Columbus State University’s undergraduate- and graduate-level elementary teacher preparation programs have earned “A” ratings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how well they prepare future teachers to teach reading to elementary students. 

NCTQ’s June 9 report, “Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation,” spotlights the university’s Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education and Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education for meeting the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction. Specifically, this means the programs prepare aspiring teachers in all five components of scientifically based reading instruction, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, and avoid many instructional practices that research has shown to be ineffective or counterproductive for teaching children to read. 

According to NCTQ’s report, a child’s ability to read proficiently in the early grades shapes everything that comes next in school and in life, yet according to National Assessment of Educational Progress data, four in 10 Georgia fourth graders 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 proven to help most students become successful readers. 

“Earning ‘A’ grades from the National Council on Teacher Quality confirms what we’ve always known to be true: Columbus State University is a top choice for teacher preparation,” stated Dr. Margie Yates, dean of the College of Education & Health Professions. “This national accolade underscores our faculty’s strong dedication to the science of reading. By designing our curriculum around proven, research-backed teaching methods, we’re not only preparing students for their first day in the classroom—we are actively shaping future elementary educators who will lead literacy and student achievement in our region.”

Columbus State University is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide that are helping to transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading, according to NCTQ President Heather Peske.

“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,” Peske said. “Across the country, many teacher preparation programs still do not fully align with the science of reading, but Columbus State 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 Columbus State. 

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.