Amid growing concern regarding the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children how to read in kindergarten through fifth grade (K-5), the state of Arizona has taken steps to improve K-5 literacy education by passing legislation requiring K-5 literacy teachers to obtain a K-5 Literacy Endorsement by 2028. Paradise Valley Community College is one of a handful of institutions in Arizona approved to facilitate these courses and has taken the initiative to collaborate with local school districts to provide the courses, making them accessible both off-site and on-site.
The Endorsement requires:
- 3 credits of coursework in the science of reading (Part A--PVCC’s EDU 267) and
- 3 credits of coursework in teaching struggling readers (Part B--PVCC’s EDU 268) and
- A passing score on the Arizona Foundations of Reading AEPA (Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments)
This fall, PVCC partnered with the Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), launching the first required course – EDU267 – with a cohort of 43 teachers. In the upcoming spring semester, PVCC plans to expand its offerings to PVUSD by providing several eight-week sections of both EDU 267 and EDU 268, to serve more than 150 PVUSD teachers, and potentially even more.
“It brings me so much joy to share in the excitement of learning and growth that will help students become better readers! Ultimately, the combined efforts of PVCC and PVUSD are supporting teachers in the classroom and making a positive impact on student learning,” said Dr. Amy Boniface, PVCC Education program director.
Additionally, PVCC is reaching out to teachers across the state by offering live online sections of these courses, making them accessible to educators from various regions and have already garnered interest.
For more information about these requirements or PVCC’s Education Program and partnership with PVUSD, please contact the PVCC Education team at teacher.prep@paradisevalley.edu.