The new Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement program, coordinated by the Iowa Reading Research Center at the UI College of Education, builds educators’ knowledge of the literacy development of students with characteristics of dyslexia. The endorsement program resulted from dyslexia legislation that was signed into Iowa law in 2020, and the first cohort of 20 students were admitted into the program in fall of 2021.

The endorsement is for certified Iowa kindergarten—Grade 12 teachers with at least three years of experience. The program consists of graduate-level coursework through a hybrid format of mostly synchronous virtual classes and a monthly meeting in Des Moines. IRRC Director Deborah Reed and other faculty at the college are the main instructors for the program courses.

Read more from the Annual Report 2021.