Levin's School of Education and Counseling Earns Straight 'A's' for Teacher Prep in Reading Foundations
Cleveland State University’s (CSU) graduate and undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs earned A grades from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how effectively they prepare future teachers to teach reading. The programs are housed in the School of Education and Counseling within the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Public Affairs and Education.
CSU was recognized for both its Bachelor of Science in Education PK-5 Education and Master of Education P-5 Education with Licensure programs.
The ratings are part of the organization’s June 9 report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, which evaluates how well programs align with research-based approaches to reading instruction. CSU was recognized for fully addressing all five core components of effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.
An A grade signals that CSU’s programs are preparing future teachers with the knowledge and skills to deliver strong, evidence-based reading instruction, while avoiding practices shown to be ineffective.
“Reading is foundational to opportunity and opens doors for entire communities,” said Jill A. Gordon, Ph.D., Dean of the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education. “At Levin College, we prepare educators who are making a meaningful impact across Northeast Ohio’s schools and neighborhoods.”
“They are turning evidence-based reading instruction into real impact, helping our students build strong literacy skills that will shape their futures,” said Dr. Joanne Goodell, Director for the School of Education and Counseling.
The results place CSU among a leading group of teacher preparation programs nationwide, that are strengthening how future teachers are trained to teach reading.
“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,” said NCTQ President Heather Peske. “Across the country, many teacher preparation programs still do not fully align with the science of reading, but Cleveland State University is demonstrating what strong preparation can look like.”