June 22, 2026
Ferris State earns national recognition from NCTQ for preparing future elementary teachers in the science of reading
Ferris State University’s undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program has earned an A ranking from the National Council on Teacher Quality for how well it prepares future teachers to teach reading to elementary students.
The report, Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation, published this month, spotlights Ferris State 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.
Ferris State’s Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, PK-3 Concentration program was lauded by NCTQ, a nonpartisan research and policy organization focused on ensuring every child has access to an effective teacher and every teacher has the opportunity to be effective.
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.
“Literacy rates among our elementary students in the state of Michigan continue to be a concern for parents and educators,” said Dr. David J. Alban, the School of Education department chair. “At Ferris State, we recognize this issue and have faculty working diligently to equip our future teachers with the skills needed to strengthen students’ literacy skills. We are happy to see that our efforts meet the high standards set by organizations like NCTQ, and we will continue to maintain these standards in teacher preparation so that our PK-12 students have successful futures.”
Ferris State is one of just five public universities to gain A rankings and was topped by only University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Michigan State University.
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, nearly half of fourth graders in Michigan 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.
Ferris State 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,” NCTQ President Heather Peske said. “Across the country, many teacher preparation programs still do not fully align with the science of reading, but Ferris 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 Ferris State University.
“The Grade A distinction from NCTQ shows is a great example of how Ferris State’s Education programs are relevant and responsive to the most urgent needs in the state of Michigan, said Dr. Randy Cagle, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education. “The college commends the years-long efforts of our School of Education faculty to ensure our teacher candidates are equipped with the most important professional credentials.”