University of Montevallo Elementary Education Program Earns A+ in Preparing Teachers to Teach Reading

June 15, 2026

The undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program at University of Montevallo has earned an A+ grade from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for a second year in a row in recognition of preparing future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.

The NCTQ report announcing the perfect grade spotlights UM 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 many instructional practices that research has shown to be ineffective or counterproductive for teaching children to read.

“We are honored to receive the A+ designation in recognition of the collective efforts of our faculty, the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) and the mentor teachers who support our teacher candidates throughout their clinical experiences in partner school districts,” said Dr. Donna Ploessl, dean of UM College of Education and Human Development. “Our faculty provide a strong foundation in evidence-based literacy instruction, ARI offers invaluable leadership and professional learning and our mentor teachers help teacher candidates translate that knowledge into effective classroom practice. Through these collaborative efforts, our graduates enter the teaching profession equipped with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience needed to advance literacy achievement and strengthen outcomes for students across Alabama.”

A child’s ability to read proficiently in the early grades shapes everything that comes next in school and in life, yet according to NAEP data, four in ten fourth graders in Alabama 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 research-based instructional methods that have been proven to help most students become successful readers.

University of Montevallo is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide helping transform 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 University of Montevallo is demonstrating what strong preparation can look like.”

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 UM.

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 needed to exceed those targets and not teach any instructional practices that are unsupported by research.

Learn more about the undergraduate elementary education program at UM.