Governor Mike DeWine Visits Walsh University for In-Depth Look at Science of Reading Initiative

Walsh University was delighted to welcome Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to campus on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, for an in-depth visit to learn more about the University’s leading role in the Science of Reading initiative, a statewide effort to enhance literacy for Ohio’s children. As one of the first institutions in Ohio to align its teacher preparation programs with the Science of Reading, Walsh University’s Division of Education began training its faculty as early as January 2019.

During his visit, Governor DeWine met with administrators, faculty, and students to explore how Walsh is equipping future educators with cutting-edge, evidence-based literacy instruction techniques. He also participated in an interactive session with teacher candidates who are already applying these methods in local elementary schools and seeing tangible results. Walsh University President Tim Collins accompanied the governor through various stations at the Marlene and Joe Toot Global Learning Center, where DeWine engaged in meaningful discussions and asked insightful questions.

A notable success story highlighted during the visit was Perry Local’s Watson Elementary School, a partner school of Walsh University. The school has seen significant improvements in third-grade literacy rates since Walsh began assisting them with the Science of Reading method.

Dr. Gary Jacobs, Chair of the Division of Education; Dr. Jeff Warnke, Director of Graduate studies; and Dr. Lindsey Roush, Professor of Education, discussed Walsh’s history with the Science of Reading and why it was important to Walsh to adopt the program into its curriculum, which was fully integrated by 2020. Since then, Walsh faculty, like Dr. Roush, have served on state panels to assist others with best practices, providing insight as they begin their implementation of the rollout.

“We are proud that Walsh University is serving as a leader at the state and national levels on this important effort to use the latest literacy science and techniques to improve literacy rates,” said Dr. Gary Jacobs. “Walsh will continue to assist in any capacity to make sure the rollout of this initiative statewide is well-supported and that our teachers are ready to implement as the schools adopt the Science of Reading.”

Since 2020, Walsh University has graduated 186 undergraduate and 114 graduate education students, all of whom have been equipped with Science of Reading knowledge, with another 218 students currently enrolled in Walsh’s education programs. This dedication to literacy education has earned Walsh numerous accolades, including multiple grants from the Ohio Deans Compact and recognition at state and national levels.

In support of Ohio’s ongoing literacy initiative, Walsh University hopes to further expand its reach by educating more Ohio teachers on the Science of Reading through its Partners Program, which offers tuition discounts to partnering school districts. Through this program, Walsh University aims to ensure that teachers across Ohio have access to the most effective methods for teaching reading, benefiting all students, from natural readers to those with dyslexia. For more information on the Partners Program, contact Vice President for Enrollment Management Rebecca Coneglio at rconeglio@walsh.edu.