Does this master’s also lead to a dyslexia credential?
It can. Graduates who complete five specific courses (RDNG 6333, RDNG 6513, RDNG 6533, RDNG 6553 and RDNG 6563) are eligible for a dyslexia endorsement, pending state licensure eligibility. The Professional Education department handles the paperwork automatically. This built-in pathway is different from A-State’s standalone Dyslexia Certificate, which is a faster, more direct route to […]
Are reading specialist positions growing or shrinking in schools?
Employment in educational instruction and library occupations, which includes reading specialist roles, is projected to grow 2% through 2035, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An aging workforce and ongoing literacy-intervention priorities mean tens of thousands of openings are expected annually as coordinators and specialists retire or move on.
How long does Arkansas State’s online MSE in Reading take?
As few as 12 months, through 30 credit hours of accelerated online courses (7-week terms in fall/spring and 5-week terms in summer).
What’s the difference between a reading specialist and a literacy coach?
A reading specialist typically works directly with students who need intervention or diagnostic support, while a literacy coach works more with teachers, modeling instruction, providing feedback and helping build schoolwide literacy practices. A-State’s MSE in Reading prepares graduates for both roles, since the coursework covers diagnostic assessment as well as coaching and leadership skills.
How do I become a reading specialist, and what degree do I need?
A-State’s MSE in Reading is built specifically for this path: a 30-credit-hour master’s degree that prepares graduates for the reading specialist certification exam, with clinical practicum experience and coursework aligned to 2017 ILA standards.
Does the Ed.S. or the master’s prepare me for the Reading Specialist Praxis exam?
Both reference Praxis Reading Specialist preparation, but they serve different readers. A-State’s MSE in Reading is the primary, initial-certification pathway for teachers pursuing their first reading-specialist credential. This Ed.S. is for those who already hold that credential and want advanced practice and administrative standing beyond the initial certification.
What’s the difference between a master’s and an education specialist degree in reading?
A-State’s MSE in Reading is the base practitioner’s credential: a 30-credit-hour master’s for teachers pursuing their first reading-specialist certification. This Ed.S. is a post-master’s degree for educators who already hold that master’s (or an equivalent) and want advanced standing for district- or campus-level literacy leadership roles.
How does an online Ed.S. in reading compare to a standard literacy endorsement for Arkansas teachers?
A standard literacy endorsement is typically a lighter-weight, license-level credential added to an existing teaching certificate. This Ed.S. is a full 30-credit-hour post-master’s degree built for educators who already hold a master’s and want the highest available reading-specialist credential, often used to move into district-level literacy leadership rather than classroom-level endorsement alone.
Does A-State’s education specialist in reading lead to licensure?
Yes. Coursework prepares graduates to sit for the Praxis Reading Specialist exam, and the program also leads to a dyslexia endorsement for students who complete the required coursework and meet state licensure eligibility.
What does an education specialist degree in reading prepare you for?
A-State’s Ed.S. in Reading prepares graduates for advanced literacy-leadership roles: district literacy leader, literacy coach, reading program supervisor and professional development provider. The program also prepares you to sit for the Praxis Reading Specialist exam at the advanced/administrative level.
I want to work with students with dyslexia. Should I get this certificate or the master’s in reading?
If dyslexia intervention is your main goal and you don’t need a full master’s degree, this certificate is the faster, more direct path (15 credit hours, as few as 8 months). If you also want the broader reading-specialist credential — for career flexibility beyond dyslexia specifically — A-State’s MSE in Reading includes dyslexia-endorsement-eligible coursework within […]
How is a dyslexia certificate different from a full reading master’s?
This certificate is a faster, narrower path — 15 credit hours in as few as 8 months — focused specifically on dyslexia-related diagnostic and intervention skills. A-State’s MSE in Reading is a broader, 30-credit-hour master’s degree that covers general reading-specialist preparation and happens to include coursework that can make graduates eligible for a dyslexia endorsement […]
Which literacy programs align with Orton-Gillingham or structured literacy approaches?
A-State’s Dyslexia Certificate curriculum covers multisensory approaches used to help struggling readers, consistent with structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham-aligned methodology, alongside the diagnostic principles needed to evaluate reading skills.
Is a dyslexia certificate worth it for an elementary teacher?
For elementary teachers who want to formally identify and support students with dyslexia — without committing to a full reading master’s — this certificate builds the specific diagnostic and multisensory intervention skills that role requires, in as few as 8 months.
What’s included in Arkansas State’s dyslexia certificate curriculum?
