LEWISTON, Idaho – The Elementary Education program at Lewis-Clark State College has received an A grade from the National Council on Teacher Quality for reading education preparation.
The Elementary Education program received the designation for successfully preparing teachers to guide their students through learning how to read. NCTQ made their determination by evaluating how LC State’s curriculum meets standards set by literacy experts.
“This recognition affirms our deep commitment to equipping future educators with a strong, research-based foundation in the science of reading,” said Royal Toy, interim chair for the Teacher Education and Mathematics Division. “It reflects the intentional work of our faculty, the rigor of our programs, and our focus on ensuring that every completer is prepared to help all students become confident, capable readers.
The NCTQ grading standards are based on five components of scientifically based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Additionally, LC State’s A grade stipulates the school avoids the use of more than three instructional practices shown to be ineffective or counterproductive to reading education.
According to the report, “Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation,” four in 10 fourth graders in Idaho are unable to read at a basic level. Teacher preparation has been shown to be a key tool to improve reading levels among students.
“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,” NCTQ President Heather Peske said in a press release. “Across the country, many teacher preparation programs still do not fully align with the science of reading, but Lewis-Clark State College is demonstrating what strong preparation can look like.”
To determine LC State’s grade, the NCTQ panel made up of reading experts, teacher preparation faculty, reading advocates, and measurement experts examined the school’s syllabi, lecture schedules and topics, class reading materials and assignments, assessments, and student opportunities for practical instruction.
“I am incredibly proud of LC State's Division of Teacher Education and Mathematics earning an A rating in the National Council on Teacher Quality’s ‘Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation,’” Toy said. “This distinction underscores the historical mission of LC State, when it was founded in 1893 as the Lewiston State Normal School, to positively impact schools and communities through high-quality teacher preparation.”