Institutes of Higher Education Graduate Level Courses for Early Literacy Instruction

Overview

<p>The purpose of this request for proposals (RFP) is to identify institutes of higher education (IHEs) who offer graduate level reading courses to provide educators across Delaware access to coursework that is grounded in the science of reading, addresses the National Reading Panel (NRP) five essential components of reading (phonological awareness, phonic, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension), and closely adheres to the ILA Standards for Literacy professionals. Coursework is intended to increase educators’ evidence-based practices —ensuring high quality literacy instruction in every classroom, every day. The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) is seeking proposals from IHEs who offer graduate level courses that provide coursework focused on literacy instruction and prepare educators to demonstrate competency in the five components of literacy instruction rooted in science of reading research.</p> <p><strong>This RFP contains the following components:</strong><br>Component 1: Coursework adherence to the science of reading research<br>Component 2: Coursework demonstrates coverage of the five essential components (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension) of reading instruction<br>Component 3: Coursework prepares students to meet the literacy instructional needs of diverse learners through curriculum, instruction, and assessment<br>Proposers will submit proposals to address all components outlined in this RFP. Components will be scored collectively. IHEs who meet the requirements for all components will be awarded.</p> <p><strong>Scope of Work</strong><br>IHEs shall provide current course descriptions with full syllabi to include titles of textbooks used for each course offered. Coursework that meets the requirements should be designed to deliver instruction, to PK–4 educators that aligns to best practices related to the science of reading and supports the acquisition of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in the five essential components of reading. The scope of work requirements are IN ADDITION to the minimum mandatory requirements listed as Appendix A in this RFP.</p> <p> </p><ul> <li>The content of each course may include the following topics and skills:</li> <ul> <li>Topics</li> <li>Print awareness/concepts of print</li> <li>Phonological awareness</li> <li>Decoding and word recognition</li> <li>Word-reading strategies</li> <li>Comprehension monitoring</li> <li>Reading fluency</li> <li>Vocabulary knowledge</li> <li>Vocabulary strategies</li> <li>Morphological analysis</li> <li>Syntactic awareness</li> <li>Text structure analysis</li> <li>Executive skills (e.g. inhibitory control)</li> <li>Genre knowledge</li> <li>Comprehension strategies</li> <li>Scanning and skimming</li> <li>Text navigation and search</li> <li>Reading stamina</li> <li>Assessment</li> <li>Facilitative reading attitudes</li> </ul> <li>Summarize the findings of well-established scientific findings about reading</li> <li>Describe research’s practical implications for all children, including those who read below grade level</li> </ul> <p>IHE must demonstrate that coursework:</p> <ul> <li>Addresses one or more of the five major components of reading through explicit and repeated instruction</li> <li>Supports the principals of evidence-based literacy practices grounded in the science of reading</li> <li>Prepares educators to teach and assess literacy skills</li> </ul> <p>The course offerings must adhere to the following logistics considerations:<br>Course format: In-person, Virtual, Online<br>Class size: 20–50 educators<br>Semester Timeline: Fall, winter, spring, summer; Number of weeks<br>Location: On campus, online or hybrid<br>Materials: Textbooks; Digital platforms<br>Payment and Fees: DDOE will provide reimbursement to IHEs for educators who complete up to 2 courses with a grade of C or better; IHE must hold the enrolled educator financially responsible for any additional fees incurred by the educator due to late registration, course withdrawal, or failing to pass the course with a grade of C or better<br>Evaluation and feedback: DDOE will be responsible for collecting and incorporating feedback from participants including but not limited to administering a survey after the completion of each course; DDOE may share results of course completion survey with the IHE.</p>