The UCCS College of Education (COE) graduate and undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs have earned A grades from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how well they prepare future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.
• Bachelor of Arts in Inclusive Elementary Education: A
• Elementary Initial License Certificate (Grades K – 6): A
The report, “Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation,” published on June 9, spotlights UCCS for meeting the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction. Specifically, this means the programs are preparing aspiring teachers in all five components of scientifically based reading instruction, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary, and avoids many instructional practices that research has shown to be ineffective or counterproductive for teaching children to read.
A child’s ability to read proficiently in the early grades shapes everything that comes next in school and in life, yet according to NAEP data, one in three fourth graders in Colorado cannot read at a basic level. Teacher preparation is one of the most direct levers available to change that—but only if it is aligned to the research-based instructional methods that have been proven to help most students become successful readers.
UCCS is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide helping transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading.
“Every child deserves a teacher who has been well prepared to teach reading, and every teacher deserves the opportunity to enter the classroom ready to help students succeed,” said NCTQ President Heather Peske. “Across the country, many teacher preparation programs still do not fully align with the science of reading, but UCCS is demonstrating what strong preparation can look like.”
NCTQ’s methodology is informed by a panel of reading experts, teacher preparation faculty, reading advocates and measurement experts. To evaluate the quality of preparation being provided, a team of experts at NCTQ analyzed syllabi, including lecture schedules and topics, background reading materials, class assessments, assignments and opportunities to practice instruction in required literacy courses for elementary teacher candidates at UCCS.
“Here in the College of Education, we believe every child deserves access to excellent reading instruction, and that begins with exceptionally prepared teachers,” said COE Dean Joseph Wehrman. “Earning an A rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for both our Bachelor of Arts in Inclusive Elementary Education and our Elementary Initial License programs affirms the dedication of our faculty, school partners, and teacher candidates to evidence-based literacy practices. We are proud that our programs are preparing educators with the knowledge and skills grounded in the science of reading, ensuring they can make an immediate and lasting impact on our classrooms. This recognition reflects our commitment to educational excellence and to improving outcomes for P-12 students in the Pikes Peak Region and Southern Colorado.”
To earn an “A,” programs needed to demonstrate that coursework for future elementary teachers includes all five core components of scientifically based reading instruction and avoid teaching more than three instructional methods that are unsupported by the research on effective reading instruction.
See NCTQ’s report, “Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation” for more information about UCCS’s coverage of the science of reading and to see how UCCS compares to other programs in Colorado or across the country.
About NCTQ
The National Council on Teacher Quality: NCTQ is a nonpartisan research and policy organization on a mission to ensure every child has access to an effective teacher and every teacher has the opportunity to be effective. We believe a strong, diverse teacher workforce is critical for providing all students with equitable educational opportunities. For more information about NCTQ, visit www.nctq.org.