ARCTEL Frequently Asked Questions

To be considered for admission, applicants must:

• Hold a valid CT teaching certificate
• Be employed by a CT PreK-12 school or school district during the program of study

Not all CT certification endorsements are eligible for cross-endorsement. Click here to view a list of CT State Department of Education endorsement codes. Only those endorsements listed under Teaching Endorsements are eligible. If you do not hold one of these endorsements, then you cannot apply for this program.

ARCTEL instructors are CT certified teachers in TESOL and/or Bilingual Education. They are recognized as leaders in their field, are current to the targeted PreK-12 population, and are actively involved in the professional community.

See Program of Study.

A typical cohort is approximately 20-25 participants. Cohorts are open until filled, so don't wait to apply!

No. ACES does not participate in Federal student aid programs.

No. This program is solely for CT teaching certification. It is non-credit-bearing and carries no credit equivalence. Participants will not receive a transcript.

However, ACES/ARTCEL has a partnership agreement with the University of Rhode Island (URI). Participants who successfully complete the ARCTEL program may use a certificate of completion to waive 6-elective credits towards the M.A. in TESOL/BDL program. For more information on the TSEOL/BDL program at URI, click here.

No. Participants must complete the entire program of study. Previously earned credits have no impact on participation or completion.

Yes. The ARCTEL program qualifies as an approved educator preparation program for the DSAP application. The application must be completed by the school district where the candidate is to be employed. For more information on obtaining a DSAP, please consult the CT State Department of Education website.

Standardized testing requirements are established by the CT State Department of Education. ACES is not responsible for changes made to testing or certification requirements during the program period. Standardized testing must be completed prior to program completion.

TESOL
The CT State Department of Education requires the passing of Praxis #5362, English to Speakers of Other Languages for TESOL certification (endorsement #111). A minimum score of 155 is required to pass in CT.

In the 2021-22 program year,  99% of ARCTEL participants who took the Praxis passed, with score averages between 173-187, out of a possible 200 total points. Our annual pass rate leaves us very confident that teachers who complete the program are fully prepared for the test.

Bilingual Education
Participants pursuing a bilingual education cross-endorsement must demonstrate oral and written competency in the language of instruction through passing scores on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Writing Proficiency Test (WPT). The CT passing score for both tests is Advanced Low. Bilingual cross-endorsement candidates should consult the ARC Project Coordinator prior to taking any testing to confirm eligibility and requirements.

Bilingual endorsements are specific to the subject/grade level to be taught, and require that you also hold the non-bilingual endorsement for the specific content area to be eligible for the bilingual endorsement. For example, to be eligible to add the elementary bilingual endorsement, you must hold an elementary endorsement, or to be eligible to add the bilingual secondary general science endorsement, you must hold the secondary general science endorsement, etc. There is no bilingual special education endorsement. There are also no bilingual special subject endorsements to teach art or music, etc.

Additionally, educators who have passed the required ACTFL language proficiency testing (see Standardized Testing Requirements) and have at least 15 credits in humanities and/or STEM, may be eligible for a secondary endorsement in humanities and/or STEM for grades 5-12.

Recent changes to Connecticut bilingual certification requirements can be found here.

The program provides opportunities to delve into topics specific to those seeking a bilingual cross-endorsement. These opportunities allow for practice in the other language of instruction while expanding on curriculum topics relating to bilingual education programming.

The ARCTEL program is evaluated by the CT State Board of Education, which oversees educator preparation program approval. In addition, ARCTEL is advised by a program Advisory Board comprised of former and current ESL/bilingual consultants on both the regional and state level, and administrators of ESL/bilingual programs in CT school districts. The Advisory Board meets regularly to guide program content, curriculum and activities, and ensures cohesion to state and local initiatives, as well as program alignment to the TESOL Standards.