State board staff present draft higher-education literacy standards; rulemaking to start in January

Alabama State Department of Education staff and representatives from multiple universities presented a draft set of higher-education standards for preservice teacher preparation Wednesday, and told the State Board of Education they expect to bring the draft to the board in January for an intent-to-adopt vote that would open a 45-day public-comment period.

The standards were developed by a higher-education task force convened under the Alabama Literacy Act and supported through Path Forward/Hunt Institute work. Staff said the standards are designed to ensure elementary teacher candidates enter classrooms “ready on day 1” to teach using the science of reading and that the draft applies to both public and private educator preparation programs (EPPs).

A department presenter outlined three main action areas used to craft the draft: making preservice teachers ready on day 1, supporting higher-education faculty development and creating task groups to monitor implementation. The draft documents include indicators, recommended coursework, suggested field placements and suggested course sequences for each standard.

Department staff said institutions already reviewed their syllabi, textbooks and field experiences for alignment. Staff reported using the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) list to classify textbooks as exemplary, acceptable or unacceptable; institutions were asked to use only exemplary or acceptable texts. The department also reported requiring successful completion of the Foundations of Reading assessment (Pearson Test 190) prior to initial certification for candidates, and said many faculty are participating in LETRS training and other professional development.

The higher-education task force — whose members represent multiple universities, including Faulkner University, Auburn University, University of North Alabama and University of West Alabama — described a months-long process of reviewing standards, syllabi and outside models (including KPS and the Barksdale report) and holding face-to-face breakout sessions and revisions. A task-force member said the draft uses a progression of “recognize, explain and apply” for competency statements so faculty and students know how understanding and application should develop.

On a substantive policy point, staff told the board the draft would prohibit the use of a so-called “3 queuing” approach in Alabama EPPs. A staff member said, “Utilization of 3 queuing approach is prohibited in Alabama's EDPs,” and that the committee included the prohibition to make expectations clear to both public and private programs.

Staff described next steps: the department plans to present the draft to the board in January for intent to approve, then post the rule for a 45-day public-comment period with a return to the board in March for final action. Staff asked institutions to begin aligning curricula now, noting that some institutions already have aligned coursework and resources and that the department will support implementation through training and resources.

Board members and presenters said the work is collaborative across higher-education institutions and regional partners. The presentation also highlighted support from the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), collaborations with Pearson for score interpretation, and connections to national advisory experts through the Path Forward cohort.

The draft standards and the higher-education task-force materials will be posted for review when the department posts the formal rule packet. Staff emphasized that the January board item will be an intent-to-adopt step rather than final adoption.

Ending: The board did not take a final vote on the standards at this meeting; staff said they will seek the board’s intent-to-adopt in January, followed by public comment and a March final action date if the board proceeds with the rulemaking.