Overview
Our mission is to enable all Utah students to become proficient in the area of literacy for the purposes of reaching their individual potential and becoming successful citizens in today's world.
Utah Core Standards
The Utah State Board of Education approved new P-12 English Language Arts Standards in April of 2023. These standards identify the essential literacy skills in speaking & listening, reading, and writing.
Utah State Standards for P-12 English Language Arts
English Language Arts Standards Resources
English Language Arts Standards-Digitized
Speech Progression Chart
Google Docs
English Language Arts Standards - Elementary (P-5) Best Practices
Core Guides
The English Language Arts Standards are created to provide guidance for developing effective instruction aligned to the Utah State Standards for P-12 English Language Arts. They are intended to support teachers, administrators, English Language Arts specialists, instructional coaches, parents, and other stakeholders as they plan instruction at a local level.
The Core Guides are not intended to be read from cover to cover. They are meant as a resource document to be used, when needed, to support teacher professional learning and curriculum decisions. They are not meant to be used by students, and therefore they may not be written in student-friendly language. The Core Guides are meant to inform teachers and leaders as they make English Language Arts curriculum decisions.
ELA Core Guide Preschool Age 3
ELA Core Guide Preschool Age 4
ELA Core Guide Kindergarten
ELA Core Guide 1st Grade
ELA Core Guide 2nd Grade
ELA Core Guide 3rd Grade
ELA Core Guide 4th Grade
ELA Core Guide 5th Grade
ELA Core Guide 6th Grade
Educator Endorsem*nts
Applications Effective July 1, 2021
Literacy Specialist K-12 Endorsem*nt
Literacy Specialist K-12 Endorsment SPECS
Applications Retiring June 30, 2023
Reading Endorsem*nt Level 1 (Retiring)|Reading Endorsem*nt Level 2 (Retiring)|Reading Interventionist Endorsem*nt (Retiring)
Learning Opportunities for Teachers
Reading
There are many quality programs in the state that offer the required courses. The following contact list is not comprehensive but you can e-mail the contact person to ask about their availability of classes, schedule, etc.
Sylvia Read
Utah State University (USU)
Dr. Jan Dole
University of Utah
John Allen
Utah Valley University (UVU)
Dr. Kristi Jones
Westminster College
Resources
Northeastern Utah Educational Services (NUES)
Southwest Educational Development Center (SEDC)
Level 1
The Utah Reading Endorsem*nt offers practicing elementary and secondary teachers an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and skills in the area of literacy. The purpose of this program is to strengthen reading achievement of Utah's school children by providing their teachers with the strategies, processes, and structures for augmenting classroom reading instruction in grades K-12.
The Level 1 Reading Endorsem*nt requires a passing score on a Praxis content knowledge test and seven (7) graduate-level courses taken within the last eight (8) years.
Courses
The following seven course frameworks demonstrate the depth and breadth of the expected curriculum within a course meeting that requirement. Reading endorsem*nt courses are aligned to Utah's instructional goals and Core Standards as well as to the International Literacy Association (ILA) Standards.
Note: All course frameworks updated in 2015-2016.
- Foundations of Literacy Instruction: Theories and Models
- Reading and Writing Across the Disciplines
- Reading Assessment and Instructional Interventions
- K-12 Literacy Practices and Processes: Instructional Implications
- Reading Comprehension Instruction
- Writing Instruction
- Instruction with Literature and Informational Texts for Children and Young Adults
If you are an institution that would like to demonstrate your alignment to the Utah Level 1 Reading Endorsem*nt Frameworks, please submit the following via e-mail to the K-12 Literacy Coordinator, Sara Wiebke.
- Contact information for the person submitting the information.
- Official university course description, including course level designation.
- Current syllabus for the course being taught.
- Written summary of the alignment between the Utah Framework and the proposed class, including documentation or artifacts as needed.
- List of instructors for the course and current curriculum vita (Utah requires a minimum of a Master's degree and Level 2 reading endorsem*nt for course instructors).
Level 2
Teachers who have obtained a Level I Endorsem*nt and who want to work as school- or district-level literacy coaches will want to complete the Level 2 Endorsem*nt. This endorsem*nt provides a systems-level perspective on literacy instruction and program design and will deepen the candidate's knowledge of literacy instruction and implementation.
Courses
The following course frameworks demonstrate the depth and breadth of the expected curriculum within a course meeting that requirement. Reading endorsem*nt courses are aligned to Utah's instructional goals and Core Standards as well as to the International Reading Association Standards.
