The National Council on Teacher Quality examined the university’s use of scientifically based methods for teaching reading.
Elon University’s elementary education program has been recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality for the caliber of preparation it provides future teachers about how to teach children to read.
The program earned an “A” grade from the council based upon its use of scientifically based methods for teaching reading as it prepares future elementary school teachers for the classroom.
Nationally, about half of the 1,000 teacher preparation programs earned an “A” or “B” for their coverage of the key components of the science of reading. Within North Carolina, Elon was one of 14 undergraduate programs to earn an “A.”
“The progress being made by programs comes as a real shot in the arm,” said Kate Walsh, president of the NCTQ, in a statement about the results. “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 results will be included in the 2020 Teacher Prep Review published by the National Council on Teacher Quality. Now in its fourth edition, the Teacher Prep Review assigns a team of literacy experts to examine every course a program requires in early reading, looking at the planned topics to be covered in each class, readings, assignments, practice opportunities, and tests, as well as rating the quality of the textbooks used in each course.
These experts look for clear evidence of dedicated course time as well as measures where aspiring teachers must demonstrate their knowledge of the five key components of the science of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.