Maine teacher prep programs call foul after getting F’s
The Maine Monitor••nation
Key Points:
- Three public universities in Maine—the University of Maine in Orono, University of Southern Maine, and University of Maine at Farmington—received failing grades from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) in 2023 for inadequately preparing future teachers in the five pillars of effective reading instruction.
- The NCTQ based its ratings on syllabi and documents obtained through public records requests after the universities did not fully participate in the review process; the universities strongly disputed the findings, citing methodological flaws and emphasizing their accreditation and positive outcomes.
- The five pillars of reading instruction assessed include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, critical components supported by decades of research and essential for addressing declining reading scores among Maine students
