University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: January 23, 2003

By PATRICIA DONOVAN
Contributing Editor

In the City of Buffalo and in rural areas of Western New York, thousands of school children whose native language is not English face difficulty learning in English-only classrooms. Many have parents who speak little or no English at home and their problems are compounded when their teachers often are not equipped to assist them with their special needs.

With a new four-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the Graduate School of Education (GSE) has announced it will establish new teacher education programs designed to improve classroom instruction for students in Buffalo and rural Western New York schools who have limited English proficiency (LEP).

The grant was awarded by the department's Bilingual Education-Professional Development Program to Lilliam Malave, associate professor of learning and instruction in the GSE, who is a specialist in elementary bilingual education.

Malave, who will direct the program, said the money will be used to develop and implement an alternate academic track within the GSE for students who want to acquire New York State certification to teach English as a second language (ESL). It also will fund professional training designed to help teachers and other school personnel throughout Western New York to better assist students with limited English proficiency.

The project, she added, will develop grant-assisted programs for schools in rural areas that have experienced a growth in their Hispanic population with limited English proficiency, but do not meet state requirements that would qualify them for state bilingual services.

"The problem here," says Malave, "is that whether these schools qualify for state services or not, they are required to provide ESL training for students who come from homes whose primary language is other than English. They need help in doing so and our program will assist them."

The planned university curricula will have three tracts leading to New York State initial or professional certification in childhood and early childhood teaching with a bilingual (English-Spanish) extension.

The program also will establish, in consort with the Buffalo Public Schools, a graduate-level, professional-development program in language acquisition that will train 25 new, regular and pre-service teachers to better serve students with limited English proficiency.

The Bilingual Education Program in the GSE, directed by Malave, provides pre-service and in-service graduate training and professional development for teachers involved, or preparing to be involved, in providing services to children and youth who are English-language learners.

It awards a master's degree in education with a specialization in bilingual education, which leads to New York State certification to teach English-language learners in nursery school through grade six.

The bilingual program also offers doctoral programs in special education, ESL, science education or early childhood education. Administrative certification can be completed within the program as well. Malave says graduates are prepared for research, teaching and for positions of educational leadership, and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to address the needs of English-language learners.