SEA No. 1 Updates & Keys to Literacy Overview
Welcome to another Educational Awareness podcast. There has been a bit of confusion on the new requirements for renewing a teacher’s license in Indiana. I wanted to address some of those items and give an overview of the Keys to Literacy required training for all teachers.
The first point of confusion is over which Praxis tests you must take. You only must take the Praxis 5205, not all the ones you took to get your initial teaching license. The Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary test focuses on the knowledge and skills a beginning teacher must have to support reading and writing development in kindergarten through sixth-grade students. Built to assess the science of reading, the test is structured around the five essential components of effective reading instruction as identified by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. You can learn more at the link provided in this blog post.
The second point of confusion is if you already hold a teacher’s license, you do not need to complete the training and exam. I will read through the law again and share a document that was sent out from the DOE, but let me say everyone who holds a current Indiana teacher’s license must complete this training and pass the exam by July 1, 2027. I believe the confusion on whether this training is required or not is due to the law saying it is, but the DOE communication saying it is an option.
Here is what the law says:
(b) Except as provided in section 19.8(a) of this chapter, beginning July 1, 2027, the department may not renew a practitioner license or an accomplished practitioner license, or a comparable license under prior rules, issued to an individual who,
(1) is first licensed after June 30, 2025; and
(2) based on the content area for which the individual is licensed, including special education, provides literacy instruction to students in prekindergarten through grade 5 unless the individual receives a literacy endorsement under this section. (c) To be eligible to receive a literacy endorsement, an individual must meet the following:
(1) Complete eighty (80) hours of evidence based professional development that is:
(A) aligned to the science of reading; and
(B)provided by an organization accredited by the International Dyslexia Association; and
(C) (B) approved by the department.
(2) Demonstrate proficiency in scientifically based reading instruction skills aligned to the science of reading on a written examination or through other procedures prescribed by the department in accordance with this section.
(d) Of The eighty (80) hours of evidence based professional development required under subsection
(c)(1), at least forty (40) hours must be completed through live sessions, which may be attended in person or virtually, taught by a certified facilitator.
(c)(1)must provide individualized and on demand support. The evidence based professional development required under subsection (c)(1) must:
(1) promote explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction as the primary approach to literacy instruction;
(2) promote an understanding of how language, reading, and writing relate to each other; (3) promote strategies for differentiated instruction for:
(A) students with: (i) reading difficulties; or (ii) disabilities; and
(B) English language learners;
(4) focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and (5) allow participants to implement the strategies into a classroom environment with the opportunity for feedback throughout the professional development experience.
(e) The written examination required under subsection (c)(2) shall ensure the individual demonstrates the ability to:
(1) effectively teach foundational reading skills, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension;
(2)implement reading instruction using high quality instructional materials aligned to the science of reading; and
(3) provide effective instruction and interventions for students with reading deficiencies.
The DOE then sent the following on March 20, 2024
Subject: Literacy Endorsement Requirements and Support for Indiana Educators
To support Indiana’s statewide goal of ensuring 95% of third grade students can read by 2027, House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1558-2023 required the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) to establish a required literacy endorsement for teacher candidates, as defined in Indiana Code (IC)20-28-3-1, applying for an initial Professional Educator License covering the pre-K-5 grade span or special education licensure after June 30, 2025. Additionally, to further strengthen the professional knowledge of educators with an existing license covering the pre-k-5 grade span or special education license, Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 1-2024 revised IC 20-28-5-19.7 to include the literacy endorsement requirement for all Indiana educators renewing a practitioner Professional Educator License or accomplished practitioner Professional Educator License that includes these specified grades and content areas after July 1, 2027. Additional information about support for educators to meet these requirements is outlined below.
Indiana Literacy Endorsement Requirements
For teacher candidates applying for an initial Professional Educator License covering the pre-K-5 grade span or special education licensure after June 30, 2025:
Eligibility for Indiana’s Literacy Endorsement is dependent on assurances that instructional skills aligned to science of reading were embedded in the individual’s coursework and preparation prior to program completion.
For all Indiana educators renewing a practitioner Professional Educator License or accomplished practitioner Professional Educator License that includes these specified grades and content areas after July 1, 2027:
Eligibility is dependent on the completion of 80 hours of evidence-based professional development that is aligned to science of reading and approved by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE).
Additionally, in January 2024, SBOE approved Praxis test 5205 to serve as the required examination for educators to demonstrate proficiency in instructional skills aligned with science of reading; it is a requirement of Indiana’s Literacy Endorsement in conjunction with preparation program coursework or completion of 80 hours of professional development.
Support for Educators to Earn Indiana’s Literacy Endorsement
HEA 1001-2023 allocated funding to support educators required to earn the literacy endorsement by securing a provider for the required 80 hours of professional development at no cost to the educator and covering the cost of the licensing exam required to receive the literacy endorsement.
Educators who have an existing Indiana license for the pre-K-6 grade span or a special education license can sign up to participate in the 80 hours of professional development, offered by Keys to Literacy, through June 2025. Eligible educators will have the opportunity to select their preference of synchronous, virtual sessions to complete alongside asynchronous modules and receive a voucher to cover the cost of the Praxis 5205 examination. Additionally, eligible educators will receive up to $1,200 in stipends as they progress through the 80-hour course.
Educators with a valid instructional license covering the pre-K-6 grade span or special education who are required to add the literacy endorsement and believe they have already completed all or part of the required 80 hours of evidenced-based professional development aligned with the requirements outlined in IC 20-28-5-19.7 are welcome to participate and deepen their knowledge through the full IDOE-supported engagement. Please note that completion of the entire 80 hours is required to receive certification from Keys to Literacy.
Additional information will be available this spring for educators who have completed the necessary 80-hour professional development through a different provider. This information will include how to obtain a voucher to cover the cost of the Praxis 5205 testing examination, a list of other known training programs or combinations of training programs that meet the requirements outlined in IC 20-28-5-19.7, and the documentation needed to certify completion of the professional development requirement before applying for the literacy endorsement in LVIS on or after August 1, 2024.
Questions should be directed to the Indiana Literacy Center.
I have been told that more guidance will be coming this month. I am hoping they will address some questions we have been asking about this bill since it came out.
Now I want to go over what is required for the Keys to Literacy training. You can find all this information at the various links provided in this blog post.
Links
Things to Know
· Be sure to read the fine print towards the bottom of the IDOE Keys to Literacy webpage. This section provides detailed information on the course and what is required.
· There are 7 live zoom sessions you are required to attend. You cannot miss the first or last sessions. If you have an emergency and miss a session you must complete an absence justification form. You cannot login 15 minutes late or leave 15 minutes early. (These are the highlights. Please read through the IDOE Attendance Policy very carefully.)
· When you register you have to choose one of the writing courses: Keys to Early Writing or Keys to Content Writing.
· The asynchronous part contains videos, articles, and assignments to complete at your own pace. You do not need to complete these at the same time you do the live sessions. They suggest that you complete the asynchronous course work within 3 months of attending the live session.
· You will need your teacher license number and SPN when you register for the training. You can find both of these on your license. Click here to access the new LVIS platform. If this is your first time on the site, you will need to register. If you are a returning user, you will need to click on the teal access Indiana button to login.
As I receive more information, I will share it. I have included a link to a form letter that our fourth-grade teachers and myself put together if you want to email your representatives expressing your concerns. The blog post also includes a link for finding your legislators and their contact information.
We do have a membership for $7 a month or $70 for the year if you want to support what we are doing and receive emails for updates.
As always, let's be educationally aware as we work together to build a brighter future for our students.
