University of Cincinnati earns perfect score on State of Ohio’s Science of Reading audit

University of Cincinnati earns perfect score on State of Ohio's Science of Reading audit

The School of Education passed with a 100 percent score and commendations

"Literacy is the key to solving everything."

This is the stated philosophy of the National Literacy Institute, which reports that, as of 2024, some 21 percent of U.S. residents were illiterate. Among the 79 percent of literate residents, the literacy of 54 percent of adults fell below a 6th-grade level, with 20 percent having a literacy below a 5th-grade level.

Globally, The U.S. ranked 36th in literacy.

These numbers aren't just about who has and doesn't have the ability to curl up with a good book or magazine at the end of a long day. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as "a means of identification, understanding, interpretation, creation, and communication in an increasingly digital, text-mediated, information-rich and fast-changing world." Literacy is essential to succeed in the modern world, and it's estimated that the cost of low literacy levels in the US approaches 2.2 trillion dollars each year.

The science of reading

Research into an area referred to as "the science of reading" has been ongoing for years now, presenting a new way of looking at how children learn to read and write to ensure greater success in elementary literacy education. And, in response to this research, states across the U.S. have been developing programs to implement findings into education in efforts to improve literacy rates among the nation's students. And it's working - the New York Times recently reported on an initiative in Mississippi that has seen the state rise from 49th in the nation to a top-10 state for fourth-grade reading scores.

In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine launched the ReadOhio initiative in 2023, a statewide effort to raise literacy achievement that empowered state agencies and partner organizations to collaborate on supports for families, educators and community leaders in the science of reading. The state's two-year operating budget signed into law the same year provided $86 million for educator professional development, $64 million for curriculum and instructional materials, and $18 million for literacy coaches to support the science of reading effort.

As part of ReadOhio, DeWine announced an audit into educator preparation programs at colleges and universities across the state to determine the extent to which higher education programs are aligned with the science of reading. Ohio colleges and universities that educate future teachers were given a January 1, 2025, deadline to become fully aligned.

A perfect score for UC

The results of the audit were announced in December of 2025, and the University of Cincinnati was found to be in full alignment with all metrics against which the state measured higher education teaching programs. UC earned a 100 percent score and passed the audit with commendations.

"Our perfect score reflects our faculty's collaborative work across disciplines and programs to instill deep knowledge of evidence-based literacy practices in future teachers," says Anna DeJarnette, Director of UC's School of Education. "We were successful because our faculty embraced the spirit of collaborative and continual improvement to strengthen teacher education."

Teaching programs at Ohio colleges and universities were audited according to the following metric domains:

• Teacher Knowledge (12 metrics addressed)
• Phonological Awareness (9)
• Decoding and Encoding (8)
• Vocabulary and Oral Language (8)
• Reading Fluency (6)
• Reading Comprehension (7)
• Writing (9)
• Collaborative Problem Solving and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) (11)
• High-Quality Instructional Materials (3)

Preparation for the audit was very much a group effort within the school, with faculty members contributing to the alignment initaitive. "The audit work brought together a talented group of faculty members from multiple departments," explains Kathryn Hicks, an assistant professor-educator in UC's Elementary Education program. "The audit score, to me, is a reflection of the strengths and expertise of each and every person who served on our UC team. I am most proud of how the audit work strengthened the quality of literacy instruction, not just for our UC teacher candidates, but for the students of Ohio."

Special commendations

"UC has really positioned itself as a strong leader in literacy education in Ohio, and the science of reading work confirms that," says Allison Breit, an associate professor in the Educational Studies Ph.D. program (which offers a Literacy concentration). "To me, our perfect score and commendations show the incredible collaboration and dedication of our faculty to preparing future teachers to change reading outcomes for kids. It shows that working together matters and puts UC at the top of universities leading changes in reading education."

In addition to scoring 100 percent on all 73 audit metrics used to measure how well higher education teaching programs are implementing the science of reading, the School of Education additionally received the following commendations from the auditing body.

• "Faculty consistently demonstrate deep understanding of evidence-based literacy practices and effectively model structured literacy strategies during instruction."
• "Faculty and leadership share a unified commitment to preparing preservice candidates who are equipped to meet the needs of all readers…. Faculty leveraged Ohio grant funding to support multiple opportunities to collaborate and receive peer support, such as book studies and time to meet to develop courses to ensure alignment and purposeful spiraling of content across courses." (These opportunities included engaging with the All Ohio Literacy & Learning Science initiative developed by the University of Cincinnati's Systems Development & Improvement Center in collaboration with and support from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.)
• "Coursework includes instructional strategies for multilingual learners, students with dyslexia, and those with learning differences, ensuring that preservice candidates are prepared to effectively teach all students."

"The science of reading provides a strong foundation for effective literacy instruction in our pre-K-12 schools," says Kathryn Doyle, an associate professor-educator in UC's Special Education program. "UC has been intentional in preparing educators to deliver it well. Achieving a perfect audit score with commendations validates the thoughtful preparation behind this work and our shared focus on student outcomes."

While the university's 100 percent score is certainly a feather in the cap of its esteemed School of Education, passing with a perfect rating and commendations underscores the school's mission to set up Ohio students for success. And this, notes DeJarnette, is ultimately the school's driving mission. "By leveraging evidence-based practices for all learners-including students with learning differences and students with varied educational, linguistic and sociocultural backgrounds-the School of Education is preparing future teachers who will teach all Ohio children to read."

Featured image at top: A UC School of Education student works with an elementary school student on a worksheet. Photo by CECH Marketing

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