Degree Completion Requirements
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ESOL Concentration Information
The ESOL concentration of the Master of Education program requires students to earn a minimum of 37 credits. These credits are earned through completion of professional seminar courses, core courses, an elective course, and a completion dossier. See below for specific course requirements and descriptions.
Course Sequence & Schedule
Full-Time Course Plan (4 Quarters)
| Quarter | Concentration Course |
|---|---|
| Autumn | B EDUC 502 Identity and Reflective Practice B EDUC 541 Second Language Acquisition, Bilingual Education, and the Structure of English |
| Winter | B EDUC 501 Inquiry in Education B EDUC 542 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in ESOL |
| Spring | B EDUC 543 Practicum for Teaching English Speakers of Other Languages B EDUC 544 Leadership, Advocacy, and Program Assessment in ESOL |
| Summer | B EDUC XXX Elective B EDUC 594 Dossier |
Part-Time Course Plan (7 Quarters)
| Quarter | Concentration Course |
|---|---|
| Autumn – Year 1 | B EDUC 541 Second Language Acquisition, Bilingual Education, and the Structure of English |
| Winter – Year 1 | B EDUC 501 Inquiry in Education |
| Spring – Year 1 | B EDUC XXX Elective |
| Autumn – Year 2 | B EDUC 502 Identity and Reflective Practice |
| Winter – Year 2 | B EDUC 542 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in ESOL |
| Spring – Year 2 | B EDUC 543 Practicum for Teaching English Speakers of Other Languages B EDUC 544 Leadership, Advocacy, and Program Assessment in ESOL |
| Summer – Year 2 | B EDUC 594 Dossier |
M.Ed. Courses
Professional Seminars
Each course is 5 credits. These courses focus on the examination of research methodologies and the generation of research questions.
B EDUC 501 Inquiry in Education: Introduces tools for looking closely at classrooms and professional practice. Explores a professional question through gathering information, collegial discussion with their peers, and readings that offer multiple perspectives.
B EDUC 502 Identity and Reflective Practice: Examines key concepts related to identity, reflection, and reflective practice. Supports autoethnographic and reflective writing to foster understanding of personal identity and examination of social, cultural, political and economic forces that influence educational philosophy, practice, and ethics.
Core Area Courses
Each course is 5 credits.
B EDUC 541 Second Language Acquisition, Bilingual Education, and Structure of English: An ESOL foundations course on theories, models, and concepts in the areas of first and second language acquisition, bilingualism and bilingual education, and features of English as the academic language. A minimum of 20 hours of community-engaged learning is required for students who are not currently teaching.
B EDUC 542 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in ESOL: An ESOL teaching methods course on planning, instruction, and assessment informed by the WIDA English Language Development standards and Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model. Students will also learn teaching strategies such as backward design and GLAD and implement them during their general education student teaching. A minimum of 20 hours of community-engaged learning is required for students who are not currently teaching.
B EDUC 543 Practicum for Teaching English Speakers of Other Languages: A teaching practicum course during which students will learn to plan, teach, and assess multilingual learners at a local public elementary or middle school under the supervision of a site-based cooperating teacher and a SES field supervisor. Students will also attend seminars at UWB, and complete course assignments related to their practicum experience. Please see more information about the practicum course in the Practicum Experience Requirement section.
B EDUC 544 Leadership, Advocacy, and Program Assessment: An ESOL foundations course that prepares students with the knowledge and skills to serve as effective resources, advocates, and change agents for bilingual students, families, and communities. Course topics include, for example, relevant historical and current legal and social issues concerning the education of multilingual learners; features, benefits, and challenges of various models of educating multilingual learners; processes of identifying for and exiting from ESOL programs; ways of engaging multilingual families, assessing the effectiveness of programs for multilingual learners, etc.
Elective Course
One 5-credit elective or two 3-credit electives (400 or 500 level) from other core areas in the M.Ed. program, classes offered by the School of Educational Studies or other UWB schools, or from the UW Seattle or UW Tacoma campuses.
Completion Dossier
This final 2-credit course provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge, skills and dispositions associated with the program’s overall goals for academic learning and improvement of professional practice in education. The Completion Dossier ensures breadth of academic work and application of knowledge in each candidate’s work toward the M.Ed. degree.
Practicum Experience Requirement (100 hours)
ESOL candidates are required to complete a minimum of 100 hours practicum in an ESOL classroom, mentored by a practicing teacher.
Practicum Details
- Teacher candidates will be in their ESOL classroom placement a minimum of 3 days a week for approximately 8 weeks (not including district spring break week) during the UW quarter.
- Number and days of the week may be determined by the schedule of a candidate’s assigned cooperating teacher. Cooperating teachers will work closely with the placement coordinator and the candidate to arrange a schedule to meet this requirement.
- Practicum will consist of a minimum of 100 hours working directly with multilingual learners who are receiving English language development services. Placement will be in a public school classroom identified by the School of Educational Studies placement coordinator.
- Students will be mentored by a certified ELL cooperating teacher and an SES field supervisor.
Content Test Requirement
To be recommended for the ESOL endorsement, students are required to pass the Washington Educator Skills Test (WEST-E) English Language Learner test (051). Students are requested to take the WEST-E 051 before the end of their practicum. This test is required by the State of Washington and is designed to assess teacher candidates’ competencies outlined by the Professional Educator Standard Board in teaching multilingual learners.