MA in Literacy

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• Information Binder
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• Objectives
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• Phases

Program Update

Proposed Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction: Literacy The department is currently working on program revision approvals. The anticipated start of the new MA Literacy program will be fall 2013. For details contact the Student Resource office and schedule an advising session with a faculty advisor.

>>719-255-4996 education@uccs.edu

About

The Curriculum and Instruction Department recently received approval for the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction: Literacy. The program revision will encompass emphasis in both reading and writing. The program will include core foundation courses that are college-wide offerings and courses that are specific graduate-level in literacy. In addition, we plan to offer a "tiered" program in which MA studens could continue, if desired, their coursework and receive Reading Teacher and Reading Specialist endorsements from the state.

Advising Booklet

The full Information Binder may be viewed on the Downloads & Forms page.

>> View Information Binder

Philosophical Framework

The Graduate Reading Program at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is designed to serve as advanced training for classroom teachers seeking to develop greater competence in the teaching of reading. The program goals are greatly influenced by three sets of guidelines. These are:

• The guidelines for the professional preparation of Reading Specialists as defined in the International Reading Association's Standards for Reading Professionals.
  
  The International Reading Association identifies three broad areas of emphasisin the training of reading personnel. These are:
  • Knowledge and beliefs about reading
  • Instruction and assessment
  • Organizing and enhancing a reading program.
• The standards defined for licensure as a Reading Teacher by the Colorado Department of Education
  
  The Colorado Department of Education identifies five major areas in which Reading Teachers should develop knowledge and skills:
  • Diagnostic, prescriptive and evaluative techniques;
  • Foundations of reading instruction, includingmethods, techniques and materials;
  • Psychological processes related to the teaching of reading;
  • Diagnostic and remedial teaching of reading;
  • Organization and management proceduresforreadinginstruction.
• The Conceptual Framework of the College of Education at CU Colorado Springs.
  
  The College of Education Conceptual Framework reflects the professional commitments and dispositions of the faculty. It consists of the following:
  • Governed by rules and regulations
  • Guided by knowledge
  • Balanced by diversity
  • Served by integrity
  • Renewed by learners

The College of Education at CU Colorado Springs identifies seven core goals within its Conceptual Framework. These are:

1. To provide leadership
2. To prepare learners for productive living
3. To promote individual value
4. To honor diverse cultures
5. To demonstrate professional, responsible and ethical practice
6. To model lifelong growth
7. To transmit knowledge These three sets of guidelines provide the foundation for the goals, philosophy, requirements and objectives of the Reading Program.

    

Objectives

In concert with the standards of the International Reading Association requirements of the Colorado Department of Education and the Conceptual Framework of the College of Education, the faculty has identified and adopted the following objectives:

1. To provide a strong foundation in the various methodological positions common to the field of Reading; (IRA - a: CDE - b: COE - B, 7)
2. To familiarize students with well - known and current literature for children and to help them integrate this literature into their reading instruction; (IRA - b: CDE - b: COE - B, C, 6, 7)
3. To provide for students awide range of diagnostic and remedial strategies for classroom and clinical use; (IRA - a, b: CDE - a, d: COE - B, C, 4, 5, 7)
4. To provide for students a strong theoretical and research base in the field of reading and language arts; (IRA - b, c: CDE - c: COE - B, D, 1, 3, 7)
5. To familiarize students with various strategies for organizing and managing reading programs; (IRA - c: CDE - c, e: COE - B, C, D, 1, 3, 5, 7)
6. To help students apply reading strategies to content area material at all levels; (IRA - b: CDE - b, d: COE - 7)
7. To provide for students a basic rationale and a structure that will assist them in making appropriate instructional decisions related to reading; (IRA - a, b: CDE - a, b, d: COE - B, C, D, E, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
8. To assist students in internalizing and applying the principles of appropriate teaching and diagnostic instruction; (IRA - b: CDE - b, c:COE - B, C, D, E, 1, 7)
9. To develop in students sensitivity to awide range of learners and their needs and to provide strategies that will meet those diverse needs; (IRA - a, b: CDE - a, b, d: COE - A, B, C, D, E, 3, 4, 5, 7)
10. To inspire students to make a commitment to instructional excellence and flexibility; (IRA - a:CDE - a, d: COE - D, E, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
11. To provide a continuous service in the form of informal evaluation, consulting and remediation options for the Colorado Springs community; (COE - D, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
12. To maintain strong ties between the Reading Department and elementary and secondary schools in the Colorado Springs area. (COE - 1, 4, 6)
13. To urge students to understand and value cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity as they guide all children to literacy. (IRA - a: CDE - b, e: COE - B, C, D, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. To provide for students a strong background in reading instruction which in turn will allow them to teach children effective total reading strategies while maintaining a love and desire for print. (IRA - all: CDE - all: COE - all)

