Reading & Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential

The Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist (RLLS) Credential authorizes the holder to perform the following duties at the schoolsite, district, and county levels in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults:

• Provide direct reading intervention to students and adapt instructional routines and strategies to provide direct specialized reading instruction to students with severe reading difficulties, including monitoring and adjusting intervention instruction;
• Coordinate adoption and facilitate implementation of adopted literacy curricula, including providing training toteachers;
• Select and administer reading and literacy assessments, interpret results to determine student growth and identification of struggling students, select interventions, communicate results, and provide guidance and coaching to teachers;
• Design, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive literacy plan;
• Support students’ literacy development and inform and train teachers in literacy skills using informationand communication technologies; and
• Evaluate literacy practices and report findings, guide teachers and administrators in collaborative efforts to design, implement, and evaluate local, state and/or federal programs, and plan and conduct staff development.

Requirements for the RLLS Credential

Please note: Requirements for the application to the RLLS are not required for admission to the Literacy and Reading Education (LRE) program. RLLS requirements may be met during and up to five years after program completion.

Individuals must satisfy all of the following requirements before applying to CTCC for the RLLS:

1. Possess a valid basic California teaching credential, which may be one of the following:
   1. a teaching credential requiring a bachelor’s degree and a professional preparation program, including student teaching
   2. a clear, full-time designated subjects teaching credential, provided that the holder also possesses a bachelor’s degree and has met the basic skills requirement.
2. Possess an English Learner Authorization
3. Verification of three years of successful full-time teaching experience in any grades preschool through adult, exclusive of student teaching, intern teaching, or teaching while holding an emergency or teaching permit.
4. Completion of  29 units of the LRE program to earn the Reading and Literacy Leadership RLLS .

The Reading & Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential is accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Individuals wishing to pursue the Specialist Credential must make a formal application to the University.

Please note: Application for the credential can be submitted after coursework has been completed. For more information on coursework, please consult the section in the University Catalog .

Credential Commencement Ceremony Participation Policy

All program coursework, including all requirements for clinical fieldwork, must be satisfactorily met and the credential commencement fee must be paid in order to participate in the commencement ceremony. This includes all Literacy and Reading Education paperwork, including professional reference forms. Candidates that complete program requirements after the ceremony date will be invited to participate in the ceremony the following year. Special circumstances may be presented to a designated faculty committee and permission to participate will be considered. Please note the  credential commencement fee  is a non-refundable fee, paid regardless of participation in the ceremony.

For information on Admissions and Application Information please visit our Specialist Credential Admissions page .