Syllabus

Master of Science in Education

EDU 749: Reading Diagnosis, Clinical Practice I – Spring A 2023

Credits - 3

Description

In conjunction with EDU 750, this course is the first of two practicum courses that closely examine a wide range of assessment and instructional methods to support literacy development of struggling learners. Students in this course work closely with an onsite mentor, a learning community of students and a UNE instructor. This collaboration will support students as they develop relationships with K-12 students who struggle in literacy. Experiences in the course include working in a one-on-one tutorial setting, administering a variety of reading diagnostic assessments, and collaboratively creating and implementing literacy programming that builds on diagnosis with the goal of moving learners forward in their literacy growth. This course meets most states’ requirements that a 6 credit practicum be part of an approved graduate program. Before registration can be made available for this course, students must complete all of the required internship paperwork.

Materials

Fisher, P. J., Bates, A., Gurvitz, D. J. (2014). The Complete Guide to Tutoring Struggling Readers. Teachers College Press. (ISBN: 978-0807754948. E-text ISBN: 978-0807772478)

Additional assigned articles and videos will be posted in Brightspace.

Supplemental: 

7th edition: American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). (ISBN: 978-1433832154. E-text: 978-1433832185)

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

For each course in this program there are overall program goals. Below is a chart of how the overall program goals match the key assessments for this course. In addition, in each module there are smaller learning objectives. These will be specified at the beginning of each week’s introduction along with how these match the broader program goals. This chart will detail the following:

  • Course Objectives:   These are what we hope you will learn through this course.
  • Student Learning Outcomes: this is what you will do to demonstrate that you have met this course objective.
  • InTASC Standards: The state of Maine has adopted these standards for all practicing teachers. These standards have been developed through a consortium of states and specify what all teachers should be able to do. 
  • ILA Standards for Reading Professionals 2017: These standards sets forth the criteria for developing and evaluating preparation programs for reading professionals.

Course Objectives: 

Students will:

  • Administer, examine, evaluate and reflect on a variety of literacy assessments as they are directly connected to data- driven instruction and literacy achievement. (IRA 3; InTASC 6)
  • Analyze and use assessment data to examine and create an appropriate intervention plan (ILA 1, 2; InTASC 6)
  • Use assessment to guide systematic instruction and to select appropriate traditional print, digital and online reading resources (ILA 1, 2; InTASC 6)
  • Demonstrate a clear connection between assessment results and intervention plan.(ILA 2, InTASC 6, 7)
  • Collaborate with others to modify instruction and plan and re- evaluate based on observation and assessment results. (ILA 1, 2, 5; InTASC 7)

Assignments

Class Discussions:  Each week’s discussion will have a specific focus, but you should always feel free to share and ask questions. For each weekly discussion, post an initial post in response to a prompt and then respond to at least two of your classmates.

Please be sure to follow the individual directions provided with each Discussion Board Prompt, as the requirements may vary from Discussion Board to Discussion Board.

Literacy Project 1: You will complete a 2-3 page essay on a literacy project that includes both synthesis of learning as well as reflection. 

Case Study (Parts 1, 2, and 3): You will use a case study format to document your student’s needs. The case study will help you to reflect on best practice and will also provide your instructor with a way to “connect” with your student. During EDU 749, you will submit the first three parts of the case study:

  • Part I: Social/Emotional/Behavioral
  • Part II: Assessment/Academic Needs
  • Part III: Goal Setting

Assessment Video with Narrative: After securing signed parental permission, you will record at least ten minutes of your assessment work with your student. You will submit the URL of your unlisted YouTube video clip along with either a written or videoed narrative that provides an explanation of the session.

Practicum Activity Log:  You will document all tutoring activities using the Practicum Activity Log. In addition to your tutoring sessions, you will document any interaction. Your log will also document your insight into any student observations and collaborative meetings with your mentor. 

Midpoint Reflection During module six you will reflect on your growth as a literacy professional. You will write a brief (2-3 page) reflection which will include a reflection on your tutoring experience thus far. You will also include what you have learned through your class project and class observation.

ePortfolio:  Although the ePortfolio isn’t due until Week 7 of EDU 750, you should begin to build your portfolio during EDU 749. Your ePortfolio will showcase at least three assignments that you feel best reflect your growth as a reading specialist. Along with each selected assignment, you will include a paragraph or two explaining why you chose each item.

NoteThe University of New England provides students, staff, and faculty with free access to RefWorks, a fantastic tool for collecting and managing references and making style-correct citations. Access the tool through Course Resources in Brightspace. For instructions and tutorials in setting up your account and getting started, visit the UNE Online Student Portal.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment (by course)Point Value (100 total)
Class Discussions (8 @ 3 Points Each)24
Literacy Project 120
Case Study (Parts 1, 2, and 3)16
Assessment Video and Narrative20
Tutoring Log Submission10
Midpoint Reflection10

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Course Dates: 

Week 1: Jan 4 – Jan 10
Week 2: Jan 11 – Jan 17
Week 3: Jan 18 – Jan 24
Week 4: Jan 25 – Jan 31
Week 5: Feb 1 – Feb 7
Week 6: Feb 8 – Feb 14
Week 7: Feb 15 – Feb 21
Week 8: Feb 22 – Feb 26

Each course week starts on Monday at 12:00 am Eastern Time (ET) and closes on Sunday at 11:59 pm ET, with the exception of Week 1, which starts on Wednesday. All assignments must be submitted by 11:59 pm ET on the due date.

Weeks and Module

Topics

Activities & Assignments

Due Dates

Module 1:

Weeks 1 & 2

 Assessment and Assessment Tools

Week 1: Discussion

Week 2 Discussion

Additional Activities:

  • Begin to build your ePortfolio, due in the final module of EDU 750
  • Meet with your onsite mentor
  • Select and begin work with your student

Week 1 DB: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday (Initial post due by FRIDAY)

Week 2: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday (Initial post due by Wednesday)

Module 2:

Weeks 3 & 4

Meeting Student’s Needs through Targeted Intervention 

Week 3 Discussion

Week 4 Discussion

Literacy Project 1

Week 3 DB: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday (Initial post due by Wednesday)

Week 4 DB: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday (Initial post due by Wednesday)

Literacy Project: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday

Module 3:

Weeks 5 & 6

 Adapting Instruction Based on Monitored Progress  

Week 5 Discussion

Case Study

Week 6 Discussion

Assessment Video with Narrative

 

Week 5 DB: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday (Initial post due by Wednesday)

Case Study: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday

Week 6 DB: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday (Initial post due by Wednesday)

Assessment Video with Narrative: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday

Module 4:

Weeks 7 & 8

 Self-Assessment and Reflection  

Week 7 Discussion

Tutoring Log, Submission 1

Week 8 Discussion

Midpoint Reflection

 

Week 7 DB: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday (Initial post due by Wednesday)

Tutoring Log: 11:59 PM ET, Sunday

Week 8 DB: 11:59 PM ET, Friday (Initial post due by Wednesday)

Midpoint Reflection: 11:59 PM ET, Friday

 

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Education page

UNE Libraries:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:

Information Technology Services (ITS)

  • ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

AI Use

The Graduate Programs in Education holds the position that Grammarly and other AI writing and generative technology should not be used when completing course assignments, unless explicitly permitted by course faculty and assignment instructions. These tools do not support a student’s personal and direct capacity to develop and hone skills in creativity, logic, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, theorization, and writing, which are central to graduate-level rigor, assessment, and research. Use of these tools when not explicitly permitted may result in an academic integrity infraction.

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools the University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Attendance Policy

8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.