The California Reading Certificate is a postbaccalaureate credit program for an added authorization certificate issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. It authorizes the holder to assess student reading and provide reading instruction in response to those assessments. Certificate holders may perform the following services at a single school site at the grade level authorized by their prerequisite teaching credential:

- Develop and implement reading curriculum

- Adapt reading content curriculum

- Assist classroom teachers in these areas

The California Reading Certificate Program closely corresponds with the first half of the Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential program and the Postsecondary Reading Certificate program. All the classes in the reading certificate program are in the M.A. in Education: Option in Reading Program.

Requirements for the Certificate

Students must complete 15 units of required coursework and fulfill 6 units of co-requisites. In addition to the unit requirements, students must satisfy the following:

- Have a preliminary Teaching Credential (i.e., Multiple Subject, Single Subject, or Educational Specialist Teaching Credential). Students may work towards the Reading Certificate while they are completing the requirements for their preliminary teaching credential.

- Have verified the completion of three years of successful full-time teaching experience after receiving a basic teaching credential. Students who finish the program before they complete their experience requirement will be eligible for the reading certificate once they finish this requirement