Southern University Named Among "Best in Nation" for Preparation of Educators Who Teach Reading

The undergraduate teacher preparation program at Southern University and A&M College has been recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) as among the best in the nation in preparing future elementary teachers to teach children to read, earning an A+ distinction in NCTQ’s new report, Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction.

The program is among just 48 nationwide and four in Louisiana highlighted by NCTQ for going above and beyond the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction — often called the “science of reading.” The national report from NCTQ also features links to resources from Southern and a statement from Dr. Erin Scott-Stewart, assistant professor in the School of Education about how the program has approached this important work.

National data shows that more than one-third of fourth-grade students — over 1.3 million children—cannot read at a basic level. By preparing teachers in the methods that research has shown to work best, we can change these devastating results.

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 undergraduate elementary teacher candidates at Southern University and A&M College. To earn an A+ distinction, programs needed to comfortably exceed NCTQ’s targets for coverage of the five core components of scientifically based reading instruction—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—and not teach any instructional practices that are unsupported by research, such as the debunked three-cueing method, which can inhibit students’ progress in reading.

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