All offered endorsements have been approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Endorsements are job-embedded professional learning offerings which provide an opportunity for teachers to develop their expertise in the endorsement area. Endorsement coursework is the equivalent of graduate level college coursework.
Okefenokee RESA currently offers three endorsements. For information on each endorsement,
click the links below.
For more information on endorsements, contact:
Dr. Haley Livingston
hlivingston@okresa.org
The Gifted In-Field Endorsement is designed to train local candidates to identify and teach gifted students from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds. This three course endorsement program ensures that graduates have in-depth knowledge of teaching gifted and talented students. Program candidates will complete 200 hours of coursework and applied field experiences; content knowledge will be integrated across courses to help ensure mastery and coverage. This program abides by and provides expertise in accordance with PSC rule 505-3-.90 GIFTED IN-FIELD EDUCATION ENDORSEMENT PROGRAM.
Okefenokee RESA’s Elementary Agriculture Education Endorsement will prepare individuals to teach agriculture in grades P-5. This endorsement will be made up of two courses delivered in a virtual model.
The Teacher Support and Coaching (TSC) Endorsement program is designed to train exemplary teachers to mentor and support beginning teachers, to supervise student teachers, and to support colleagues seeking to improve performance through reflection and modification of practice. Completers of this two course endorsement program earn two endorsements: Teacher Support & Coaching Endorsement and the Coaching Endorsement. This program abides by and provides expertise in accordance with PSC rule 505-3-.105 TEACHER SUPPORT AND COACHING (TSC) ENDORSEMENT PROGRAM
The Dyslexia Endorsement will prepare individuals to recognize the characteristics of dyslexia and support students with dyslexia in the field and at the grade levels of their base certification. This two course endorsement consists of 120 hours of coursework and applied field experiences; content knowledge will be integrated across courses to help ensure mastery. This program abides by and provides expertise in accordance with PSC rule 505-3-.112 Dyslexia Endorsement Program.
All offered endorsements have been approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. According to GaPSC Rule 505-3-.01, Endorsements are, “A planned sequence of courses and experiences, typically of three (3) to four (4) courses in length, designed to provide certified educators with an additional, specific set of knowledge and skills, or to expand and enhance existing knowledge and skills. Successful completion of an endorsement program results in the addition of the endorsement field to the Georgia educator certificate.”
All endorsements and programs have job-embedded practice. Candidates must ensure that they can accomplish the clinical practice required for each endorsement or program, which will require working with students and staff, as applicable. Endorsement coursework is the equivalent of graduate level college coursework.
The Gifted In-Field Endorsement is designed to train local candidates to identify and teach gifted students from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds. This 3 course endorsement program ensures that graduates have in-depth knowledge of teaching gifted and talented students. Program candidates will complete 200 hours of coursework and applied field experiences; content knowledge will be integrated across courses to help ensure mastery and coverage. This program abides by and provides expertise in accordance with PSC rule 505-3-.90 GIFTED IN-FIELD EDUCATION ENDORSEMENT PROGRAM.
The courses in the Gifted Endorsement are below and must be completed in sequence.
Endorsement courses are not self-paced courses. There are scheduled online sessions and regular due dates for assignments throughout the courses. In order to successfully complete the course, all assignments must be submitted by the course deadline date. Failure to complete a course will delay candidates completion of the endorsement by one year.
Course Substitution:
In order to substitute a course into an endorsement sequence, the following guidelines must be met:
The Course Substitution Form (located in the Resources section below) must be submitted with the endorsement application. Course substitutions will not be accepted once the endorsement has begun.
The selected texts are teacher handbooks. They will support not only the learning of the course, but build capacity to create high quality assessments and programs for students.
Winebrenner, S. (2018) Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom - Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use (Updated 4th Edition) ISBN: 978-1631983726
Click here to purchase.
Coil, C. & Merrit, D. (2011). Solving the Assessment Puzzle. Pieces of Learning. (Revised Edition) ISBN: 978-1934358870
Click here to purchase.
Heacox, D., Cash, R.M. (2020). Differentiation for Gifted Learners (Revised & Updated Third Edition). ISBN: 978-163198-432-7
Click here to purchase.
** It is strongly recommended that candidates in endorsement programs are not enrolled in any other college programs during the endorsement.
Characteristics of Gifted Students:
Assessment of Gifted Students:
Curriculum and Differentiation for Gifted Students
Prior to applying for the Gifted Endorsement, please read the “Endorsement Program Orientation and Application” located in the Resources Section below.
To be approved for an endorsement program, submit the following:
All offered endorsements have been approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. According to GaPSC Rule 505-3-.01, Endorsements are, “A planned sequence of courses and experiences, typically of three (3) to four (4) courses in length, designed to provide certified educators with an additional, specific set of knowledge and skills, or to expand and enhance existing knowledge and skills. Successful completion of an endorsement program results in the addition of the endorsement field to the Georgia educator certificate.”
All endorsements and programs have job-embedded practice. Candidates must ensure that they can accomplish the clinical practice required for each endorsement or program, which will require working with students and staff, as applicable. Endorsement coursework is the equivalent of graduate level college coursework.
The Elementary Agriculture endorsement is designed for teachers who desire to teach Agriculture in an elementary school. This program abides by and provides expertise in accordance with PSC rule 505-3-.111 ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE EDUCATION (P-5) ENDORSEMENT PROGRAM.
Endorsement courses are not self-paced courses. There are regular due dates for assignments throughout the courses. In order to successfully complete the course, all assignments must be submitted by the course deadline date. Failure to complete a course will delay the candidate's completion of the endorsement by one year.
