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Online Master of Education in Literacy and Learning Science with a Concentration in Texas Reading Specialist

Program Highlights

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30 credit hours |  In-state tuition: $490/credit hour | Out-of-state tuition: $575/credit hour

  • Available in an easily accessible 100% online format from UTEP’s College of Education
  • Prepares Texas certified teachers to become leaders and instructional coaches in K-12 literacy education
  • Provides coursework that prepares students for the Texas Reading Specialist (#151) certification
  • Aligns with national standards and employs a cutting-edge approach to literacy research and literacy education
NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE TO APPLY. 

THIS CONCENTRATION IS FOR TEXAS CERTIFIED TEACHERS. (If you're not a TX certified teacher, consider applying to the concentration in Literacy, Learning and AI.)

PROGRAM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS 

Prepare to Be a Texas Reading Specialist

The M.Ed. in Literacy and Learning Science with a Concentration in Texas Reading Specialist prepares students to be specialized literacy leaders with a particular focus on literacy education in linguistically diverse settings. This degree is ideal for:

  • Texas Certified teachers who would like an advanced degree to deepen their knowledge of literacy with linguistically diverse learners 
  • Texas Certified teachers who would like to take on leadership/instructional coach roles in their campuses/districts 

 As a student of the program, you will learn how to

  • Balance theories/current scholarship in teaching/research in literacy education and apply them to practice
  • Develop, implement, and assess literacy curriculum and professional development in literacy
  • Apply your knowledge across diverse learners/learners with diverse needs

 You will have opportunities for personal instruction with faculty and practical engagement in the field. The program’s flexible, accelerated online format includes:

  • hands-on field-based practicum experiences
  • engagement with the latest research on literacy and learning sciences
  • individualized capstone project linking research, theory, and practice in literacy education as a culminating program experience

 Graduates of our program are well-qualified for the following types of positions: 

  • Reading Specialist – Applies specialized knowledge of literacy to planning, instruction, and assessment for students experiencing difficulties in reading and writing;
  • Literacy or Instructional Coach – Applies specialized knowledge of literacy, curriculum, and assessment to support teacher learning and professional development

Other positions well suited to our graduates include curriculum developer, literacy specialist or consultant in publishing and industry, doctoral student, community college instructor, adjunct faculty.  

Requirements for Texas Reading Specialist Certification:

Students in this concentration must have Texas teaching certification, at least three years of PK-12 teaching experience, and must complete the following requirements:

  • Apply for admissions to the Master of Education in Literacy and Learning Science with a Concentration in Texas Reading Specialist
  • Apply for  a second admissions to the Texas Reading Specialist program through UTEP
  • Complete a 160-hour, supervised practicum as part of RED 5349

Course Overview

Literacy and Learning Sciences Core (15 hours)

Get an overview of the study of literacy for K-12 educators, adult educators, reading teachers, and other literacy professionals. Learn the historical, social, cognitive, and critical knowledge needed to teach literacy in schools and classrooms. Special emphasis is placed on literacies of the U.S./Mexico border region and the literacy education of emergent bilingual students. The course aligns with Standards I and IV of the Texas Reading Specialist certification standards.

Examine the methods and materials for developing maturity in reading and study skills, especially in the content areas from K-12. Special emphasis is given to the development of interest, the matching of students to proper materials, and instructional techniques for integrating the teaching of skills with the teaching of content.

Focus on practical application in the study of classroom discourse (language in use) as it influences language and literacy learning. Study the convergences of interactional sociolinguistic, critical discourse analysis, and sociocultural studies of language and literacy learning. Undertake an applied study of language in use in language arts classrooms.

Write scholarly papers using archival research, documented sources and electronic databases. Work closely with the instructor and a professor in their area of study, students produce publication quality papers. Study issues of conceptualization, argumentation and evidence, and citation and referencing.Also explore style, audience, organization, and mechanics; relies heavily on peer editing and review. 

Learning sciences represents an interdisciplinary field that examines how people learn to understand, reason, and solve problems in diverse and complex settings. Examine how learning sciences has and continues to evolve as a research field that informs practice through the design of effective learning environments across socioculturally mediated contexts. Engage with foundational field perspectives to interrogate such ideas as the goals of education, learning design features, and social and cultural influences. 

Reading Specialist Concentration (15 hours)

Explore seminal research in the Science of Teaching Reading (STR), as well as research-based strategies for teaching reading. Study the components of skilled reading, reading development, issues in developmental reading impairments and how such issues may be supported through appropriate assessments and targeted interventions. Discuss current research considering its application for teaching and learning across early, middle and later early childhood.

Standardized and informal materials and techniques for diagnosing the reading strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups, techniques and materials for building specific reading abilities, and methods of individualizing instruction and grouping according to student needs and interests.

Develop competencies necessary to mentor, coach, and consult with the school community to develop, implement, and mentor high-quality literacy/biliteracy program; provide professional development for colleagues; and make decisions based on research evidence.

Focus on the early language and literacy acquisition of young children, taking a broad view of early literacy. Study the components and linguistic underpinning of emergent literacy, Birth to Age 8. Explore how young children create meaning in multimodal ways and the use of a wide range of cultural, linguistic, communicative, and technologically diverse teaching practices to support early literacy/biliteracy learning. Synthesize differing views of early language and literacy pedagogy and current research to create curricula that supports diverse literacy learners in the Early Childhood classroom.

An internship served with university faculty or a team of university and clinical faculty in an elementary, middle, secondary, community college, or university setting. Course content and requirements will be contracted on an individual basis.

CONNECT WITH US

The University of Texas at El Paso
UTEP Online Programs
Kelly Hall, Ste. 115
500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, Texas 79968
E: utepconnect@utep.edu
P: 1-800-684-UTEP