Graduate and undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) have earned A grades 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, K – 6 Grades: A
• Master of Education in Elementary Education with Licensure: A
The report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, was published on June 9, 2026 and spotlights UAPB for meeting the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction.
Specifically, this means the programs are 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 Arkansas 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.
UAPB is part of a growing group of teacher preparation programs nationwide helping transform how future teachers are trained to teach reading.
“At UAPB, we believe literacy is the foundation of educational success,” said Dr. Machell Dailey, department chair in the School of Education. “This national recognition validates the hard work of our faculty, staff, candidates, and school partners who have embraced research-based reading instruction. We are especially proud that our teacher candidates are learning how to implement effective literacy practices that will help close achievement gaps and create greater opportunities for students throughout Arkansas.”
“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 Arkansas at Pine Bluff 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 UAPB.
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.
