Accreditations, Leadership in Literacy Gain MU Recognition

It's one thing to know you are doing good work. It's another to have someone else recognize it.

Dr. Lara Willox, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, knew the College's strategic investment in literacy put Millersville ahead of many peer institutions. The payoff was when others took notice of the University's leadership in this area.

"Strong literacy instruction has always been a core strength at Millersville," says Willox. "The accreditation process didn't change our work, it confirmed it. Our faculty, particularly Dr. Aileen Hower and the literacy team, have consistently ensured our programs align with national standards and best practices. The difference now is that we have the opportunity to more visibly showcase Millersville's leadership in literacy education."

IDA and ILA Accreditation

Through efforts led by Hower, Millersville's M.Ed. in Language and Literacy with Certification Program has been awarded two national accreditations.

Hower coordinates the Reading/Literacy Specialist Program, which received the highest distinction awarded through the International Literacy Association's National Recognition program in July 2025. Fewer than 10 programs have earned the designation since its introduction in 2019.ILA National Recognition honors outstanding literacy preparation programs that equip candidates with a stronger knowledge base as PK-12 classroom teachers and reading/literacy specialists. Programs that receive this recognition demonstrate exemplary practice, adherence to rigorous standards, and a strong commitment to preparing educators to meet today's instructional challenges.

"ILA's standards have been created with decades of research and expertise behind them - they are standards that we know will not waver and can be relied upon as highly effective goals to strive toward," says Hower. "ILA is the North Star to our program and by receiving this recognition, we know that all of our hard work is aligned to the right information."

Hower and Dr. Jennifer Shettel, chair of the Department of Early, Middle and Elementary Education, also teamed up to gain accreditation for the Reading/Literacy Specialist Program from the International Dyslexia Association. IDA accreditation "is a rigorous and prestigious process that ensures preparation programs meet the highest standards in structured literacy, especially for students with dyslexia."

"Students attending our graduate program in language and literacy in reading can feel confident that they have been prepared to meet IDA's standards thanks to this accreditation," Hower says.

These accreditations affirm the quality and rigor of Millersville's educator preparation programs, Willox says. "We earned those recognitions last summer, and we are the only PASSHE school to do so," she says. "It's good to share that we are leading the way in this literacy movement by validating what we were already doing."

Structured Literacy

In addition to gaining both accreditations, Hower has worked to ensure that Millersville's literacy curriculum and those who teach it are in compliance with Act 49 of 2025, which establishes statewide requirements related to Structured Literacy professional development, evidence-based reading curriculum materials, universal screening, and reading intervention for students in kindergarten and grades one through three.

Structured Literacy is an evidence-based approach to reading instruction characterized by explicit, systematic and cumulative teaching of language structures - phonology, sound-symbol association, syllables, morphology, syntax and semantics. It is highly effective for all students, particularly those with dyslexia, by focusing on mastery through direct instruction.

Millersville's curriculum has been redesigned to align with Structured Literacy principles, ensuring its graduates are prepared to meet the needs of all learners, and 32 faculty members have completed specialized training in Structured Literacy. "This demonstrates our deep commitment to professional development and evidence-based instruction," Willox says.

In a time of going back to the foundation of literacy learning, Millersville's program ensures that it is strongly adhering to the Chapter 49 Structured Literacy Competencies being championed throughout Pennsylvania.

Other Efforts

The University welcomed the Children's Dyslexia Center of Lancaster to campus in Fall 2025, creating a powerful partnership that enhances community access to Structured Literacy support. Shettel tutored with the organization last year and learned they needed a new location.

"Millersville has always emphasized evidence-based practices in all content areas, including literacy," says Shettel. "Having the Children's Dyslexia Center located here on campus emphasizes the University's local outreach in partnering with community literacy-based initiatives and our commitment to ensuring that all children have access to high-quality literacy instruction."

"They are here, operationalized and tutoring kids," Willox says. "Their location in Lancaster House makes it easy for our students, who serve as tutors and get training there, because they are right here on campus."

Other curricular initiatives include adding an ESL minor for undergraduates, which provides students with experience in an urban environment after their foundation block, says Hower. "We partner with Penn Manor and School District of Lancaster and are working with the University's Migrant Education Program to give undergrads this experience," she says.

A Literacy Coaching Endorsement has been added to the graduate curriculum for reading specialists who want to strengthen their professional knowledge, build skills in instructional coaching and stand out in their field. "Literacy coaches help improve the knowledge, skills and practices of teachers, which enhances student achievement," says Hower.

Beyond the campus of Millersville, Hower is an active, engaged advocate for literacy efforts. She is a board member and past president of the Keystone State Literacy Association, which presented her with its Service Award in 2019. Hower also runs an annual Summer Literacy Institute on writing. She was just named to a PDE Structured Literacy Advisory Committee after submitting an application on behalf of the undergraduate PK-4 Early Childhood major.

"There's been a real focus and intentionality about literacy," Willox says, "and Aileen was instrumental in all of it. She's been really focused on graduate programming and has enhanced the program."

Some of the great names in literacy education - including Jack Cassidy, professor emeritus who was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame, the highest honor for those in the field - have taught at Millersville, according to Hower. "The legacy of literacy at Millersville is why I came here," she says. "All of those who came before have made it easy to pick up the torch and carry it on."