Proposal to Discontinue the READ Credential, Certificate, and Master’s Degree
Programs
February 1, 2014
Context
KSOE Dean Phyllis Metcalf-Turner suspended admissions to the READ programs in the
fall of 2013, notifying the Academic Senate at that time (see attached notification). By
rule of the Academic Senate, admission to the program needs to be reopened, or a
proposal for discontinuance. Current Interim Dean, Christopher Sindt, has chosen to
propose to discontinue the programs.
Reading Programs
1. Course of Study leading to a state Reading Certificate issued by the Commission
on Teacher Credentialing
2. Course of Study leading to a state Reading and Language Arts Specialist
credential issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
3. Course of study based upon the coursework for both the Certificate and the
Credential leading to a Master of Arts degree in Reading and Language Arts
4. Course of study based upon both the coursework required for a state basic
teaching credential taken at the KSOE and the coursework for the Reading
Certificate leading to a Master of Education degree in Reading and Language Arts
Purpose for Discontinuance
Low Enrollment. The programs have low enrollment for several years due to: perennial
low enrollment and production due to:
Lack of proper regulatory action by the CTC. Despite its obligation to monitor the
authorizations of all those providing services in K-12 schools, historically the CTC has not
identified mis-assignments in the areas of reading and literacy. Absent such
enforcement, K-12 administrators have turned to cheaper alternative programs such as
Reading Recovery (also offered by the KSOE) to train reading specialists. It was hoped
that a monitoring program would be strengthened in time to prevent the necessity of
this proposal, but it has not.
Most existing reading programs are housed in the CSU and UC systems. Since demand
for the programs is so low statewide, the state-supported programs can accommodate
the bulk of those wishing to enroll in reading/literacy programs. The state systems also
still have significantly lower tuition costs than the KSOE’s programs.
Effects of Discontinuance
Who will be affected by the decision?
Our plan is to integrate the reading course content and faculty into the curriculum an
delivery of the three general education credential programs (Multiple Subject, Single
Subject and Special Education), as well as the Masters in Teaching Leadership Program.
What are the potential effects on
Faculty (tenured, tenure track): The tenured faculty member serving as program
director has been teaching outside the program (Special Education, Multiple Subject) for
many years to maintain a full load. When the Reading Program is discontinued, she will
continue to support reading and literacy across the basic teaching credential and the
MATL programs. One additional faculty member, Candy Boyd, will also be integrated to
the general education program as necessary. Only a small part of her load has been
assigned in recent years to the Reading Program.
Faculty Non-tenured: There is one lecturer faculty position associated with the program.
This position would be eliminated at some point during the teach-out.
Staff: The program is supported by a part-time (10%) Program Assistant. This person
would continue to be assigned as needed during the teach-out and then be assigned
other duties in the KSOE to replace the Reading Program load.
Students enrolled in the Reading Program’s: Attached to this proposal is the name-byname status of every student as of Spring Term 2012 who has started a Reading
Program since the 2005-2006 academic year (Page 8). Of the total 37 students 16 have
completed their objectives, 10 are still enrolled, and 11 have dropped. It is anticipated
that the teach-out will take 24 to 30 months.
Other undergraduate and/or graduate programs of the College: The Reading Program
has been so small for so long that its closure would have minimal impact on other units
in the College. The single exception is that Counseling School Psychology students do
currently take one Reading Program course (READ 255 Diagnostic Teaching). This term
the only students enrolled in the course are Counseling students and it is one of the few
Reading courses with high enough enrollment to be consistently offered on a face-toface basis. The course could be shifted into either the Counseling program or into the
general KSOE Education program (EDUC).
What effect will this action have on other departments: The availability of the tenured
Program Director to the Multiple, Single, Special Education and Masters in Teaching
Leadership programs would greatly strengthen the literacy and reading instruction in
those programs, all of which have significantly higher enrollment than the Reading
program.
What effect will this action have on the College’s character and mission (Liberal Arts,
Catholic, Lasallian)? The Reading Program is so small that its closure would have little
impact at the College level. As noted above, the KSOE would continue to support K-12
reading and literacy through other, stronger, programs.
What steps should the College take to minimize any negative effects of the
discontinuation?
The most important step is to ensure that the individual teach-out plans developed for
the currently active students are both feasible and monitored to ensure that the
students are making the necessary progress. With only a dozen or so students involved,
this administrative task can be accomplished.
A plan to ensure that both the required public notifications and the individual
correspondence with each active student are conducted in sensitive and effective
manner will be developed.
The CTC needs to be notified of the suspension of admissions in the appropriate
manner.
Be prepared to emphasize all the other efforts the KSOE and the College as a whole are
making to enhance the literacy of California’s K-12 population, including the active
support of the Reading Recovery and Environmental Literacy programs. Our
commitment is merely shifting to more effective delivery media.
Relationship with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC):
The CTC is the state agency that issues credentials authorizing a wide range of
instructional and other services in the K-12 public schools in California. By statute, the
CTC staff monitors all public school districts in California to ensure that every individual
providing such services holds the proper authorization.
The CTC is also tasked with setting standards for all credential preparation programs
offered in California. As a corollary, the CTC accredits all credential preparation
programs based upon those standards. So unlike most programs in the College, the
Reading Program is also accredited by the CTC.
In 2010 the Commission took action to approve new Reading credential program
standards. Significant changes were made in the new standards. The current standalone Reading Certificate is replaced by a Reading and Literacy Added Authorization
(RLAA). This new authorization will simply be added to an existing California basic
teaching credential. The Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential will be
replaced by the Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential.
The CTC has established December 2012 as the last date for all program sponsors
currently offering the Reading Certificate and Reading and Language Arts Specialist
Credential to transition to the new standards. While the existing program can be taught
out, after December 2012, no new candidates can be admitted to our existing programs.
This state-imposed deadline is an additional reason for suspending admissions to the
current Reading Program. It takes considerable time and effort to respond to the new
standards, develop new curriculum and then teach the new courses.