JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) recognized Mississippi as one of the top two states for ensuring scientifically-based reading instruction in teacher preparation programs.
According to the Mississippi Department of Education, the report provides up-to-date information on how teacher preparation programs prepare aspiring teachers to teach children to read. The report highlighted three Mississippi universities: Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, and The University of Southern Mississippi. It said undergraduate programs at these schools provided future instructors “with the foundation needed to effectively teach reading from day one.”
The core components of scientifically based reading instruction are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. NCTQ’s analysis of 700 teacher preparation programs nationwide showcases the education future elementary teachers receive in core components through assigned readings, assignments and assessments, instructional hours, and opportunities to practice.
“Mississippi and Colorado stand out for high scores for their teacher prep programs and minimal existence of practices contrary to scientifically based reading instruction,” the report said.
According to the MDE press release, Mississippi’s policies to promote the science of reading include the following:
- Developing robust and specific teacher preparation standards and accountability
- Requiring a strong reading licensure test
- Offering support for teacher preparation programs to transition to scientifically based reading preparation
NCTQ’s report included a section called “Mississippi’s dedication to teacher preparation.” It highlighted the example that Mississippi’s overall performance serves on a national stage. For Mike Kent, interim state superintendent of education, this highlights the competent teachers within Mississippi.
“Mississippi students are more proficient readers because they have effective, dedicated teachers who teach the science of reading,” Kent said in an MDE press release.
In 2019, Mississippi 4th graders achieved the No. 1 spot in the nation for gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). According to the NCTQ report, Mississippi maintained its historic gains in 4th-grade reading on NAEP in 2022, and the state’s economically disadvantaged 4th graders achieved higher scores in reading and math than their peers nationally and in the South. Since 2013, Mississippi’s national ranking for 4th-grade reading jumped from 50th to 21st.
While some children will learn to read naturally, MDEQ cites research that suggests over 90% of children could learn to read if their teachers used instructional methods grounded in the science of reading. For NCTQ president Heather Peske, the adoption of this instructional method is still ongoing.
“We’re in the midst of a long overdue revolution on the science of reading, but teacher prep programs haven’t fully caught up,” Peske said in the MDE press release. “Prospective teachers — and certainly their students — deserve far better.”