2023-24 Academic Catalog

Reading Endorsement

Purpose

The Reading Endorsement program is designed to prepare students for specialized work in diagnosing reading difficulties, creating school-wide reading programs, and improving reading instruction in the classroom.

Students desiring to add an endorsement to their Oregon Teaching License can do so within the master of education program, or as a stand-alone program. Students desiring to add an authorization level only would complete the requirements below.

Program Outcomes

Educational Objectives

To enable students to:

  • Gain experience in the understanding and teaching of reading and writing

Professional Objectives

To enable students to:

  • Meet the federal government's "No Child Left Behind" definition of "highly qualified" in the area of literacy
  • Obtain the reading endorsement added to their teaching license

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the Reading Endorsement program must hold an approved bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

Applicants seeking to meet TSPC endorsement requirements upon completion of the program must also complete the following:

  • Verification of valid Oregon teaching license or the equivalent, such as an expired or out-of-state license, education degree, or documented and appropriate teacher experience (applicants to the program that do not have a teaching license should submit a letter of explanation as to how the program would meet their professional goals.)
  • Completed Teachers Standards and Practices Character Questionnaire

Transfer Credit

Upon approval by the department, transfer of up to 3 hours credit is allowed toward the Reading Endorsement program from accredited graduate schools. Students must have earned a grade of B or better for a course to be considered for transfer. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the registrar's office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.

Residence Requirements

Of the 15 hours required for the Reading Endorsement program, a minimum of 12 hours must be taken in resident study at George Fox University. All work leading to the endorsement must be completed within seven years from the time of matriculation. Extension of this limit requires approval of the College of Education Faculty. However, only one such extension may be considered due to special circumstances, such as ill health. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the degree.

Course Requirements

The Reading Endorsement program is generally 2 years in length with 15 semester hours of course work required as a minimum for graduation. Of the total hours required for the program, 13 are in general reading and literacy courses and 2 hours are practicum courses.

Other Program Requirements

Students must complete the Praxis content area exam required by Oregon Teachers Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).

Graduation Requirements

In order to complete the reading endorsement students must:

  • Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 15 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
  • Achieve no grade lower than a B in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a designated course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).

Course Requirements

Complete the following:

READ 530 must be taken in the first two semesters of the program.
Thoughtful classroom practice depends on sound theory. This course examines some current competing theories, looks at the implications of various literacy theories as they impact classroom decision making, and, through reading and discussion, develop a personal understanding of literacy processes. The linguistic framework of reading and its place in the language arts will also be explored.
Classroom teachers become acquainted with a wide variety of methods for assessing student progress in reading and writing. Administration and scoring of these tests will be explored. Information about how testing results can facilitate teaching and learning is the goal.
This course focuses on current methods and materials for reading/literacy instruction. The strategies used by proficient readers will be explored and teaching methods will be modeled and implemented. Methods of assessment and strategies for remediation will also be explored.
This course focuses on the issues related to public and school-based concerns about literacy learning. The discussion of issues will lead to research-based applications that can be translated into the classroom practice at the elementary, middle, or high school level.
The content of this course includes: the organization of reading programs within the context of state and federal regulation and within the structure of the school-wide program; the types of testing used to diagnose and monitor student progress; the methods that can be used to involve parents, paraprofessionals, and volunteers; and the methods available to assess program effectiveness. Observations in a variety of school settings will be organized.

Choose one of the following:

This course focuses on the reading and writing needs of the student at the middle level and in the high school. The teaching of critical reading and writing strategies will be included as well as assessment tools. This course is required for those pursuing the middle level and high school authorizations of the reading endorsement, but is appropriate for teachers of all levels.
This course explores theoretical principles and practices based on current research. Emphasis is on strategies for coming to print, print conventions, and reading aloud. Shared, guided, and independent reading and writing is also explored. These strategies are based on theoretical assumptions from the psychology of language and cognition development and linguistics.

Complete the following:

Enrollment in practium requires successful completion of READ 530, READ 531, READ 532, READ 534 and READ 538.
The reading practicum will provide a context in which to apply methods, assessment techniques, and teaching strategies in a school setting. It will also provide opportunity for an observation of a reading program in application. The practicum setting must include assessment, teaching, and evaluation of students at both authorization levels. Prerequisites: READ 530 History and Foundations of Literacy Learning; READ 531 Analysis of Reading and Writing Assessments; READ 532 Advanced Strategies in Literacy Instruction; READ 538 Organization of Reading Programs; or by permission.