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2014-2015 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Master of Education in Literacy Studies: Reading/Language Arts Emphasis

For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Education section in this catalog.

Mission - Teaching, leading, and learning in a democratic society.

Philosophy - Believing that schools function as social and political entities as well as for the growth of individuals, the College of Education prepares teachers and leaders a) to enhance the academic and personal potential of their students, and b) to evaluate the social and ethical implications of educational policies and practices.

Values - The College of Education values expertise to guide our practice, equity to guide our interactions, liberal education to guide our perspectives, and social responsibility to guide our commitment to democratic education. We value these ideals in our preparation of candidates, our development of faculty, and our relationships with the larger community we serve.

The reading/language arts program leading to the M.Ed. degree provides elementary and secondary teachers with the appreciation, theory, and practical skills needed to teach various areas of reading and language arts. The program is helpful for K-12 classroom teachers who want to expand their abilities to work with students in language arts programs as well as for other professionals who support students' literacy acquisition.

Accreditation
Nationally Recognized by Specialty Program Association: International Reading Association (IRA)
Michigan Department of Education

Minimum Number of Hours in Program
All degree-seeking students in the reading/language arts master's program are required to take a minimum of 33 semester hours. If a candidate is pursuing the reading specialist K-12 endorsement, they must complete the 36 credit hours of the reading specialist program.

Program Location
DeVos Center, Pew Campus downtown Grand Rapids, MI

Website: www.gvsu.edu/grad/literacy

Requirements for the M.Ed. Reading/Language Arts:

Each candidate for the (non-endorsement) M.Ed. degree must complete the following:

One Social Foundation Course:

One Research and Evaluation Course:

Six Emphasis Area Courses:

Two Supplemental Courses selected from:

Capstone (Choose one):

Portfolio:

  • Graduate candidates will maintain a portfolio and submit it to their advisor periodically throughout their program.

Requirements for Elementary Reading Teacher Endorsement, K-8:

The elementary reading teacher endorsement is a 24-semester hour program leading to state certification in reading at the K-8 school level. It is designed for classroom teachers who wish to develop expertise in the teaching of reading. The elementary reading teacher endorsement may be added only to an elementary teaching certificate.

Requirements include the following:

Portfolio:

  • Graduate candidates will also maintain a portfolio and submit it to their advisor periodically throughout the program. In addition, candidates adding a new endorsement must pass the Michigan Subject Area Test and maintain a 3.0 G.P.A.

Requirements for Secondary Reading Teacher Endorsement, 6-12:

The secondary reading teacher endorsement is a 24-semester hour program leading to state certification in reading at the secondary school level (6-12). It is designed for classroom teachers who wish to develop expertise in the teaching of reading. The secondary reading teacher endorsement may be added only to a secondary teaching certificate.

Requirements include the following courses:

Portfolio:

  • Graduate candidates will also maintain a portfolio and submit it to their advisor periodically throughout the program. In addition, candidates adding a new endorsement must pass the Michigan Subject Area Test and maintain a 3.0 G.P.A.

Requirements for the Reading Specialist Endorsement K-12:

The reading specialist endorsement is a 36-semester hour program leading to state endorsement as a K-12 reading specialist. It is designed for persons who are interested in administration and supervision of school or district-wide reading/language arts programs and will enable the bearer to be employed as a school reading consultant/literacy coach, to teach in special remedial or developmental programs, and to teach reading as a special subject. The reading specialist endorsement may be added to either an elementary or secondary teaching certificate. The state requires a master's degree in reading for this endorsement.

M.Ed. program requirements include:

One Social Foundation Course (choose one):

One Research and Evaluation Course:

One Capstone Course selected from:

Reading courses required for specialist endorsement include:

Portfolio:

Graduate candidates will maintain a portfolio and submit it to their advisor periodically throughout their program. In addition, candidates adding a new endorsement must pass the Michigan Subject Area Test and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.


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