Mercer University

Comments on analysis

Courses reviewed: EMAT 636, and EMAT 637

The research-based content proven to be necessary for teaching all children to read should be clearly evident in course materials such as lecture topics, assignments and textbooks. All of a program's required reading courses — not just some courses — should impart what is necessary to teach reading.

The program does not fully meet the standard because its coursework covers four of the five of the components of effective reading instruction:

• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension Strategies

• Phonemic Awareness

Comments on analysis

Students cannot excel in mathematics without skillful instruction in the earliest years of school. Teacher candidates generally require three semesters of coursework, complemented by adequate field practice, to progress from a procedural to a conceptual understanding of the essential mathematics topics taught in the elementary grades.

Courses reviewed: EMAT 667, and EMAT 668

Through a review of the coursework noted above, the program was not found to provide teacher candidates with adequate coverage of numbers & operations, algebra, geometry, and data analysis & probability.

Next Steps
To improve under this standard, additional attention should be paid to the coverage of content and selection of textbooks used to support instruction.

Comments on analysis

Because they cannot teach what they do not know, teacher candidates need to have content knowledge in English/language arts, social studies, and science. Graduate programs should make sure that their elementary candidates know the subjects they will teach, either by reviewing their transcripts, requiring that they pass rigorous standardized assessments, or requiring that they complete content courses by graduation. If candidates are admitted with deficiencies in content preparation, the program should clearly delineate necessary remediation.

The program does not meet this standard because its review of applicants' content preparation requires no relevant preparation in:

• English/Language Arts
• Social Science
• Science