The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requirements for the Reading Teacher Endorsement include:
- Hold a valid 0-3, K-9, or 6-12 teaching license
- Complete 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours, including a practicum, of reading and literacy courses in the following areas:
- Foundations of reading,
- Content area reading,
- Assessment and diagnosis of reading problems,
- Developmental and remedial reading instruction and support,
- Developmental and remedial materials and resources, and
- Literature appropriate to students across all grade ranges
- Pass the Reading Teacher content test (#222)
Students can pursue the Reading Teacher Endorsement by either:
- Completing courses that are a subset of the Reading Specialist program (see below), or
- Applying for a Reading Teacher endorsement evaluation through ISBE. Once a statement of area deficiencies is received, the student will meet with an advisor to determine the required outstanding coursework.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for the Reading Teacher endorsement only program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and a valid Illinois teaching license. Please note that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) may change the State licensure and endorsement requirements at any time and without prior notice.
To apply, please submit the following materials to the Office of Graduate Admission:
- A completed graduate application
- Online application fee
- Copy of a valid Illinois professional teaching license
- A bachelor’s degree conferred by an accredited, recognized institution
- Two letters of reference, one of which must be from persons familiar with your academic work
- One official transcript from each college or university attended
- Resume or curriculum vitae showing evidence of adequate background for the program.
The admission process also may include an interview with program faculty.
Course Requirements
Reading Teacher Endorsement Coursework: 36 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SER 405 | TEACHING LITERACY TO EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS | 4 |
| SER 430 | INTRODUCTION TO READING ASSESSMENT | 4 |
| SER 432 | DEVELOPING LITERACY: ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTION | 4 |
| SER 433 | ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSTIC TEACHING OF READING | 4 |
| SER 435 | LITERACY PROGRAMS: CURRICULUM AND COLLABORATION | 4 |
| SER 438 | LITERATURE-BASED AND CONTENT AREA LITERACY INSTRUCTION | 4 |
Practicum Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SER 542 | PRACTICUM IN LITERACY ASSESSMENT | 4 |
| SER 543 | PRACTICUM IN LITERACY INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT | 4 |
| SER 544 | PRACTICUM IN LITERACY INSTRUCTION, ASSESSMENT, AND COLLABORATION | 4 |
The practicum courses provide an opportunity to apply knowledge from course work to teaching struggling learners and those with disabilities. In these courses, students provide diagnostic and remedial services to children and adolescents from the Chicago area under the supervision of program faculty. These courses are offered in an on-campus facility.