Missouri Educator Preparation Literacy Initiatives

Over the past few years, the Educator Preparation Section of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Educator Preparation Providers (EPP) across the state have worked to ensure that Educator Preparation in Missouri is aligned with DESE’s Read, Lead, Exceed Project. This page serves as a record of many of the related activities as well as some initial results.

Results

• The list below provides details of various activities in which EPPs have engaged to strengthen reading instruction in novice teachers. Nearly 98% of all EPPs have engaged in one or more of these activities.
• Praxis Reading Test
  • Since July of 2024, candidates for certification in Elementary Education have been required to take this Praxis test: Elementary Education: Teaching Reading (7002). This test has a strong focus on evidence-based reading.
  • With 75 tests being taken by 10/1/24, Missouri test-takers have an 86% pass rate
• First-Year Survey (first year of reading questions)
  • In spring of 2024, three literacy-specific questions were added to the survey that is annually sent to first-year teachers and their supervisors.
  • The results below reflect responses from 551 Elementary and Early Childhood teachers who completed comprehensive teacher preparation programs and 582 supervisors.
  • The numbers reflect the percentage of respondents who rated the teacher’s preparation in the area noted in the prompt at a 3 or above (1-5 scale with 5 high)

• EPP Literacy Survey
  • In the spring of 2024, DESE commissioned a comprehensive survey of Missouri EPPs to determine the state of literacy instruction in the state.
  • With responses representing 93% of Missouri EPPs
    • 88% indicated changes to programs in last 2 years
    • 74% indicated recent course adjustments explicitly related to the Science of Reading
  • The entire report can be accessed here: https://irl.umsl.edu/epir/48/.

Activities (drop-down menu like on this page: https://dese.mo.gov/college-career-readiness/curriculum/missouri-learning-standards)

1. Early Literacy Council. In order to oversee the project, DESE created the Early Literacy Council. This group of 13 educational leaders from around the state includes representatives from P-12 and EPPs, practitioners and administrators. The Council developed a job description for Early Literacy Fellows, and then reviewed the 30+ applications, choosing eight. The Council functioned from fall 2022 through spring of 2024.
2. Early Literacy Fellows. The eight Early Literacy Fellows are from across the state and currently involved in literacy instruction in both P-12 and higher education. They were involved in several projects, as noted below. The Fellows functioned under the coordination of the Educator Preparation Section (funded by ESSER funds) from spring 2023 through spring 2024. They may continue to function through the DESE Office of College and Career Readiness pending approval of a grant. Some details about the group include:
   1. Four Fellows have completed at least Volume 1 of LETRS Training, and 2 are trained facilitators.
   2. Five Fellows have taught in P-12 within the last 2 years, and 4 are currently teaching there.
   3. Two Fellows are proficient in Spanish and have experience in ELL.
   4. Several types of Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) are represented, including: large public R-1, regional comprehensive, HBCU, and small private.
   5. Most regions of Missouri are represented, including: Southwest, Southeast, Central, Metro St. Louis, and Metro Kansas City.
3. Literacy Grants. In the fall of 2022 the Early Literacy Council reviewed the applications and, ultimately, awarded over $200,000 to nine EPPs to carry out projects focused on improving reading teacher candidate preparation to teach children to read. Grant awardees will gather data on various aspects of their initiatives and submit a report for broad dissemination in early 2024. In the spring of 2024, DESE will sponsor a conference in which participating EPPs will share the results of their work so that successful aspects can be replicated, if possible.
4. Revised Certification Requirements. In February of 2023 the Board approved a proposal from DESE to change certification requirements in Elementary, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education, Mild/Moderate Cross-Categorical Special Education, Middle School Education, and Secondary Education. These changes were necessary to achieve compliance with recent legislation focused on literacy education.
5. Revised Competencies. The Fellows developed new competencies for literacy instruction in the certification areas of Elementary, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education, and Mild/Moderate Cross-Categorical Special Education. These new competencies are embedded in a revision of the Missouri Standards for the Preparation of Educators (MoSPE), which were approved by the board and will go into effect in the fall of 2023. The revised competencies will provide EPPs with more explicit literacy objectives for their candidates.
6. Evaluation of Current Literacy Skills. In the spring of 2023 DESE conducted a survey of educators associated with literacy instruction. Both Early Literacy Fellows and Council assisted with the distribution. Of the 65 respondents, 44 were from P-6 schools, and 21 were from EPPs. The results are being used by the Fellows to identify areas that need the most intensive support.
7. LETRS Training. DESE has funded 114 EPP faculty to enroll in LETRS I or II and 8 EPP faculty to enroll in LETRS facilitator training. In addition, DESE will provide support for at least 21 current teacher candidates to complete LETRS I training over the next year.
8. LETRS Facilitator Training. Ten EPP faculty have been funded to participate in LETRS Facilitator Training.
9. Shared Case Study Project. The Fellows developed a case study/portfolio project that would allow candidates to demonstrate skills and knowledge in an applied context. This and related resources will be provided to EPPs to use in their programs.  
10. Collaborative Professional Development. The Fellows created a framework for organizing joint, literacy-focused professional development between EPPs and Local Educational Authorities (LEA). The first of these meetings was held in spring 2024 and included representatives from both LEAs and EPPs.
11. Program Accreditation. Nine EPPs are currently engaged in the process of having their literacy programs evaluated by the International Literacy association in pursuit of ILA program accreditation. This was an idea that came from the Fellows and is being funded, in part, through DESE.
12. Special Reading Certification. A statewide workgroup is revising the Special Reading certification requirements to ensure alignment with the goals of the Read, Lead, Exceed initiative.

Literacy Conference. In the spring of 2024 DESE hosted a conference focused on the preparation of literacy educators. Recipients of the Literacy Grants in 2022-23 presented the results of their projects. Over 50 educators from across the state, representing both K-12 and higher education, attended.