Whereas secondary ESOL students are acquiring proficiency and literacy in an additional language, and secondary ESOL programs are not remedial;
Whereas native-English-speaking secondary students receive credit for courses in language other than English, and the level of reading and writing required to be exited from mandated ESOl services exceeds the objectives and proficiency level of those credit-bearing language courses;
Whereas ESOL instruction encompasses many objectives similar to those of mainstream English curricula (such as mastery of writing and reading skills, and appreciation of literature);
Whereas institutions of secondary education acknowledge the legitimacy and importance of courses by granting credit to students who achieve passing grades in such courses;
Whereas secondary students must accumulate a specified number of credits within a specified time frame to graduate;
Whereas secondary ESOL students who must acquire English proficiency in non-credit courses before gaining access to credit-bearing courses are, in effect, denied an equal opportunity to achieve a high school diploma;
Therefore Be It Resolved that TESOL urge all institutions of secondary education to grant credit for ESOL courses, comparable to the credit granted for courses in languages other than English and entry-level mainstream English courses;
Be it Resolved that TESOL makes this resolution known to its members in TESOL Matters; and
Be it Resolved that upon the request of TESOL members, TESOL send copies of this resolution to appropriate institutions and programs that are concerned with secondary ESOL instruction.
1995 TESOL Convention
Long Beach, California USA
Note: This member resolution was voted upon during the annual business meeting of the association in 1995. Resolutions passed at the annual business meetings of the membership are not official policy of the association. The resolutions need a vote of approval by the Board of Directors.