Note: Course frameworks updated in 2015-2016.
- Literacy Research
- Instructional Leadership of Literacy Programs
- Literacy Specialist Internship
International Literacy Association (ILA)
Reading Interventionist Endorsem*nt
The purpose of the Reading Interventionist Endorsem*nt is to provide educators with academic and field-based opportunities to learn best practices for meeting the instructional needs of students who a struggling to learn to read. The nine credit endorsem*nt will focus on Tier II and Tier III instructional methods, strategies, assessment, and curricula that improve student outcomes. The Level I Reading Endorsem*nt is a prerequisite to earning this endorsem*nt.
Course Framework
Tier II Small Group Reading Intervention Clinical Practicum
Tier III Reading Intervention Clinical Practicum
Interventionist Capstone
For vendors interested in applying to become an approved vendor for either Tier II or Tier II intervention programs, please review and submit the application below. The program must meet the requirements describe in the application to become qualified.
Vendor Application
Tier II Small Group Intervention Practicum
Tier III Reading Intervention Practicum
Course Offerings
The University of Utah is currently offering the Tier II and Tier III courses for the endorsem*nt. If you are interested, please contact:
Tier II
Julie Jaussi
Tier III
Wilson Language Training
University of Utah Reading Clinic (UURC)
Meetings
2023-2024
State Literacy Directors
Location:USBE Basem*nt West and Virtual
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Dates:
- January 25, 2024
- March 19, 2024
- September 11, 2024
- November 12, 2024
Resources
Early Learning Program
Early Learning Program Technical Manual
The purpose of the Early Learning Program is to improve the Early Literacy and Early Mathematics classroom instruction and student outcomes in kindergarten through grade 3. The Early Learning Program establishes an Early Learning Plan that includes early literacy, early mathematics, goals, and the Professional Learning Grant. This document is a resource for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) (Districts and Charters) to use to guide them in completing their Early Learning Plan.
Elementary Literacy Framework
Utah's K-12 Literacy Framework
Utah's K-12 Literacy Framework translates the research findings into advice and guidance to provide Educators with the knowledge, tools, and resources necessary to meet the instructional needs of all students in reading, writing, and listening and speaking. The purpose of the framework is to support districts, charters, and schools in evaluating, refining, and monitoring the essential systems, structures, and literacy practices necessary to achieve greater outcomes in the area of literacy for all students.
The Elementary Literacy Framework integrates five key elements that support literacy outcomes:
- Element 1: Culture of Learning
- Element 2: Learner Agency
- Element 3: Demonstrated Competency and Assessment
- Element 4: Customized Supports
- Element 5: Social and Emotional Learning
Instructional Approaches: Explicit and Inquiry-Based Instruction
Explicit and Inquiry-Based Instruction
Educators are constantly faced with the question of how we can best present material that is optimally “learnable” for the different students we are trying to reach. The instructional approach selected is based on the intention of the learning. In general, two main approaches are using in today’s instruction: explicit instruction (Effect Size 0.57) or inquiry-based instruction (Effect Size 0.31). This document defines those and provides guidance on when to use each instructional practice.
Utah's Science of Reading (SOR) Expert Panel
As legislated in the 2022 Legislative Session, Utah has created an expert panel to support the Science of Reading (SOR). The expert panelists have deep knowledge and a research background in the science of reading and the science of reading instruction as well as practical experience translating the science of reading into effective reading instructional practices.
Current SOR Panel Members
Janice A. Dole
Parker C. Fawson
Pati Montgomery
Ray Reutzel
Dr. Angela S. Rutherford
Core-Aligned Writing Resources
Achieve the Core
A national organization that has assembled a variety of resources to help support the shifts in instruction required in implementing the Core. They have complied an extensive selection of materials on writing that include samples of student writing with annotations to show how various Core Standards are met. Student samples are shown as they were transcribed, annotated with comments, and corrected for spelling and grammar for use as examples with students.
Other Resources
Utah State Board of Education Dyslexia Handbook
Special Education Effective Instruction and Inclusion Resources
The Dyslexia Handbook offers guidance, resources, and appropriate supports and interventions for readers with dyslexia. It is also a communication tool for teachers and parents to work together. Our hope is that both educators and parents will use the ideas and techniques in the handbook as a team. It is vitally important that struggling readers not give up on themselves; it is just as important that we as educators and parents assist and empower students with dyslexia to enter the world of reading feeling empowered and prepared for their future.
