Certification Requirements
The Reading Specialist Certification program consists of 24 credits. Candidates must show evidence of having completed an undergraduate literacy course with a grade of C or better. Individuals must also show evidence of successful completion of both child and adolescent development coursework with a grade of C or better for certification as a K-12 Reading Specialist.
Reading specialist candidates must enroll in EDUC 863 (Literacy Methods) and EDUC 864 (Literacy Clinic) during their final full year of study. At the conclusion of all program requirements, program completers are eligible to register for the Reading Specialist exam.
Retention
Reading Specialist candidates must maintain a minimum 3.00 grade point average, satisfactorily complete all required key assessments, attain a grade of "C" or better in all required core courses. Candidates who do not make satisfactory progress will be notified in writing noting the specific deficiencies and requesting that they meet with the program coordinator to develop a remediation plan. Failure to meet or to satisfactorily complete the remediation plan will result in termination from the program.
All persons enrolled in Teacher Education Programs at Penn State Harrisburg are expected to demonstrate the professional dispositions that are aligned with the unit’s vision statement. The faculty shall evaluate the approved dispositions demonstrated by the candidates in class and during their clinical field experience. Candidates may be rated as exemplary, acceptable, or unacceptable. Candidates are expected to attain acceptable or exemplary ratings in order to be recommended for certification.
Applying for Certification
The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that each candidate submit his/her application online using the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) Application should be made after the completion of all requirements which includes obtaining a passing score on the Reading Specialist Praxis Exam and receiving one’s final GPA.
Please note that the Praxis exam is a fee-based test and test takers must individually register for the exam. All scores must be reported to Penn State Harrisburg and The Pennsylvania Department of Education. For more information about the Praxis exam, go to their web site or call 1-800-772-9476
This page is not a part of the official Penn State University Bulletin.