In December 2021, the Goodnight Educational Foundation awarded North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. (NCICU) a grant to support the implementation of the science of reading (SoR) into the curriculum for teacher education students at the 31 NC Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) that have Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs). This initiative is in response to the NC Department of Public Instruction’s (NC DPI) mandate that all teacher preparation programs incorporate SoR theory and methodology into their programs. NC DPI defines the “Science of Reading” as ”evidence-based reading instruction practices that address the acquisition of language, phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling, fluency, vocabulary, oral language, and comprehension that can be differentiated to meet the needs of individual students.”
Duke University’s Program in Education recently received a sub-grant award from NCICU to support a partnership with Hill Learning Center to integrate SoR into their curriculum for pre-service Elementary Education teachers. Through this partnership, university teacher educators in Duke’s Elementary Teacher Preparation Program will come together with Hill literacy specialists to develop content, resources, and learning experiences for Duke faculty and students to ensure current and future teachers are well-trained in evidence-based literacy approaches.
This isn’t the first time Hill and Duke’s Program in Education have worked together. Most recently, in 2021 and 2022, Hill provided online and live training in the science of reading as part of a senior level literacy methods course taught by Duke professors Whitney McCoy and Jan Riggsbee, Director of Elementary Teacher Preparation. Building on this foundation, Hill and Duke will leverage and expand upon Hill Professional Learning resources to develop a Duke Science of Reading Pathway for preservice teachers that includes:
• online content
• webinars
• clinical observations at Hill Learning Center
• micro-credentials
• program implementation and teaching guide,
• and tools and resources for Duke faculty.
To leverage grant funds effectively and help build long-term capacity at Duke, Hill will work in collaboration with Duke faculty to utilize content from a variety of existing Hill SoR offerings, including online courses such as the Science of Reading Short Course, Breaking the Code, and Structured Literacy. Together, Hill literacy specialists and Duke faculty will also develop additional training content and teaching tools that can be used by Duke faculty and students each year. These efforts will facilitate integration of the Science of Reading across the capstone teacher education courses in Duke’s Elementary Program.
“I am thrilled to continue our work with the literacy specialists at Hill Learning Center,” remarks Dr. Riggsbee. “Working with an internationally recognized learning development center that is based in the local Durham community sets the stage for a very fruitful partnership and stronger outcomes for our teacher education graduates and their future students.”
Hill’s Director for Literacy Professional Learning Sharon Hopper adds, “Hill is excited for the opportunity to deepen our partnership with Duke’s Program in Education as we strive to do what we can to ensure all sHill’s Director for Literacy Professional Learning Sharon Hopper adds, “Hill is excited for the opportunity to deepen our partnership with Duke’s Program in Education as we strive to do what we can to ensure all students have access to the differentiated, research-based instruction they need to learn to read and succeed in school and in life. We look forward to collaborating to build a sustainable, affordable, and replicable model for integrating SoR into teacher preparation.”