Academic Centers
The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership
The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership focuses on professional development, program evaluation, research and public awareness to help cultivate leaders in early childhood education.
National College of Education Center for Professional Development
The National College of Education Center for Professional Development offers a wide range of learning opportunities for individuals to expand their interests, enhance their professional development and pursue their academic and professional goals. The Center’s courses, seminars and workshops address the most current topics in the field of education.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requires certified teachers to engage in professional development activities during the period of their certificates’ validity in order to renew those certificates. NLU is an approved provider of these activities, offering continuing education units (CEUs) and continuing professional development units (CPDUs). The Center for Professional Development assists in the coordination of the workshops, seminars and conferences and follows the ISBE specified procedures in documentation and archival of the events.
Reading Center
The Reading Center provides a setting for supervised practicum experiences in reading instruction for both graduate and undergraduate students. Student and staff tutors provide one-on-one tutoring and diagnosis for children with reading problems. Curriculum materials are available for inspection in the Center, and consultation for districts, schools, teachers and parents is also provided. Reading Centers are located on the North Shore campus and Lisle campus.
Reading Recovery™ Program
A Reading Recovery training program is offered at NLU with the support of the Illinois State Board of Education. This program is open only to post-master’s applicants through special district-based arrangement with the Reading Recover Program. Five of the nine Reading Recovery semester hours may be applied to a master’s degree in Reading. All nine semester hours may be applied to a CAS in Reading or Language and Literacy Education.