Missouri S&T’s elementary education program recently earned the International Literacy Association (ILA) National Recognition for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals. This distinction is awarded based upon reviews of content-specific standards taught in the program and examines if they align with the standards in the profession. The ILA recognition is valid through 2030.
“This designation shows that our program is fully aligned to the ILA Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals and is leading the way to advance excellence and equity in literacy acquisition for young students in the state and nationwide,” says Dr. Beth Kania-Gosche, chair and professor of education at Missouri S&T. “This makes us one of 16 programs in the state with this designation.”
Missouri S&T’s undergraduates can earn a bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in elementary education and are then certified to teach grades 1-6 in Missouri. S&T’s program also offers embedded Project Lead The Way certification in a STEM-focused elementary program.
The elementary program at S&T includes more than 150 hours of classroom study prior to student teaching opportunities, where students can teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics lessons at local middle schools. Students can also access Project Lead The Way training and the Regional Professional Development Center’s workshops.
The ILA distinction was funded as part of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Read, Lead, Exceed program, a statewide effort to improve the teaching of reading in elementary schools.
Learn more about Missouri S&T’s education programs at education.mst.edu.
About Missouri S&T
Missouri University of Science and Technology is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to The Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.