Request for Proposal for Best Practices: Preparing Excellent Reading Teachers

Best Practices: Preparing Excellent Reading Teachers The New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED) through the Division of Learner Support in collaboration with the Division of Educator Support and Higher Education is seeking proposals to 1) analyze, compare, and report on New Hampshire Ed 500 and Ed 600 endorsement standards for teaching reading, 2) identify and disseminate best practices used by Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) at Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs), and 3) prepare individual, confidential EPP reports for IHEs and a public State Summary Report on outcomes as defined in this RFP. The purpose of this work is to ensure that the State requires evidence-based high quality content standards for the teaching of reading, to identify and disseminate EPP best practices in meeting standards, and to analyze related outcomes impacting New Hampshire’s teacher workforce and students. New Hampshire (NH) aspires that all children be proficient readers by the end of third grade (age nine), under the premise that students first learn to read, so that they then might read to learn. Because standards serve as the basis for designing curriculum and delivering content, attaining reading proficiency requires clear, measurable, and challenging standards for pre-service teachers and the educator preparation programs. Therefore, the goal of this project is to present a deep analysis of NH teacher endorsement standards that relate to the teaching of reading and a report on the application of existing standards in relevant pre-service programs at our EPPs. A final report including analyses and recommendations will assist stakeholders in determining how to best support our pre-service teachers and EPPsin our common goal to assure all children attain proficiency in reading by the end of third grade.