SECTIONS 54120-54124 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 54120-54124

54120. The governing board of any school district maintaining
elementary schools, in order to provide reading instruction under the
provisions of this chapter, may appoint any elementary school
teacher to a reading specialist position if the appointee has met the
following minimum requirements:
(a) Holds a Reading Specialist Credential issued pursuant to
Section 44265 or a Miller-Unruh Reading Specialist Certificate.
(b) Has completed three years as a successful teacher in any of
grades 1 to 6, inclusive.
(c) Is fully credentialed by the state to teach in kindergarten or
any of grades 1 to 6, inclusive.
(d) Successfully completed the following college or university
courses:
(1) A basic course in the teaching of elementary school reading.
(2) A basic course in the teaching of elementary school language.
(3) A basic course in the diagnosis and remediation of reading
disabilities.
(4) A course in directed clinical practice in the remediation of
reading disabilities. The course may be concurrent with the first
year as a reading specialist.
The requirements specified in subdivision (d) are not applicable
to reading specialists with valid reading specialist credentials
issued pursuant to Section 44265, or Miller-Unruh Reading Specialist
Certificates issued prior to September 29, 1983.

54121. For purposes of issuing the Miller-Unruh Reading Specialist
Certificate, the Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing
shall designate a written examination to be administered to each
person seeking the position of reading specialist. The examination
shall be one designed to test the knowledge of the nominee concerning
the various approaches and techniques of reading which have been
determined by competent authority to be most effective in diagnostic
and prescriptive instruction for meeting the individual needs of
young pupils. The examination shall be administered on a statewide
basis once each school year. For these purposes the commission may
select an examination prepared by any competent public or private
person, organization, or agency.

54122. Persons employed by school districts as reading specialists
under this chapter shall be considered as classroom teachers for
purposes of all laws dealing with permanent status of certificated
employees employed by school districts.

54123. Reading specialists employed by a school district shall be
relieved of all regular teaching and administrative responsibilities
and shall devote their full time in the performance of the following
prioritized responsibilities, which shall be directed toward insuring
that pupils attain essential reading skills:
(a) First priority shall be supplementing the reading instruction
in kindergarten and grade 1, with an emphasis on the prevention of
reading difficulties.
(b) Second priority shall be providing supplementary, specialized
diagnostic services and prescriptive instruction to small groups of
pupils or to individual pupils in need of special reading instruction
in the primary grades.
(c) Final priority shall be providing corrective instruction to
individuals and small groups of pupils in grades 4 through 6 after
all primary needs are met.
No Miller-Unruh specialist shall maintain a caseload in excess of
60 pupils at any one time, nor shall the daily caseload exceed 40
pupils receiving individual or small group instruction. Each
specialist shall be responsible for providing leadership for the
total school reading program, including providing in-service
training, demonstrations, and serving as a reading resource
specialist for the school.
Adequate time shall be allotted in the specialist's schedule to
allow the time needed for diagnostic and prescriptive planning, for
staff development, and for self-improvement.

54124. The annual salary of a specialist teacher, employed as such
by a school district for a school year, shall be increased by two
hundred fifty dollars ($250) over that otherwise payable to him under
his regular contract of employment with the district in which he is
regularly employed.
Such sum shall be paid by the school district in a lump sum
payment to the specialist reading teacher, no later than June 30 of
each fiscal year, and the warrant on which the payment is made shall
clearly identify the purpose for which the payment is being made with
words to the effect of: "Special Stipend for State Basic Reading
Program" appearing on the face of the warrant. Partial lump-sum
payments for specialist reading teachers employed for a portion of
the school year shall be paid no later than 30 days after the
specialist teacher leaves the employ of the district.