MSU earns national ranking for teacher preparation by National Council on Teacher Quality
Morehead State University has a long legacy of preparing educators to impact the region and beyond. That legacy continues to gain recognition on a national level.
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) gave MSU's elementary education program an "A" grade in its new report titled "Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction." The program is one of four colleges in Kentucky and one of two public university programs in Kentucky to earn this grade. Only 23% of universities nationwide earned this distinction.
The NCTQ is a non-partisan research and policy organization focused on ensuring teachers have opportunities to be effective, and every child has access to an effective teacher. It sets standards determined by literacy experts for covering the most effective methods of reading instruction, or the "science of reading."
NCTQ evaluated 693 traditional undergraduate and graduate programs nationwide, including 15 in Kentucky. Overall, just 112 programs earned an "A" grade. To gain an "A," programs must meet NCTQ's targets for covering the five core components of scientifically based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Universities must teach at most three instructional methods unsupported by the research on effective reading instruction.
Schools like MSU produce instructors with the knowledge and skills to combat an increased number of fourth-grade students being unable to read at a basic level.
"The Volgenau College of Education is proud of our NCTQ 'A’ rating in the EDEM 300-Foundations of Reading Course offered in the Elementary Education Program,” said Dr. April Miller, dean of the Volgenau College of Education. "This rating is based on the course's adherence to the science of reading, specifically evidence-based practices in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Due to the gap in student reading achievement that may be the result of the recent pandemic, the Commonwealth of Kentucky has made the science of reading a major focus."
MSU's Bachelor of Arts in Early Elementary Education helps students develop skills and gain hands-on experience to be effective teachers for kindergarten through 5th-grade students. You will develop the ability to assess children's developmental and instructional needs while planning and implementing appropriate instructional programs. MSU offers degrees at campuses in Morehead, Ashland, and Prestonsburg.
To learn more about programs in MSU's Ernst and Sara Volgenau College of Education, call 606-783-2162 or email ad.miller@moreheadstate.edu.
