Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential

The Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential is issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. It fulfills the requirements of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, as we’ll as the International Reading Association’s guidelines for Reading Specialists/Literacy Coaches. It authorizes the holder to provide the following services as a reading specialist in any grade level K-12, or in classes organized for adults:

Develop and coordinate reading programs at the school, district, or county level
Select and adapt reading instruction materials; plan and conduct reading staff development
Assess student progress and monitor student achievement in reading
Provide direct reading intervention work with students
Assist and support the classroom teacher in reading instruction and teaching strategies.

Admission to the Program

For admission to the program, applicants must:

Meet the university requirements for admission to graduate study,
Have a 3.0 or higher grade point average in their last 90 quarter (or 60 semester) units attempted, and
Have completed a basic course/s in teaching reading and writing (EDEL 415 and EDEL 416, or EDSE 423, or equivalent) or hold a basic teaching credential issued by California or any state.

Requirements for the Specialist Credential (45 units)

Students must complete 45 units of required course work, fulfill additional corequisites listed below, and pass the comprehensive examination (EDCI 596 ) for the M.A. Degree in Education: Option in Reading.

Required Courses (45 units)

Corequisites

In addition to the above requirements, student must satisfy the following:

Complete ENGL 400 (4), or ENGL 401 (4), or TESL 400 (4), or an equivalent course in linguistics by the end of the second quarter in the program.
Have a preliminary basic California Teaching Credential (i.e., A Multiple Subject, Single-Subject, or Educational Specialist Teaching Credential). Students may work towards the Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential while they are completing the requirements for their preliminary teaching credential.
Have verified completion of three years of successful fulltime teaching experience after receiving a basic teaching credential at any grades authorized by their credential, and 20 clock hours of successful experience with elementary or secondary students in grades not included in their basic teaching credential. (The latter requirement can often be met through successful completion of EDCI 540A and EDCI 540B .) Students who finish the program before they complete their experience requirements will be eligible for the specialist credential once they finish this requirement.

Comprehensive Exam (0 units)

Students should take the comprehensive examination for- the M.A. degree in Education: Option in Reading Program (EDCI 596) after they have completed all course work in their program and must comply with college and division requirements. Under special circumstances, and with prior approval from their program coordinator, students may take EDCI 540B or EDCI 541 concurrently during the quarter they take their Comprehensive Examination.

An M.A. in Education: Option in Reading and/or a California Reading Certificate (issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing) can be earned concurrently with this Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential.

For admission to the program(s) and for information on how to earn an M.A. in Education: Option in Reading and/or a California Reading Certificate concurrently with the Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential, see a faculty member who advises for the programs. A list of these faculty members and their office hours is available in King Hall C2097.

EDCI 596 - Comprehensive Examination (0)

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