Tuesday, 28 July 2026, 12:11
Despite six years of state investments to improve literacy instruction, California ranks among the bottom dozen states in preparing future educators to teach reading, according to a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). The report, titled 'Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation', evaluated 52 elementary teacher preparation programs in California that submitted coursework, while 37 declined to participate. The findings reveal that 35% of these programs received an 'F', 6% a 'D', 23% a 'C', 13% a 'B', and fewer than a quarter an 'A'. This places California among the bottom 12 states nationally.
The report also found that 60% of California programs devoted fewer than two hours of instruction to teaching candidates how to support English learners, and 37% spent fewer than two hours preparing future teachers to work with struggling readers. However, some California education leaders disagree with the findings, questioning the report's methodology. They argue the state has put all necessary pieces in place to ensure teachers use evidence-based literacy instruction, also known as the science of reading, which includes phonics, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and phonemic awareness.
“Learning to read is essential to a student's ability to succeed in life, their ability to get a job, to understand how to read a bill,” said Ron Noble, chief of Teacher Prep at NCTQ. “Right now, too many children in our country, and in California specifically, aren't learning to read effectively.” The stakes are high in California, where fewer than half of third graders were deemed proficient in English language arts in 2025. Third-grade reading proficiency is widely considered a predictor of future academic success.
California’s low ranking comes despite significant state efforts. Since 2020, the state has invested approximately $1 billion in literacy initiatives, including $500 million for literacy coaches and $200 million for teacher training. Senate Bill 488, passed in 2021, requires new teachers to pass a literacy teaching performance assessment and mandates rigorous certification for teacher prep programs. Mary Vixie Sandy, executive director of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, noted that every program in California has been certified under new literacy standards, and early data show a high pass rate on the assessment.
Emma Hipolito, director of the UCLA Teacher Education Program—which received an 'F'—defended the program, calling the state certification process “more vigorous” than the NCTQ review. “I think our students and my faculty do incredibly good work,” she said.
For Mendocino County, these findings are particularly relevant as local schools rely on teacher preparation programs to produce educators skilled in evidence-based reading instruction. With California’s third-grade reading proficiency below 50%, the county’s students may be affected by gaps in teacher training. The Mendocino Voice republished this report in partnership with EdSource to highlight the issue for local readers.
This year’s results show improvement over the 2023 NCTQ report, which gave only 5% of California programs an 'A' and 59% an 'F'. Nationally, more than double the number of programs (53%) earned an A or A+ this year compared to 2023. The improvements align with a national push in at least 44 states to pass legislation and invest in literacy, focusing on phonics-based instruction. California has been part of this effort, but the report suggests more work is needed.
While California has made strides in literacy investments and policy changes, the NCTQ report indicates teacher preparation programs still lag in equipping educators with evidence-based reading instruction skills. State officials and program directors disagree with the report’s methodology, but the low ranking underscores ongoing challenges in improving literacy outcomes for California’s students.
