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 August 2017

On August 8, 2017, the Illinois State Board of Education hosted the third Reading Teacher/Specialist Stakeholder Group meeting via phone conference.  Members discussed updating the distribution areas for the reading teacher endorsement.  At the end of the meeting, members separated into smaller subgroups to discuss each of the distribution areas.  Subgroups will meet and make recommendations for the areas and come back together as a group in the second week of September to make final recommendations by September 30, 2017.

 July 2017

On July 7th, 2017, the Illinois State Board of Education hosted the second Reading Teacher/Specialist Stakeholder Group meeting via phone conference. Members continued their discussion regarding current requirements for the reading specialist and reading teacher endorsements. Stakeholders deliberated on the current distribution areas for the endorsements, considering recommending changes to this requirement. In addition, experts expressed varying perspectives from the field as educators, therapists, and professors in higher education. Rather than wait until August for the next meeting, members agreed to meet again in July via phone conference after reviewing national standards more in depth individually.​

 June 2017

On June 8th, 2017, the Illinois State Board of Education hosted the Reading Teacher/Specialist Stakeholder Group meeting. Professionals and experts from the field joined together to begin the first of four meetings this summer in which licensure requirements will be re-examined for the Reading Teacher and Reading Specialist endorsement. Included on the team of experts are professors and directors in Reading Specialist programs from a variety of Illinois institutions, reading teachers in Illinois public schools, educational therapists specializing in dyslexia, and superintendents. At this first meeting, members discussed major components of the reading specialist programs in Illinois. In addition, several issues were reviewed and suggestions made, such as changing the term from “reading specialist” to “literacy specialist,” including dyslexia and other processing disorders to coursework requirements, advanced learners and diverse learners, and a general overview of current requirements, national standards, and ideas for change to meet student needs.

Three more meetings will take place over the next three months in which the conversation and review will continue until a final recommendation from the members is submitted to ISBE for possible implementation.

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