Preparation to teach reading for Kentucky’s elementary teachers is weak
But, some new information has now caught our attention that adds more concerns that the Bluegrass State isn’t doing a good job of preparing elementary school teachers to teach this critical subject. Per the NCTQ, Kentucky’s prospective elementary school teachers get only “a small part” of the knowledge they need to understand the science of reading instruction.
Maybe that explains why little more than 1 in 3 white students in Kentucky scores proficient or more on National Assessment of Educational Progress Grade 4 reading and only an abysmal 14 percent of black students in the state perform at or above the proficient level.
In the past, legislation was considered to improve this situation, requiring instruction in the scientifically demonstrated methods that work best for reading instruction. It’s time to dust that legislation off, compare it to Mississippi's laws, the only state to show improvement on the 2019 NAEP, and get it passed.