Professional Development Certificate Program
Georgetown University’s Equity and Excellence for English Learners Professional Development Certificate
The English Learner population in DCPS and DC public charter schools is increasing, but there is a lack of ESL-certified or trained teachers who can teach equitably in ESL/Dual Language programs. The goal of Georgetown University’s Professional Development Certificate Program is to train effective in-service teachers across general education, ESL and dual language settings, paying special attention to increasing the pipeline of bilingual teachers in DC.
If you are an experienced DCPS or public charter school teacher without prior preparation in the effective education of English Learners, our hybrid certificate program can help you better serve your culturally and linguistically diverse students.
All applicants to the Equity and Excellence for English Learners Professional Development Certificate will receive scholarship to help cover the cost of the program. Funding for these scholarships is provided by Project ELEECT.
Frequently Asked Questions
The English Learners Equity and Excellence Professional Development Certificate provides DC teachers across a variety of content areas and settings with knowledge and skills they need to implement effective, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy for their multilingual learners (MLs). It is worth 6.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) at Georgetown University.
Teachers who are invested in equity, excellence, and antiracism in their work with MLs should apply. The PD will equip K-12 teachers with job-embedded, practical tools for teaching MLs skills related to both literacy and critical consciousness. This includes general education teachers, content specialists, special education teachers, teachers in bilingual education programs, and teachers who work regularly with ELs but want to improve their training to do so.
The certificate program begins in September and ends in June. There is a time commitment of 2 hours per week. The initial course activities will include some conceptual content and conceptual instruction on culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy, like translanguaging. There will be numerous opportunities to apply your learning through practical applications and teacher-led research in your own instructional setting.
The course will take place in a hybrid format and is organized into various ‘cycles’ – each with a specific conceptual focus. Each cycle consists of four weeks of course activities. There will be two in-person sessions on campus at Georgetown University and two online, synchronous sessions per cycle.
There is no cost of the program. Project ELEECT funds 100% of the costs ($5,000) for the Professional Development Certificate.
Participants will learn how to implement culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy for their MLs. You also will engage with equitable practices to support content literacy growth in any subject area to promote academic excellence. You will obtain various resources and strategies for engaging in critical, teacher-led inquiry. Finally, you will learn how to serve as a change agent and policy actor to increase equitable opportunity for MLs in DC.
