Study of Teacher Preparation in Early Reading Instruction

Title:	Study of Teacher Preparation in Early Reading Instruction
Description:	The study collected data from a sample of 2,237 pre-service teachers attending a nationally representative sample of 99 institutions that prepare teachers for initial certification. Pre-service teachers completed a survey with items about the emphasis within their coursework and their exposure through field experiences to the essential components of reading instruction, as defined in the Reading First legislation (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, and reading comprehension strategies). The pre-service teachers also took an assessment of their knowledge of the essential components. The study administered the survey and assessment in the spring and summer of 2007, which represented the end of the sampled pre-service teachers' training programs. The study found that: Pre-service teachers rated the overall focus of their training programs on the essential components of reading as being above "little" but below "moderate," Sixty-nine percent of pre-service teachers reported a moderate overall programmatic focus on the essential components of reading, 25 percent reported a strong focus, and 6 percent reported a weak focus On average, pre-service teachers responded correctly to 57 percent of the items on the Knowledge Assessment.
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Cover Date:	September 2010
Web Release:	September 27, 2010
Print Release:	September 27, 2010
Publication #:	NCEE 20104036 General Ordering Information
Center/Program:	NCEE
Authors:	Terry Salinger, Lorin Mueller, Mengli Song, Ying Jin, Courtney Zmach, and Michele Toplitz: American Institutes for Research. Mark Partridge and Adam Bickford: Optimal Solutions Group LLC
Type of Product:	Evaluation Report
Keywords:	Reading • beginning reading Teachers • education/preparation • preservice teacher education • professional development • qualifications of
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