N.C. A&T College of Education Earns Top National Rating in Science of Reading Teacher Preparation

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 22, 2026) – The undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program in the College of Education (CoEd) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has earned an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how well it prepares future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.

The report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, cites the CoEd B.S. in elementary education with certification program and spotlights N.C. A&T for meeting the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction. Specifically, 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 instructional practices that research has shown to be ineffective or counterproductive for teaching children to read.

According to NCQT, a child’s ability to read proficiently in the early grades shapes everything that comes next in school and in life, yet National Assessment of Educational Progress data show four in 10 fourth graders in North Carolina cannot read at a basic level. Teacher preparation is one of the most direct levers available to change that, but only if it is aligned to the research-based instructional methods that have been proven to help most students become successful readers.

“This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the outstanding work of our literacy faculty, staff and school partners in advancing evidence-based reading instruction,” said Gerrelyn Patterson, Ph.D., chair of A&T’s Department of Educator Preparation. “Our practice-based teacher education approach, paired with technology-forward instruction, prepares exceptional educators who are well equipped to teach and lead in a rapidly evolving educational environment. Our graduates enter classrooms across North Carolina and beyond ready to engage all learners and transform student outcomes.”

A&T’s educator preparation program is part of a growing national group that is helping to transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading. It consists of undergraduate and graduate pathways in elementary, secondary and special education; an M.A. in teaching; and non-licensure programs in educational studies. The program emphasizes practice-based teacher preparation, data-driven instruction, and community partnership, equipping graduates to thrive in today’s classrooms.

A&T’s Educator Preparation Program consistently ranks No. 1 among historically Black college or universities (HBCUs) in educator preparation by U.S. News & World Report and leads the state in employer and candidate satisfaction ratings, both achieving 100% in the most recent North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Educator Preparation Performance Report.

The college’s laboratory school, Aggie Academy, opened in fall 2022 and is North Carolina’s only lab school at an HBCU. Serving third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students, it is where pre-service teachers put what they learn in their classrooms into real-world practice, bringing university expertise and classroom excellence together.

“I am incredibly proud of the hard work of our faculty in the Department of Educator Preparation to ensure that we prepare educators with a strong foundation in research-based practices while also providing many opportunities to practice the art of teaching as part of their coursework. Our Aggie Educators are highly skilled at teaching literacy while also instilling a love of reading and learning,” said Paula Groves Price, Ph.D., CoEd dean. “This recognition is a testament to our efforts to bridge evidence-based research with real world practice.”

NCTQ’s methodology is informed by a panel of reading experts, teacher preparation faculty, reading advocates and measurement experts. To evaluate the quality of preparation being provided, a team of experts at NCTQ analyzed syllabi, including lecture schedules and topics, background reading materials, class assessments, assignments, and opportunities to practice instruction in required literacy courses for elementary teacher candidates at A&T.

To earn an “A,” programs must demonstrate that coursework for future elementary teachers includes all five core components of scientifically based reading instruction and avoids teaching more than three instructional methods that are unsupported by the research on effective reading instruction. To earn an A+, programs must exceed those targets and not teach any instructional practices that are unsupported by research.

“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 North Carolina A&T State University is demonstrating what strong preparation can look like.”