Certification Requirements for Literacy Specialist (Kindergarten–Grade 12)

PURPOSE: The State Board of Education is authorized to grant certificates of license to teach in any of the public schools of the state and establish requirements and qualifications for those certificates. This rule outlines the requirements for application for a certificate of license to teach Special Reading. (1) An applicant who possesses good moral character may be granted an initial Missouri certificate of license to serve as a Literacy Specialist subject to the certification requirements found in 5 CSR 20-400.500 and the following additional certification requirements: (A) General Requirements— 1. A valid Missouri permanent or professional certificate of license to teach; 2. Two (2) years of classroom teaching experience; 3. The applicant must achieve a score equal to or in excess of the qualifying score on the required exit assessment(s) as defined in 5 CSR 20-400.310 and 5 CSR 20-400.440. The official score shall be submitted to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (department); and 4. A recommendation from the designated certification official from an educator preparation provider approved by the department; (B) Professional Requirements Effective through August 31, 2027— 1. Child Psychology (requirement may be met upon completion of at least three (3) semester hours of combined course, Child and Adolescent Psychology); 2. Adolescent Psychology (requirement may be met upon completion of at least three (3) semester hours of combined course, Child and Adolescent Psychology); 3. Psychology/Education of the Exceptional Child (including the Gifted); and 4. Evaluation of Abilities and Achievement (instruction in interpretation of individualized, formative, and summative assessments, eligibility procedures, and assessment to support evidence-based instruction); (C) Content Knowledge for Teaching (a minimum of eighteen (18) semester hours)— 1. Reading (minimum of twelve (12) semester hours with at least two (2) graduate-level courses required; one (1) of these courses shall be in Analysis and Correction of Reading Disabilities); 2. Language Acquisition and Development or Language Development of the Exceptional Child; 3. Behavior Intervention Strategies; and 4. Counseling Techniques (to include communication skills with exceptional children and families of exceptional children); (D) Field and Clinical Experiences Culminating Clinical Experiences (six (6) semester hours). 1. Culminating Clinical Experience. A supervised clinical experience in which candidates acquire experience in planning for and working with students experiencing reading difficulties. The experience must include various instructional settings in both elementary and secondary schools. The clinical experience should require demonstrated competency in the diagnosis and remediation of reading and related difficulties. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in establishing an environment that promotes learning. The clinical experience should include collaborating with other educators to support learning; (E) Professional Requirements Effective September 1, 2027. The candidate must have completed at least eighteen (18) hours in coursework related to literacy instruction. Coursework must draw from courses not included in initial teacher certification programs (e.g., Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education). In the context of that coursework, the candidate must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the educator preparation provider, mastery of the following competencies: 1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of major theoretical, conceptual, historical, and evidence-based foundations of literacy and language, the ways in which they interrelate, and the role of the Literacy Specialist in schools. Areas of demonstrated knowledge must include— A. Reading (e.g., concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) development throughout the grades, and its relationship with other aspects of literacy; B. Writing development (e.g., text organization, craft), writing processes (e.g., generating ideas, revising, audience), and foundational skills (e.g., spelling, sentence construction, word processing), and their relationships with other aspects of literacy; and C. Language (e.g., language acquisition, structure of language, conventions of standard English), vocabulary acquisition (e.g., background knowledge) and use, speaking, listening, viewing, visually representing, and its relationships with other aspects of literacy; 2. Use foundational knowledge to design and evaluate literacy curricula to meet the needs of all learners, especially those who experience difficulty with literacy (including dyslexia) and gifted learners. To this end, candidates should— A. Design, implement, and evaluate small-group and individual explicit, evidence-based literacy instruction for learners; B. Collaborate with teachers to implement effective literacy practices; C. Use narrative, information/explanatory, opinion, persuasive, and argumentative texts to meet the literacy needs of the whole class and groups of students in the academic disciplines and other subject areas and when learning to read, write, listen, speak; D. Use systematic instructional practices that provide adequate scaffolding to meet the literacy needs of individual and small groups of students; E. Provide opportunities for student choice and engagement with a variety of print and digital materials; F. Foster a positive climate that supports a literacy-rich learning environment; G. Ensure literacy instruction integrates multiple cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and readiness levels, including diverse perspectives and authors; and H. Use differentiated strategies to support the varied needs of all learners; 3. Demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate uses of assessments and the ability to implement them. To this end, candidates should— A. Demonstrate an understanding of the purposes, attributes, formats, strengths/limitations (including inherent language, dialect, cultural bias), and influences of various types of tools in a comprehensive literacy and language assessment system and applying that knowledge to using assessment tools; B. Use assessment results to inform instruction and evaluate interventions; C. Assist teachers in their understanding and use of assessment results; D. Collaborate with colleagues to administer, interpret, and use data for decision-making about student assessment, instruction, intervention, and evaluation; E. Communicate student assessment, instruction, intervention, and evaluation to stakeholders; F. Use multiple forms of assessment (e.g., formative, summative, observational) and progress monitoring tools that are sensitive to each student’s learning profile to measure literacy progress; and G. Employ valid, reliable, and appropriate assessments; and 4. Demonstrate the ability to be reflective literacy professionals. To this end, candidates will— A. Use their leadership and facilitation skills to support teachers, students, families, and communities; B. Exhibit critical selection and use of literacy research, policy, and practice; C. Lead professional literacy learning experiences in implementing assessments and instructional practices; and D. Collaborate with families, administrators, and teachers to create literacy plans and interventions appropriate for all students; and (F) Field-Based Experiences. 1. Candidates must complete a minimum of eighty (80) student contact hours in supervised practical/clinical experiences. Settings may include a candidate’s own classroom, a literacy clinic, other schools, or community settings. Candidates must engage in the following experiences: A. Intervention work with both elementary (K–6) students and older (7–12) students; B. Working with both individual students and small groups; C. Assessing students’ literacy skills; and D. Implementing instructional plans. 2. In addition, candidates must have at least an additional twenty (20) hours completing the following tasks that support face-to-face work with students: A. Collaborating with colleagues to develop, reflect on, and study teaching practices; B. Analyzing data; C. Identifying literacy strengths and needs; D. Setting instructional goals; E. Developing literacy intervention plans; F. Creating supportive literacy learning environments; and G. Assessing the impact of interventions on student learning. 3. While completing field-based experiences, candidates must receive supervision, including observation (in-person, computer-assisted, or video analysis) and ongoing feedback, from supervisors who understand literacy processes, have literacy content knowledge, and demonstrate effective use of appropriate literacy assessment practices and evidence-based instructional strategies. AUTHORITY: sections 161.092, 168.011, 168.071, 168.081, and 168.405, RSMo 2016, and sections 168.021, 168.400, and 168.409, RSMo Supp. 2025.* Original rule filed Oct. 29, 2013, effective May 30, 2014. Amended: Filed June 13, 2025, effective Jan. 30, 2026. *Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2014; 168.011, RSMo 1963, amended 1984; 168.021, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025; 168.071, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2014; 168.081, RSMo 1963, amended 1984, 2002, 2014; 168.400, RSMo 1985, amended 1990, 2002, 2024; 168.405, RSMo 1985; and 168.409, RSMo 1985, amended 2025.