Reading and Literacy Added Authorization, Certificate of Special Study

The Department of Literacy, Early, Bilingual, and Special Education  

Program Description: The Reading and Literacy Added Authorization (RLAA) prepares candidates to address the literacy needs of California’s culturally and linguistically diverse learners. The RLAA is a 15-unit program that takes two semesters to complete.

Holders of the RLAA are authorized to perform the following duties at the school site level at the grade levels authorized by their prerequisite teaching credential:

• Provide direct reading intervention to students and adapt instructional practices and strategies to provide direct specialized reading instruction to students with severe reading difficulties including monitoring and adjusting intervention instruction.
• Participate in the adoption of literacy curricula, facilitate, and monitor implementation of adopted curricula, and support and assist teachers in the use of literacy curricula.
• Select and administer ongoing formal and informal diagnostic assessments of students’ progress, report results, assist teachers in modifying instructional practices, and use the results for student placement in and exit from reading intervention programs.
• Interpret results of school-wide reading assessment data to monitor student progress and identify modification of instructional practices and strategies to assist teachers.
• Develop, implement, and adapt reading and literacy instructional materials, technologies, and strategies in alignment with students’ assessed reading and literacy needs including the prevention and intervention of reading difficulties; and assist teachers to ensure that the full range of students develop proficiency.
• Assist students’ and teachers’ use of information and communication technologies and the development of digital literacy skills.

RLAA Admission Requirements in addition to the university admission requirements:

1. Transcripts (official copy of transcripts showing a baccalaureate degree and all post-BA coursework).
2. Statement of purpose
3. Three letters of recommendation
4. Minimum 2.75 GPA
5. Application Processing Fee
6. Verification of a basic teaching credential (Multiple Subject, Single Subject, or Education Specialist).
7. Verification of at least 2 years of full-time teaching experience in any grade, preschool through adult, exclusive of student teaching, internship teaching or teaching while holding an emergency permit.