Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College’s undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program received an A+ from the National Council on Teacher Quality for its preparation of future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.
“At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, our faculty are deeply committed to preparing highly qualified, compassionate educators,” said Janet Clark, Ph.D., provost/executive vice president for academic affairs. “Through intentional, research-based preparation, we are equipping future teachers not only to succeed professionally but to ensure that every child has the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader. We are proud to be part of the solution in strengthening the educator workforce and advancing student success.”
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 had to exceed those targets and not teach any instructional practices that are unsupported by research.
The report, “Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation,” highlights SMWC for meeting the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction.
This means the program 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.
A child’s ability to read proficiently in the early grades shapes everything that comes next in school and in life, yet according to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, one in three Hoosier fourth graders cannot read at a basic level.
Teacher preparation is one of the most direct levers available to change that. SMWC is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide, helping transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading.
“This recognition is a testament to the intentional work of our faculty, the strength of our curriculum and our unwavering commitment to preparing highly effective educators,” said Ashley Bennett, M.Ed., assistant professor of education and chair of the education department. “We know that teachers have the power to change the trajectory of a child’s life through literacy, and we are proud that our graduates leave Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College prepared to deliver the evidence-based reading instruction that all students deserve.”
View the NCTQ’s report at https://teacherquality.nctq.org/review/standard/Reading-Foundations/2026 for more information about SMWC’s coverage of the science of reading and to see how the College compares to other programs in Indiana or across the country.