As The University of Alabama Certified Academic Language Therapist (UA CALT) program entered its third cohort over the summer, its growth continued while also garnering national recognition and praise.
In April, members of UA CALT’s first two cohorts shared their experiences with Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, and Dyslexia Resource Center Board Member Dr. Laura Cassidy and participants' educational administrators from across the state during a roundtable discussion hosted by the University.
“Everyone in attendance was excited about the program and being able to offer this training to more teachers in Alabama,” UA CALT Director Dr. Carol Donovan said.
UA CALT, a satellite site of the Dyslexia Resource Center, offers professional development opportunities for teachers who are on the pathway to becoming certified dyslexia therapists. Its reach has extended across the state with generous support from the Scottish Rite Foundation. The Alabama Department of Education is currently providing an incentive for educators who earn their certification in the form of annual stipend.
“We are attracting excellent teachers from all over Alabama and surrounding states who are enthusiastic about learning and doing even more for the children in their classrooms.”
“We’re here to highlight, to celebrate and to learn from people who are actually in the trenches,” Sen. Cassidy said to UA CALT members. “How is this program working for you? And, how, on a federal level, can we learn from you to augment your success?”
Both Sen. Britt and Sen. Cassidy vocalized their support for the program and the lasting impact it will have on education in Alabama.
“This program not only helps students, but helps other teachers understand the tools and innovation that are out there and the science that supports it so that they can take what they’ve learned back to their communities and change the trajectory of children’s lives,” Britt said. “There is a reason we say The University of Alabama is ‘Where Legends Are Made,’ and I know that this program will be at the top of that list.”
The first UA CALT participants finished up the program in May, completing two years of coursework and earning 700 hours of practicum teaching.
“Our first group is graduating, so the impact on students as a result of the training isn’t known just yet,” Donovan said, “but we are attracting excellent teachers from all over Alabama and surrounding states who are enthusiastic about learning and doing even more for the children in their classrooms.”
Two Cohort I members recently completed and passed the national CALT exam prior to a revision by the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA). As ALTA determines cut scores for the new version of the exam, Donovan said, other UA CALT participants are awaiting scores, registered to take the exam this fall, or still finishing up their practicum teaching hours.
With each cohort, the number of program participants has increased – this summer, Cohort III welcomed 18 individuals who started their pathway to certification.
UA CALT is now accepting applications for its fourth cohort, which will officially begin in summer 2025. For more information about the program, visit uacalt.ua.edu.
