DSC Receives Recognition for Elementary Education Program

Daytona State College has received a national recognition for its undergraduate Elementary Education program, the school announced on Wednesday. The National Council on Teacher Quality gave DSC an A+ rating. The metric in question evaluated DSC's ability to prepare future teachers for instructing elementary school students in reading. Specific components studied included phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It was issued in the NCTQ's report, 'Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation'. "Learning to read is one of the most important milestones in a child's education because it impacts everything that follows," said DSC President Dr. Tom LoBasso. "Preparing teachers to help students become confident readers is incredibly important work, and I'm proud of the care and commitment our faculty bring to that mission every day." According to DSC's release about the recognition, the school's program demonstrated that all five scientific components were addressed "while limiting teaching methods not supported by research". An A+ rating indicates that a school not only met but exceeded the standards laid out and effectively excluded practices which are scientifically unsubstantiated.