Ed.D. in Developmental Studies

Graduate Certificate in Literacy Intervention in Grades 3-6: A Program for Literacy Leaders
The Literacy program offers a four-course, 16-credit graduate certificate that focuses on leadership in literacy instruction for teachers and administrators working with children in elementary school, with particular emphasis on grades 3-6. Taken as a whole, the certificate represents the cornerstones of literacy instruction. Courses will examine effective practices in reading and writing, including reading and writing across the curriculum, successful approaches to literacy assessment, intervention strategies, and designs for differentiating instruction that address the needs of all learners.

The courses offered through this certificate program are geared toward in-service professionals who desire deeper knowledge of literacy practices and instruction but may not wish to pursue an academic degree at present. However, the certificate’s design allows interested students to apply the courses towards a master’s degree or CAGS, in the event they decide to continue their studies through a formal program at the School of Education.

The four-course certificate consist of the following topics:

• Literacy Leadership (observing, evaluating, coaching, and providing instructional leadership to classroom teachers)
  
• Seminar in Literacy Assessment
  
• Literacy Instruction for Bilingual students
  
• Instructional Interventions for Reading and Writing

Why take this program?
Recently, national attention has focused on the literacy skills, particularly in reading, of the youngest students in our country’s public schools. The federally supported Reading First program and other policies and programs stemming from No Child Left Behind have heightened attention on reading preparation in the early grades. Despite this awareness, little attention has been directed toward students’ literacy learning in the upper elementary grades, leaving an instructional void for those classroom teachers trying to address the needs of older students. Yet, the need for high-quality literacy instruction is particularly great for these older students as they begin to apply their newly-learned skills in reading and writing to the acquisition of information in the content areas.

An examination of trends in students’ scores on national and state assessments supports the imperative for high quality instruction. At the state level in Massachusetts, where assessment of children’s literacy competence through the MCAS begins in the third grade, student gains have not increased significantly in the past two years of testing, and in the most recent assessments, a slight decline in fourth grade reading scores was reported. Furthermore, while 71% of White third grade students scored in the Proficient range, only 41% of African American and 33% of Hispanic students achieved the same levels of proficiency. Nationally, evidence from the 2003 NAEP scores in reading and writing reveals that many children fail to attain proficient levels at the fourth grade level. While 43% of White fourth graders and 48% of Asian students reach the Proficient level in reading, many children continue to fall below standard benchmarks. Here, too, progress for African American and Hispanic children has occurred at an especially slow rate, with only 10% of Black fourth graders and 16% of Hispanic children attaining the Proficient level. An even greater concern is that across all levels and racial groups, students’ scores do not improve as they progress beyond the fourth grade. In fact, NAEP scores reveal that eighth grade reading achievement has not improved at any level for the past five years and demonstrated only modest gains for the six years prior to that.

Such indicators make visible the need for instruction that will foster literacy growth for children in the later elementary grades. Literacy must be at the heart of all efforts to improve children’s academic achievement; without proficiency in reading and writing, students are unable to manage the assessment benchmarks set by national and state tests or meet the rigors of secondary school and the demands of higher level academic work.

In the current national climate of assessment and accountability, higher demands for results rests squarely on the shoulders of principals, administrators, and lead teachers who are increasingly called upon to provide instructional and curricular leadership in children’s literacy learning and assessment. Unfortunately, these school leaders are often unprepared to assist their teachers in addressing the myriad learning issues presented by students in today’s diverse classrooms.

This certificate will provide the research and practical knowledge necessary for school leaders and classroom teachers to develop and implement effective literacy programs and practices. The expected outcome is higher levels of student achievement.

Download a description of this program



Literacy and Language Education
The Literacy and Language specialization emphasizes the integration of research on language and literacy development, and intervention. This specialization draws students interested in the development of literacy (reading and writing) and language in a preschool, school, family, or community setting. You may focus on specific areas such as literacy, language development, bilingual education, second language education, or intercultural studies.

Master of Education
The master’s program is designed for licensed professionals who wish to study the theoretical and research knowledge that informs practice and for those who wish to work in literacy efforts in non-public school settings. A program of 36 credits must be completed, the majority from the literacy and language core listed below, and one research course. The remaining courses may be selected from those offered in other departments in the School of Education or other schools and colleges in the University. A final project that affords the candidate an opportunity to apply research and theory to practice completes the requirements.

Courses

Literacy Core

Language Core

Research Requirement

Final Project
Projects include curriculum materials, research papers, staff development plans, and video and multimedia presentations.

