In 1999, Texas passed legislation (House Bill 2307) that required the creation of the Master Reading Teacher (MRT) Certificate, the development of standards for the certificate, and the completed design of the Master Reading Teacher certification examination no later than January 1, 2001.

A Master Reading Teacher is an individual who holds a Master Reading Teacher Certificate and whose primary duties are to teach reading and to serve as a reading mentor to other teachers. The Master Reading Teacher Certificate was implemented as part of the Texas Reading Initiative to ensure that all Texas students are reading on grade level by the end of the third grade and that their reading knowledge and skills grow throughout their public school careers.

The Master Reading Teacher Certificate may be obtained in one of two ways:

• An individual who holds the Reading Specialist Certificate must complete an State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)-approved Master Reading Teacher preparation program. These teachers are not required to take the Master Reading Teacher certification examination.
• An individual must have a teaching certificate and at least three years of teaching experience and complete an SBEC-approved Master Reading Teacher preparation program and pass the Master Reading Teacher certification examination. These teachers are required to take and pass the Master Reading Teacher certification examination.

A Master Reading Teacher Grant Program was also created in 1999 as a result of passed legislation. This program is intended to increase the reading ability of Texas school children, particularly those on identified high-need campuses, by encouraging teachers to become certified as master reading teachers and to work with other teachers and with students to improve student reading performance. School districts may apply for grants to pay stipends to selected certified master reading teachers who teach at high-need campuses. Each MRT that teaches on a “high-need” campus, as defined by the Commissioner of Education, at the Texas Education Agency, receives a $5,000 stipend, at the end of the school year. The teacher will continue to receive the stipend as long as resources remain available for the MRT Grant Program.

Master Reading Teacher Preparation Programs are administered by colleges and universities throughout the state of Texas, but all MRT preparation programs must be approved by the (SBEC). Over 50 such programs currently exist in the state of Texas.

The curriculum for these programs is based on the SBEC-approved Master Reading Standards. These standards include knowledge of: the interrelated components of reading across all developmental stages; the selection and administration of appropriate reading assessments on an ongoing basis; the design and implementation of reading instruction that reflects state content and performance standards and addresses the varied learning needs of all students; knowledge of primary and second language acquisition, including the relationship between the development of these languages, to facilitate and promote literacy; knowledge of reading difficulties, dyslexia, and reading disabilities to facilitate and promote literacy; and the ability to facilitate appropriate research-based reading instruction by communicating and collaborating with educational stakeholders; mentoring, coaching, and consulting with colleagues; providing professional development for faculty; and making decisions based on converging evidence for research.

The Office of Statewide Initiatives at the Texas Education Agency is currently collaborating with Texas A&M University to evaluate the Master Reading Teacher program and with Toenjes and Associates to survey other Texas reading programs.

Contact:

Marilyn Cook
State Board for Educator Certification
4616 W. Howard Lane, Suite 120
Austin, TX 78728

Telephone: (512) 238-3255
Fax: (512) 238-3203

E-mail: Marilyn.Cook@sbec.state.tx.us

On the Web: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/mtp/mrt/mrt.asp