Reading Specialist MEd or CAGS

• Possess a firm knowledge of the broad foundations of literacy, including the sociolinguistic fundamentals of reading and writing processes and instruction, research, and methodology.
• Be able to utilize a wide range of instructional practices and curriculum materials to support reading and writing instruction, including technology-based practices and children’s literature to meet the needs of diverse students.
• Understand and use diverse diagnostic tools and assessment data to plan, evaluate, and revise effective instruction that meets the needs of all students, including those at different developmental stages and those from differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In addition, candidates will be able to communicate results of assessments to students, parents, colleagues, and the broader community.
• Create a literate environment that fosters a love of reading and writing by appealing to students’ interests, abilities, backgrounds, and identities. Candidates will honor and respect the language and literacy practices that a student brings from his or her home and community, establishing effective home-school connections with a range of fiction and nonfiction literature, technology-based information, and non-print materials, representing multiple reading levels.
• Become leaders in professional development, by establishing ongoing trajectories of inquiry and reflection. As lifelong learners and literacy leaders, our candidates may make lasting connections to their communities, and create emancipatory opportunities for colleagues, students, and their families, through the practices of critical literacy.

All Benchmark Assignments must be passed with a 3 or 4 on a 4-point scale to pass the respective course.

Required Courses

• EDU5703: Advanced Developmental Reading
• EDU5715: Speech and Language Development    
• EDU5725: Specialized Practices in Reading    
• EDU5815: Advanced Analysis of Reading and Language Arts 
• EDU5850: Effective Literacy Coaching Strategies to Improve Student Achievement    
• EDU6244: The Organization, Administration, and Supervision of Reading Program
• EDU6345: Teaching Language Arts and the Writing Process

Required Field Orientation  

• EDU 6547: Children’s and Adolescent Literature

Licensure Track

• EDU6848/6849: Practicum in Education I/II: Reading

Degree Only, Non-Licensure Track

• EDU 6649/6650  Field-Based Research I/II

Additional Program Notes

EDU6625 Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement Course is available to students who have not yet earned the SEI Endorsement.  While the SEI Endorsement is a requirement for licensure as mandated by DESE, it is not a requirement for degree completion nor licensure endorsement.   

Total credits: 30-33

Completion of SEI course accounts for an additional 3 credits  

Please reference the current catalogfor all course descriptions.

General Requirements

The MEd and CAGS offer rolling admissions, accepting applications throughout the year.

General requirements are:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, with preference given to applicants whose field of study directly aligns with the specific academic program selected.
  • For the CAGS program, candidates must additionally hold a master’s degree in a field directly aligned with the specific academic program selected.
• A GPA of 3.0 or better.
• A copy of your current initial or professional license. 
• Proof of teaching for a minimum of one year under license at time of application.
• A completed and signed application.
• Official sealed transcript(s) of all previous academic work, undergraduate and graduate.
• Two (2) professional letters of recommendation, including at least one recommendation from a current supervisor.
• Personal goal statement or essay. In approximately 750 words, please respond to these questions:
  • Why are you interested in pursuing a graduate degree in education at AIC?
  • What are your career goals and how will enrolling in this program impact your educational, personal, and professional growth?
  • In what ways have you cultivated transformative change in your current practice supportive of literacy?
• U.S. $50 non-refundable application fee.

Note: In the event a 3.0 GPA is not held, evidence must be submitted with the application that merits further review by the School of Education’s Graduate Admissions Committee. Documented evidence includes (but is not limited to) GRE scores (if applicable), successful completion of the last 30 credits of prior undergraduate coursework (for the MEd program) or the last 15 credits of prior graduate coursework (for the CAGS program), and/or an interview with designated personnel in the program selected.

Depending on the outcome of the interview and review of all other application materials, the individual may be granted full or conditional acceptance into the program.

A $500-per-credit cost prices AIC’s Master of Education programs at a competitive value, tailored to the needs of today’s educators.

Our resources cover all associated costs and how to finance your education.

The closeness and encouragement for which AIC is known extends to the online space, sparking energizing discussions among diverse, driven educators:

• A community of leaders: Gain insights from fellow professionals who’ve spent three to more than 10 years in a school or similar environment. Many of your peers assume informal leadership roles as mentors, curriculum leaders, or committee chairs. 
• Designed for working educators: Once-a-week synchronous online courses and practicum assignments completed from your location easily fit your education around your schedule. You’ll remain in your classroom while observing ways you can foster change in your school.
• Cohort learning: Benefit from regular meetings with a small, familiar group of classmates who are striving toward a similar outcome. In many cases, you’ll interact with professionals who represent districts all over Massachusetts.