Building Faculty Knowledge and Capacity

The UNC System Literacy Framework is a result of the recent Board of Governors’ Resolution on Teacher Preparation (April 17, 2020). The resolution called on the UNC System Office, in collaboration with educator preparation and literacy experts, to develop a common framework for literacy instruction in teacher preparation that will be adopted by UNC System educator preparation programs. The framework is based on effective reading research and will ensure that teacher candidates receive instruction in the essential components of reading.Following the Board of Governors’ Resolution on Teacher Preparation, the UNC System Office distributed a call for applications from the 15 UNC institutions with educator preparation programs to solicit a group of faculty members to serve as Literacy Fellows who would collaborate to develop the UNC System Literacy Framework. Eight fellows, who have a wealth of experience and knowledge of evidence-based literacy practice, were selected from a robust pool of applicants that included many strong candidates from across the UNC System.The Literacy Fellows were charged to complete a set of deliverables to include a completed framework, program implementation guidance, and a campus-level self-study tool.The Literacy Fellows met synchronously and asynchronously throughout the fall 2020 semester and began their work by collectively establishing eight major components of evidence-based, early literacy that teacher candidates need to be prepared to effectively deliver literacy instruction in their future classrooms. These components were developed from a charrette where all fellows offered ideas as to what the essential components of evidence-based early literacy instruction are and these were distilled into the eight components. The fellows then developed competencies, sub-competencies with suggested instructional strategies, field experiences/activities, and measurements of mastery associated with each of the major components. In addition, the fellows designed implementation guidance to provide detailed descriptions of the framework components; to offer recommendations for teacher educators for the delivery of instruction within campus classrooms; to provide additional strategies and resources for faculty and pre-service candidates; and, particularly, to offer suggestions for adapting to diverse contexts, considerations for differentiation, and resources for diverse populations.The DevelopersTo develop the UNC System Literacy Framework, the System Office recruited eight faculty members from across UNC System universities to serve as Literacy Fellows and they are as follows:• Kimberly L. Anderson, East Carolina University, Associate Professor of Reading Education• Christie Cavanaugh, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Clinical Associate Professor• Dennis S. Davis, North Carolina State University, Associate Professor of Literacy Education• Rebecca Lee Payne Jordan, Appalachian State University, Assistant Professor of Reading Education• Kim Doggett Pemberton, Winston-Salem State University, Associate Professor of Elementary Education• Paola Pilonieta, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Associate Professor, Director of the Reading Education Minor• Roya Qualls Scales, Western Carolina University, Professor of Literacy Education• Kellee D. Watkins, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Assistant Professor and MAT Coordinator for Elementary Education