Curriculum and Instruction, MEd - Concentration in Literacy Leadership for Diverse Schools: K-12 Reading Specialist

The Literacy Leadership for Diverse Schools (LLDR) concentration is designed for teachers with at least one year of teaching experience who want to earn a master’s degree as they develop the expertise needed to serve as a reading specialist or literacy leader.

You can complete your degree in as little as two years. Our online and hybrid program options provide the flexibility you need to make your goal a reality!

You’ll learn:

• How literacy develops across the lifespan.
• Research-based literacy instructional practices and assessment strategies.
• Leadership skills needed to serve as a Reading Specialist.
• How to make a profound difference in the literacy development of diverse learners, including English learners or students served through Special Education programs.

Graduates can be eligible for the K-12 Reading Specialist endorsement in Virginia. Additional state licensure requirements include having an initial teaching license, earning a satisfactory score on the Reading for Virginia Educators: Reading Specialist exam, and having at least three years of teaching experience under contract by the completion of the degree program. Some program electives can also be applied to future endorsements in English as a Second Language or Special Education.

Hear what our graduates have to say about our programs!

Required Courses (24 credits)

• EDRD 630: Literacy Foundations and Instruction for Diverse Populations: Birth through Middle Childhood (3 credits)

• EDRD 631: Literacy Foundations and Instruction for Diverse Populations: Adolescence Through Adulthood (3 credits)

• EDRD 632: Literacy Assessments and Interventions for Groups (3 credits)

• EDRD 633: Literacy Assessments and Interventions for Individuals (3 credits) (*)

• EDRD 634: School-Based Leadership in Literacy (3 credits)

• EDRD 635: School-Based Inquiry in Literacy (3 credits)

• EDRD 637: Supervised Literacy Practicum (3 credits) (*)

• EDRS 590: Education Research (3 credits) OR EDSE 590: Special Education Research (3 credits)

*must be taken concurrently

Electives (9 credits)

*Choose 3 of the following:

• EDAT 510: Introduction to Assistive Technology (3 credits)

• EDAT 524: Universal Design for Learning (3 credits)

• EDCI 510: Linguistics for PreK-12 ESOL Teachers (3 credits)

• EDCI 516: Bilingualism and Language Acquisition Research (3 credits)

• EDCI 519: Methods of Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners (3 credits)

• EDCI 570: Teaching Young Adult Literacy in a Multicultural Setting (3 credits)

• EDCI 621: Introduction to Gifted and Talented Learners (3 credits)

• EDCI 622: Curriculum and Instructional Strategies for Gifted Learners (3 credits)

• EDCI 623: Supporting the Social Emotional Needs of Gifted Learners (3 credits)

• EDCI 630: Supporting English Learners in PK-12 Schools (3 credits)

• EDSE 501: Introduction to Special Education (3 credits)

• EDSE 502: Classroom Management and Applied Behavior Analysis (3 credits)

• EDSE 517: Computer Applications for Special Populations (3 credits)

• EDSE 540: Characteristics of Students with Disabilities who Access the General Curriculum (3 credits)

• EDSE 619: Principles and Procedures of Behavior Analysis (3 credits)

• EDSE 628: Elementary Reading, Curriculum, Strategies for Students Who Access the General Education Curriculum (3 credits)

• EDSE 629: Secondary Curriculum and Strategies for Students with Disabilities who Access the General Curriculum (3 credits)

• EDUC 537: Introduction to Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Learners (3 credits)

• EDUC 595: Perspectives on Exceptl Tching (3 credits)

Note: *Check course descriptions for prerequisites. Substitutions must be approved by your advisor.

Total credits: 33