What Standards Are These Courses Based On?
Over the last decade, researchers, teachers and governmental agencies have created content standards in order to shape instruction both in K-12 and in adult education. Standards provide the basis for curriculum including the instructional strategies teachers carry out in the classroom and the goals that teachers establish for their students. The EL/Civics Online Initiative has developed or adopted foundations for each of its courses based on these nationally recognized standards as follows:
The ESL Foundations
The ESL Foundations developed for this online course were based on accepted ESL practices along with the TESOL 2003 Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages based in Alexandria, Virginia). A copy of this book can be ordered directly from TESOL at www.tesol.org. The specific Standards for Instruction are reproduced here with permission.
Download TESOL Standards PDF »
The U.S. History Foundations
The U.S. History Foundations have been adapted from K-12 U.S. History/Social Studies Standards published individually by Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia. These are accessible on the Internet at the following Web sites:
K-12 History Standards:
Arizona »
California »
Georgia »
Indiana »
Massachusetts »
Texas »
Virginia »
U.S. Government and Civic Engagement Foundations
The National Standards for Civics and Government have been developed by the Center for Civic Education funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Pew Charitable Trusts. The standards are correlated to the National Education Goals included in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994.
The Naturalization Process
The Naturalization Process Course is based on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization procedures, interview, and tests. The teaching techniques and materials are designed to prepare students to pass the naturalization interview and tests as described at the USCIS Web site.
National Reporting System (NRS)
Student Web sites are suggested in the courses, tutorials, and modules. The ESL functioning levels referenced in these sites are based on the six ESL levels defined by required testing mandated through the National Reporting System (NRS). NRS for Adult Education is an outcome-based reporting system for State-administered, federally funded adult education programs. The six ESL levels are beginning literacy, low beginning ESL, high beginning ESL, low and high intermediate ESL, and advanced ESL. The ESL levels describe speaking and listening skills and basic reading, writing, and functional workplace skills that can be expected from a person functioning at that level. They were developed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL). (Excerpted from www.nrsweb.org)
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