow-up procedures

7. Provide guidelines for administrative and financial support.

8. Identify candidates who seek mentors, including:

8.1 Beginning/probationary teachers
8.2 Alternative certification candidates (heritage/native speakers, second career teachers, and others)
8.3 Experienced teachers working in a new environment
8.4 Marginal teachers
8.5 Isolated teachers

9. Outline guidelines for participation

9.1 Attend core sessions on a variety of skills development topics
9.2 Meet and communicate regularly with mentors
9.3 Develop a portfolio, including a self-improvement and self-reflection plan
9.4 Observe other teachers within and without the content area
9.5 Participate in professional organizations

10. Differentiate/individualize training for specific groups of those working with mentors

Peggy Bilbro, Beverly Canell, Janine Erickson, Deborah Espitio, Diane Ging Gordon S. Hale, David Jahner, Richard Kalfus, Mary McGehee, Sharon Rapp, Lynn A. Sandstedt, Maria Trevino

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
(47 votes – third priority)

1. We will create a national agenda that offers a plan for continuous professional development through:

1.1 Professionalization
1.2 Mentoring
1.3 Reflection
1.4 Raising proficiency levels of teachers
1.5 Recognition of teacher diversity and professional change

2. We will design and disseminate effective professional development program models that feature multiple points of entry for life-long professional growth.

3. We will disseminate existing guidelines of national foreign language proficiency levels suggested by the AATs for beginning teachers.

4. We will create and offer a wide variety of authentic language and culture experiences of teachers at all levels in order to strengthen language proficiency and cultural awareness, including immersion and study abroad opportunities.

5. We will interact with other professional organizations (e.g. ASCD, NASSP, NSBA, NADS, PTAs and governmental agencies) to articulate our goals beyond the foreign language education discipline.

6. We will create new and revitalize existing alliances to promote leadership and advocacy and develop community and financial support for sustaining professional development opportunities.

Theresa Austin, Bob Ballinger, Deborah Espitia, Paul Garcia, Charlotte Gifford, Diane Ging and CSC, Gordon S. Hale, Sharon McCullough, Debbie Parks, Duarte Silva, David Stillman. Yashy Tohsaku

Rita Oleksak and MaFLA

Eileen Angelini, Theresa Austin, MaFLA, David Stillman

Thomas Adams (NEH),Theresa Austin, Sharon McCullough, Myriam Met, Rita Oleksak, Martie Semmer, Duarte Silva

K-16 COLLABORATION
38 votes – fourth priority

1. We will recommend and advocate that:

1.1 Adjunct instructors and all graduate students receive training in teaching strategies
1.2 Professional organizations offer training in effective teaching strategies
1.3 Tenure and post-tenure review require training in effective teaching strategies
1.4 Methods professors maintain certification for the level at which they prepare teachers
1.5 Professional organizations update methods professors in content knowledge
1.6 Methods courses be taught collaboratively between methods professors and secondary school and/or elementary teachers
1.7 Methods professors be connected directly to K-12 classrooms

• Teach at least one class or
  
• Complete 40 hours of team teaching within each 5-year period
  

2. We will recommend and advocate that ACTFL and other foreign language organizations:

2.1 Identify and/or develop a model prototype collaborative teacher development program between a school district and a university
2.2 Publish a list of universities and school districts whose programs conform to the recommended guidelines
2.3 Advocate for alternative certification for native speakers who are trained abroad and for those who change careersI
2.4 Identify and publish a list of model teacher development programs for alternative certification
2.5 Advocate that all teachers be prepared to teach K-12 and that they be certified for all levels, K-12
2.6 Offer joint teacher development institutes for K-16 teachers to encourage collaboration between:

• Rural and urban areas
  
• School districts and universities
  
• Elementary and secondary schools
  

2.7 Urge that every teacher development program define a foreign language requirement for all pre-service teachers

3. We will recommend and advocate that foreign language departments, education departments, state departments of education and school districts establish various models of collaboration:

3.1 Postsecondary institutions in designated states should establish a dialogue between departments of foreign language education and colleges of education and design a teacher development program that meets the criteria outlined in this document.
3.2 Local school districts should join the dialogue.
3.3 All post-secondary institutions (foreign languages and colleges of education) and school districts should outline recommendations for state certification.
3.4 Representatives should be identified within each state to meet with state department of education certification specialists to carry forward the recommendations.

4. Foreign language educators should carry on the dialogue among post-secondary institutions (foreign language departments and colleges of education), school districts, and state departments of education to establish the certification requirements identified in this document.

State Depts. Of Ed.,

Foreign Language Teachers Associations

ACTFL, USED, American Council on Ed., NEH

Years 1-3

Years 1-5

Emily Spinelli

Mara Sukholutskaya (CARTA)

Emily Spinelli

Mara Sukholutskaya (OCTR and CARTA)

ATJ
Emily Spinelli

ATJ
Emily Spinelli
Guiomar Borras

Emily Spinelli

Mara Sukholutskaya

Susan Schmidt (ATJ)

Susan Schmidt (ATJ)

Susan Schmidt (ATJ), Emily Spinelli, ACTFL, State Depts. Of Ed., Mara Sukholutskaya, Isabelle Kaplan, Janice Gullickson

ATJ (for all items under point 3)
Hiroko Kataoka
Yashy Tohsaku

Leroy Hopkins,
Isabelle Kaplan

Isabelle Kaplan

Isabelle Kaplan (Vermont Foreign Language Association), Martie Semmer

Robert Irvin, Isabelle Kaplan, Wade Kniseley, Martie Semmer,
Mara Sukholutskaya

DIVERSE LEARNERS
(23 votes – fifth priority)

1. We will better equip pre- and in-service teachers (K-16) to insure successful language learning experiences for diverse learners.

Diverse learners include, but are not limited to, persons whose background and experience may differ in terms of: culture; language; ethnicity; race; age; religion; gender; sexual orientation; learning, emotional and physical disabilities; giftedness, socio-economic status, "at risk" status, etc.

2. We will provide a variety of pre-service experiences (K-16) that focus on diverse student populations:

• Pre-service teacher field experiences will take place at a minimum of two sites.
  
• Surveys of teacher education program training will be conducted, and the results will be made available in foreign language publications.
  
• Regional and state foreign language organizations will provide programs to assist teachers to teach diverse learners effectively.
  

3. We will focus on student learning by teaching strategies that increase motivation:

• Teachers will share best practices through conference presentations.
  
• The profession will schedule conferences on "best practices."
  
• Research findings from professional organizations (e.g., AERA) will be utilized.
  

4. We will provide multicultural training in a sustained effort to enable K-16 teachers to understand and respect their students and have empathy for them and for their backgrounds.

5. We will document successful programs that teach foreign languages to ALL students and provide networking opportunities and information to all teachers through publications, conference presentations and other professional venues.

6. We will recruit and retain a diverse teaching force.

7. We will identify and use support systems for teachers on issues such as classroom management, cross-over-training, and articulation:

• ACTFL will provide appropriate sessions at its national conferences.
  
• Schools of education will provide cross-over-training in both general education and special education courses.