Ed.D or Ed.S. in Teaching and Learning: Reading, Language and Literacy: What Is It and How Can It Advance Your Career

Ed.S. or Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning, major in Reading, Language, and Literacy. These are advanced degrees for literacy professionals, beyond the typical Master’s degree in reading. They are designed for educators to take their work to the next level, develop skills to manage literacy programs at the school, district, or organizational level, and contribute to research and policy on a broader scale. Several universities offer these types of degrees. National Louis University offers this major in the Ed.S. and Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning through the National College of Education.

What Is an Ed. S. or Ed. D. in Reading, Language, and Literacy?

This type of program is a continuation of reading specialist training in a university's School of Education. It is focused on literacy in a broader sense and gives the student a foundation in reading and language to conduct research and study various literacy and language development theories, and to apply that knowledge to reading and literacy policy. They will use that knowledge to lead initiatives to improve literacy in schools, at the district level, or even at a system level. They will also be able to contribute to the research base in the area of reading and literacy.

The major is part of National Louis University's National College of Education’s Ed.S. and Ed.D. degrees in Teaching and Learning. This structure offers several different major pathways, within the larger shared structure of the Ed.S. and Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning, including Curriculum, Advocacy and Policy, Disability and Equity in Education, Linguistic Diversity and Equity, and Reading, Language and Literacy. Students in this program can earn a single major or, within the degree framework, a double major by completing all required coursework for each of the two chosen majors. (Note: one of National Louis University’s research centers, for literacy, is the Illinois Reading Recovery Center for Literacy.

Why Pursue an Ed. S. or Ed. D. in Reading, Language, and Literacy?

Literacy professionals pursue this doctoral pathway after reaching the limits of what a master 's-level reading specialist credential allows them to influence. A reading specialist typically works with individual students and coaches individual teachers; graduates of a doctoral literacy program generally aim for roles that shape literacy strategy, curriculum, and policy across an entire school, district, or even a state education agency.

This is also for someone who wants to go more in-depth into how people of all ages can become literate. That can mean finding out more about how people acquire literacy as children and then as adults. A doctoral student in this type of program can examine different approaches to teaching reading to students of varying ages and backgrounds. Sometimes research in this area examines how language and literacy are connected to issues of fairness in education.

This is an increasingly relevant career path as literacy is one of the hottest topics in public and legislative conversations. Students in these programs are often tasked with translating the latest research on reading and its classroom implementation. Given the significant amount of research on early reading and its various approaches, there are often many ways to approach reading. Therefore, there needs to be a leader who can navigate this information and translate it for teachers and other administrators.

Key Questions About This Degree

How is this different from a master 's-level reading specialist credential?

Typically, a master’s degree in Reading with an endorsement in Reading Specialist (M.Ed. or separate endorsement) trains teachers to directly assess and support struggling readers and to coach fellow teachers in the classroom within a single school. In contrast, a doctoral program in Reading, Language, and Literacy is designed to build on the literacy professional’s experience and training in a series of advanced studies of various topics of interest to prepare the graduate for systems-level leadership, policy, and practice in schools and organizations, and for original research and scholarly activities in the literacy field for those who pursue an academic career.

Do I need a reading specialist credential before applying?

Again, since requirements can vary between different Literacy programs, in general, applicants for a Doctoral degree in Literacy (Reading) are expected to have prior literacy-related knowledge and/or experience, most typically a Master’s degree in Reading with a Reading Specialist endorsement (e.g. an M.Ed. degree with a Reading Specialist endorsement).

Can I combine this major with another specialization?

In programs where there is a shared foundation among the various majors (like there is at NLU in the shared foundation among all of the Teaching and Learning majors), then students can often create their own Double Major by completing the required coursework for each major and, in the process, completing the required shared foundation of coursework and the required research courses as well. For example, a student in the Reading, Language, and Literacy major might complete a double major that also includes Linguistic Diversity and Equity.

Does this degree lead to an academic career?

While it is possible for graduates of a Reading, Language, and Literacy program to go on to academic research and teaching positions at the university level, many others go on to work in K-12 schools or in district-level literacy leadership roles. Here, they use their research skills to inform their work in schools and literacy policy and programs at the district level.

How long does the program take?

Note that the amount of time it takes to complete a doctoral program can vary depending on a number of factors including whether a student completes an Ed.S. degree first, whether the student is completing a single major or double major, and whether the student is completing the program on a full-time basis or part-time basis while working. The typical time to complete a doctoral program is 3 to 6 years.

Career Outcomes

Career paths for those who graduate from doctoral literacy programs include becoming a district literacy director, a literacy coordinator, a curriculum developer for reading and language arts, or a university faculty member or professor in literacy and reading education programs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the instructional coordinator career, which is a major path for Reading, Language, and Literacy graduates, will see continued growth over the next decade. For more information on the current statistics for this career, including median wages, go to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/instructional-coordinators.htm.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, Instructional Coordinators.

Because of the current focus on literacy in public and policy arenas (e.g., recent state legislation related to evidence-based reading programs), students who graduate with doctoral-level literacy expertise will be particularly well positioned for work at state education agencies, in policy-related roles, at literacy-focused non-profits and research organizations, and in school districts.

Reading, Language, and Literacy at National Louis University

Reading, Language, and Literacy at National Louis University: The major in Reading, Language, and Literacy is one of the majors in the Ed.S. and Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning program in National Louis University’s National College of Education. As part of the university’s long-standing work in the area of literacy, students in this major are prepared for leadership, research, and policy work in literacy education that goes beyond the direct service focus of a reading specialist with a master’s degree in reading.