Summer, 2024 OAPL Courses:

Keys to Literacy is offering free asynchronous online courses, with teacher stipends, that are approved as Mass Literacy Open Access Professional Development (OAPL) courses. Click here to access the MA DESE OAPL information page.

There are 2 courses that are Mass Literacy OAPL approved, listed below. Limit of 1 course per person. MA educators will receive a stipend ONLY if they complete a full course. In addition to the stipend, a MA PDP certificate is awarded.

Asynchronous online courses:

These courses are completed online at your own pace. They include readings, video clips, activities, reflection responses, and numerous resources. Each course is organized into modules.

• Keys to Beginning Reading, Part 1 Foundational Skills: For educators who want to focus on reading foundational skills. Topics include reading basics, oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency. 
  • 15 hours, $300 stipend.
  • This course begins July 1, and must be completed by July 31, 2024.
• Keys to Beginning Reading, Part 2 Language Comprehension Skills: For educators who want to focus on language comprehension skills. Topics include vocabulary, text structure, comprehension. 
  • 15 hours, $300 stipend.
  • This course begins July 1, and must be completed by July 31, 2024.

Who is eligible?

OAPL courses are open to all currently-employed Massachusetts public school educators whose work relates to literacy in grades preschool through twelve. This includes general education teachers, special education teachers, ESL or language support teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, literacy coaches, and other school or district administrators whose work relates to literacy in grades preschool through twelve. OAPL courses are also open to higher education faculty or administrators, employed at an approved Massachusetts educator preparation program, whose work relates to early literacy (for instance, faculty who teach literacy education courses; deans in educator preparation programs). 

Course Registration

Registration for Summer, 2024 OAPL courses begins June 3 for educators in Early Access Districts, and on June 6 for all other eligible MA educators.  Apply early – a limited number of registrations for Mass Literacy approved OAPL courses are available. Once enrollment numbers are reached, these courses will no longer be available.

Due to the expected high volume of applications, it may take us 1 week to process all registrations. Please do not email or call about the status of your registration. If we have an available spot for you, we will contact you from online@keystoliteracy.com. Please check your WORK email daily, including your SPAM folder.

NOTE: If you are categorized as a state employee, you must complete an ethics disclosure before starting a course. This includes if you are an employee in a Commonwealth or Horace Mann charter school, or in a Massachusetts public institution of higher education. Instructions for completing an ethics disclosure are provided on the registration form.

Click here for an informational flyer. Read this flyer prior to registering. Click here to register using a Google Form. 

About Course Stipends to Participants

Participants must complete a post-course survey for DESE, AND pass with 80% or better an end-of-course assessment.

A stipend will be paid to participants by Key to Literacy once we have confirmed with DESE that you have completed the course, and after DESE has distributed stipend funds to us to be passed on to you. This may take up to 4 months.

Asynchronous online participants will not receive a stipend or PDP certificate until all of these course requirements have been met:

• Complete the full online course by digitally navigating through every component of the course. See above for your cohort deadline.
• Receive a passing score of 80% or higher on all course module quizzes. Participants cannot move through the course unless they pass each module quiz. Participants can take a quiz up to six times. If they do not pass a quiz the first time, they can go back over the content in the module to review information they may have missed.
• Receive a passing score of 80% or higher on an end-of-course assessment. Participants cannot complete the course until this assessment has been passed. Participants can take the assessment up to six times. If they do not pass on the first time, they can go back over the content in the course to review information they may have missed
• Complete the post-course survey as required by DESE

 

If you have any questions email: online@keystoliteracy.com