Credential Office

Reading Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential

The Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist (RLLS) Credential authorizes the holder to perform the following duties at the school site, district, and county levels in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults:
  • Provide direct reading intervention to students and adapt instructional routines and strategies to provide direct specialized reading instruction to students with severe reading difficulties, including monitoring and adjusting intervention instruction;
  • Coordinate adoption and facilitate implementation of adopted literacy curricula, including providing training to teachers;

  • Select and administer reading and literacy assessments, interpret results to determine student growth and identification of struggling students, select interventions, communicate results, and provide guidance an coaching to teachers;

  • Design, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive literacy plan;

  • Support students’ literacy development and inform and train teachers in literacy skills using information and communication technologies; and

  • Evaluate literacy practices and report findings, guide teachers and administrators in collaborative efforts to design, implement, and evaluate local, state and/or federal programs, and plan and conduct staff development.

Admission Requirements

1. Admission into the Master's Degree Program: You must be currently enrolled or admitted into the Masters of Arts in the Language and Literacy Option (Elementary Education). Please consult this department for details. 

2. Credential Program Application - After applying to the master’s program all candidates must submit a separate online credential program application concurrently along with a nonrefundable $50.00 application processing fee (an additional $1.38 service fee will be assessed at checkout).

4. Valid Credential - You must possess a valid basic teaching credential and hold an English Learner Authorization or a valid clear designated subjects teaching credential.

5. Verification of Experience - *One year of successful teaching experience in any grade, preschool through adult.  Acceptable experience does not include student teaching, internship-teaching, substitute teaching or teaching while holding an emergency credential. Verification of experience must be on the district or employing agency letterhead and signed by the superintendent, assistant superintendent, director of personnel, or director of human resources.

 *By conclusion of the program, three years of full-time teaching experience will be required.

Additional Program Requirements

  •  GPA – 3.0 with no grades lower than “C”
  •  Exit Portfolio (for additional information contact faculty Advisor)
  • Three years of full-time teaching experience upon completion of program

Contact Information and Advisement

For questions regarding the program application process, please contact the Credential Office at (818) 677-2733 or credprep@csun.edu.

Academic advisement is conducted by the Elementary Education department (818) 677-2621.

Program Completion Process

Information regarding how to apply for the Reading Literacy Leadership Specialist Credential can be found on our website.

IMPORTANT! Before beginning the online application, make sure you are not logged into the CSUN portal.  All required documents must be uploaded with your online application do not mail or fax any documents.  The only item that should be mailed are transcripts, if applicable.

Application & Submission Guide

Please read our application guide fully, then check the box below to proceed to submit your application.

This guide will also assist you during the application submission process. If you experience issues while completing your application, refer back to the guide prior to contacting the Credential Office.