Arizona Tribune - American College of Education Provides Solutions for Nation's Literacy Crisis

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA / ACCESS Newswire / November 25, 2025 / The 2025 edition of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation's Report Card, shows that U.S. schools and students are in a literacy crisis. Reading scores dropped at all three levels tested - fourth, eighth and twelfth grades - continuing a nearly decade-long slide. For fourth graders, who are building a crucial foundation in reading, the average reading score was down 2 points from 2022 and down 5 points from 2019. Less than a third of fourth graders are reading at a proficient level.

American College of Education (ACE) offers solutions to the literacy crisis, through its research-driven master's and doctoral degree programs in literacy and an innovative partnership with a leading professional learning program for literacy instruction.

ACE is a national innovator that provides quality, affordable online undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. ACE, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, is the third-highest conferrer of education master's degrees in the United States.¹

Founded in 2005 to help teachers build new skills and bring them into the classroom, ACE continues that legacy with its literacy instruction initiative. ACE now offers Doctor of Education in Literacy and Educational Specialist in Literacy degree programs, building on the pathway established with its master's degree in literacy.

ACE also helps educators achieve those degrees more quickly and affordably through a partnership with Lexia LETRS® professional learning. Upon completion of the program, the coursework may be transferred into academic credit at ACE, allowing educators to complete master's degrees in several education specialties.

"Effective reading skills are essential to everything else students will do in school and in life," said Geordie Hyland, president and CEO of ACE. "Our literacy degree programs are based on the latest research in the field and instruct educators in the theories and techniques that are delivering real improvement in children's reading abilities. In addition, by partnering with the proven Lexia LETRS professional learning program, ACE is helping teachers get their advanced degrees more quickly - while also being able to stay in the classroom, helping students learn as they learn themselves."

ACE's literacy degree programs can solve a persistent and pressing problem: Too many teachers enter classrooms without deep preparation in the science of reading, leaving them unprepared to help students who are struggling to read proficiently.

Its literacy pathway begins with the master's degree in literacy, which enables teachers to effectively assess student reading proficiency so they can develop and implement intervention plans that guides students toward achieving age-appropriate reading milestones.

Now, ACE has added two doctoral-level literacy degree programs.

The Educational Specialist in Literacy (Ed.S.) gives educators the opportunity to engage in high-level scholarship at the post-master's level, but without a dissertation requirement. The program prepares educators to lead literacy-focused initiatives through its coursework in instructional strategies, curriculum design, assessment data analysis and other areas.

The Doctor of Education in Literacy (Ed.D.) prepares school- and district-level leaders to address broad educational disparities and literacy achievement gaps. Educators learn how to develop innovative instructional models, lead system-wide literacy reform and conduct research that drives literacy improvement.

ACE makes it easier for educators to complete their master's degree through its partnership with the Lexia LETRS professional literacy training program.

Educators who complete the Lexia LETRS program can transfer or transcribe that coursework to earn up to 12 credits toward ACE graduate programs, including the master's of education in Literacy, Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary Education, Integrated Curriculum, and Early Childhood Education. Details are available on ACE's LETRS partnership page.

Both ACE's literacy degrees and Lexia LETRS professional learning align around the same core competencies: building strong foundational skills, diagnosing reading difficulties and applying interventions that improve outcomes for diverse learners. However, studies show that there is a gap between the current, widely accepted "science of reading" and what teachers are taught.

A 2023 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality shows that only 28% of programs adequately address all five components of reading instruction, and that some 40% of programs still teach multiple practices that ultimately hinder student learning.

The latest research confirms the importance of phonics instruction and its role in orthographic mapping, linking a word's pronunciation and meaning with its sequence of letters - but phonics is often not part of traditional teacher training programs. That leaves teachers arriving in classrooms unequipped with the knowledge and skills needed to teach effectively.

Conversely, there is mounting evidence that modern approaches to assessing and teaching literacy skills - such as ACE's graduate programs - can significantly improve children's reading ability. In 2013, Mississippi implemented the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, designed to enhance kindergarten to third grade literacy through teacher training in proven reading instruction methods and teacher coaching. Over the next decade, the state achieved what has been called the "Mississippi Miracle": its fourth grade reading average score leaped from 49^th place nationwide in 2013 to ninth place in 2023.

ACE's graduate degrees in literacy provide educators with both the theoretical frameworks and practical skillsets to drive meaningful improvement in student performance. Its low tuition and fully online programs allow teachers to complete their degrees while remaining in the school and classroom. ACE keeps its programs affordable, which assists teachers and school districts with limited budgets for training. And by awarding graduate credit for Lexia LETRS professional learning, ACE helps educators and districts to bring crucial literacy training skills to students more quickly.

To learn more about American College of Education and its contribution to solving the nation's literacy crisis, visit www.ace.edu.

¹ nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/datacenter

About American College of Education

American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, fully online college specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 60 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, specialist, master's or bachelor's degree, along with graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation and part of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

About Lexia

Lexia^®, a Cambium Learning^® Group brand, is transforming literacy education, driving change in 1 of every 3 school districts across the United States. For more than 40 years, Lexia has been a thought leader in literacy education, delivering award-winning, research-based solutions grounded in the science of reading. With a full spectrum of offerings, including professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment tools, Lexia provides educators with Structured Literacy solutions that are proven effective and designed to drive meaningful literacy outcomes. By empowering educators with unparalleled ease of use and the knowledge and tools they need, Lexia helps more students unlock their potential to read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit lexialearning.com.

Contact:
Madeleine Moench
[email protected]

SOURCE: American College of Education

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