SACRAMENTO – The Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) approved the Southern California based Fondazione Italia as an assessor agency for teaching credentials in Italian language instruction at its August 2013 meeting.
Fondazione Italia, located in Los Angeles, CA, is a non-profit organization that promotes and preserves the study of Italian language and culture in Southern California.
Since 1998, Fondazione Italia has served as the local agency for Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and works in close collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles and the Education Office at the Italian Consulate in San Francisco, in managing the Italian Government’s annual allocations granted for the promotion of Italian language courses in local schools.
Fondazione Italia’s main activities include; supporting the creation and/or growth of Italian programs in K-12 schools, offering extracurricular Saturday language classes for children and adults at four language centers located in Burbank, Hermosa Beach, Orange CountyLake Forest, and West LA, supporting the activities of the Italian Resource Center at UCLA, the organization of seminars for teachers of Italian, supporting and promoting the AP Italian Language and Culture Exam through AP preparation courses, and supporting the credentialing of Italian teachers through administering the Italian CSET.
California approves language assessor agencies for less commonly taught languages, like Italian, when a California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) is unavailable in the specific language and when there are limited Commission-approved coursework options in the university programs. The goal of this additional assessment route is to “open up” opportunities in as many languages as possible for teachers and teaching credential candidates who are interested in providing language instruction in the public schools.
This alternative route includes two exams. The sections of the standardized CSET examinations that cover linguistics and language instruction techniques as well as the instruction of the literature and culture of the target language, is offered directly by the CCTC, while the assessment of the candidate’s listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills is offered by Fondazione Italia, an approved assessor agency.
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All of the individuals assigned by the Fondazione Italia to assess teachers’ language skills meet the “superior” level on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages scale.
Teachers who pass both Italian CSET exams must also possess a California single-subject teaching credential, or earn one, in order to be qualified to teach Italian in the public schools.
The next exam will take place on Saturday, November 2 at UCLA. For more information and to register, go to: www.fondazione-italia.org or call 310-739-9350.
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