Five students graduated from UT Permian Basin's graduate reading program this summer. They are, from left to right, top row: Rebecca Zavala, Michelle Johnson, Laura Bush and Hope Vinson; bottom row: Professor Roy Hurst, Professor Jeannine Hurst and Professor Rachel Juarez-Torres. Not pictured is student Penny Othold. As program coordinator, Jeannine Hurst chaired each of the thesis committees for these graduate students. The graduates investigated topics that had become personal interests over their course work. Zavala studied the use of eading strategies to build understanding of math word problems. Johnson tracked the effects of using grammar cards to enhance writing and editing skills. Bush investigated how interactive reading strategies enhanced primary students' reading scores. Vinson examined the effects of critical literacy in a first-grade classroom. Othold studied the influence of reader's theatre to build reading comprehension. 

The UT Permian Basin Reading Specialist Program enables teachers to reach a deeper level of teaching reading and literacy by focusing on student strengths and developing strategic thinking skills.

As the culminating experience at the end of the 36 hour program, students choose to complete an action research project or to write a thesis based on action research. This spring and summer, all five students chose to complete theses as a cohort.

“Students get to choose from their passion; I never choose for them,” said Jeannine Hurst, program coordinator. “We worked so closely together, and I am just so proud of them.”

Ed Mills, dean of UTPB’s School of Education, agreed.

“I was invited to hear presentations by these students and was very impressed by what they learned and what they will contribute in their own classrooms and to other teachers. It was a very rewarding experience to see learning in action,” Mills said.

At the end of the Reading Specialist Program, not only do graduates earn a master’s degree, but they also qualify to take the state exam for Reading Specialist. In addition, the UTPB program has all of the master reading teacher requirements embedded.

“When students pass the state Reading Specialist Exam, they earn both the Reading Specialist and the Master Reading Teacher certification,” Hurst said. “So far, we’ve had a 100 percent pass rate on the state certification exam, and I think that’s pretty impressive.”

The program is rigorous but exciting, and Hurst said her students are eager and prepared to learn.

“I just guide them, and they do the rest.” The program focuses on interactive learning, polishing teaching and communication skills, and professional development.

“We want master teachers to communicate effectively inside and outside the classroom, with students, parents, principals, and the greater community,” Hurst explained.

The program is very hands-on. Students work in a practicum-type of curriculum throughout, practicing data interpretation, faculty development, enrichment, intervention and remediation. Each methods class has a field component where students tutor, conduct large and small group learning, build case studies and more.

All methods in the reading specialist program support successful TAKS outcomes in public school classrooms at all levels.

“These methodologies work to strengthen TAKS outcomes, because the idea is to help the teacher enhance learning strategies,” Hurst said.

“This fall we are offering two courses: content area literacy and reading diagnosis. There is still time to enroll.”