Elementary Ag Course Descriptions
Course 1a: Child Development in the K-5 Classroom (for 6-12 Agriculture candidates ONLY)
Course 1b: Agricultural Content Knowledge for the Elementary Agriculture Classroom (for Elementary Education candidates ONLY)
Course 2: Methods of Teaching in Elementary Agriculture Education (for ALL candidates)
Prior to applying for the Endorsement, please read the “Endorsement Program Orientation and Application” located in the Resources Section below.
To be approved for an endorsement program, submit the following:
All offered endorsements have been approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. According to GaPSC Rule 505-3-.01, Endorsements are, “A planned sequence of courses and experiences, typically of three (3) to four (4) courses in length, designed to provide certified educators with an additional, specific set of knowledge and skills, or to expand and enhance existing knowledge and skills. Successful completion of an endorsement program results in the addition of the endorsement field to the Georgia educator certificate.”
All endorsements and programs have job-embedded practice. Candidates must ensure that they can accomplish the clinical practice required for each endorsement or program, which will require working with students and staff, as applicable. Endorsement coursework is the equivalent of graduate level college coursework.
The Teacher Support and Coaching (TSC) Endorsement program is designed to train exemplary teachers to mentor and support beginning teachers, to supervise student teachers, and to support colleagues seeking to improve performance through reflection and modification of practice. Completers of this 2 course endorsement program earn two endorsements: Teacher Support & Coaching Endorsement and the Coaching Endorsement. This program abides by and provides expertise in accordance with PSC rule 505-3-.105 TEACHER SUPPORT AND COACHING (TSC) ENDORSEMENT PROGRAM
The courses in the Teacher Support & Coaching Endorsement are below and must be completed in sequence.
Endorsement courses are not self-paced courses. There are scheduled online sessions and regular due dates for assignments throughout the courses. In order to successfully complete the course, all assignments must be submitted by the course deadline date. Failure to complete a course will delay candidates completion of the endorsement by one year.
Course Substitution:
In order to substitute a course into an endorsement sequence, the following guidelines must be met:
The Course Substitution Form (located in the Resources section below) must be submitted with the endorsement application. Course substitutions will not be accepted once the endorsement has begun.
Defining Coaching and Mentoring Skills & Implementing the Mentor and Coaching Process:
Gross Cheliotes, L. M., Reilly, M. F. (2018). Coaching Conversations: Transforming Your School One Conversation at a Time (2nd Edition) ISBN: 978-1544319711
Click here to purchase.
Killion, J., Harrison, C. (2017). Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-based Coaches (2nd Edition) ISBN: 978-0990315865
Click here to purchase.
** It is strongly recommended that candidates in endorsement programs are not enrolled in any other college programs during the endorsement.
Defining Coaching and Mentoring Skills:
Implementing the Coaching and Mentoring Process:
Prior to applying for the TSC Endorsement, please read the “Endorsement Program Orientation and Application” located in the Resources Section below.
To be approved for an endorsement program, submit the following:
All offered endorsements have been approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC). According to GaPSC Rule 505-3-.01, Endorsements are “A planned sequence of courses and experiences, typical of three (3) to four (4) courses in length, designed to provide certified educators with an additional, specific set of knowledge and skills, or to expand and enhance existing knowledge and skills. Successful completion of an endorsement program results in the addition of the endorsement field to the Georgia educator certificate.”
All endorsements and programs have job-embedded practice. Candidates must ensure that they can accomplish the clinical practice required for each endorsement or program, which will require working with students and staff, as applicable. Endorsement coursework is the equivalent of graduate level college coursework.
The Endorsement will prepare individuals to recognize the characteristics of dyslexia and support students with dyslexia in the field and at the grade levels of their base certification based on standards outlined in Rule 505-3-.112. This endorsement is made up of two courses delivered in a hybrid model combining face-to-face meetings and online coursework.
The endorsement consists of two courses which must be taken in sequence:
1.) Foundations of Literacy Acquisition (60 hours)
2.) Assessments and Structured Literacy Instruction (60 hours)
The purpose of the Dyslexia Endorsement is:
Program Rigor
Potential candidates for the Dyslexia Endorsement should understand that the rigor of the program is equivalent to a graduate degree program and are strongly discouraged from participating while engaged in other graduate work. Candidates will be expected to complete both in-class and out-of-class assignments on time and no course credit will be awarded if assignments are incomplete or missing.
Endorsement courses are not self-paced courses. There are scheduled online sessions and regular due dates for assignments throughout the courses. In order to successfully complete the course, all assignments must be submitted by the course deadline date. Failure to complete a course will delay candidate completion of the endorsement by one year.
Foundations of Literacy Acquisition and Understanding Dyslexia
Dates:
Aug 20, 2024 - Jan. 7, 2025
Face to Face Nights: 8/20, 9/3, 9/17, 10/1, 10/24, 10/29, 11/12, 12/10
The F2F nights will be from 4:30 - 8:30.
The following text is used for both courses:
Shaywitz, S. (2020). Overcoming Dyslexia (2nd Edition). ISBN: 978-0679781592
Click here to purchase.
Click here to purchase.
*Strongly recommend that candidates in endorsements are not enrolled in any other college programs during the endorsement.
Foundations of Literacy Acquisition and Understanding Dyslexia
Assessments and Structured Literacy Instruction
Prior to applying for the Dyslexia Endorsement, please read the “Endorsement Program Orientation and Application” located in the Resources Section below.
To be approved for an endorsement program, submit the following: