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UC Irvine Extension Provides Unique Benefits to Orange County Teachers with Newly Approved Reading Certificate Program and Partnership for an Online Master's Degree

UC Irvine Extension Dovetails Program to Address Orange County Educators’ Literacy and Language Arts Concerns

IRVINE, Calif. – May 2, 2005 – UC Irvine Extension announced that its newly developed Reading Certificate Program was approved by the State of California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) Committee on Accreditation. Through a unique partnership between UC Irvine Extension and Capella University, an accredited online institution, Orange County teachers will receive full academic credit toward Capella’s Master of Science (MS) in Education Reading and Literacy Specialization for the courses they take in the Reading Certificate Program. 

The program was created to address the President’s and Governor’s priorities that emphasize the importance of highly qualified teachers and literacy as a foundation for success for academic achievement in K-12 schools.  The reading certificate is specifically designed to train credentialed teachers to become reading specialists, provide research and cohort-based skill sets that can be used in the classroom immediately, and to ensure all pupils have fair access to high-quality education with a foundation in reading. UC Irvine Extension’s goal is to meet the needs of individual Orange County districts by assessing the demographics and achievement levels of individual schools, making the program user-defined and custom tailored. The certificate program intentionally builds capacity within a school or a district to enhance the teaching of reading within and across grade levels, offering teachers a solution to increase literacy in schools.

UC Irvine Extension’s certificate program will be unique in that it will be offered to Orange County school districts onsite and online, specifically tailored to their unique circumstances and needs. The UC Irvine Extension program will also be made available to national and international audiences online. The online courses will be developed collaboratively by Capella University and UC Irvine Extension and will be taught by UC Irvine Extension instructors who have been trained in the use of Capella University’s online delivery program.

“In an educational environment as diverse as Orange County, teachers need highly specialized professional training based on their particular circumstances,” said Morgan Appel, director of Education Programs for UC Irvine Extension. “By providing both a site-based and online format based on the needs of individual schools and districts, UC Irvine Extension believes they can collaboratively lay the foundation for success in reading and other academic subjects.”

The program scheduled to launch this summer is comprised of five three-unit courses and a three-unit practicum course. The research-based Reading Certificate will prepare Orange County teachers to: 

  • Assess pupils’ reading skills and provide appropriate instruction/intervention
  • Develop, implement and adapt reading content
  • Serve as district/site specialists or teacher leaders in reading
  • Provide professional development or in-services to peers

For more information on the reading certificate program, please contact Morgan Appel at (949) 824-7945 or appelm@uci.edu. Special pricing and discounts are available for Orange County teachers. UC Irvine Extension’s education department offers courses and unique professional development programming to meet the needs of Orange County’s teachers and postsecondary practitioners. For more information on courses and details, visit www.extension.uci.edu.

As the continuing education arm of the prestigious university, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a transforming learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities.  UC Irvine Extension continues to provide a university-level learning experience to all students. 

About Capella University

Founded in 1993 to serve working adults and employers, Capella University is an online accredited* academic institution. Capella University offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, technology, education, human services and psychology. The university currently serves more than 12,000 enrolled learners from all 50 states and 55 countries. Central to Capella’s approach are achievement-oriented learners, expert faculty, and a university staff that is passionate about each individual’s success. Today, Capella is a national leader in online education, committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).

*Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, located at 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (312) 263-0456, www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org.