Requirements for the Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) Degree in Reading Education support the professional development of all reading or literacy specialists; including classroom teachers, reading/literacy specialists, and literacy coaches.  The Ed.S. degree is intended for those who wish to develop high levels of expertise in the Standards for Reading Professionals developed by the International Reading Association's Committee on Standards and Ethics.  The objectives of the Ed.S. in Reading Education are:

    1.   To ensure that the competencies in the discipline (reading education) have been attained and meet professional agency standards.

   2.   To develop competencies in:

• Organizing, supervising and evaluating reading programs and classroom literacy instruction.
• Translating literacy research findings into practices.
• Reading/literacy assessment and diagnostic procedures.
• Teaching reading at the secondary, junior college, college and adult levels.
• Conducting teacher training workshops at the teacher in-service level.
• Performing the duties of reading specialist and literacy coach.

Requirements for Admission

Candidate must:

• Be admitted to the UMKC School of Graduate Studies.
• Possess a bachelor's degree and a teaching certificate.
• Have at least two years of teaching experience (or its equivalent).
• Have completed a minimum of six credit hours of graduate-level (5500) courses in reading education taken at UMKC. It is not necessary to have a master's degree to enter the program.

Curriculum
A minimum of 60 post-B.A. hours are required including a minimum of 21 credit hours beyond the master's degree.

Curriculum Summary
Hours
  Reading Concentration                         21-42
  Supporting Area(s)                                9-12
  Practicum                                             6-12
  Humanistic and Behavioral Studies          6-12
  
Total (minimum)                                       60

Curriculum Detail
Reading Concentration (21-42 hours) and Practicum (6-12 hours)

EDRD 5502 Early Literacy and Language Development 
EDRD 439 Content Reading and Language Development 
EDRD 5501 The Teaching of Reading 
EDRD 5510 Classroom Based Literacy Assessment and Intervention
EDRD 5511 Reading Assessment and Evaluation
EDRD 5520 Practicum in Reading  
EDRD 5515 Seminar in Reading 
EDRD 5530 Reading Instruction for K-12 English Language Learners
EDRD 5541 Teaching Reading Improvement: Secondary, College, Adult Level
EDRD 5601 Organizing and Guiding the Reading Program 
EDRD 5640 Apprenticeship and Conference in College Training  
EDRD 5650 Dyslexia and Related Learning Disabilities 
EDRD 5690 Special Problems (Note: Field Project Class) 
Supporting Area(s) (9-12 hours)
Select courses from Urban Leadership and/or Curriculum and Instruction

Humanistic and Behavioral Studies(6-12 hours)


EDUC-R&P 5502 Advanced Educational Psychology
EDUC-R&P 5510 Child Behavior and Development
EDUC-R&P 5512 Adolescent Development and the School 
EDUC-UL 5525 Cultural Foundations of Education
EDUC-UL 5526 Philosophical Foundations of Education
EDUC-UL 5527 Historical Foundations of Education
EDUC-UL 5528 Sociological Foundations of Education
Requirements for Graduation
Candidates must pass an examination in the major field and complete a reading/literacy field project.