Ļć½¶Ö±²„College of Education earns A+ rating for reading instruction from National Council on Teacher Quality
Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.āMississippi State students preparing for elementary education careers are learning to teach reading through exemplary preparation methods, earning Ļć½¶Ö±²„and its College of Education an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality.
The NCTQ today [June 13] announced MSUās undergraduate program in elementary education as one of only 48 in the U.S. to earn its highest distinction for preparing aspiring teachers in the most effective, scientifically based methods for teaching children reading. The A+ designation celebrates selected programs for going above and beyond the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction, known as the āscience of reading.ā NCTQ also has released a new report titled , which notes āmajor gapsā at many other colleges and universities across the country.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„College of Education Dean Teresa Jayroe said Ļć½¶Ö±²„has a strong literacy faculty on the universityās Starkville, Meridian and Distance campuses.
āI want to commend our faculty for the work they do because they ensure that our students are prepared to effectively teach reading,ā Jayroe said.
The rating process involves NCTQ experts analyzing syllabi, including lecture schedules and topics, background reading materials, class assessments, assignments and chances to practice instruction in required literacy courses for undergraduate elementary teacher candidates. MSUās A+ distinction means that the College of Education exceeded NCTQās targets for covering five core components of research-supported reading instructionāphonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
āOur faculty make sure these areas are covered, and our classes span from early literacy instruction to integrating literacy across content areas,ā Jayroe said. She explained that Ļć½¶Ö±²„elementary education majors take 15 credit hours in reading instruction.
āOur students have opportunities to apply what they are learning from the reading classes during field experiences in elementary classrooms,ā Jayroe said.
NCTQ evaluated 693 traditional undergraduate and graduate programs across the country. Only 23% earned an A or A+ grade with 112 programs earning an A in addition to the 48 earning an A+.
In 2022, Ļć½¶Ö±²„also was recognized by the organization with an A+ rating for ensuring future educators are prepared to effectively teach mathematics.
MSUās College of Education is home to six academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more about its elementary education undergraduate program in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education at .
Ļć½¶Ö±²„ is taking care of what matters. Learn more atĀ .