RURAL RESOURCE:
Bringing Professional
Development in ESL to
Teachers at a
Distance...
Jane Carol Manner, Ed.D.
Diane Rodriguez, Ph.D.
East Carolina University
RURAL RESOURCE...
 Historically isolated






from mainstream
Self-sufficient
Rich local heritage
Family ties
Archival pride
Revered local culture
Revered “old
country”
RURAL RESOURCE...
 Changing times
 Globalization
 Local opportunities
 Occupational goals
 Shrinking population
 Economic decline
 85% of rural students
not prepared for
success (Herzog & Pittman, 1995)
RURAL STUDENTS...
 Are not competitive with
respect to college attendance
and completion
 “COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE”
(Jimerson, 2003)
 Shortage of appropriate
teachers
 Three prong:



Shortfalls in recruitment
Shortfalls in retention
Poor compensation
RURAL CHALLENGES...
 More under-prepared
teachers
 More “out of field”
assignments
 Less experienced
staff
 Compromised
professional
development
A NEW WRINKLE...
 Growing Number of




Second Language
Learners (SLLs) in
rural schools
Formerly migrant
Now permanent
Eastern NC many
low-skilled jobs
Encourage f&f
RURAL CHALLENGE...
 Historically impacted
areas have
developed resources
 Rural schools are not
ready
 Teachers need
training
 Colleges of
Education are not
ready
RURAL RESOURCE...
 Some challenges are
common to most
areas



Pupils are becoming
more diverse
The teaching staff is
not diversifying as
rapidly
Lack of highly
qualified faculty
RURAL RESOURCE...
 Some challenges are
unique to the rural
environment


Lack of training in
rural districts
Distance from
professional
development at
Colleges of
Education for
teachers
RURAL RESOURCE...
 Another Challenge...

Preservice teachers
aren’t seeing good
instruction for SLLs
in field experience
RURAL RESOURCE...
 PROJECT LEAP
(Leading Exceptional
Annual Progress)
 Funded by the U.S.
Department of
Education
(Professional
Development Grant)
 OELA OELA
RURAL RESOURCE...
 “TRICKLE DOWN”
System...
TEACHERS




STUDENT
TEACHERS
CHILDREN
IHE
FACULTY
Start with teachers
Immediate impact for
children
Immediate impact for
student teachers
Eventual impact for
IHE faculty
RURAL RESOURCE...
 START with
ESL
Training
For
Teachers
Service
to
Children
MODEL
For
INTERNS
INSERVICE
TEACHERS
 IMPACT
CHILDREN
 MODEL for
INTERNS
 *SHARE with IHE
FACULTY
HOW?
 Fund tuition for five courses representing
the five domains of NCATE / TESOL
Standards





Methods
Assessment
Linguistics
Culture & Language
Professionalism
HOW?
 Fund fees and materials including:



Graduate Registration
CLASSIC MODEL from CIMA at Kansas
State University CIMA
Provide Textbooks and DVDs
HOW?
 Provide fully online
access to
professional
development...
 Facilitate
asynchronous teambased education via
Blackboard...
 We go to them for
two meetings...
WHEN?
 FIVE YEAR PERIOD...
 COHORT MODEL by COUNTY OVER
FIVE SEMESTERS...
OUTCOME?
 PASSING GRADE
ON PRAXIS II...
 “ADD-ON”
LICENSURE in N.C.
for Teaching English
as a Second
Language (TESL).
FIRST STEPS...
 Our Students in
Action....Bb
NEXT STEPS...
 More COUNTIES with cohorts...
 PROJECT ECU LEAP website LEAP
Questions?
 Jane Carol Manner
 Diane Rodriguez
 East Carolina University
 mannerj@ecu.edu
 rodriguezd@ecu.edu