CAR/W Efforts to Support System-wide Literacy Alignment and Certification

April 9, 2024

CAR/W Efforts to Support System-wide Literacy Alignment and Certification

 

The Center for the Advancement of Reading and Writing has been working for well over a year to help support CSU teacher preparation programs with the alignment process to the new literacy program standard as well as the more recently released SB 488 certification process.  Our efforts have focused on both helping programs engage in the process of alignment while also creating tools that could be shared across the system that would aid in this work. We have engaged in the following:

  • From the outset, CAR/W Co-directors and members of the Faculty Council have been involved in the design process of the new program standard including as a member of the 2022 Literacy Workgroup tasked with providing feedback on the new standard and TPEs and the CTC SB488 Certification Workgroup. 
  • 3 times/year the Faculty Council meets and processes and products are shared for dissemination at all campuses and feedback is received to shape our ongoing agenda
  • Program standard alignment committee which has met semi-regularly for the past year and developed important tools to help faculty better understand the scope of the work 
  • Three in-person workgroup meetings where we have problem-solved and created processes and tools to be shared with the rest of the council.  
  • More recently, the co-director has held more frequently scheduled office hours meetings for programs seeking help with certification and alignment. 
  • The Co-director has provided multiple presentations at meetings with a variety of stakeholders to share the work being done at the Center.  This includes a joint presentation on 2/23/23 with the CTC in their Digging Deeper:Evidenced-Based Best Practices  In Performance Assessment series with a feature on CAR/W’s Transition Plan for the New Literacy Program Standard and TPEs and a presentation given at the more recent Chancellor’s Office PK-ECE Convening with a focus on Early Literacy Planning for the New Literacy Program Standard and TPEs in the PK-3 Credential Program .

 

Our plans have focused on engaging and supporting programs at every step of the process. This includes:

  • Getting a sense of the work: The aim being to become familiar with the content and expectations in the new program standard and TPEs and to make a plan for the anticipated work.
  • Beginning the work: The aim is to use matrices to map out the learning across the program including the clinical practice experience.
  • Reflecting and learning: The aim is to supplement any gaps in programming and support faculty learning needs.
    • With the advent of the new standard, the Center sought to understand faculty learning needs through a survey.  The survey yielded potential areas of professional growth including in the area of the neuroscience of reading and supporting the implementation of the CA Dyslexia Guidelines.   CAR/W partnered with the UC/CSU Collaborative for Neurodiversity with the creation of a professional learning series to disseminate their high quality modules on dyslexia. See UC/CSU Collaborative for Neurodiversity and Learning E-Modules 
    • To support those writing to the new PK-3 credential, the Center has worked in partnership to create a collaborative intersegmental team (COLLAB) with identified strengths and assets connected to the early literacy practices that align with the new program standard.  Teams will work to create modules and other tools that will serve as a resource for Child Development, Early Child Development, and Early Childhood Education faculty as they work to address the new standard.
  • Getting the work done: The aim is to create the necessary content in order to align to the new program standard and TPEs
    • As programs work to align to the standard and TPE via the matrices, it also requires significant content development.  Although individual faculty are needed to refinance the program and coursework, the Center has been working on developing other content that is both required (for SB488 Certification) and needed for optimal alignment that can be shared across the system. Some of these tools include a Literacy Program Standard and TPEs Informational Letter for District Partners, trainings for university supervisors and cooperating teachers that introduce them to the new program standard and TPEs, a sample section of a matrix and accompanying evidence guide that can serve as an example, and potential clinical practice assessment materials that focus on the new TPEs. All of these materials will be available in the CAR/W repository (to be created and available by mid-April).
  • Reflection and revision: The aim is to revise program plans and matrices as needed based on feedback from the CTC.
    • As programs have been receiving feedback from key partners and the CTC on their efforts, the Center has worked to compile outstanding questions and observations and get those answered by CTC personnel. The intent is to both share the answers to frequently asked questions as well as observations programs have about the process in order to make the experience better for all.
  • Sharing experience and expertise: The aim is to share materials and processes in order to build capacity and expertise in the CSU system.
    • The Center is in the process of creating a repository that can manage and house the various external and internal resources that can be used to help support programs in the alignment and certification process. Expect more details in the first weeks of April.

 

As a reminder, each CSU campus appoints one faculty member to the CAR/W Faculty Council. The Faculty Council is the working group for the Center who collaboratively think through and create processes and products to help support the work. Your campus representative is also tasked with disseminating important information from the CO to the rest of the programs at your site.  The most current list of Faculty Council members can be found on CAR/W’s website.

 

Key Information and Deadlines

 

Program Standard 7 and TPE Alignment

  • As a reminder, by July 1, 2024, all programs (multiple subject, single subject, education specialist and PK-3) must be aligned to the literacy program standard and TPEs.  These standards and TPEs will replace the current literacy TPEs at that time.
  • As of July 1, 2025, the new Literacy Performance Assessment will become operational and will replace the RICA.
  • Broadly, program alignment to the new literacy program standard and TPEs will be assessed by the CTC through your normal accreditation process and normal timeline.  

SB488 Literacy Certification Process

  • The SB488 Certification process is in ADDITION to alignment to the new literacy program standard and TPEs. Ed Code requires that the CTC certify programs in certain components of the new program standard and TPEs (see the PSA 24-01 for more details).
  • Programs that must go through the certification process include: 
    • Preliminary Multiple Subject • Preliminary PK-3 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Specialist Instruction Credential • Preliminary Education Specialist: Mild to Moderate Support Needs • Preliminary Education Specialist: Extensive Support Needs • Preliminary Education Specialist: Deaf and Hard of Hearing • Preliminary Education Specialist: Visual Impairment • Preliminary Education Specialist: Early Childhood Special Education
  • Important dates for the certification process:
    • April 26, 2024 – Commission begins accepting documentation from programs for literacy certification
    • October 4, 2024 – Deadline for all Multiple Subject, Education Specialist, and PK 3 (ECE) credential programs to submit documentation for literacy certification. 
    • July 1, 2025 – All applicable Commission approved programs must be certified for literacy instruction.
  • CTC review process: After initial review, the institution will be notified as to whether it has met the criteria for certification. If the institution has not been found to meet the criteria, the institution will have to resubmit additional or modified documentation within a specified timeframe. This timeframe for resubmission is essential as all applicable programs must be reviewed and meet all criteria by July 1, 2025.
  • Failure to meet certification by 7/1/25: The Education Code requires that all teacher preparation programs specified must be in alignment. Therefore, as a condition of continued operations, all affected programs must be determined to be in alignment or risk losing their program approval. 

 

CTC Resources

 

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