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To enroll in our online Reading Specialist certification program at Cedar Crest College, you are required to be certified to teach, regardless of whether or not you are currently employed as a teacher. The Reading Specialist certification program is a 24 to 33-credit graduate-level program approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 

Enrolling in the Reading Specialist certification program at Cedar Crest means top professors in the literacy field will prepare you to be a literacy leader and develop expertise in reading strategies so you can provide support to all students in K – 12 classrooms. 

This Cedar Crest program is also one of the few in the region that provides the opportunity to be trained to work with students and support your colleagues as a literacy coach. 

While this program prepares you to be a Reading Specialist, the benefits of this certification do not end there. When you enroll in the Art of Teaching Master of Education program, you can apply elective credits towards earning your Reading Specialist certification. We see you getting the best of both worlds: a master’s degree and a specialized certification.

Other key features of the program include: 

  • Courses are fully online (with the exception of practicum experiences). 
  • Flexible practicum experiences, including summer opportunities 
  • Courses are eligible for Act-48 credit 
  • Discounted tuition rate for teachers currently working in local school districts 

Dive A Little Deeper

Program Requirements

Required Courses

REA 503 Reading: Past, Present, and Future (3 cr) 
EDU 514 Reading in the Content Areas (3 cr)
EDU 540 Differentiated Reading Instruction (3 cr)
EDU 584 Teachers as Coaches: Applied Instructional Coaching (3 cr)
EDU 587 Data Driven Decision-Making: Focusing on Student Achievement and Success (3 cr)

REA 505 Word Study and Vocabulary Development (3 cr)
REA 507 Reading Clinic Practicum: Early and Elementary Experience (3 cr/50 hours)

Students must complete 1 of the following 50-hour practicum courses (in addition to the required practicum REA 507 for a total of 100 practicum hours):
REA 508 Reading Clinic Practicum: Middle and High School Experience (3 cr/50 hours) or
EDU 589 Instructional Coaching: Supporting Teachers through Action (3 cr/10 hours)

Advanced standing may be awarded for equivalency from a former program for the following classes (9 credits). Otherwise, these courses should be scheduled as requirements within the student’s program:

SPE 241/SPE 541: The Exceptional Child: Special Education Process: PreK-Transition (3 cr) or equivalent
SPE 220/520: Evidence-Based Approaches (3 cr) or equivalent
EDU 359/559: Curriculum and Instruction for the English Language Learner (3 cr) or equivalent

For certification, the student must pass the Reading Specialist Praxis (Computer Test: 5301)

Instructional Coach Endorsement (12 credits)

Required Courses:

EDU 583 Teachers as Leaders: Organizational Leadership and School Change (3 cr)

EDU 584 Teachers as Coaches: Applied Instructional Coaching (3 cr)

EDU 587 Data Driven Decision-Making: Focusing on Student Achievement and Success (3 cr)
EDU 589 Instructional Coaching: Supporting Teachers through Action (3 cr)

Financial Aid
Scholarships

Cooperative Agreements

Cedar Crest College collaborates with several academic institutions to provide our students with innovative pathways that help them succeed in their chosen fields.

Cedar Crest Accounting Students in the Classroom

How To Apply

Ready to apply as a graduate student?

Apply Now
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Accreditation

Cedar Crest College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801

Faculty & Staff

Who’s teaching you is as important as the curriculum you choose.
Let’s put a face to some of the names you’ll be seeing on the course listings!

Sarah Fields

Sarah Fields

Office Manage/Coordinator of Field and Studen
Curtis Hall 223
Phone: 610-606-4666 (x3422)
Melissa Kamyab

Melissa Kamyab

Assistant Professor, Department Chair
Curtis Hall 228
Phone: 610-606-4666 (x4566)
Ivonne Miranda

Ivonne Miranda

Assistant Professor, Supervisor of Field & Student Teaching, Director of Graduate Program
Curtis Hall 225
Phone: 610-606-4666 (x3616)
Jill Purdy

Jill Purdy

Professor
Curtis Hall 226
Phone: 610-606-4666 (x3419)

Julie Borden
B.S. Special Education; Elementary Education Concentration, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
M.Ed. Reading, Kutztown University

Lynn Fuini-Hetten
B.S. Elementary Education, Kutztown University
M.S. Elementary Education; Instructional Technology Certification, Kutztown University
Principal Certification, Penn State University
Superintendent Letter of Eligibility, Wilkes University

Valerie Gulych
B.S. Psychology, Penn State University
M.S. Education, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Special Education Supervisory Certification, Penn State University
Principal Certification, CLIU 21

Deborah Hartman
B.S. Special Education and Elementary Education, Kutztown University
M.S. Special Education, Kansas State University

Donna Hibshman
B.S. Certification in Mentally/Physically Handicapped, Bloomsburg University
M.Ed. Certifications in K-8 General Education; Reading Education, Lehigh University

Michelle Johnston

B.S. Computer Science, Kutztown University
M.Ed. Master of Education, DeSales University
ESL Program Specialist Certification, DeSales University
M.A. Educational Leadership and Administration, Lehigh University
Principal Certification, Lehigh University

Leah Naylor

B.S., University of Pittsburgh
M.A., New York University

Kelly Rosario

B.S. Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, Bloomsburg University
M.S. Educational Leadership; K-12 Principal Certification, Wilkes University

Diana Schantz

M.S. Education Technology, DeSales University
Principal Certification, Penn State University

Amanda Strack

B.A. Criminal Justice; Political Science, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
M.Ed. Master of Education, DeSales University
M.A. Educational Leadership and Administration, Lehigh University

Melinda Watkins

B.S. Elementary Education & Early Childhood Education, Kutztown University
M.S. Education, West Chester University
Middle Level Math Certification
Reading Specialist Certification, Cedar Crest College

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