LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College’s undergraduate teacher Education program has earned an A grade for its rigorous preparation of future teachers in how to teach reading by the National Council on Teacher Quality, NCTQ officials released today.
LC State was among only 23% of nationwide teacher education programs to earn an A grade for meeting standards set by literacy experts for the most effective methods of reading instruction. Currently, national data shows more than one-third of all fourth grade students in the United State cannot read at grade level. NCTQ’s goal is to better prepare teachers in reading methods that work to change that statistic.
The new NCTQ analysis of teacher preparation programs’ coverage of the science of reading was developed over the course of two years, involving teams of literacy experts, researchers, teacher preparation leaders, and educators. NCTQ evaluated 693 traditional undergraduate and graduate programs across the country, including six in Idaho.
In reviewing college teacher education programs, NCTQ experts analyzed syllabi, lecture schedules and topics, background reading materials, class assignments, and opportunities to practice instruction in required literacy courses. To earn an A grade, programs had to meet NCTQ’s five core components of scientifically-based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Programs could not teach more than three instruction methods that are unsupported by the research on effective reading instruction.
Each of the five core components had a maximum score of 12. LC State earned perfect 12s in comprehension and phonics, 10 points apiece for phonemic awareness and fluency, and 9.5 points in vocabulary for a 53.5 score out of 60.
To learn more about the teacher education program or the Teacher Education & Mathematics Division at LC State, visit www.lcsc.edu/education. LC State offers degrees in elementary education, general studies: education, and 10 secondary education specialties: biology, chemistry, communication arts, earth science, English, kinesiology, mathematics, natural sciences, psychology, and social sciences – history.