Linguistically Diverse Education

Requirements for LDE Program

(Degree/Endorsement or Certificates - TESOL, CIEL, CRUE)

Office: Lawrence Street Center, 701
Telephone: 303-315-6300
Fax: 303-315-6311
E-mail: education@ucdenver.edu
Web site: www.ucdenver.edu/education/lde

Faculty

Information about faculty in this program is available at www.ucdenver.edu/education/lde. The faculty of linguistically diverse education (LDE) believe that effective teaching requires an awareness of and the ability to respond to individual differences. LDE faculty also emphasize the importance of teachers as scholars and reflective practitioners. In particular, teachers must understand how linguistic and cultural diversity affect their teaching. Two themes run throughout all program offerings. The first concerns the importance of recognizing a variety of literacies—“home” literacies, school literacy, “mainstream” literacy, first and second language literacies—and to develop teaching practices that utilize an understanding of the complexity of literacy development across language contexts. The second theme involves the meaningful use of language and literacy to improve the quality of one’s life. As an approach to teaching, this theme emphasizes the creation of diverse, rich environments in which learners experience oral and written language as part of authentic tasks, and where concern for the cultural and linguistic heritage of the students is evident.

Program Options

The LDE program offers options leading to the following:

• a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction
• the Colorado Endorsement for Linguistically Diverse Education
• a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate
• a Content Instruction for English Learners (CIEL) certificate
• a Culturally Responsive Urban Education (CRUE) certificate

The program is intended for:

• novice teachers who have completed their Colorado teaching credentials in CU Denver’s graduate teacher education licensure program and are enrolled in the MA in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in LDE (see 27 semester-hour option)
• veteran elementary and secondary teachers returning to graduate studies for the master’s degree (36 semester hours)
• veteran elementary and secondary teachers returning to acquire Colorado endorsement credentials (24 semester hours)
• individuals interested in teaching English abroad (TESOL: 15 semester hours)
• veteran elementary and secondary teachers returning to graduate studies for a certificate to aid them in helping their English language learners succeed (CIEL: 9 semester hours)
• elementary and secondary teachers who desire preparation in better meeting the needs of culturally diverse learners (CRUE: 9 semester hours)
• individuals interested in teaching adults (MA: 36 semester hours)

The MA is a field-based professional development program involving university faculty and practicing LDE instructors in public school and intensive English settings. Courses, laboratories and practica emphasize scholarly approaches to complex problems of practice and feature interactive, collaborative and practical approaches to working with English language learners.

We advocate a sociocultural approach to issues of language and learning, acknowledging the legitimacy of linguistic and cultural differences and recognizing that academic settings represent important socializing forces in students’ lives. Because of this, we emphasize the “whole learner” in our teaching and in teacher education and teacher development, understanding that individuals do not merely add a language to their repertoire of communication but make fundamental identity adjustments as they progress in their studies. For this reason, all our course work, laboratories and practica experiences are field-based, putting our program participants in contact with veteran teachers and English language learners. We draw heavily on recent scholarship in collaborative approaches to school-university partnerships and systemic school change in developing classroom methods and materials, curricula and teacher development experiences.

The MA program also provides a foundation in teaching English in a variety of contexts in the United States and abroad. Teachers who work in LDE programs or in other content areas (such as art, language arts, math, music, science, social studies or technology), but who wish to integrate LDE principles and strategies into their instruction for their English language learners, will find the MA program relevant to their interests and goals.

Course work includes language teaching methodology, language acquisition, linguistic analysis of English, multicultural foundations, assessment, literacy and other areas. This program has been developed as an advanced course of study for practicing teachers or individuals with some teaching experience.

Applicants who are new to teaching, and who wish to teach in U.S. K–12 public school settings, should inquire about the teacher education licensure program. Applicants who are new to teaching, but who do not need a teaching license (certification) because they do not wish to teach in U.S. public schools, may consider the TESOL certificate to gain initial teaching experiences before applying for the MA. 

Program Requirements and Courses

To complete the LDE program and earn a master’s degree and/or endorsement, or to earn a TESOL certificate, students must complete the appropriate course work as outlined in the table below.
 

