ABSTRACT At not absent there cont...

ABSTRACT

At not absent there continues to be a great disparity in the number of LEP pupils and the current number of bilingual education teachers. Reyna (1993) reported that in Texas approximately 50% of the scholars are minorities; whereas, minorities depict only 23% of the teachers. This crucial ne for bilingual educators continues to remain a topic that wants to be addressed. Although other obstacles exist in the recruitment and retention of prospective bilingual teachers, single in kind of the barriers confronting bilingual teachers is the issue of high-stakes testing (Valencia & Aburto, 1991a). This paper examines those issues pertinent to highstakes testing in relation to prospective bilingual/minority teachers. The review of common research examines the institutionalization of high-stakes testing for prospective teachers and the implications of high-stake testing forward minority/bilingual teachers. The review also investigates the relationship between memorandum and exit competency tests and actual teaching performance and currents current entry and exit disaggregated data to identify areas forward the test which appear to quick in emergencies difficulty for the prospective bilingual teachers. couple case studies are presented as insights into the relationship between and teaching performance. Lastly, recommendations regarding the passing from hand to hand testing state, prospective bilingual teachers' status, and yet to be research are provided.

CASE undivided

Teresa, a Mexican American non-traditional observer faced many obstacles while at the university. Her husband did not want her to attend society and would rip her volumes to shreds unless she hid them. She was able to explain this problem by studying late at night in the bathroom one time her husband went to bed and through working with him to overthrow his insecurities. The problem that caused her the chiefly trouble, and was not in the way that easily resolved, was her testanxiety. With the support of a Title VII bilingual education training program, her comrades and eventually her husband, Teresa complet her stage requirements with a 3.4 grade point average. moreover she did not complete her teacher certification requirements because she could not pass the professional and the early childhood sections of the ExCET (Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas). As a pupil teacher, she received outstanding performance ratings, as she did during her first year as a noncertified teacher. Teresa's gifted ability to teach was betimes revealed. Because of her knowledge of pedagogical bilingual techniques, she was frequently sought out for advice and asked to demonstrate rebukes to more experienced teachers. However, Teresa shortly found herself faced with another obstacle, the personnel department from her indoctrinate district had notified her that her contract could not be renewed for the following year until she neared her teaching certificate. Her inability to pass the ExCET left her emotionally shattered. Teresa questioned her ability despite her performance as a bookish man teacher and as a teacher. After receiving emotional support from her equals and help from the Title VII coordinator, Teresa did not waiver and persisted through employing positive imagery while reviewing for the standards On the fourth and final administration, prior to having to be released from her contract, Teresa passed the final portions of her ExCET She continues to teach luckily in a predominately minority district in a bilingual pre-kindergarten classroom.

In Texas, prospective teachers are given a year relating to completion of degree and certification requirements to pass their ExCET's. place of education districts can hire prospective teachers who are in this proces However, if after a year of use they have not completed certification requirements in their area of specialization, of the like kind as in bilingual or early childhood according to passing the respective ExCET, the certified teacher can and nothing else be hired in a non-specialty setting (eg non-bilingual, elementary-only) or is dismissed from the district. at the same time at present there continues to be a great disparity in the number of LEP observers and the current number of bilingual teachers.

CURRENT DISPARITIES BETWEEN BILINGUAL TEACHERS AND LEP POPULATION

One is stand athwart the path ofed with a sense of entreaty when examining the current turns in the number of prospective bilingual teachers as compared to the number of Limited English Proficient (LEP) children in Texas. Reyna (1993) reported that in Texas approximately SQ% of the close examiners are minorities, whereas minorities give an account of only 23% of the teachers in Texas. In 1994-1995 the Texas Public institute Statistics Pocket Edition (Texas Education Agency [TEA], 1995) reported a 361 % Hispanic bookish man population as compared to a 146% Hispanic teacher population. upon the other hand, the number of language minority children entering into the drill system is on a continual upswing. An increased close examiner enrollment of 7.1 % in bilingual/ESL education classrooms was reported in the put up with edition (TEA,1995). In 1993, Reyna indicated that in Texas, the rate of increase in the number of LEP scholars entering public schools, as compared to the gentle rate of newly trained bilingual teachers, created an annual deficit of 1118 bilingual teachers. Valencia and Guadarrama (1995) provided an estimate of the demand for PK-6 bilingual teachers based onward TEA's 1994 demographic data; based onward a 22 to 1 student-teacher classroom ratio, they estimated a 7261 PK-6 bilingual teacher shortage. In Texas, 8% of the bilingual and English As a other language (ESL) teachers are publicly on emergency teaching permits (TEA, 1993) According to TEA, the largest proportion of teachers not completely certified is in the area of bilingual education and ESL Johnson ( 1993) confirmed that the number of teachers prepared to proper the linguistic needs of language minority children has not kept pace with the rise in the number of LEP scholars in Texas. By the year 2000 a majority of the minority close examiner population will be sitting in the classrooms of Texas. The largest assign places to of these will be Latino observers largely from Mexican American backgrounds.