Heartland AEA 11

6500 Corporate Dr.

Johnston, IA 50131-1603

www.aea11.k12.ia.us

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

6/8/04

 

Contacts:

Helene Grossman, Heartland AEA, (515) 270-9030 ext. 4635, hgrossman@aea11.k12.ia.us

Steve Jones, Heartland AEA, (515) 270-9030 ext. 4317, sjones@aea11.k12.ia.us

 

33 EDUCATORS EARN THEIR ESL ENDORSEMENTS

 

JOHNSTON, Iowa—Thirty-three central Iowa educators recently received their endorsements in English as a second language (ESL) through an effort by Heartland Area Education Agency and Kansas State University.

 

Project CALLE (Computer Assisted Language Learning) is a KSU program that provided graduate credit en route to the ESL endorsement for the participants. KSU and Heartland AEA, using an Iowa Department of Education grant, funded the program in central Iowa.

 

The endorsement means the 33 educators are certified to teach ESL courses and are better prepared to teach students who are English language learners. According to Project CALLE officials, English language learners are three times more likely to be low achievers than high achievers. They also are four times more likely to drop out of school than native-English-speaking students.

 

“Many school districts are seeing rapidly growing numbers of non-English-speaking students, and they are in need of teachers with ESL expertise,” said Helene Grossman, ESL/equity consultant at Heartland AEA.

 

Project CALLE graduates come from school districts, nonpublic schools and education organizations:

 

Anne Marie Kern, Ames

Brenda Fisher, Heartland AEA 11, Ames office

 

Joan Haack, Ankeny

Katy Kauffman, Ankeny

Janet Methaney, Ankeny

Renee Pepper, Ankeny

Linda Reberry, Ankeny

Tera Severseike, Ankeny

 

Amy Williams-McKern, Bondurant Farrar

 

Sandy Kluver, Carroll

Kathy Schmidt, Carroll

 

Susan Lent, Colo-Nesco

 

Connie Ankenbauer, Coon Rapids/Bayard

Shannon Heisterkamp, Coon Rapids/Bayard

 

Donna McClure, Dallas Center/Grimes

Jodie Reagan, Dallas Center/Grimes

 

Toni Hayes, Des Moines Public Schools

Bill Griffin, Des Moines Public Schools

Diann Mackey, Des Moines Public Schools

Julie May, Des Moines Public Schools

Cynthia Nahas, Des Moines Public Schools

Jennifer Rose, Des Moines Public Schools

 

Jacqueline Kresal, Des Moines Diocese

 

Carmen Sosa, Iowa Dept. of Education

 

Olga Bex, Knoxville

Zoraida Smith, Heartland AEA 11, Knoxville office

 

Helene Grossman, Heartland AEA 11, Johnston office

 

Sara Van Manen, Newton

 

Joni Gilchrist, Waukee

Harliv Kaur, Waukee

Wendy Reed, Waukee

 

Jane Kinney, West Des Moines Sacred Heart

 

Neva Faber, Woodward-Granger

 

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