From
1965 to 1999, 11,277 reading endorsements and 373 reading specialist licenses
were granted to Indiana educators. Most
of these were issued early in that period, and many of those who received the
reading training have retired. It’s
clear that this is a favorable time to ensure that Indiana has strong programs
of teacher preparation for reading professionals.
Following
the criteria for recognition of a new licensing area, members of the Indiana
State Reading Association provided written material and testimony for
consideration by the Indiana Professional Standards Board. Their efforts were
successful.
On
June 20, 2001, the Indiana Professional Standards Board approved new reading
licenses. They will be available
for Early Childhood (Preschool and Primary), Middle Childhood (Intermediate),
Early Adolescence (Middle/Junior High), Adolescence/Young Adulthood (High
School), and reading specialist.
The
Indiana Professional Standards Board will soon approve standards for each of the
licenses. Indiana colleges and universities will then be notified of
the new reading licenses and their standards.
They will decide if they will offer classes for students to obtain the
new licenses.
As
middle grades schools restore reading classes as outlined for middle level
reading in the Course and Program Descriptions for Indiana Schools
published in August 1999, they may have difficulty in finding trained reading
teachers.
This action by the Indiana Professional Standards Board will help solve
the problem.
It is anticipated that many middle grades teachers will return to college
to seek reading licenses and that a large number of undergraduates will choose
to obtain the new reading licenses.