Competencies

Based on these objectives, the Reading Program expects all graduating students to demonstrate the following competencies:

1. Knowledge of current philosophies and methodologies of reading instruction; (IRA - a, b: CDE - b: COE - B, C, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
2. Knowledge of both formal and informal strategies for diagnosing, evaluating and remediating elementary and/or secondary reading problems: (IRA - a, b: CDE - a,b,d: COE - 1, 3, 5, 7)
3. Familiarity with a wide range of literature for children as well as strategies for discovering and guiding children's reading interests; (IRA - a: CDE - b: COE - 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
4. Knowledge of ways to design and organize reading programs; (IRA - c: CDE - e: COE - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
5. An understanding of the psychological bases for reading instruction; (IRA - a, b: CDE - c: COE - B, C, E, 1, 4, 6, 7)
6. Knowledge of the critical relationships between language development and reading development; (IRA - a, b: CDE - b, c: COE - B, C, E, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
7. Ability to fulfill leadership roles inschool reading programs; (IRA - c: CDE - e: COE - A, B, C, D, E, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
8. Ability to use awide range of developmental and remedial techniques to meet the needs of a variety of learners in all content areas; (IRA - a, b: CDE - a, b, d: COE: B, C, D, 5, 7)
9. Ability to recognize several causes of comprehension deficits and to apply instructional strategies to remediate those failures; (IRA - a, b: CDE - a, b, c, d: COE - B, D, 1, 2, 6, 7)
10. Ability to meet the needs of a very diverse group of learners. (IRA a, b: CDE - a, b, d: COE - A, B, C, D, E, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

     

     

Reading Program Requirements

The Reading Program has three basic sets of requirements. These are:

• Reading Course Requirements
• General Program Requirements
• Professional Development Requirements

Following is a discussion of each of these requirements.

I: Reading Course Requirements

The Graduate Reading Program at UCCS consists of 40 credit hours. Of these, 33 credits (11 courses) comprise the core requirements and 7 credits (2 courses) comprise the practica experiences. The complete requirements follow:

Core Courses (33 credits)

Practica (7 credits)

II: General Program Requirements

In an effort to ensure that students indeed gain required competencies, as well as achieve personal and professional goals prior to graduation, the program has the following general requirements:

1. Completion of a Literacy Survey (during first semester of study)
   The survey is designed to identify the literacy knowledge base of students. The results will assist the faculty in providing meaningful and appropriate content and experiences for students throughout the Reading Program. The survey should be handed in to the advisor as well as submitted electronically to the College of Education.
2. Completion of a Statement of Desired Outcomes.
   This is a statement that identifies each individual student's personal and professional desired outcomes as a result of completing the Reading Program. Outcomes should be in both the theoretical (knowledge base) and practical application areas. This statement should be completed and submitted to the advisor and electronically during the first semester of coursework.
3. Completion of two Reflective Papers
   This is to evaluate the students' progress toward achieving the desired outcomes identified in Semester 1. The first Reflective Paper should be completed and submitted to the advisor and electronically prior to registering for CURR 5403, Introduction to Clinical Experiences. The second Reflective Paper should be completed and submitted to the advisor and electronically during the last semester of coursework.
4. Retake the Literacy Survey
   The Literacy Survey taken at the beginning of the programmust be retaken prior to graduation. Results will assist faculty in determining the effectiveness of the programand in providing appropriate experiences and content for future students. Itwill also assist the faculty in making appropriate program modifications.
5. Full Electronic Portfolio
   Prior to graduation, students are required to submit a completedelectronic portfolio. The portfolio artifacts consist of significant performance products completed in several of the core courses of the program. A Performance Assessment Flowchart and an Assessment Checklist are provided to assist students inplanning for and tracking the general program requirements.

