Purdue University North Central’s Elementary Education teacher candidates have numerous teaching opportunities upon graduation. But now something is giving them the “edge” over other graduates in the “region.” With the addition of the Reading License in Spring 2006, these PNC graduates are in a highly marketable situation as they interview for new teaching positions, whether for general elementary or reading teachers. These are the kinds of comments that are being made by principals, assistant superintendents, as well as superintendents in various school systems in Indiana.
Once the PNC Reading Endorsement was removed from the Education program, due to Indiana’s elimination of endorsements, the importance of the new Reading License was
realized in the PNC Education Department. Although it took time and effort to develop the program and courses, write the proposal, and coordinate schools for the field components, the product has been more than worthwhile. New teachers are enjoying their first teaching positions. They feel more prepared to teach all of their students than they believe they would have been without the additional experience in teaching Reading in the Reading License program courses. They realize more and more that all teaching of Elementary students has the teaching of Reading at the foundation. Their elementary students are the ones who ultimately are benefiting from the additional knowledge and experience in the teaching of reading that these teacher candidates are receiving.
The Reading License at PNC requires two additional courses; one is a three-hour Advanced Reading Practicum course with a strong field component (40 hours in schools with ESL students who have special reading needs) and a one-hour seminar which meets each month in addition to the regular student teaching seminar, and requires a special teacher work sample for their special reading needs students in their student teaching site. The teacher candidates in the Reading License program in Spring 2006 were admitted upon receipt of classroom teacher and Reading professor recommendations, G.P.A. standards, successful completion of previous Reading courses, and a satisfactory letter of intent from the teacher candidate to participate in the Reading License program.
The first class of reading license program participants will be completing the program in December 2006. Several have teaching positions, in part due to participation in the program as noted by some of the principals responsible for hiring. Others are finding themselves with more than one interview, even prior to graduation. Soon this program will be a part of every graduate's regular Elementary Education plan of study at PNC . This will be a "phase-in" process, beginning with a freshman class in the very near future. The opportunities provided presently for these Reading License graduates will become opportunities for all Elementary Education graduates of Purdue University North Central in the near future!