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St. Bonaventure's School of Education adds two master's-level literacy extension certificate programs

Apr 5, 2021


The School of Education at St. Bonaventure University is offering two new graduate certificate programs aimed at a very specific audience: those who earned a master’s in childhood or adolescent literacy from St. Bonaventure between 2000 and 2020.
 
Prior to introduction of the Birth to Grade 12 (B-12) Literacy graduate program in 2020, leading to dual-certification in B-6 and 5-12 literacy, childhood literacy and adolescent literary were separate programs leading to separate certifications. This was the case dating back to 2000.
 
Since introduction of the B-12 program last year, past SBU graduates of the childhood and adolescent literacy programs have inquired about what it would take to achieve certification in the other area, making them dually certified, said Sheri Voss, visiting professor of education and director of St. Bonaventure’s master’s-level literacy programs.
 
“We’re very happy to announce to our alumni that they now have that opportunity through two new certificate programs,” said Voss. “What’s more, completion of either the B-6 Literacy Extension or 5-12 Literacy Extension Advanced Certificate of Study (ACS) program is designed to accommodate every SBU graduate seeking a literacy extension, including and especially working teachers.”
 
The new Childhood B-6 Literacy Extension ACS is designed for SBU graduates who earned their master’s in Adolescent Literacy 5-12, while the Adolescent 5-12 Literacy Extension ACS is for those who earned an MSED in Childhood Literacy B-6. Each certificate program extends these certifications by adding qualifications that enable one to teach reading from birth to grade 12.
 
Each certificate program consists of only 9 credit hours and may be completed completely online, said Voss. Students take a 3-credit online course in fall semester and another in spring semester. Each class meets twice a month synchronously, with the rest of the coursework completed at the student’s convenience.
 

Students then take a 50-hour, 7-week summer practicum through St. Bonaventure’s Reading Center. This may be taken face-to-face on the St. Bonaventure campus, virtually, or face-to-face with willing young readers in the student’s hometown.

The summer practicum is essentially a 7-week course with flexible hours, where the ACS candidate practices reading instruction with 2 students, together or individually, for a total of only 50 hours,” said Voss. “This is a real plus for ACS participants as the summer practicum is completed in half the time as the practicum in place for the formerly split childhood and adolescent literacy programs.”

The Childhood B-6 and Adolescent 5-12 extension programs meet their respective New York state requirements for literacy certification. They are presently available only to SBU graduates from 2000 to 2020.

Former literacy graduates do not have to wait to get started on this certification opportunity,” said Voss. “Registration is open immediately. Students should apply by Aug. 1 as the programs begin this fall, ensuring an ACS completion before the 2022 school year.”

For more information about these programs, visit the St. Bonaventure University School of Education’s Childhood B-6 and Adolescent 5-12 Literacy Extension Advanced Certificate program websites.

 
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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2020, St. Bonaventure was named the #2 regional university value in New York and #3 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.
 
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