K-5 Literacy Endorsement

 General Information

Legislation: A.R.S §15-501.1 K-5 Endorsement - Full text of bill

• A.R.S. §15-501.1 Establishes a literacy endorsement as a requirement for teachers who provide literacy instruction in kindergarten through grade five. Under the rules adopted by the Board to conform with this statute, the Literacy, K-5 endorsement requires:

  • A. Three semester hours of college coursework or 45 clock hours of approved training in the science of reading instruction, including systematic phonics instruction; and

  • B. Three semester hours of college coursework or 45 clock hours of approved training in reading instruction, including assessments, instructional practices, and interventions to improve student reading proficiency for struggling readers, including students with the characteristics of dyslexia

• Additionally, teachers must also receive a passing score on the Foundations of Reading exam by Pearson.

• Pre-service teachers will have until 2025 to secure the endorsement, while certificated in-service educators have until 2028 to complete the requirements.

• Teachers who already have a reading endorsement listed on their certificate are exempt from these requirements, as the reading endorsement has several more requirements.

• Infographic: This infographic is useful for sharing details.

• Video: This video describes the requirements and other important details of the K-5 endorsement. 
  *The final slide in this video contains outdated contact information for the ADE ELA team. Please see the current contact information on this webpage.

 Approved Trainings

K-5 Literacy Endorsement Approved Trainings as of 6/1/25

Recently, ADE launched an RFI to request information from vendors for courses or training opportunities that meet the requirements of the legislation. As a result of the review process, an approved list of trainings has been generated. The list is continually evolving and will be updated as needed. Any organization interested in having a course or training included on the list should review and submit materials as directed in the RFI document, and click the blue button at the bottom of the page for additional information.

Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy now includes two new courses that are aligned with the K-5 Literacy Endorsement training requirements. These courses have been added to the list of Approved Trainings. See below for more information:

 Approved Trainings via the ADE OnDemand Academies

Copy of Pathways to Proficient Reading Course Slide (3).png

The Pathways to Proficient Reading with Pathways to Structured Literacy is a free, asynchronous course available in APLD. The course has 26 sections and is available for individual educators to complete or for cohorts of educators to complete together using the Facilitator Guide. Each person has one year to complete the course from the time of registration. Requirements to successfully complete the course include:

• 90 clock hours on the platform (the system automatically times this)
• Complete all discussion posts.
• Pass three assessments with 80% or higher.

There is a required text: Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills, Fourth Edition (brookespublishing.com). We have a 20% discount code: ADE2025

Upon completion of all coursework and knowledge inventories in this course, one certificate will be issued to participants that will signify completion (approximately 90 hours).  

Please reach out to instructor, Katie Lewis, through Blackboard Ultra if you have questions regarding the course (not certification questions).  *The ELA team does not process the endorsement coursework/paperwork. Please click the button above for the Certification page.

For more information, visit our Professional Learning page.

Science of Teaching and Reading and the Reading Rope knowledge blocks are no longer a part of the endorsement series. Those hours can still apply towards recertification. They are still available for participation and registration for educators who wish to learn more about these topics.

 Foundations of Reading Assessment

The Foundations of Reading (190) test for Arizona assesses proficiency in and depth of understanding of the subject of reading and writing development. The test reflects scientifically based reading research. 

The Pearson website created for Arizona educators includes basic information, registration, and preparation materials to support educator practice before taking the test.

Upon registering for the Foundations of Reading exam, participants will see a cost of $139.00. However, after the registration, this cost will be eliminated. All Arizona educators have an opportunity to take the exam one time at no charge. It is highly recommended that you take the required coursework/training before taking the exam, as only one attempt is free.