W&M School of Education recognized for preparing future teachers in the science of reading

William & Mary students at Clara Bryd Baker Elementary participate in a classroom lesson as part of their teacher preparation. (Photo by Timothy D. Sofranko)

The following story originally appeared on the website for the William & Mary School of Education. - Ed.

The graduate and undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs at the William & Mary School of Education 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 Elementary Education: A+ (View grade page)
• Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary Education: A+ (View grade page)

The report, "Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation," published on June 9, spotlights the W&M School of Education 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 avoid 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 despite reform efforts, recent data suggest that nearly 40% of fourth graders in the American public school system still read below a basic level of proficiency. 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.

The W&M School of Education 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. "William & Mary 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 William & Mary.

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. To earn an A+, programs needed to exceed those targets and not teach any instructional practices that are unsupported by research.

"Preparing educators to teach children to read is both a profound responsibility and an opportunity to create lasting impact," said Robert C. Knoeppel, dean of the William & Mary School of Education. "At William & Mary, we believe the strongest preparation connects rigorous research with meaningful practice. Our literacy programs give future teachers the knowledge, clinical experience and collaborative partnerships they need to apply evidence-based approaches in real classrooms and meet the diverse needs of every learner."

Through an innovative lab model, William & Mary brings undergraduate reading instruction into local elementary schools. W&M Elementary Education students work directly in K-5 classrooms to gain hands-on experience. They observe skilled teachers, plan lessons together and practice teaching with guidance and feedback from William & Mary professors. By connecting research, observation, collaboration and practice, this model gives future teachers a holistic understanding of what effective reading instruction looks like in real classrooms.

See NCTQ's report, "Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation" for more information about William & Mary's coverage of the science of reading and to see how William & Mary compares to other programs in Virginia or across the country.

Kimberly Richards-Thomas, W&M School of Education

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