The Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential is issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. It fulfills the requirements of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, as well as the International Reading Association’s guidelines for Reading Specialists/Literacy Coaches.  It authorizes the holder to provide the following services as a Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist in any grade level PreK-12, or in classes organized for adults:

- Develop and coordinate reading and language arts programs at the school, district, or county level

- Select and adapt reading and language arts instructional materials

- Plan and conduct reading and language arts staff development

- Assess student progress and monitor student achievement in reading and language arts

- Provide direct reading and language arts intervention work with students

- Assist and support the classroom teaching in reading and language arts instruction and teaching strategies

Admission to the Program

For admission to the program, applicants must:

1. Meet university requirements for admission to graduate status,
2. Have a 3.0 or higher grade point average in their last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) units attempted, and
3. Have completed a basic course/s in teaching reading and writing (EDEL 4150 and EDEL 4160, or EDSE 4501 & EDSE 4502, or equivalent) or hold a basic teaching credential.