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An Educational Specialist (Ed.S) in Literacy Specialist is a cohort program designed to provide an in-depth understanding of inclusive language and literacy development and instruction, with a focus on supporting all children, particularly those vulnerable to literacy difficulties. Candidates explore the intersections of theory and research on the science of reading, writing, culturally and linguistically responsive literacy instruction, literacy teacher development, and instructional coaching through supervised field work. This collaborative program leverages expertise from literacy, bi-literacy, teacher education, and special education faculty from the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, the Department of Learning Sciences, and the Department of Middle and Secondary Education. Completing the program leads to an S-6 literacy specialist certification upgrade through the GaPSC.
Candidates for the Ed.S. in Literacy Specialist online program must already have a master’s degree in education and T4 certification and must demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and skills in the foundations of reading, literacy, and language. (Proficiency may be demonstrated by passing the Reading Education GACE, a reading endorsement including a focus on the science of reading, or another valid and reliable measure of candidate proficiency.) Individuals will be eligible to be recommended for Literacy Specialist Certification after successfully completing all course work, including embedded key assessments, and successfully passing the GACE 348 Literacy Specialist examination. Upon successfully completing ECE 8400 /ECE 9400 and ECE 8680 , students will be recommended for the Teacher Support and Coaching Endorsement.
