The CATESOL Journal

The California Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) teaching credential was mandated by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing in 1995 as a means of preparing classroom teachers to educate the diverse population in the public schools of California. The three skill areas incorporated into this credential are (a) the theory and practice of language development, (b) the development of specially designed verbal and nonverbal communication skills in order to deliver academic content, and (c) the development of an understanding of the pedagogical impact of cultural diversity in the classroom. California specialists in English as a second language played a major role in the design and implementation of this credential. This was the first attempt within California to designate—and mandate—the skills and responsibilities of the intercultural educator. This article reviews the skills addressed by the CLAD credential and compares them to the knowledge base offered by the discipline of intercultural communication in order to suggest possible additions to the CLAD requirements.