Alabama program earns IRA Certificate

It's a distinction to be trumpeted.

The College of Education Elementary Education Program K–6 at the University of Alabama (UA) has earned the International Reading Association (IRA) Certificate of Distinction. The Certificate honors outstanding reading teacher preparation programs and it's the second one for a UA teacher preparation program. UA's Multiple Abilities K–6 Elementary Teacher Preparation Program was recognized with the certificate in May 2009.

Diane C. Sekeres, an associate professor in elementary education and literacy who shepherded the program's application through the process to obtain the certificate, said she felt a deep sense of satisfaction when she heard the program had earned the distinction. It also opened her eyes—in a good way.

"The process of preparing for the review and visiting the many stakeholders with Dr. [Barbara A.] Kapinus revealed much about our program that I routinely do not see. As program coordinator, I deal with problems day in and day out, and I had lost sight of the excellent work that we do overall. As one of my colleagues said, 'I always knew we had a great program; now others know, too!'" Kapinus, the National Education Association's reading specialist, is a member of IRA's Quality Undergraduate Elementary & Secondary Teacher Education in Reading (QUESTER) Task Force, the body that reviews applications and carries out site visits.

The certificate was presented to Sekeres by Jack Cassidy of Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, who chairs the QUESTER Task Force, during IRA's 55th Annual Convention in Chicago.

As it did for Sekeres, the certificate review process can help faculty members see what strengths and weaknesses a program may have and provide them with a road map for how to prepare good reading teachers. The Certificate program is based on research that has identified the components needed to ensure that teachers know how to teach reading well.

To earn the distinction, a program first prepares a written application that is reviewed by members of the QUESTER Task Force. The second stage of review is a rigorous site visit from task force members. Both the written application and site visit revolve around a set of rubrics designed to help evaluate the program based on six key standards, as well as specific elements and sub–elements in each area. The standards are: content; faculty and teaching; apprenticeships, field experiences, and practica; diversity; candidate and program assessment; and governance, resources, and vision.

UA's Elementary Education K–6 Program earned the highest rating, "D" for Distinguished, on all its standards components. "We were so gratified at the confidence expressed by IRA in our program," Sekeres said, and "the importance of it will need to be communicated to our future students, our graduates, our administration, and those who hire our students."

A unique aspect of the program recognized as a strength during the review is a cohort system in which students become communities of learners. Sekeres, who just finished her seventh year with the education program, said the cohort system has been in place for nine years.

"The students do form close bonds with each other, and when I have occasion to talk to graduates, they always know where their friends are and how their lives have changed," she said. "Students learn to trust each other, learn to use each other's strengths and allow for weaknesses, and provide confidence and courage for each other when things get difficult."

Sekeres said she was fortunate to receive such support from faculty members such as Madeleine Gregg and Carol Donovan in the Multiple Abilities Program, which prepares teachers for a dual certification in regular education and special education.

Asked if she would recommend seeking the IRA Certificate of Distinction to other colleges and universities, Sekeres said, "Yes, the process of thinking through our program components and how to show the effort invested in and results of our work is invaluable."

For more information about the Certificate and how to apply, visit the IRA website. Click on Research & Policy and then look for the Certificate of Distinction link. You also can contact Gail Keating at 302-731-1600, ext. 226, or gkeating@reading.org. The application deadline is November 15, 2010.

Alabama program earns IRA Certificate. (June 2010). Reading Today, 27(6), 12.