UT Tyler Earns Distinction Award from International Literacy Association

August 29, 2024 | Hannah Buchanan

The University of Texas at Tyler Master of Education in reading program has received the International Literacy Association’s “National Recognition with Distinction” Award. This accolade surpasses the previous ILA award UT Tyler earned in January.

“We are delighted to have earned distinction status from the International Literacy Association,”
said Dr. Pradeep “Max” Dass, College of Education and Psychology dean. “Our dedicated literacy
faculty is committed to ongoing program improvement and to enabling candidates to positively
impact the literacy learning of their PreK-12 students in East Texas and beyond.”

ILA, a distinguished professional literacy organization, demands high standards for the preparation
of literacy professionals and serves as a leader in publishing innovative, peer-reviewed literacy
research.

“Achieving the distinction status required not only a comprehensive self-study submission but also
a more rigorous review process, including a site visit with interviews of faculty, administrators,
current students and alumni,” said Dr. Gina Doepker, associate professor and program coordinator.

The 36 credit-hour program is 100% online and can be completed in two years. It offers courses and field experiences that prepare educators to work with children, youth and adults who have various learning needs.

Graduates gain expertise in administering literacy assessments, using data analysis to determine
students’ literacy strengths and needs, and designing evidence-based literacy instruction to improve learning outcomes. For additional information, contact Doepker at gdoepker@uttyler.edu  or visit uttyler.edu/academics/colleges-schools/education-psychology/graduate-programs/index.php.

The International Literacy Association is a professional organization with a mission of connecting
research and practice to continuously improve the quality of literacy instruction globally. For more
information, visit literacyworldwide.org/.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT
Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students.
Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has
unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent
patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World
Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.