DSU Elementary Education Program Achieves Top Marks in New Report from the National Council on Teacher Quality
The undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program at Dickinson State University has earned an A+ from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how well they prepare future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.
- Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with Certification: A+(View grade page)
The report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, published on June 9, spotlights Dickinson State University 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.
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 North Dakota 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.
Dickinson State University is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide helping transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading.
"Since 2020, our Reading Foundations score has consistently been outstanding at an A- or above, and in 2023, DSU was the only NDUS institution to receive a grade in the 'A' range," said Dr. Joan Aus, Dean of the School of Education. "This A+ score in the 2026 Teacher Prep Review is a direct reflection of our dedication to systematic, explicit processes that align with the Science of Reading, ensuring our graduates enter the classroom fully prepared to change the trajectory of early literacy in North Dakota.
To earn this distinction, DSU provided NCTQ with extensive curriculum evidence, including course syllabi, detailed pedagogical and methodology rationales, and rigorous assessment examples used in its literacy courses. The university also highlighted the exceptional academic backgrounds of its teacher education faculty, all of whom possess graduate degrees in reading, have served as reading interventionists in the K-8 sector, and hold advanced training in elite literacy frameworks such as LETRS and Orton-Gillingham. This comprehensive training directly targets foundational skills like phonemic awareness, decoding practices, and fluency in grades K-3.
“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 Dickinson State University 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 Dickinson State University.
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.
"With recent NAEP data ranking North Dakota students 43rd and 45th in early reading proficiency, the stakes could not be higher," added Dr. Joan Aus, Dean of the School of Education. "The totality of our early literacy program answers this call by ensuring our preservice teachers master the research-based practices necessary to build successful, proficient readers."
See NCTQ’s report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation for more information about Dickinson State University’s coverage of the science of reading and to see how Dickinson State University compares to other programs in North Dakota or across the country.