III: Professional Development Program Requirements

The Graduate Reading Program requires all graduates to fulfill four professional development requirements. These requirements may be completed at any time after the core reading courses have been completed. (CURR 5400, CURR 5401, CURR 5410, CURR 5411, CURR 5412, CURR 5413, CURR 5420, CURR5430/31 LEAD 570). All program requirements must be completed prior to graduation from the program. These requirements are designed to provide for students opportunities to extend their own professionalism, to interact with other professionals, to share their knowledge and skills with peers, parents and community members and to ensure continued professional growth. The professional requirements are:

1. Membership in a local, state ornational literacy association.
2. Drafting and Submission of a local, state ornational conference proposal.
3. Presentation of a topic of literacy to colleagues and paraprofessionals.
4. Preparation and delivery of a parent literacy workshop.

It might be helpful for candidates to think of the reading program requirements in four phases and to focus on fulfilling the requirements within these phase timelines.

Phases

Phase 1: Admission to the Reading Program

In order to be admitted to the Graduate Reading Program, all applicants must meet and be able to documentor demonstrate certain skills, dispositions and experiences. These requirements fall in four general categories: Knowledge Base, Experience, Professional Dispositions and Professional Reflection and Expectations.

The Knowledge Base category includes:

• Ability to perform at a B - or above on undergraduate/ graduate academic tasks and appropriate knowledge base; Evidence: Transcripts
• At least one year teaching experience; Evidence: Letters of Reference
• Successful performance in a teaching - learning environment; Evidence: Letters of Reference

The Professional Dispositions category includes:

• Attitude, professional demeanor, dress, affect, communication skills and motivation appropriate for interacting with children and professional colleagues; Evidence: Initial Interview The Professional Reflection and Expectations category includes:
• Personal reflection and assessment of knowledge base in the field of reading; Evidence: Literacy Survey (See Appendices) due during the first semester of coursework
• Personal reflection and assessment of expectations of a graduate degree in reading; Assessment of Desired Outcomes Survey (See Appendices) due during the first semester of coursework

Phase 2: Content Acquisition: Prerequisites for Clinical/Practica Experiences

In order to be considered for Clinical/Practica experiences, each candidate must meet predetermined knowledge base requirements, gain certain skills and demonstrate specific dispositions related to academic coursework and professional practice. These requirements include the following:

• Successful completion of preliminary coursework at a B or better level This coursework includes information in the following areas:
  • Methodology and Pedagogy (CURR 5401, CURR 5412, CURR 5701)
  • Diagnosis and Remediation (CURR 5410)
  • Content Area Reading (CURR 5400)
  • Children's and Adolescents' Literature (CURR 5420)
  • Organization and Management of Reading Programs (CURR 5413)
  • Psychological Processes Related to Reading Instruction (CURR 5411)
  • Research Methods (LEAD 5700)
• Completion of a reflective paper (See Appendices) which discusses the progress toward the desired outcomes and learning experiences within the program: To be completed prior to taking any Clinical/Practica experience

Phase 3: Clinical/Practica Experiences: Program Completion

In order to proceed to the completion point of the Reading Program, candidates must have completed successfully four courses:

• CURR 5403 Introduction to Clinical Experiences
• CURR 5430/31 Practicum 1
• CURR 5432/33 Practicum 11
• CURR 5090 Research Project

These requirements are designed toensure that candidates are able to demonstrate in practical terms the research based skills and practices as well as the desired dispositions put forth throughout the Reading course of study. All Course Requirements, General Program Requirements and Professional Program Requirements must be completed by the end of Phase 3.

Phase 4: Post Graduation

Upon graduation, all graduates are requested tocomplete a follow - up survey that addresses their perceived strengths and weaknesses of the program. They are also asked to evaluate their own growth as a result of their participation in the program. The graduates are encouraged to make constructive suggestions that will assist faculty in making effective changes to the program.

In addition, principals or immediate supervisors are asked to indicate the degree to which the reading course of study has changed the performance of the teachers in the area of literacy development. Principals are also encouraged to make comments and suggestions.