{"id":1476,"date":"2017-06-05T19:08:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-05T19:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wilsonlanguage.com\/knowledge-library\/success-story\/first-dyslexia-specialist-graduate\/"},"modified":"2024-08-28T17:18:15","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T17:18:15","slug":"first-dyslexia-specialist-graduate","status":"publish","type":"success_stories","link":"https:\/\/www.wilsonlanguage.com\/knowledge-library\/success-story\/first-dyslexia-specialist-graduate\/","title":{"rendered":"First Dyslexia Specialist Graduate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This spring, Margaret Reilley, a teacher in New Jersey\u2019s Stafford Township School District, earned her master\u2019s degree, top grades, and the distinction of being the first graduate of Fitchburg State University\u2019s new dyslexia specialist concentration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From her home 260 miles away from the Massachusetts campus,&nbsp;Maggie&nbsp;tackled literacy, language disorders, assessment methods and other related topics to earn her&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fitchburgstate.edu\/academics\/graduate-online-continuing-education\/graduate-programs\/m.ed.-in-special-education-guided-studies-individualized-concentration-dyslexia-specialist\">M.Ed. in Special Education: Guided Studies \u2013 Dyslexia Specialist<\/a>. The online program&nbsp;launched in fall 2015 in partnership with Wilson Language Training<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, a nationally recognized leader in multisensory structured language programs based on Orton-Gillingham principles of instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was always a goal of mine to pursue a master\u2019s degree,\u201d said Maggie, a special education teacher at McKinley Avenue Elementary School in Manahawkin. \u201cWith these courses and the Wilson training, I was able to increase my knowledge about learning disabilities and how to best help all of my students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The program provides educators with a master\u2019s degree in special education and certification in Wilson<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Reading System Level I (Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner) and Level II (Wilson Dyslexia Therapist), which are accredited by the International Dyslexia Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Educators who have earned Wilson Reading System credentials and Fitchburg State graduate credit are&nbsp;eligible to transfer their coursework&nbsp;toward the master\u2019s degree if earned within the past six years and if the degree is completed within six years of the first completed course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The program is geared toward educators currently working or pursuing career opportunities as a Title I or reading teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, private tutor, special education teacher (moderate special needs), or special education reading specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One in five children in the U.S. have learning and attention issues, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Dyslexia, one of the most common learning disabilities, is neurobiological in nature and&nbsp;affects one\u2019s ability to read accurately and fluently. Over the past three years, a number of states have passed legislation requiring schools and districts to better identify students with dyslexia through screening methods and to provide educators with training in explicit, multisensory instruction&nbsp;to address the needs of students with dyslexia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based in Oxford, Mass., Wilson Language Training was co-founded nearly three decades ago by Fitchburg State alumna Barbara A. Wilson, and her husband, Ed Wilson. The organization provides evidence-based,&nbsp;multisensory structured language curricula and ongoing professional learning to literacy educators and school districts throughout the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are thrilled that Maggie has completed this program, and that students in the Stafford Township School District will benefit from the skills and knowledge she has developed,\u201d said Barbara Wilson. \u201cOur partnership with Fitchburg State University provides an ideal opportunity for educators as they begin or enter the next stage of their career in the expanding field of dyslexia education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe new dyslexia specialist concentration marks a terrific collaboration with Wilson Language Training and provides our students with a peerless opportunity,\u201d said Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus. \u201cThe educators who earn these combined credentials will be even more effective in their own classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The program\u2019s online format has attracted students from throughout the United States and Canada, said Anne Howard, chair of Fitchburg State\u2019s Graduate Programs in Severe Disabilities and Special Education Guided Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maggie said the program\u2019s format helped her meet her educational goals while also balancing work and family life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI knew it was the perfect fit for me. I enjoyed all aspects of this program, though the thing I enjoyed the most was&nbsp;the opportunity to work with knowledgeable Fitchburg professors and Wilson trainers,\u201d she said. \u201cAll of the courses, workshops, and Wilson practicum experiences have really helped me to grow as an educator. Professional development is important to me because I believe that as educators, we need to continue to learn new strategies and ways to help our students be successful. I am very fortunate to work with caring, hard-working, creative students that I get to teach, help become successful in their schooling, and watch grow as individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about the academic program, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fitchburgstate.edu\/academics\/graduate-online-continuing-education\/graduate-programs\/m.ed.-in-special-education-guided-studies-individualized-concentration-dyslexia-specialist\">www.fitchburgstate.edu\/dyslexia<\/a>&nbsp;or contact the Graduate Continuing Education department at 978-665-3182 or email&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:gce@fitchburgstate.edu\">gce@fitchburgstate.edu<\/a>. For more information about Wilson Language Training and its programs, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/legacy.wilsonlanguage.com\/\">legacy.wilsonlanguage.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Pictured: Margaret \u201cMaggie\u201d Reilley, a special education teacher in New Jersey\u2019s Stafford Township School District, is the first graduate of Fitchburg State University\u2019s new M.Ed. in Special Education: Guided Studies \u2013 Dyslexia Specialist program, launched in partnership with Wilson Language Training.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This spring, Margaret Reilley, a teacher in New Jersey\u2019s Stafford Township School District, earned her master\u2019s degree, top grades, and the distinction of being the first graduate of Fitchburg State University\u2019s new dyslexia specialist concentration.&nbsp; From her home 260 miles away from the Massachusetts campus,&nbsp;Maggie&nbsp;tackled literacy, language disorders, assessment methods and other related topics to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1477,"template":"","success-story-cats":[],"success-story-tags":[],"class_list":["post-1476","success_stories","type-success_stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>First Dyslexia Specialist Graduate - Wilson Language Training Knowledge Library<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wilsonlanguage.com\/knowledge-library\/success-story\/first-dyslexia-specialist-graduate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"First Dyslexia Specialist Graduate - Wilson Language Training Knowledge Library\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This spring, Margaret Reilley, a teacher in New Jersey\u2019s Stafford Township School District, earned her master\u2019s degree, top grades, and the distinction of being the first graduate of Fitchburg State University\u2019s new dyslexia specialist concentration.&nbsp; 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