Inside Education and Health Sciences
UD earns an 'A'
The Fordham Institute partnered with the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) to review and rate teacher education programs across the state of Ohio, in a report released in May. The nationwide NCTQ report is scheduled to be released in June.
The University of Dayton's undergraduate teacher education program is one of just seven in the state to earn an 'A' rating for exemplary coverage of scientifically based reading instruction for elementary teacher candidates, meaning the program successfully teaches the five components of reading science — phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
The Fordham Institute's report was commissioned independently of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's initiatives to overhaul the state's reading curriculum. DeWine's proposal would require school districts to use a reading curriculum from a pre-approved list of options that are rooted in reading science. His proposal will come before the legislature for approval this summer.
Mary-Kate Sableski is an associate professor and the reading program coordinator in the Department of Teacher Education.
“The faculty in our reading program are knowledgeable and skilled in preparing our teacher candidates to teach reading according to the most up-to-date and relevant research in the field," Sableski said.
While many teacher education graduates choose to work in Ohio after graduation, many others choose to spread out across the country. Approaches to reading instruction can vary from state to state, and Sableski says that the program at UD prepares candidates to be effective teachers of reading no matter where they teach.
"Our goal is for our candidates to be knowledgeable about the critical elements of effective reading instruction, and be able to meaningfully apply that knowledge to advocate for and provide high-quality instruction to their future students," Sableski said.
In addition to a robust reading program for the students in the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 concentration and multiple opportunities to practice their skills in the field across the four years of the program, Sableski said the department also offers an undergraduate dyslexia certificate and graduate-level dyslexia certificate. The certificates are accredited by the International Dyslexia Association, and students are able to take their certificate and apply for a national-level certification through the Center for Effective Reading Instruction.