Integrating a Focus on Academic Language, English Learners, and Mathematics: Teacher Candidates’ Responses on the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT)

Abstract

Throughout the United States, teacher educators are developing new strategies to improve the preparation of mainstream teachers for linguistic diversity. In this article, we explore teacher candidates’ responses to the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT), a preservice assessment required for credentialing that requires candidates to consider the English language demands of content-area instruction, to enact supports for English learners and others who may struggle with those demands, and to develop ways to promote the academic language development of these students. We report on a study examining written responses on the PACT from 8 elementary teacher candidates who chose mathematics as the focus for their teaching event. We found that the PACT induced teacher candidates to consider language issues and the needs of language learners in a content area often thought to be language-free, yet one in which language in fact plays a crucial role. Such responses provide important information that can be used not only for credentialing decisions but also by teacher educators, teacher-education programs, and teacher candidates themselves in supporting the academic-language development of ELs in content areas such as mathematics.