Delaware’s statewide literacy strategy earns national recognition for strengthening teacher preparation

Delaware's statewide effort to improve early literacy is gaining national recognition as the state strengthens how future teachers are prepared to teach reading.

A new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) highlights Delaware's work to align educator preparation programs with evidence-based reading instruction. The recognition comes as Delaware completes the first round of comprehensive reviews of the colleges and universities preparing future educators, an important step in the state's broader strategy to improve literacy outcomes for students.

Too many Delaware students continue to struggle with reading proficiency, making literacy one of the state's most urgent priorities. State leaders, educators, and policymakers have worked together to strengthen literacy instruction through a coordinated strategy that includes stronger instructional materials, professional learning, coaching, student screening, implementation support, and public accountability for results.

Building on earlier literacy legislation, Senate Bill 252 established a formal review and accountability process for the colleges and universities that prepare Delaware's future teachers. The law requires programs preparing elementary, early childhood, special education, and reading specialist candidates to demonstrate alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction and the Delaware Early Literacy Framework.

Delaware recently completed the first round of reviews under the law, marking a major milestone in the state's effort to strengthen teacher preparation and improve literacy outcomes for students.

"Delaware is building a statewide literacy strategy around a simple promise: Every child deserves a teacher who knows how to teach reading well," Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. "That requires strong instruction in our classrooms, strong support for the educators already serving students and strong preparation before new teachers begin their careers. The General Assembly gave us a clear framework for this work, our higher education partners opened their programs to a rigorous review, and we are now using what we learned to strengthen implementation. This is how investment becomes better teaching and better outcomes for students. We are grateful to Delaware's educator preparation programs for their partnership and their commitment to continuing this work with us."

To implement Senate Bill 252, the Delaware Department of Education partnered with an external evaluator to conduct comprehensive Science of Reading reviews of Delaware's five educator preparation providers:

• Delaware Technical Community College
• Delaware State University
• Relay Graduate School of Education
• University of Delaware
• Wilmington University

Over several months, the external evaluator facilitated planning sessions with each institution and led intensive on-site reviews conducted by teams that included nationally recognized literacy experts.

Using the Delaware Early Literacy Framework as the foundation for the review process, reviewers examined coursework, instructional materials, clinical experiences, candidate assessments, and program quality-control systems. Teams also interviewed faculty, institutional leaders, current candidates, graduates, mentor teachers, principals, and district human resources leaders to evaluate how effectively programs are preparing future educators to implement evidence-based literacy practices.

The reviews are designed to identify strengths, surface opportunities for improvement, and strengthen the systems that prepare future educators before they enter Delaware classrooms.

As Delaware moves into the next phase of implementation, the Delaware Department of Education will work with educator preparation programs and the external evaluator to celebrate strengths, highlight innovative practices, and provide targeted technical assistance to address recommendations identified during the review process.

The state's work with higher education partners is critical for school leaders who rely on strong teacher preparation as the foundation for student success.

"Schools do a great deal to support and develop teachers throughout their careers; strong preparation before they enter the classroom helps set them up for even greater success," Seaford School District Superintendent Sharon DiGirolamo said. "When educators begin with a solid understanding of evidence-based reading instruction, they can focus on building confidence and refining their skills. This creates better outcomes for teachers, schools, and most importantly, students."

The state's review process coincides with NCTQ's national review of teacher preparation programs, which noted Delaware's efforts to align preparation programs with evidence-based reading instruction and establish policies to review educator preparation programs and ensure literacy standards are addressed.

For Delaware, the recognition reflects more than a review process. It represents another step in the state's ongoing effort to strengthen teacher preparation, support effective literacy instruction, and improve outcomes for students.

Media contact: Alison May, [email protected], 302-735-4006