More Alabama teacher prep programs are covering core elements of scientifically backed reading instruction, according to new national research.

One university program might provide a lesson for others — Samford University is one of just two teacher prep programs reviewed in the country that earned an A+ for both its undergraduate and graduate reading instruction programs, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.

And, while the majority of Alabama’s education programs haven’t fully incorporated the science of reading, the state is ahead of the rest of the country in retooling training for future teachers. According to a new NCTQ report, released Tuesday, nearly 40% of Alabama programs reviewed incorporated the five core elements of science-based reading instruction, compared to 25% nationwide.

Nationally, at the other end of the scale, one-quarter of programs nationally do not adequately cover any components. In Alabama, that figure is 17%.

Read more: Alabama student reading scores dropped this year. See how your school did.

“We’re in the midst of a long overdue revolution on the science of reading, but teacher prep programs haven’t fully caught up,” said Heather Peske, NCTQ president, in a news release. “Prospective teachers—and certainly their students—deserve far better.”

NCTQ found that in Alabama, five of the state’s undergraduate and two of the state’s graduate programs for teacher preparation earned an “A” or “A+.” The grade is based on how many of the core components of scientifically-based reading instruction practices are included in teacher preparation.

Samford University earned an A+ for its undergraduate program, the only school in the state to do so. Three programs – Troy University, the University of South Alabama and the University of West Alabama – earned A’s for their undergraduate teacher preparation in reading instruction.

Read more: Are Alabama teacher training programs using science of reading best practices?

Alabama requires most teachers to attend a four-year undergraduate program in order to be certified.

Samford University and Alabama A&M University earned an A+ for their graduate programs. They are among only nine graduate programs nationwide that earned an A+.

The NCTQ review also found that six Alabama colleges used practices known to be contrary to scientifically backed reading instruction.

All of Alabama’s 25 teacher preparation programs are required by law to offer nine hours of coursework in reading instruction rooted in the science of reading. The law, known as the Alabama Literacy Act, gave teacher preparation programs until January to meet the requirement.

An Alabama-funded review of that coursework by Mississippi’s Barksdale Institute last year found 23% of courses were fully aligned to the science of reading.

Third grade students not reading on grade level by the end of the 2023-24 school year could be retained under the law.

NCTQ’s review was conducted over the past two years and included 12 of Alabama’s teacher prep programs. Colleges that did not respond to NCTQ’s requests for information were not included in the review.

“Far too many students are denied the right to an excellent education, including the right to read, because they don’t have access to effective literacy instruction,” said Denise Forte, CEO of The Education Trust, a nonprofit organization advocating for high-quality education for students of color. “Teacher preparation programs are in the enviable position of ensuring every child, especially students of color and those from low-income backgrounds, has access to a teacher who is well-prepared in the methods that we know work best.”

The review was conducted over the past two years, according to NCTQ, and if colleges did not provide the information that was requested, they were not included in the review.

A full breakdown of university program grades were calculated can be seen at this link.

Here’s the full list of undergraduate programs that NCTQ reviewed and their grades:

• Samford University – A+
• Troy University – A
• University of South Alabama – A
• University of West Alabama – A
• Alabama A&M University – B
• Alabama State University – B
• University of Alabama – B
• University of Alabama in Huntsville – C
• Auburn University – F
• Jacksonville State University – F
• Miles College – F
• University of Montevallo – F

Graduate programs that were reviewed earned the following grades:

• Alabama A&M University – A+
• Samford University – A+
• University of South Alabama – A
• Troy University – B
• University of Alabama – C
• Jacksonville State University – F

Programs were reviewed based on whether these five components were adequately covered in teacher preparation courses:

• Phonemic awareness,
• Phonics,
• Fluency,
• Vocabulary, and
• Comprehension