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Eastern Education Programs get an 'A' in National 'Teacher Prep Review'

by Michael Rouleau

Willimantic, CT (02/04/2020) — Eastern Connecticut State University received two of only three "A" grades in all of Connecticut in the "2020 Teacher Prep Review" for quality of instruction in the review's "early reading" category. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) announced the results on Jan. 27 and highlights two Eastern programs - elementary education (B.S.) and elementary education/certification (M.S.) - for utilizing best practices in preparing teacher candidates on how to teach children to read.

"We are happy to recognize the strong preparation in reading instruction that both your undergraduate and graduate programs provide to your elementary teacher candidates," said Kate Walsh, president of NCTQ. "These programs were part of a small group - only about a quarter of programs nationwide - to qualify for an 'A.'"

Eastern is the only college or university in Connecticut to receive an "A" for both its undergraduate- and graduate-level programs in the "early reading" category. The two programs received high grades due to explicit instruction on each of the five components of reading; support for instruction with high-quality textbooks that accurately detail established principles of scientifically based reading practices; and evidence that teacher candidates must demonstrate mastery through in-class assignments, tests and fieldwork.

The five reading components in which Eastern's programs perform well include phonemic awareness (ability to manipulate sounds in spoken words); phonics (method of teaching by correlating sounds with letters); fluency; vocabulary; and comprehension.

With these components in mind, Associate Professor of Education Susannah Richards said, "The goal is for students (teacher candidates) to find effective ways for their students to develop the literacy skills they need to be successful; to support their learners no matter what they're able to do." Richards pointed out the need for today's teachers to be able to work with students of varying abilities, including dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder.

Speaking to Connecticut's downward trend in early reading literacy, the NCTQ wrote in a press release: "Each year, well over 11,000 public school students in the fourth grade are added to Connecticut's ranks of nonreaders. The lion's share are black and Hispanic children struggling in the face of an inequitable education system, with their schools unwilling or unable to provide the reading instruction that decades of research has found to be highly effective. Reading ability is a key predictor of future educational gains and life success, making successful reading instruction essential to achieving educational equity."

Now in its fourth edition, the "Teacher Prep Review" assigns a team of literacy experts to examine every course a program requires in early reading, looking at the planned topics to be covered in each class, readings, assignments, practice opportunities and tests, as well as rating the quality of the textbooks used in each course.

The only other "A" granted in the state went to Western Connecticut State University's undergraduate program in elementary education. By comparison, 10 of the remaining 11 teacher prep programs analyzed by the review received a "D" or worse. To see how all Connecticut programs performed: https://www.nctq.org/review/search/standard/Early-Reading_-CT-

Written by Michael Rouleau

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The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) is a nonpartisan research and policy group, committed to modernizing the teaching profession and based on the belief that all children deserve effective teachers. More information about NCTQ can be found on our website, www.nctq.org.

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving 5,000 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 162 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 34 other states and 19 countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 30 public universities in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2019 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 10 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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