ESOL Cohorts
Our program is designed to meet and exceed the VADOE requirements for endorsement, to support teachers’ growth and passion for working with English Language Leaners and to identify and support those language learners with exceptional needs.
The M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction with concentration in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners can provide school districts in the Washington D.C. metro area with a customized educational experience for working teachers interested in earning an endorsement in English as a Second Language. Our program is designed to meet and exceed the VADOE requirements for endorsement, to support teachers’ growth and passion for working with English Language Leaners and to identify and support those language learners with exceptional needs.
The ESOL Endorsement Program
Mason provides a graduate certificate in ESOL for Practioners designed to meet all state endorsement requirements for ESL. This program includes seven graduate courses which support teachers’ ability to provide differentiated, research-based, and student-centered instruction to ELLs while working in collaboration with other teaching staff. Required courses include:
- EDCI 510: Linguistics for PreK-12 ESOL Teachers (3 credits)
- EDCI 520: Assessment of Language Learners (3 credits)
- EDRD 515: Language and Literacy in Global Contexts (3 credits) (Included in MEd Core/Required for certificate only option.)
- EDUC 537: Introduction to Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Learners (3 credits) (Included in MEd Core/Required for certificate only option.)
Teachers can opt to continue their professional growth and education by completing the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with concentration in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners concurrently. Three additional courses (one elective; EDCI 776 and EDCI 777) can be completed through the cohort or on your own. This program allows teachers to continue to learn and collaborate across disciplines, becoming resources for colleagues in working with ELLs.
Tuition Discounts for Cohorts
Cohorts of 20 or more teachers are eligible for tuition discounts offered by Mason. Districts can choose the 20/20 plan which provides a 20% discount off of regular in-state tuition rates for cohorts of 20 teachers or more. This tuition rate is locked-in at the beginning of the cohort and is guaranteed not to increase even if regular tuition rates at Mason go up during the life of the cohort. Another option is the 20/25 plan, which allows cohorts of 20 people or more to receive a 25% discount off of current in-state tuition rates – the best discount available! – for the life of the cohort. Tuition rates under this plan are subject to change, but districts will always receive 25% off the current tuition rate. Each of these discounts is only available for cohorts of 20 or more teachers. Smaller cohorts receive an automatic 15% discount as part of the CEHD educator discount.
Schedule Options
We can run our cohort courses in a convenient schedule for working teachers. Past cohorts have run entirely online with synchronous & asynchronous online meetings, face-to-face in the evenings or on the weekends, during the summer, or some combination of all of the above. When you want your teachers to earn their ESOL endorsement, we can provide a schedule and play that fits your budget and staffing needs.