New Bill Would Monitor Teacher Training On Reading Instruction
Photo Credit: Judy Baxter / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Senator John Ragan of Oak Ridge has introduced a bill that would push for greater accountability of education preparation providers in Tennessee.
House Bill 2057 (HB2057), filed for introduction on January 27, would require the department of education “to produce an annual report concerning the efficacy of training on reading instruction provided by educator preparation providers.”
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The bill is intended as an additional measure to ensure that Tennessee’s teachers are adequately prepared to provide effective reading instruction in the classroom. According to the National Council on Teacher Quality, only slightly over half of elementary teacher preparation programs cover a minimum of four of the five components of reading instruction.
Additionally, the bill would also introduce consequences for programs that do not meet the requirements. It “requires revocation of state approval for educator preparation providers that fail to meet certain standards.”
Literacy has been at the forefront of educational concerns in Tennessee in recent years, gaining even more attention as post-pandemic data showed a continued decline in the number of students reading proficiently.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Directory for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
