East Stroudsburg University Earns Recognition for Preparing Future Elementary Teachers in the Science of Reading

The undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program at East Stroudsburg University has earned an A+ from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how well they prepare future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.

• Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education Certification (Pre K-4th): A+ (View grade page)

 

The report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, published this summer, spotlights ESU for meeting the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction. Specifically, this means the program is preparing aspiring teachers in all five components of scientifically based reading instruction established by the National Reading Panel, 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, four in ten fourth graders in Pennsylvania 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.

ESU is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide helping transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading.

“East Stroudsburg is always reviewing its coursework and adjusting to be sure our future teachers are prepared to employ instructional practices that focus on comprehensive-evidence based approaches,” said Dr. Brooke Langan, dean of ESU’s College of Education. “We ask ourselves ‘Are we structuring classes correctly? Are our students developmentally prepared?’”

“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 East Stroudsburg University is demonstrating what strong preparation can look like.”

NCTQ’s methodology is informed by an educational policy and teacher-quality advocacy organization.   To evaluate the quality of preparation being provided, a team of experts at NCTQ review available 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 ESU.

To earn an A, teacher preparation programs must prove instruction in all five reading components and avoid practices they deem unscientific or harmful methods of teaching reading. To earn an A+, programs needed to exceed those targets and not teach any instructional practices that are unsupported by research.

“We are proud of our high marks from NCTQ, but our mission goes vastly beyond a compliance checklist. Literacy is a complex human right, and preparing teachers requires deep professor mentorship and real classroom practice, not just a strict focus of the ‘big five skills’,” said Dr. Shawn L. Watkins, professor and chair of reading. “We don’t just graduate students who understand the science of reading; we prepare teachers who understand how to inspire a love for reading in every child.

See NCTQ’s report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation for more information about East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s coverage of the science of reading and to see how ESU compares to other programs in Pennsylvania or across the country.

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