Course descriptions

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study
The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) is designed for professionals who hold a master’s degree in education or a related field and who wish to increase their knowledge of research, theory, and practice in literacy and language. A program of 30 credits must be completed, the majority from the literacy and language core listed above, and one research course. The remaining courses may be selected from those offered in other departments in the School of Education or other schools and colleges in the University. A final project that affords the candidate an opportunity to apply research and theory to practice completes the requirements.

CAGS Literacy and Language Core (listed above)

CAGS Research Requirement

If this course or its equivalent has been completed, the student will select SED RS652 Qualitative Research Methods or SED RS653 Quantitative Research Methods.

CAGS Final Project
Projects include curriculum materials, research papers, staff development plans, and video and multimedia presentations.

Course descriptions

Doctor of Education
The Literacy and Language Specialization in Developmental Studies offers candidates the opportunity to develop specialized knowledge in literacy and language while achieving an understanding of related disciplines. The doctoral degree program includes a wide range of disciplines that are defined by:

• Discipline: literacy, linguistics, psychology
  
• Population: age or stage
  
• Setting: college/university, school, clinic, or workplace
  
• Domain: cognitive, linguistic

A program of 60 credits must be completed, six courses from the core areas, three courses in research, and one of the school-wide doctoral courses. The remaining credits will be earned through independent study, dissertation advisement, and research apprenticeship.

Courses

Literacy Core

Language Core

Research Requirement

Courses in research methodology that inform the candidate’s selected mode of inquiry.

Comprehensive Tasks
Three comprehensive tasks are required: an essay book review, a research or grant proposal, and a curriculum project.

Dissertation
The dissertation is competed with the advice of a first reader and two committee members who guide the student in theoretical, qualitative, or empirical research.

Course descriptions

Doctor of Education in Developmental Studies Requirements
Doctoral students in developmental studies engage in research and other academic and professional activities related to the area of specialization. Our students are also expected to assess and critique standard research approaches in the discipline. The doctoral program consists of core requirements, six courses in the field of study and related disciplines, and four courses in the guided inquiry (Independent Study, Dissertation Advisement, Field Research Apprenticeship), or electives.

Our doctoral students are required to complete successfully at least two of three comprehensive tasks prior to the problem hearing for the dissertation proposal. These tasks are designed to give students experiences that will be critical to their future academic and professional activities.

Reading and Writing Clinic
The Boston University Donald D. Durrell Reading and Writing Clinic serves as the practicum and provides diagnostic assessment and instructional services for elementary and middle school students who are experiencing difficulty in learning to read or write. The clinicians are graduate students or experienced classroom teachers who work under the close supervision of Boston University faculty and school-based reading supervisors.

The Reading and Writing Clinic is offered as a school-based experience during each spring semester, and during the summer months, as an intensive university-based experience. For in-service teachers and graduate students, the Reading and Writing Clinic comprises two types of activities: advancement of their own knowledge and understanding about how children learn to read and write, and application and refinement of their understandings as they work with a child or a small group of children.

Children who are selected for participation have many different learning profiles: some struggle just a bit, while others experience severe reading or writing difficulty. Some are diagnosed as having specific special education needs while others are not eligible in their respective schools for special support services in reading and writing. Some do reasonably well in reading, but struggle in writing.

Clinic tutors are licensed, experienced teachers who may be working toward a professional license or advanced degree in literacy education. They work under the direct supervision of Boston University faculty and experienced school-based reading supervisors who hold advanced degrees in literacy education.

Clinic tutors learn to use a collection of informal and formal assessments in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing, to identify children's instructional strengths and needs and to determine the instructional materials and practices that will lead to improved reading and writing proficiency.

In addition to using materials that are available in the Boston University Clinic, tutors work with each student's parents, and when possible, with their school-based teachers and administrators to obtain the curricular materials that are commonly used in the school setting. Familiarity with these materials contributes to the development of a tutoring plan that is coherent with school-based instruction and that will effectively prepare students for school-based reading and writing demands.

For graduate students seeking a master's degree in reading education, we recommend completion of the following courses in preparation for a successful clinical experience: LR731, Teaching Reading in Elementary Schools; LR732, Teaching Reading in Middle and Secondary Schools; LS790, Seminar in Literacy Assessment, LR734, Prepracticum: Teacher of Reading, and LW736, Teaching Writing in Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Schools.

Course descriptions

Download a description of this program