Glenville, West Virginia—The undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program at Glenville State 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.
The report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, published on June 9, spotlights Glenville State University 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, 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, nearly half of fourth graders in West Virginia 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.
Glenville State University is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide helping transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading.
“Glenville State University’s Teacher Education Department is honored that the Elementary Education K-6; Early Education PreK-K Teacher Education Program has earned an “A” letter grade from the National Council on Teacher Quality for preparing future teachers in the Science of Reading,” said Dean of Teacher Education and Professor Connie Stout O’Dell. “Pre-service teachers majoring in Elementary Education K-6 complete a series of reading courses focusing on the core components of scientifically based reading instruction. They also participate in hands-on experiences in reading instruction in local elementary schools. Our university is appreciative of the partnerships we have with our local elementary schools. These partnerships allow for practical applications of reading instruction for our pre-service teachers. Glenville State University Teacher Education is pleased with NCTQ’s recognition and evaluation of its reading instruction for elementary education majors. It is exciting to be recognized for the work of our faculty and the content of our elementary reading courses.”
“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 Glenville State University is demonstrating what strong preparation can look like.”