Methodology: Secondary methods
We examined course requirements and descriptions to determine whether secondary teacher candidates in the four core subject areas were required to take a methods course specific to their subject area.
We also noted, but did not rate, whether the institution requires secondary teacher candidates to take any coursework in reading pedagogy. All secondary teachers should be prepared to support the literacy skills of their students. This includes helping students to access multiple types of text in their subject area, as well as understanding the impact on instruction of the wide range of reading levels commonly found in a secondary classroom. We chose not to rate this coursework, however, because a methodology for a more comprehensive review of syllabi and textbooks has not yet been developed. Without such an analysis, a rating might be interpreted as an endorsement of courses that address comprehension strategies regardless of the effectiveness of those strategies.
