Mishawaka-based Bethel University will start offering Certified Academic Language Practitioner certification for bachelor of arts in education graduates.
Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) is a professional certification for dyslexia and related disorders. It has historically been reserved for individuals who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and are pursuing coursework at the graduate level.
Due to program changes within Bethel’s education department and its partnership with B.E.A.R. Reading Center in South Bend, Bethel has been approved as a provider for the required Comprehensive Practitioner-Level Training. This allows completers to sit for the ALTA Competency Exam – Practitioner Level immediately after earning their bachelor’s degree.
“As the first initiative for our newly developed BU Center for Literacy, we ensured our curriculum was fully aligned with the science of reading,” said Dr. Michelle Fish, professor and Center for Literacy director, in a press release. “However, our desire was to make changes that would not just meet minimum state requirements but would be the gold standard for teacher preparedness in the field of reading science.”
Bethel’s program changes included moving from a two-course, six-credit reading sequence to a 16-credit literacy cognate, including an additional 60-hour clinical literacy practicum.
Kim Haughee, B.E.A.R. Reading Center director and ALTA Great Lakes Chapter president, will serve as the teacher of record for the program.
“While working toward a bachelor’s degree at Bethel University, pre-service educators will be taught the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully implement Science of Reading strategies within classrooms,” Haughee said. “Their students will have the advantage of being immersed in an instructional environment leading to proficient reading and writing outcomes.”
In addition to earning a national professional certification, Bethel’s teacher candidates will graduate with the tools to provide additional dyslexia intervention to their future students.
“We know that when teachers embrace the Science of Reading, students will develop a strong foundation for reading success,” Jim Bennett, program director and department chair for education, said. “Our teacher training program equips teachers with the essential skills to bridge the gap between research and the classroom, promoting evidence-based methods for reading instruction and leading to improved literacy outcomes for all students.”
