A collaborative, online graduate program set to launch in fall 2025 will help Hoosier teachers meet early literacy requirements enunciated in successive pieces of legislation passed by the Indiana State Legislature since 2022.
Background
The legislation created an Early Literacy Endorsement that requires all educators teaching students in pre-school through the fifth grade to complete professional development training in science-based reading. The reason? According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP (also known as the Nation’s Report Card), only 65 percent of Indiana fourth graders read at or above grade level, reflecting a national, post-pandemic downward trend in reading proficiency. The legislation aims to increase proficiency to 95 percent by 2027.
Numerous strategies aimed at helping Indiana students to read are already showing results, so much so that Indiana now ranks sixth in the nation for fourth grade reading proficiency. As the largest institution preparing Hoosier educators, Indiana University has played a part in this success.
A $1.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. supported education faculty who revised 64 literacy courses to align school programs with the state’s new science of reading requirements, says Suzanne Thomson, grant coordinator for the campuses’ Schools of Education. In addition, the grant led to a partnership between the IU School of Education and Keys to Literacy, a national provider of literacy teacher training, curriculum, coaching, and materials. With additional funding from the Indiana Department of Education, Keys to Literacy was able to deliver the requisite professional development training to hundreds of IU’s undergraduate students.
Seizing the momentum
The 30 credit hour M.S.Ed. in the Science of Reading builds on this momentum. Its curriculum will include two courses incorporating Keys to Literacy’s professional development training. Educators who have already earned their Early Literacy Endorsement will apply six graduate credit hours toward the degree.
The degree also includes courses to complete the online Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia, offered exclusively through IU Bloomington. Students can complete the stand-alone certificate and earn a graduate credential, then “stack” the certificate’s credits into the rest of the program requirements.
In addition to the Early Literacy Endorsement and dyslexia certificate, students will also receive a coaching badge as part of the program.
Enthusiasm leads to collaboration
Professor Tara Kingsley, associate dean of the IU Kokomo School of Education, joined Suzanne Thomson and Holly Gillam, project management specialist for advancing the science of reading in the Office of School Partnerships, in proposing the online collaborative degree.
Kingsley notes that enthusiasm for the degree was widespread among IU’s education deans and faculty members, many of whom already had strong intercampus relationships. Such was the enthusiasm that all IU campuses are participating in the program: Bloomington will deliver the dyslexia certificate, and IU Indianapolis, the five regional campuses, and IU Columbus will all contribute courses to the required curriculum.
Market demand
Much of the excitement for the program stems from the opportunity to serve a potential market need. Consider, for example, that—here in Indiana—all pre–K to fifth grade early childhood, elementary, and special education teachers seeking to renew their license must obtain the Early Literacy Endorsement beginning in 2027.
Another consideration: 38 states have laws and policies requiring reading instruction to align to cognitive research and science-based practices; and yet—despite teachers’ desire to take advantage of the convenience of online education due to their professional obligations—only two other online master’s programs specific to reading science exist, and those are offered through private institutions. As a reputable public institution, IU stands to draw educators from across the country.
And then there’s the fact that the M.S.Ed. would help educators move a rung or two up the career ladder if they take jobs as instructional coordinators or literacy coaches or specialists. According to 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Teacher and Principal Survey, the potential annual salary increase could be from five thousand to nine thousand dollars depending on the educational context and job responsibilities.
Learning outcomes
Students in the M.S.Ed. in the Science of Reading will be able to follow one of two pathways to the degree: a traditional path comprising seven semesters (two years) of study or—for students who have already received the Early Literacy Endorsement and have six transfer credits—an expedited path comprising four semesters (one year) of study.
As outlined in the program proposal, graduates of the M.S.Ed. in the Science of Reading will:
- understand and apply science of reading practices to support Pre–K to 12 readers and writers with diverse needs, including those with dyslexia.
- analyze reading difficulties and apply ethical, evidence-based interventions to improve phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency, oral language, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.
- develop skills required of Pre–K to 12 strategic literacy leaders with proficiency in instructional coaching, data analysis, and the evaluation of evidence-based reading programs.
- design and implement comprehensive systems of support to ensure high-quality reading curricula and equitable access and literacy outcomes for students.
- network and collaborate with educators and professional organizations to promote and enhance literacy in the field.
Progress update and future plans
Development of five new courses for the M.S.Ed. is currently underway with eLearning Design and Services, and marketing efforts will begin soon. Information about approval is expected from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education this month. Program launch is anticipated for fall 2025.
As they look to the future, Thomson and Kingsley are thinking about offering educators and administrators professional development opportunities outside the degree. They see IU Expand, the university’s portal to professional education, as the ideal place to offer topic-specific modules.
As Thomson puts it, “It’s exciting to see a program go from concept to implementation.”
About the M.S.Ed. in the Science of Reading
The M.S.Ed. in the Science of Reading is a collaborative online degree that is awarded through IU Indianapolis, all five regional campuses, and IU Columbus. It offers a stackable Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia from IU Bloomington. By providing increased development for educators, the program will strengthen the level of instruction for early literacy and lead to increased reading scores, improved graduation rates, and increased post-secondary education nationwide.