The 15-credit-hour curriculum covers principles of literacy cognition and reading disorders, literacy for diverse learners, emergent literacy, adolescent literacy and a reading practicum focused on diagnosis and intervention aligned with IDA and ILA standards.
Is there an online certificate that adds a special education K-12 endorsement to my teaching license?
Yes. A-State’s Special Education K-12 Certificate is a 21-credit-hour, fully online program built specifically to add a K-12 Special Education Teaching License to an existing credential, without requiring a new master’s degree.
Which is right for me: MAT vs. MSE in special education?
Choose this MAT if you do not currently hold a teaching license or an education degree. It’s A-State’s initial-licensure path, leading to a provisional Arkansas license after your first six credit hours. Choose the MSE in Special Education – Instructional Specialist K-12 instead if you’re already a licensed teacher seeking an advanced credential and instructional-leadership […]
I’m an elementary teacher who wants to move into special education. What programs should I look at?
If you already hold a teaching license, A-State’s MSE in Special Education – Instructional Specialist K-12 or its Special Education K-12 Certificate are typically a better fit than this MAT, since both are designed for already-licensed teachers rather than career changers starting from scratch.
Do online special education programs require a current teaching license?
Not this one. A-State’s MAT – Special Education K-12 is built specifically for career changers who do not hold a teaching license or an education degree. (By contrast, A-State’s MSE in Special Education – Instructional Specialist K-12 and Special Education K-12 Certificate both require an existing teaching license.)
What’s the fastest online path to becoming a licensed special education teacher in Arkansas?
A-State’s MAT – Special Education K-12 lets candidates earn a provisional Arkansas teaching license after passing Praxis 5511 and completing their first six credit hours — often within the first semester (as few as 14 weeks) — allowing you to start teaching while finishing the remaining coursework.
Which do I need: Special education director certificate vs. Ed.S. in educational leadership?
Choose this certificate if you already hold a master’s degree and want the director credential as quickly and affordably as possible (18 credit hours, 12 months, no new degree). Choose A-State’s Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Special Education Director instead if you want the credential folded into a full terminal degree.
What programs prepare you to become a special education director?
This certificate prepares master’s-degree holders for the special education director role through coursework in administration, supervision, legal and ethical issues, curriculum management and a supervised internship without requiring a new degree.
Does A-State offer a special education director certificate online?
This Ed.S. page is the full terminal-degree path to the special education director credential for educators who already hold a master’s degree. A-State also offers a Special Education Director Certificate for master’s-degree holders who want the same license without completing another full degree.
What does a district special education director do, and what’s the career path?
A district special education director administers and coordinates special education programs across schools, ensures compliance with special education law and supervises staff and services. The typical path runs from special education teacher, to instructional specialist or lead teacher, to director. This Ed.S. is built for teachers with a master’s degree ready for that final step.
What online Ed.S. programs prepare special education directors?
Arkansas State University’s online Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Special Education Director is a 30-credit-hour, CAEP-accredited program built specifically for this role, preparing graduates for Arkansas’s Curriculum/Program Administrator (SPED) license.
Which is right for me: Master’s in special education vs. a special education certificate?
Choose this certificate if you already hold a related teaching license and just need the K-12 special education endorsement, at lower cost and in less time (21 credit hours, as few as 10 months). Choose A-State’s MSE in Special Education – Instructional Specialist K-12 instead if you want the full master’s-level credential and eligibility for […]
How do I add a special education endorsement to an existing teaching license?
This certificate is the mechanism: it layers special-education-specific coursework and a supervised field experience onto your existing license, leading to Arkansas’s K-12 Special Education Teaching License.
How does A-State’s online special education certificate work for licensed teachers?
Licensed teachers complete seven courses (21 credit hours) covering assessment, diagnosis, instructional methods and positive behavior intervention, plus a field-based laboratory experience, in as few as 10 months through 7-week spring/fall and 5-week summer terms.
Which is right for me: Master’s in special education vs. a special education certificate?
Choose this MSE if you want the full master’s-level credential, broader coursework, and eligibility for instructional-leadership roles like curriculum specialist or director. If you already hold a related degree and just need the K-12 special education endorsement added to your license, A-State’s Special Education K-12 Certificate is the faster, lower-cost path.
What’s the difference between a special education master’s and an intervention specialist degree?
“Intervention specialist” is a title used in some states (notably Ohio) for what Arkansas and many other states call a special education teacher or instructional specialist. A-State’s MSE in Special Education – Instructional Specialist K-12 covers the same core competencies — assessment, individualized instruction, and behavior support — regardless of the state-specific title.