STATEMENT TO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – FEBRUARY 4, 2004

CT ASSOCIATION FOR READING RESEARCH & CT READING ASSOCIATION

Both the Fall Hiring Report of 2002 and the Fall Hiring Report of 2003 listed as shortage areas the positions of Remedial Reading and Language Arts Teacher (102 endorsement) and Reading and Language Arts Consultant (097 endorsement).  Since reading is so important to the success of children in school and of adults in life, the State Department of Education has begun to address the lack of reading specialists in schools through the design of an alternate preparation program for a literacy specialist.  In a spirit of cooperation as reading professionals, we are collaborating with the State Department in developing as rigorous a program as possible for this alternate route, although we have concerns about the time constraints that do not allow for the in-depth training needed for a position of literacy leadership, especially in view of the fact that there is no requirement for a Master’s in Reading upon entering the program.  The State’s database indicates that there are over 2000 individuals fully certified in these positions; therefore, we offer the following suggestions for Connecticut to address the obstacles that prevent these highly trained professionals from taking the positions open in the field.

1.  Present regulations call for an individual to work ten months as a remedial reading/language arts teacher before he or she can conclude an advanced program of study for consultant certification.  This stumbling block must be removed if the need for consultants is to be addressed.  Clinical work in the program of study fulfills this requirement.

2.  Since the publication of our two-year study in 1997, we have urged that there be one reading/language arts certification; i.e., that of the 097 Reading and Language Arts Consultant obtained at the Master’s Plus level (meaning a Master’s program with additional semester hour credits), not the Sixth Year as is now the case.  Principals expressed the need for reading specialists who could work with both teachers and students in developing a successful schoolwide reading/language arts program. Many remedial teachers do not go on to obtain the advanced degree required for consultant certification.  Since new certification regulations have been postponed until 2005, we urge this change be made this year without delay.

3.  New regulations should allow for a concentration in reading at the Master’s level for classroom teachers who want more training in reading but who do not want to take a specialist position.  This program would be different from the consultant program at the Master’s level.

4.  As regulations change in 2005, consideration must be given to a required course in reading for administrators to promote understanding of the reading process and to help them define how to make effective use of their reading/language consultants.

5.  As regulations are further developed in 2005, recognition must be given to the need for more coursework in reading and writing for preservice classroom teachers that will develop an understanding of the integration needed in language arts instruction.