Evaluating candidate dispositions in advanced reading certification programs: The road ahead is here

A great deal has been written in the professional literature about the importance of dispositions for beginning teachers with initial certification; however, little attention has been paid to the dispositions necessary for advanced certification candidates. What dispositions are expected of advanced certification candidates? How can these dispositions be explicitly defined, observed, and evaluated? What can be done to encourage the development of these dispositions as candidates progress through the program? This article describes the journey that one program for advanced reading certification candidates took to address these questions. The process and disposition evaluation rubrics described in this article will be helpful to faculty from other advanced reading certification programs as they strive to define, evaluate, and nurture the dispositions needed by their candidates.