This funding opportunity is intended to support the training of special educators to provide intensive reading intervention to students with disabilities in Hawaiʻi public and charter schools.  All candidates who receive funding must accept/maintain a position that focuses on providing intensive reading intervention for special education students in the public school for three years. There is a 3-year service payback required within that role.

Eligibility Criteria

• Employed by Hawaiʻi DOE
• 2.5 GPA or higher
• Submits signed principal agreement and letter of recommendation form to support goals of the program
• Licensed in special education by HTSB

Note: Candidates will need to teach in a special education classroom or district position and serve in this capacity after completion of the program.

Application Deadline:

Spring Admissions Only * Priority deadline is September 1 * Final deadline is October 1

Once applications are open, submit a College of Education, Makalei application, which would include submitting the following:

• Submit Official UHM Application
• Upload a copy of HTSB license in special education
• Complete Video Recorded Responses & Essay (a web-based recorded interview and a 30-minute timed personal statement written response)
• Provide 2 Letters of Recommendation
  • One letter must be from your principal or direct supervisor if employed at the district level. Please share this Principal/Direct Supervisor Agreement and Letter of Recommendation Form with your recommender.
  • Your second letter can be from anyone else of your choosing who can attest to your experiences, qualifications, and ability to complete this program. RIS Recommendation form.

Please refer to the How to Apply page for more detailed steps for completing the application process.

If accepted and awarded funding, candidates in the Reading Interventionist Specialist program (12 credits + 7 credit practicum) must complete a 3-year service commitment to HIDOE or repay the funding received. In addition, candidates must:

• Sign a contract/promissory note with HIDOE for stipend payment of tuition for coursework in return for a 3-year commitment to teach in a special education setting in a Hawaii public or charter school that focuses on remediation of students with disabilities (SWDs) or at-risk for identification for SPED due to reading deficits. Eligible employment options include either:

• • A full-time special education teacher who provides targeted reading and writing instruction, and support to individual and small groups of SWDs with complex reading and writing profiles, including dyslexia, and serves SWDs who are at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of reading, spelling, and writing instruction.

• • A full-time complex area/district/state resource teacher who provides professional development and coaching to school level staff regarding reading and writing instruction for SWDs and/or conducts academic assessments for SWDs.

• Complete course and associated practicum requirements each semester with a grade of “B” or better
• Complete registration in a timely manner each semester
• Complete the Reading Intervention Program within two (2) years from the date of execution of their Contract.  Recipient understands and agrees that he/she is required to complete all program coursework (12 credits)  and practicum (7 credits) requirements. 
• Pass the Knowledge and Practice Examination for Effective Reading Instruction (KPEERI) exam, and obtain the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) certification as a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS) or Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist (C-SLDI) within one (1) year of the completion of the Reading Intervention Specialist program.
  • If Recipient fails a required course or practicum, Recipient agrees to retake and successfully complete the required course or practicum within a year of the original time period for program completion.  Recipient understands a stipend is a set amount and that any and all costs related to retaking or delaying courses shall be borne solely by Recipient.
• Graduates of the Reading Interventionist Program are expected to actively share the knowledge and skills they have gained with the broader school community – including fellow teachers, parents, and administrators. By disseminating evidence-based practices and promoting structured literacy instruction, they play a critical role in advancing long-term literacy goals and ensuring that all students, including those with reading difficulties, receive the support they need to become successful readers.

Reading Intervention Specialist Program Course Sequence for cohort 2026

Note. All practicum coursework will provide access to students for applied projects, if needed.

Semester 1 – Spring 

• SPED 419 Developing Oral Language and Phonetic Awareness for Students with Disabilities

Semester 2 – Summer

• SPED 423 Vocabulary, Comprehension, & Writing Interventions for Diverse Learners
• SPED 628 Internship

Semester 3 – Fall

• SPED 655 Reading Assessment and Tiered Intervention for Students with Disabilities
• SPED 629 Clinical Practice: Special Projects

Semester 4 – Spring

• SPED 656 Advanced Diagnostic Prescriptive Reading Intervention
• SPED 629 Clinical Practice: Special Projects

Coursework

Classes are online, with regular online synchronous class sessions each semester. All synchronous class sessions are typically held between the hours of 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm, and are approximately 2 ½ hours in duration. There will not be more than 2 synchronous sessions per week throughout the entire program. Required course textbooks will be purchased by RIS program candidates, while the course instructors will provide supplemental reading materials and resources.

Practicum

Summer Practicum: Each candidate will have 2 tutees who are between Grades 1-3 and are provided by the program. Program candidates will tutor each tutee for up to 2 hours per week, 3 days a week, over a period of 6 weeks. Tutoring will be completed online.

Fall/Spring Practicum: During the fall and spring semesters, each candidate will provide Structured Literacy intervention to students in grades K-12. Candidates pursuing CERI certification as a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist are required to tutor three students. In contrast, those pursuing certification as a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist are required to tutor one student. Students should include a range of elementary and secondary learners, in alignment with IDA and CERI certification standards.

Tutees may be assigned by the program or may be include students from the candidate’s current classroom. However, all tutees must meet the program’s approved student profile criteria (e.g., struggling readers demonstrating deficits in single-syllable word reading, multi-syllable word reading, vocabulary, comprehension, or written response) and must receive prior approval before being counted toward certification practicum requirements.

The Reading Intervention Specialist program funding agreement covers tuition, practicum materials, and KPEERI exam fees for up to 20 candidates per cohort. Course textbooks are are not included and must be purchased by each candidate. 

In addition, candidates may pursue applying coursework to reclassification credits, however, all reclassification requests must receive approval from the candidate’s administrator.  Please refer to the Hawaii DOE Reclassification Guidelines for more detailed information.