Certification Program in Reading Education

(24 semester hours)

Persons seeking a PK-12 Reading Specialist certificate in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who do not wish to receive the Master of Science degree, may do so by taking only courses under II. Concentration above.

An initial interview is also required.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that certain criteria be met prior to acceptance into certification or degree programs. Upon completion of the program, to be eligible to apply for certification, candidates must pass the Praxis Reading Specialist (5301) test.

NOTE: The Program requirements discussed in this section are subject to change based on guidelines established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Special Education Programs

Goals of the Special Education Programs to prepare a teaching candidate include the following:

To be cognizant of normal growth and development patterns and the range of deviations which can occur from these patterns.
To be able to act as an instructional leader and resource person in his/her professional situation.
To be able to critically examine major trends and issues in the field and to apply this body of information to the professional situation.
To be capable of employing a systematic approach to teaching and demonstrating a working knowledge of sound research skills in order to effectively measure learning performance.
To be a guardian of the ethics of the profession and its related duties and responsibilities as described in the Code of Ethics of the Council for Exceptional Children.