Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

The program Succeeding with Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students is a series of targeted courses at Portland State University, leading to the ESL/Bilingual Endorsement for preK to 12 educators.

Educators gain high-demand diversity skills

The Diverse Students program is designed for those who want to work with English-language learners (ELL) in their classrooms. Current expectations in an increasingly diverse society make the program an excellent preparation for all professional educators.

PSU's Succeeding With Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students meets the requirements for teaching ELL students set by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. The program trains many types of educators, including teachers, school specialists, administrators, and instructional assistants.

Program prepares teachers for challenges of diversity

Helping ELL students as they struggle to master the language current in mainstream classrooms is a central focus of the Diverse Students program. The primary goal in all cases is to prepare educators to help every child to succeed in their classrooms, while meeting the many challenges of diverse capacities and needs among a diverse student body.

The following core principles help educators to succeed in a linguistically and culturally diverse classroom..

• Develop a greater understanding of how diversity affects the teaching and learning process.
• Identify and appreciate cultural factors affecting cultural adjustment and learning.
• Develop learning strategies that use an anti-bias curriculum.
• Understand other cultures' orientation to education and school.
• Foster better relationships with students and their families.

The Diverse Students program also adheres to the basic principles expressed in the School of Extended Studies: be innovative and flexible; reach out to diverse populations; work with key community partners in developing curriculum and programs; and offer courses at a wide variety of times and places.

Curriculum credits student portfolios

The Diverse Students curriculum is interdisciplinary, with courses offered in the Department of Applied Linguistics; Curriculum and Instruction; Educational Policy, Foundations, and Administrative Studies; and Special Education. In all, the program balances theory and practice.

The most innovative aspect of the curriculum is the portfolio process. Students with experience as ESL/bilingual educators can present a portfolio in request that certain courses be waived.

Community partnerships boost career ladder

Resource development and community networking are central to success with Diverse Students. We have made a concerted effort to form many partnerships.

• The Bilingual Teacher Pathway program creates a career ladder for bilingual/bicultural teacher assistants to become fully licensed ESL/bilingual educators.
• Partnerships have been formed with many school districts by offering the series of Diverse Student courses onsite, to facilitate teacher access. Examples include Canby, McMinnville, Newberg, Portland Public, Reynolds, and Tillamook school districts.

Endorsement boosts program standards

The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission sets unique standards for students in every approved licensure and program endorsement. The ESL/Bilingual Endorsement is approved under TSPC auspices, so every individual in the Diverse Students program is evaluated by a variety of standard measures, such as class observation, class grades, and portfolios.

• View TSPC standards at this link.
• View the assessment plan for student learning in ESL/Bilingual Endorsement programs at this link.
• For more information about the ESL/Bilingual Endorsement program, please visit our website.

Succeeding With Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students is also evaluated by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and lately deemed in good standing, meeting all mandated competencies with no requests for alterations or improvements.