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PreK-12 teacher cohorts pursuing the ESL endorsement at WIU-QC
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WIU-QC Adds to ESL/Bilingual Teacher Preparation Programs

September 17, 2015

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MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University has a long history of collaborating with school districts in the Quad Cities area to help its teachers become qualified to teach English language learners.

But for the first time, the University is offering teacher cohorts in the Quad Cities, offering an English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement, and cohorts exclusively for early childhood teachers. It is also the first time WIU-QC has partnered with school districts, the regional office of education and the state of Illinois to develop teacher cohorts.

University officials said the record number of teacher cohorts through WIU-QC attests to the growing need for preparing teachers to serve the immigrant and refugee populations in the Quad Cities.

WIU-QC has been preparing ESL/bilingual education teachers since the 1970s through state-approved programs. The program also serves teachers in eastern Iowa.

WIU-QC ESL training cohorts include teachers from the Rock Island Regional Office of Education (ROE), Moline and Rock Island-Milan/Coal Valley Schools. Two cohorts are offered exclusively to early childhood-WIU-RI ROE Early Childhood ESL Cohort Program. The other is offered to PreK-12 teachers in the WIU-Moline/Coal Valley District 40 Cohort Program.

For more information about the WIU-QC campus, visit wiu.edu/qc.

For more information about the ESL endorsement programs, contact Carla Paciotto at c-paciotto@wiu.edu or the WIU Educational Studies department at 309-298-1183.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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