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The graduate elementary teacher preparation program at the UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education has earned an A+ from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how well it prepares future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.
The NCTQ report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, published on June 9, spotlights the UCSB Gevirtz School for meeting the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction.
Gevirtz School’s A+ grade means its Teacher Education Program (TEP) is preparing aspiring teachers in all five components of scientifically based reading instruction, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary; and avoids many instructional practices that research has shown to be ineffective or counterproductive for teaching children to read, NCTQ stated.
“NCTQ’s recognition validates what we have long known, that our teacher candidates receive high-quality literacy preparation,” said Victoria Harvey, director of the Gevirtz School Teacher Education Program. “This rating is consistent with our years of strong literacy assessment outcomes and CTC’s full SB 488 certification of our program.”
“TEP’s literacy instruction has been fully certified by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing as meeting the requirements of SB 488,” Harvey added. “This certification affirms that our teacher candidates are prepared to provide comprehensive, evidence-based reading instruction that develops students’ full range of literacy skills, including foundational skills, language comprehension, and meaning-making abilities.”
NCTQ President Heather Peske said, “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. Across the country, many teacher preparation programs still do not fully align with the science of reading, but UC Santa Barbara 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 UCSB.
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. To earn an A+, programs needed to exceed those targets and not teach any instructional practices that are unsupported by research.
Harvey added, “TEP graduates enter classrooms ready to support students in developing strong foundational reading skills while also fostering deep comprehension, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of literacy.”
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About the Gevirtz School http://www.education.ucsb.edu
The UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, which includes the Department of Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology; Department of Education, and Teacher Education Program, offers master’s and doctorate degrees and post graduate teaching credentials. The Gevirtz School also offers three undergraduate minors in applied psychology, educational studies, and science and math education.
About NCTQ
The National Council on Teacher Quality: NCTQ is a nonpartisan research and policy organization on a mission to ensure every child has access to an effective teacher and every teacher has the opportunity to be effective. We believe a strong, diverse teacher workforce is critical for providing all students with equitable educational opportunities. Fore more information about NCTQ, visit http://www.nctq.org.