Requirements for LDE Program (Degree/Endorsement or TESOL Certificate)
Course	MA without CDE Endorsement in LDE	MA and CDE Endorsement in LDE	CDE Endorsement in LDE Only	MA and CDE Endorsement in LDE (when added to UC Denver’s graduate teacher education licensure program)	TESOL Certificate
CLDE 5010 - Foundations of Language, Literacy and Culture	Required	Required	Required	Required
One course from culture options:  LCRT 5140 or CLDE 5140 - Multicultural Education LCRT 5150 or CLDE 5150 - Culture of the Classroom CLDE 5160 - Historical and Legal Foundations of Bilingual Education	Select One	Select One	Select One	Select One
CLDE 5070 - Linguistic Analysis of English: Implications for Teaching	Required	Required	Required	Required	Required
CLDE 5030 - Language/Literacy Acquisition Part I	Required	Required	Required	Required	Required
CLDE 5820 - Techniques in Teaching English as a Second Language	Required	Required	Required	Required	Required
CLDE 5050 - Linguistic and Cultural Issues in Linking Assessment and Instruction	Required	Required	Required	Required	Required
One course from field-based teaching options: LCRT 5020 - Workshop in Literacy and Language Teaching CLDE 5825 - Methods and Materials of Language Teaching CLDE 5826 - Language Teaching Lab LCRT 5730 - Language and Literacy Across the Curriculum LCRT 5770 - Effective Literacy Instruction for Second Language Learners	5826 preferred	Elem: 5825 preferred Sec: 5826 preferred	Elem: 5825 preferred Sec: 5826 preferred	Elem: 5825 preferred Sec: 5826 preferred	5826
CLDE 5035 - Language and Literacy: Acquisition, Processes, and Cognition, Part II	Required	Required
CLDE 6912 - Seminar and Practicum in Literacy and Language, ESL and Bilingual Education	Required	Required	Required	Required
One course from research and evaluation methodology: RSEM 5050 - Assessment for Teachers  RSEM 5080 - Research for Teachers	Select One	Select One		Select One
One course from educational psychology: EPSY 5110 - Human Learning  EPSY 5220 - Adult Learning and Education	Select One	Select One
Graduate-level University of Colorado elective	Select One	Select One
Cumulative online portfolio	Required	Required	Required	Required
LDE PLACE Exam		Required	Required	Required
Total Semester Hours	36	36	24	27	15

 

Content Instruction for English Learners (CIEL) Certificate Requirements

Students interested in the CIEL certificate must complete the following:
      

  Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
  Semester Hours: 3
 

  Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
  Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
  Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
  Semester Hours: 3

  Semester Hours: 3

Total: 9 Hours

 

Culturally Responsive Urban Education (CRUE) Certificate Requirements

Those considering the CRUE certificate must complete the following:

  Semester Hours: 3

  Semester Hours: 3 

  Semester Hours: 3 

Total: 9 Hours

Additional information about the CRUE certificate can be found at www.cruecenter.org/certificate.php.

Cumulative Portfolio of Performance Based Assessments (PBAS)

The portfolio is required for the CDE endorsement, counts as the comprehensive exam for the master’s degree and permits you to document your development over the course of your program. Portfolios are reviewed by LDE faculty members.  The portfolio process is reviewed in every class as each of the PBAs is completed in the classes, helping students to update their portfolios throughout the program. For more portfolio guidelines, visit the website at www.ucdenver.edu/education/lde.

PLACE Exam for Linguistically Diverse Education Endorsement

To add the endorsement to their teaching license, students must pass the PLACE (Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators) exam for linguistically diverse education, secure and submit the appropriate paperwork from the Colorado Department of Education, and pay fees required for the PLACE and for the endorsement paperwork. Information about PLACE is online at www.place.nesinc.com.

Course Scheduling

During the fall and spring semesters, most university courses are offered in the late afternoon and evening and meet for three hours once a week over a 16-week semester. Some alternative course schedules are available, such as meeting on five Friday-evening/all-day Saturday combinations. In the summer semester, three-to eight-week sessions are offered, and courses may be in the morning, afternoon or evening.

Planning

For practicing full-time teachers, we recommend taking one course each fall and spring semester and up to two courses each summer. Students may simultaneously complete requirements for the MA and the endorsement for linguistically diverse education (some courses are offered only once per year).

Active Status

Students must complete their programs within seven years, maintaining a GPA of 3.0. Students typically take four courses each calendar year. Failure to enroll over three contiguous semesters will result in a requirement to submit readmission materials.