COLUMBUS, Ohio — Some Ohio colleges are falling behind when it comes to teaching the future educators of the state, with a state audit showing they are not in alignment with efforts to promote childhood literacy.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine released an audit on whether teaching universities are embracing the 'Science of Reading' (SoR), a way of teaching reading, going back to traditional phonics — breaking down a word letter by letter with a student sounding out the word.
"Kids have only one chance to grow up," DeWine said. "We've got to get it right."
SOR has been proven to be the best way to educate children, he said. He is trying to prevent three-cueing from being taught — it can teach words as a whole, not individual letters, based on taking context clues such as other words in a sentence or pictures, as a way to recognize and remember the word.
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Of the 48 colleges audited, 10 failed to comply — including The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Cleveland State University, Bowling Green State University, Central State University, Defiance College, Ohio Christian University, Ohio Dominican University, University of Toledo and Wright State University.
The full list of the 33 that did comply can be found here, but includes Ashland University, Baldwin Wallace University, College of Wooster, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kent State University, Lake Erie College, Miami University, Otterbein University, the University of Akron, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Dayton, Xavier University and Youngstown State.
There were five colleges in partial compliance, meaning they didn't meet the minimum SoR requirements, but didn't make any three-cue violations. Those include Capital University, God’s Bible School & College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Ursuline College and Western Governors University.
Of the failures, the schools are being asked to either change their curriculum or stop violating the SoR. If they don't, the state can revoke approval for their teaching programs in a year.
Chancellor of Higher Education Mike Duffey said CSU was well on its way to being in the clear.
"Cleveland State University has one prohibited content course section, I'm pretty confident that they're going to be able to address it early next year," he told me.
CSU agreed.
"The audit pointed out that there was one textbook that did not align," a CSU spokesperson said in a statement. "Subsequently, on Dec. 2, CSU replaced that one book with a different book that is in alignment. We are confident we are now in compliance, and we look forward to being recognized as such by ODHE in early 2026."
Both OU and OSU followed SoR, but both were dinged for also teaching unapproved material.
"Those materials are being updated to fully comply with the new standards," a spokesperson for OSU said.
OU did not reply.
Complying may be harder than it seems, especially without the money to do so.
Nonpartisan research group Policy Matters Ohio found that the state slashed the expected public education spending by nearly $3 billion over the next two years.
"What happens when students don't learn this, and the public schools don't have the time, nor the energy or money to educate them?" I asked DeWine.
"Well, we have provided money, we have provided stipends for teachers to learn as we have gone around," the governor responded.
But some teachers say stipends aren't enough to dramatically change the curriculum
"With anything new, you need good communication, you need good education, you need to implement with fidelity," Ohio Education Association President Jeff Wensing said. "Those are some instances, I believe, where our educators might have a problem because they're not being supported."
Wensing explained that the state continues to add more onto the plate of educators at both the K-12 and higher education levels.
"Anytime you're talking about cutting funding, you're probably going to end up cutting the number of educators that are working in those districts," he said.
"Like literacy specialists," I responded.
"Correct," he said.
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Still, educators and DeWine agree that literacy is essential.
Colleges and schools need to continue making this a priority, the governor said.
"We have to look at this as a right, and that's why we cannot deviate from this," DeWine said.
He hopes that Ohio can turn the page, starting a new chapter where for every child, reading is as easy as A, B, C.
Read how universities responded to the report:
CSU
"Cleveland State University (CSU) is proud to share that its School of Education and Counseling achieved 99 percent alignment in its first ODHE Science of Reading (SoR) audit. The audit pointed out that there was one textbook that did not align. Subsequently, on Dec. 2, CSU replaced that one book with a different book that is in alignment. We are confident we are now in compliance, and we look forward to being recognized as such by ODHE in early 2026. We continue to work closely with the department and peer institutions to ensure clarity in the process moving forward. CSU remains committed to transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement. Our goal is to maintain leadership in literacy education and ensure CSU graduates are fully prepared to meet the needs of learners across Ohio and beyond," a spokesperson with CSU said.
OSU
"The annual state audit found that Ohio State’s preservice teacher program meets 100% of Ohio’s required Science of Reading (SOR) metrics. The program prepares teachers to use SOR-aligned practices and was commended for offering “multiple opportunities to apply evidence-based instructional practices in field settings with structured guidance, timely feedback, and meaningful reflection.” The audit also identified a limited number of cases where outdated curricular materials do not fully align with SOR standards. Those materials are being updated to fully comply with the new standards. Ohio State is committed to enhancing excellence in preparing the next generation of Ohio's teachers, with the Science of Reading serving as a cornerstone of our research and instructional practices," an OSU spokesperson said.
Kent State University, which was fully in alignment:
“This finding affirms Kent State’s storied history as one of the country’s top higher education institutions for well-prepared educators,” said Alicia R. Crowe, Ph.D., interim dean for Kent State’s College of Education, Health and Human Services. “Our courses, instructional materials and practices perfectly align with the expectations established in the audit metrics and the Ohio Revised Code.”
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