Contacts:

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Name: Ruth Gumm-Shearon

Reading Specialist

Phone: 850/487-3506

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Email:

ruth.gumm-shearon@fldoe.org

 

 

DRAFT Name: Patricia Cheavers

Add-On Certification Programs

Phone: 850/410-4548

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Email:

patricia.cheavers@fldoe.org

 

 

 

March 17, 2003

 

 

MEMORANDUM

 

 

TO:

District School Superintendents

 

FROM:

Mary Laura Openshaw, Director

 

  

  

Just Read, Florida!

Office

 

Ava G. Byrne, Chief

Bureau of Educator Recruitment & Professional Development

 

SUBJECT:

K-12

 

Reading Endorsement Add-on Alternative Certification Programs

 

In a joint, collaborative effort, the

Just Read, Florida!

Office and the Bureau of Educator

Recruitment & Professional Development (BERPD) are pleased to announce the K-12 Reading

Endorsement Add-on Alternative Certification Program. As you are aware, reading is Governor

Bush’s number one priority. The State Board approved the reading endorsement in 2002. This

memo provides information as guidance for districts to include a K-12 reading endorsement as part

of their Add-On Alternative Certification Programs with the goal of building reading expertise that

meets the reading instructional needs of Florida’s diverse student population in grades K-12.

 

A process of open consensus, involving the specialized expertise of a diverse statewide group of

professional stakeholders, was used to develop the reading endorsement competencies. The

stakeholders of this distinguished group follow: Reading Supervisors of Florida (RSP), Council of

Language Arts Supervisors (CLAS), District Reading & Language Arts Supervisors, Florida

Reading Association (FRA), Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR), FLaRE Center

Personnel, Reading & ESOL Crosswalk Committee, and some distinct public university partners,

particularly from their schools and colleges of education. To better assist districts in designing an

effective inservice teacher education program that provides teachers the opportunity to add the

reading endorsement to his/her teaching certificate, a copy of the reading endorsement competencies

is attached. The

Manual for Development of District Add-On Certification Programs

which grants

---

Memorandum

Page 2

March 17, 2003

 

the authority for District Add-On Certification Programs can be located on the web site for the

BERPD at www.firn.edu/doe/profdev/inserv.html

.

 

A Peer Review team, consisting of statewide professionals will be assembled to assist in the Review

Process of the K-12 Reading Endorsement Add-On Certification Programs. Our assistance to the

districts in their Reading Endorsement Add-On Certification program development is ongoing; the

two offices will provide pertinent information concerning the K-12 Reading Endorsement Add-on

Certification Program at the Spring Forum for the Florida Association of Staff Development

(FASD). The Forum will be held on May 19 – 20, 2003, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Tampa at Sabal

Park. See the FASD web site at www.paec.org/fasd

.

 

We look forward to our continued efforts to provide high quality, professional development

opportunities for teachers to support the attainment of reading proficiency for ALL Florida students.

 

 

cc District Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum and Instruction

District Staff Development Coordinators

District Reading and Language Arts Coordinators