Science of Reading (Finally) Becoming Mainstream in Teacher Prep Programs

For the first time, a majority of elementary teacher education programs have adopted the tenets of reading science in their curriculum. According to the latest "Teacher Prep Review" by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), 51 percent of U.S. programs that educate elementary teachers have now earned an A or B grade for their inclusion of the key aspects of the science of reading -- up from 35 percent in 2013.

For the first time, a majority of elementary teacher education programs have adopted the tenets of reading science in their curriculum.

How coverage of the five reading components has grown in traditional teacher programs. Source: "2020 Teacher Prep Review: Program Performance in Early Reading Instruction," from the National Council on Teacher Quality

The NCTQ is a research and policy organization that is working to modernize the teaching profession. For the current round of reviews, researchers examined how 2,506 teacher preparation undergraduate and graduate programs operate. They also reviewed 129 alternate route programs and 18 residencies that lead to elementary and secondary certification. In total, these programs produce 99 percent of traditionally prepared teachers.

Why the focus on reading? Because research has shown that reading ability is a key predictor of future educational gains and life success. As the report noted, successful reading instruction is "essential to achieving educational equity."

For the first time, a majority of elementary teacher education programs have adopted the tenets of reading science in their curriculum.

How coverage of reading science compares by undergraduate versus graduate program. Source: "2020 Teacher Prep Review: Program Performance in Early Reading Instruction," from the National Council on Teacher Quality

 

According to NCTQ, the teaching of early reading encompasses five components:

  • Phonemic awareness;

  • Phonics;

  • Fluency;

  • Vocabulary; and

  • Reading comprehension.

To develop the grades assigned to individual teaching programs, a team of literacy experts examined every course each program requires in early reading. That included looking at the planned topics to be covered in each class, readings, assignments, practice opportunities and tests. The reviews confirmed the presence or lack thereof of explicit instruction on each component; the use of "high-quality textbooks" that detail each component; and opportunities for the teacher candidates to develop and prove mastery through their assignments, tests and instructional practices. To earn top grades, the programs needed to offer adequate instruction in at least four of the five areas of science-based reading.

The research project found that undergraduate programs are almost twice as likely as graduate programs to teach science-based methods. Phonemic awareness seems to be the most challenging element for schools; NCTQ reported that "narrowly half (51 percent) of programs helped teachers develop their instructional skills in that area. That was followed by too little emphasis on teaching about the importance of reading fluency (53 percent).

Programs in Mississippi, which saw "significant gains" in student reading scores on the 2019 Nation's Report Card, earned the highest average scores in 2020. All 12 traditional programs in the state received a passing score. Utah came in a close second.

The report highlighted 15 undergraduate teacher preparation programs that the NCTQ said were doing an "exemplary job" of teaching reading instruction to aspiring teachers:

  • Arkansas Tech University

  • Florida International University

  • University of Florida

  • Lewis-Clark State College (ID)

  • Nicholls State University (LA)

  • Gordon College (MS)

  • Delta State University (MS)

  • University of Mississippi

  • Lenoir-Rhyne University (NC)

  • University of Akron (OH)

  • East Tennessee State University

  • East Texas Baptist University

  • Dixie State University (UT)

  • Utah State University

  • Marshall University (WV)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, 39 percent of traditional programs failed, earning a grade of D or F; 10 percent received Cs.

Among the non-traditional programs, more than eight in 10 (83 percent) failed to show evidence that they teach using the principles of the science of reading. And there were 175 programs that NCTQ couldn't rate "in spite of repeated requests...to look at their reading syllabi."

"The progress being made by programs comes as a real shot in the arm," observed Kate Walsh, president of NCTQ, in a statement. "The resistance to teaching what is scientifically-based has been so formidable. The scale is now tipping in favor of science, and the real winners here are the students who will learn to read."

The full report is available with registration through the NCTQ website. National and state findings are openly available on a related webpage.

Featured

  • robot typing on a computer

    Microsoft Unveils 'Computer Use' Automation in Copilot Studio

    Microsoft has announced a new AI-powered feature called "computer use" for its Copilot Studio platform that allows agents to directly interact with Web sites and desktop applications using simulated mouse clicks, menu selections and text inputs.

  • AI microchip under cybersecurity attack, surrounded by symbols of threats like a skull, spider, lock, and warning shield

    Report Finds Agentic AI Protocol Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

    A new report from Backslash Security has identified significant security vulnerabilities in the Model Context Protocol (MCP), technology introduced by Anthropic in November 2024 to facilitate communication between AI agents and external tools.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.