National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- November 9, 1998

Legislative assistance

1998 Column No. 36English as a second language

NCAA institutions should note that the NCAA's revised English as a Second Language (ESL) English policy now permits core-course credit to be awarded to students who have taken Advanced ESL English courses while in high school. Such credit will be awarded when NCAA colleges and universities submit an initial-eligibility waiver on behalf of a student-athlete who does not meet the NCAA's initial-eligibility requirements but has taken an Advanced ESL English course in grades 9-12. In addition, the NCAA's Division I Initial-Eligibility Waiver Committee shall look favorably on those students who take Advanced ESL English courses early in their high-school years and who later mainstream into NCAA-approved English core courses.

In order for a student-athlete's Advanced ESL English course to be considered for acceptance as an NCAA English core course for purposes of meeting NCAA initial-eligibility requirements, the course must meet the following criteria:

  • The course must satisfy a graduation requirement in the area of English.

  • The core English instructional elements of grammar, language, vocabulary development, composition, literature, analytical reading or oral communication must be covered in this course.

  • The course must be taught in a classroom setting by a qualified instructor who is trained in ESL methodologies.

  • The course should meet for the same number of instructional hours as your high school's NCAA-approved core English courses.

  • The course should be aligned with the national TESOL standards criteria.

  • The course should parallel the core-curriculum standards for English Language Arts developed by the local school board or the state department of education.

  • The course should be considered an Advanced-Level ESL English course.

  • The course should be considered a college preparatory course. (College preparatory is defined for these purposes as a course designed to prepare a student to enter a four-year collegiate institution once the student has graduated from high school.)

  • The grade earned by the student should be considered a passing grade at the high school.

    In order to verify that the above criteria have been met once the college or university submits an initial-eligibility waiver, the NCAA will forward an Advanced ESL English Course Evaluation Form to the student's high-school principal. This form will be used to evaluate Advanced ESL English courses that meet the NCAA's English core-curriculum requirements for initial eligibility. The evaluation form and all appropriate documents will be forwarded to the NCAA for evaluation.

    Please note that the NCAA still adheres to the traditional policy that ESL courses taught in disciplines other than English (e.g., social studies) may satisfy the core-course requirements, provided they are qualitatively and quantitatively the same as an NCAA-approved core course in the regular course offerings.

    Playing and practice seasons -- skill instruction -- Division I (Proposal 98-16)

    Division I institutions should note that with the adoption of Proposal No. 98-16 (effective immediately), in sports other than football, it is permissible for four student-athletes from the same team to participate at any one time with their coaches during the two hours of individual skill-related instruction that may occur during the permissible eight hours of weekly countable athletically related activities that may occur outside the playing and practice season during the academic year. Please note that the student-athletes must request the instruction, and it is not permissible for more than four student-athletes to be involved in such instructional sessions at the same time or at different sites.

    This material was provided by the membership services staff as an aid to member institutions. If an institution has a question or comment regarding this column, such correspondence should be directed to Kristen L. Davis or Lisa Roesler, membership services representatives, at the NCAA national office. This information is available on the College Sports Network.