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Why Can’t UNC-System Education Programs Fix Literacy Instruction?
James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | February 27, 2023 | Shannon Watkins

Posted on 03/01/2023 6:39:41 PM PST by karpov

Members of the UNC Board of Governors are not happy. A years-long effort to align teacher training with the best scientifically proven methods to teach reading has fallen flat on its face. Given the grim state of literacy in the state, a January report outlining UNC-System schools’ failures is particularly egregious.

According to a recent third-party review of UNC educator preparation programs (EPPs), only UNC Charlotte’s EPP is properly grounding teachers in research-based literacy instruction methods, also known as the “science of reading.” The skills addressed in that science include phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The review was conducted by TPI-US, an organization that inspects teacher preparation programs. The review was commissioned by the legislature to evaluate how well EPPs are preparing future teachers in the science of reading, as mandated by the 2021 state law, the Excellent Public Schools Act.

As charged by the legislature, TPI-US reviewed 30 programs across North Carolina, 15 of which were UNC-System schools. The method of evaluation consisted of reviewing course materials and faculty teaching videos and conducting interviews with faculty and leadership about the nature of their instruction in the science of reading. TPI-US then sent each institution individual reports with one of four ratings: “strong,” “good,” “needs improvement,” or “inadequate.” Of the 15 UNC schools, one was rated “strong,” five were rated “good,” eight were rated “needs improvement,” and one was rated “inadequate.”

After TPI-US presented these results at the January 18 meeting of the Educational Planning, Policies, and Programs committee, UNC-System president Peter Hans expressed deep concern. In his comments, Hans revealed which schools had received which ratings.

(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...


TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: phonics; reading; unc

1 posted on 03/01/2023 6:39:41 PM PST by karpov
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To: karpov

If it is years-long in the making and is not working, somebody is profiting to ensure that it doesn’t work.


2 posted on 03/01/2023 6:41:02 PM PST by Jonty30 (THE URGE TO SAVE THE WORLD IS ALMOST ALWAYS AN URGE TO RULE IT)
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To: karpov

Wrong premise.

They don’t want to produce people able to read, write and understand math and science. Don’t want them to know how to problem solve.


3 posted on 03/01/2023 6:41:53 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: karpov

Maybe the UNC System should consider how the Chapel Hill Med School was paid to teach safe handling techniques at the Wuhan Institute of Virology?


4 posted on 03/01/2023 6:41:58 PM PST by MattMusson (Sometimes the wind bweek.lows too much)
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To: karpov

Fire them all from top to bottom.

Start anew from scratch.


5 posted on 03/01/2023 6:45:46 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: karpov

Students are not willing.


6 posted on 03/01/2023 7:02:40 PM PST by GingisK
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To: Secret Agent Man

> They don’t want to produce people able to read, write and understand math and science. Don’t want them to know how to problem solve.

Agree. I worked on a vertical market software application used by literacy organizations to track their operations. It was all about getting the grant money. The people were an afterthought.


7 posted on 03/01/2023 7:09:47 PM PST by glorgau
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To: Secret Agent Man

“They don’t want to produce people able to read, write and understand math and science. Don’t want them to know how to problem solve.”

Uneducated people don’t revolt. In the US, it took ‘metropolitan types*’ from the North to organize and fire up the blacks in the South...which led directly to our ‘inner cities’.

*I prefer to call them ‘metropolitan types’ in order to avoid getting in trouble for calling out their religion.


8 posted on 03/01/2023 7:09:56 PM PST by BobL
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To: karpov

UNC specializes in no work, no assignment classes so they can keep their ringer athletes enrolled and playoff eligible. They did that for 18 years before getting a slap on the wrist from the NCAA. More like a tap on the wrist. Academic integrity is not UNCheat’s specialty.


9 posted on 03/01/2023 7:10:50 PM PST by The_Media_never_lie ( )
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To: karpov

You mean the Same UNC that employs Ralph Baric, godfather of the Corona Virus and the guy who’s crew was sequencing a Spike Proein Vaccine for Coronavirus, for Moderna in December 2019 and whose humanized mice probably directly led to the death of 1,000,000 Americans?

Because they don’t care?


10 posted on 03/01/2023 7:12:11 PM PST by UNGN
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To: karpov
A years-long effort to align teacher training with the best scientifically proven methods to teach reading has fallen flat on its face.

Parents reading to their own kids themselves is the best way to instill a love of books to kids. Get kids to value books and you won’t have problems teaching them to read.

Also, teach phonics.

11 posted on 03/01/2023 9:55:38 PM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith….)
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To: karpov

Is UNC teaching teaching-students how to read, teaching teachers how to teach reading, or having to teach freshman students how to read?


12 posted on 03/02/2023 4:25:43 AM PST by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
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To: karpov

You can’t teach what you don’t know


13 posted on 03/02/2023 5:28:36 AM PST by maddogtiger
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