Campbellsville, Kentucky—The undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program at Campbellsville 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 Elementary Education, P-5 Certification: A View grade page
The report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, published on June 9, spotlights Campbellsville 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, four in ten fourth graders in Kentucky 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.
Campbellsville University is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide helping transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading.
Dr. Robin Magruder, Dean of the School of Education, stated, “I am so proud of the literacy instruction CU candidates receive. The SOE works hard to prepare our candidates with research-based instruction. Professors have completed LETRS training, which is research-based and they share this knowledge with our students. CU professors also participate in state leadership support related to the literacy mandates in Kentucky.”
In addition to the accolades from NCTQ, the CU SOE was recently praised by the state for meeting expectations for literacy training in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education.
“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 Campbellsville University 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 Campbellsville University.
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.
See NCTQ’s report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation for more information about Campbellsville University’s coverage of the science of reading and to see how Campbellsville University compares to other programs in Kentucky or across the country.
About Campbellsville University
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university that offers over 100 programs, including doctoral, master's, bachelor's, associate and certificate programs. For complete information, please visit www.campbellsville.edu.
About NCTQ
The National Council on Teacher Quality: NCTQ is a nonpartisan research and policy organization on a mission to ensure every child has access to an effective teacher and every teacher has the opportunity to be effective. We believe a strong, diverse teacher workforce is critical for providing all students with equitable educational opportunities. Fore more information about NCTQ, visit www.nctq.org.