Syllabi Tools for Faculty Unity

An essential first step in integrating scientifically based reading instruction into an educator preparation program is developing unity among a department’s faculty to foster commitment to the work. Through The Reading League’s EPP community of practice meetings, faculty from over 200 EPPs have agreed that this work is challenging—and notably more challenging and less successful if done independently. The following tools can help make this work easier to navigate for faculty members.

Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines

The Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines (CEGs) feature pages of scientifically-based reading research within its reference section. This research substantiates the scientifically “aligned practices” identified within the CEGs and highlights the “red flag” practices that are not aligned with the evidence.

EPP faculty can use the CEGs to identify which instructional practices to teach to their students and which to use when designing aligned student assignments. Providing pre‑service teachers with their own copy of the CEGs will help them understand which practices the science of reading does and does not support.

CEEDAR Center Resources

The CEEDAR Center offers innovation configurations that EPPs can use to evaluate programs on a variety of evidence-based practices.

Innovation Configurations that have been helpful to EPPs as they align course content with the science of reading are the Rhode Island Science of Reading and Structured Literacy Syllabi Refinement Tool and Resource Bank for Syllabi Enhancement.

Additionally, the CEEDAR center website offers course enhancement modules, including one on evidence-based literacy practices that can be used as a tool in educator preparation courses.

International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Knowledge and Practice Standards (KPS)

The International Dyslexia Association offers a standards-based accreditation process for EPPs that have developed course content that meets or exceeds the IDA  Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teaching Reading and Spelling. These standards are also a useful tool for refining and supplementing course content in an educator preparation program.

A list of accredited programs is available on the IDA website.

Additional resources

There are many useful resources for EPP faculty to use within their course content regarding both “the what” and “the how” of literacy instruction.