Curriculum

Program Rationale:

The Sixth-Year Certificate in Reading and Language Arts is an advanced degree program with 3 strands of study:

Strand I: Reading Specialist (30 credits). It is designed to prepare teachers to become reading specialists in compliance with the state of Connecticut standards for certification in Remedial Reading and Remedial Language Arts (#102 certification).

Strand II: Literacy Education (30 credits). It is designed to further prepare teachers for teaching reading and language arts to diverse groups of students in a classroom context.

Strand III: Reading Specialist/Language Arts Consultant (33 credits). It is designed to prepare teachers to apply for the Connecticut state endorsements in Remedial Reading and Remedial Language Arts (#102 certification) and Reading and Language Arts Consultant (#097 certification).

Program Learning Outcomes:

The Sixth-Year Certificate in Reading and Language Arts program is aligned with the standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals of the International Literacy Association (ILA, 2017). Candidates in the program are expected to:

• Meet the ILA 2017 standards and/or the Connecticut state standards for advanced certifications in reading and language arts.
• Provide leadership, through modeling and mentoring, to ensure that classroom teachers and other support staff acquire a wide range of instructional practices to facilitate their reading and writing instruction.
• Be able to support classroom teachers and other professionals in the selection, administration, interpretation, and sharing of assessment results for student learning.
• Support and mentor classroom teachers and other professionals in creating a literate environment to facilitate successful reading and writing for all children.
• Continue to be lifelong learners and scholars, through reading, research, and professional development.
• Be leaders in planning and implementing professional development programs for teachers and other professionals, as well as in advocating to advance the professional research base to expand knowledge-based practices.