The Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction: Reading with an Emphasis in Secondary Education is designed for licensed 7-12 educators who want to focus on secondary literacy strategies in order to improve the reading abilities of their students. Some individuals who pursue this master‛s degree in curriculum and instruction are interested in becoming a reading coach or a reading intervention specialist.
Students in this program learn to apply theory and educational best practices to the delivery of curriculum, instruction and assessment in order to improve the reading abilities and reading comprehension of their students. This master‛s degree in curriculum and instruction focuses on understanding the barriers that prohibit students from learning to read, learning to assess secondary reading problems, and learning how to complete a literacy program from the emergent stage to adult proficiency level. The courses in this program are aligned to the International Reading Association standards.
The program provides a foundation for students to diagnose and assess reading deficiencies and corrective reading strategies. Students will also learn how to develop and implement corrective reading plans and analyze the results. The master‛s degree in curriculum and instruction focuses on acquiring foundational knowledge related to secondary linguistic principles of the English language-the basics of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and new vocabulary-while addressing the issues related to the usage of standard and nonstandard varieties of English. That knowledge will be practically used as students investigate the assessment of secondary reading and writing problems. Students will also learn how to use reading skills across the curriculum through the use of instructional strategies and assessments.
A Secondary Practicum is included in this master‛s degree in curriculum and instruction which provides an in-depth study of the International Reading Association (IRA) Standards by examining research-based approaches linking assessment and instruction for secondary teachers. Teachers learn to use a wide range of formal and informal assessment tools and methods to diagnose and assess reading and writing development, instruction and assessment.
Geared toward individuals who are already licensed as teachers, this program does not lead to licensure but may lead to career advancement. Program applicants must submit a copy of a current teaching license or provide evidence of a minimum of one year of teaching experience. In addition, it is essential for students to have access to a K-12 classroom to complete the program assignments.
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.