University Recognized for Preparing Future Teachers in the Science of Reading

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for its excellent preparation of future teachers in how to teach reading.

UA Little Rock earned an A grade in NCTQ’s new report, “Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction.”

UA Little Rock is among just 23 percent nationwide to earn an A from NCTQ for meeting standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction—often called the “science of reading.”

The new NCTQ analysis of teacher preparation programs’ coverage of the science of reading was developed over the course of two years, involving teams of literacy experts, researchers, teacher preparation leaders, and educators. NCTQ evaluated 693 traditional undergraduate and graduate programs across the country, including 13 in Arkansas. Overall, just 112 programs earned an A and 48 earned an A+.

“We are thankful to NCTQ for this recognition,” said Dr. Sarah Beth Estes, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Education, and Social Sciences. “This rating reflects UA Little Rock’s dedication to ensuring Arkansas children experience effective literacy instruction.”

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 UA Little Rock.

To earn an A, programs needed to meet 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 more than three instructional methods that are unsupported by the research on effective reading instruction.

While some portion of children will learn to read naturally, over five decades of research have established the components of explicit, scientifically based reading instruction that help most students become successful readers. Research suggests that over 90 percent of children could learn to read if their teachers used instructional methods grounded in the science of reading.

The Elementary Education K-6 program at UA Little Rock provides a strong foundation for students who want to teach Kindergarten through sixth grade. Graduates are provided with a comprehensive understanding of teaching young learners and of the need for a learning environment that is responsive to students’ developmental needs.

The UA Little Rock School of Education believes in fostering and enhancing the lives of children, with the ultimate goal of nurturing competent future citizens. To that end, the School of Education is making continuous improvements to the Bachelor of Science in Education degree programs.

“In fall 2022, the BSE in Elementary Education was revised to include stronger alignment to the Science of Reading across all literacy courses,” said Dr. Kent Layton, interim director of the School of Education. “An additional math course was added to ensure candidates possess sufficient content knowledge. In addition to our expanded math and science methods courses to cover K-6 strategies, we added a one-hour math/science course that focuses on STEM integration. Course work for the last two years has been reorganized to include a Praxis semester and a Literacy semester so that candidates are well prepared to pass their required Praxis subtests and Literacy test prior to their one-year internship in the schools.”

UA Little Rock is proud to be recognized among the programs ensuring that future elementary teachers enter the classroom equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to help students become strong readers.

“UA Little Rock has worked diligently to evaluate its literacy curriculum to ensure teacher candidates receive evidence-based approaches and strategies that align with Science of Reading,” said Dr. Leslie Sharp, assistant professor of elementary education. “We were ecstatic to receive an A for our hard work and commitment. As a result of our curriculum updates and continued professional development evolving around Science of Reading over the past two years, our pass rates across all programs have increased to 88-92 percent on the required national test, Foundations of Reading Exam.”

NCTQ is a nonpartisan research and policy organization on mission to ensure every child has access to an effective teacher and every teacher has the opportunity to be effective.