Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced that Wright State University and Central State University are among 10 of the state's 48 teaching institutions found to be non-compliant with a new law mandating the "science of reading" approach in their curriculum. The findings stem from a statewide audit conducted in 2025 to enforce the legislation, which took effect on January 1 of this year.
Despite being flagged, both universities have stated they have already taken corrective actions. The audit revealed that many infractions were minor, often involving a single textbook or course material that included now-banned teaching methods. Institutions that fail to resolve these issues within a year risk losing their state accreditation.
Key Takeaways
- A state audit found 10 Ohio universities, including Wright State and Central State, are not fully compliant with a new literacy law.
- The law requires teacher education programs to exclusively use the "science of reading" and prohibits other methods like "three-cueing."
- Wright State was flagged for one non-compliant textbook but scored perfectly on the audit's science of reading benchmarks.
- Both universities report they have already addressed the issues by removing the prohibited materials from their courses.
Ohio's Push for a New Reading Standard
The recent audit is the latest step in a multi-year effort by Governor DeWine's administration to standardize how reading is taught in Ohio. The state has fully endorsed a method known as the "science of reading," which emphasizes phonics and the direct instruction of sounding out words.
This initiative led to a new state law that not only requires K-12 classrooms to adopt this method but also compels Ohio's 48 educator preparation programs to align their curricula accordingly. The law explicitly bans older approaches, such as "three-cueing" or "balanced literacy," which encourage students to use context or pictures to guess words.
"The science of reading is clearly the best way to teach children how to read," Governor DeWine stated at a press conference. "To use any other method is morally wrong. It’s wrong. And that’s why we’re taking such effort to focus on this."
The governor emphasized that strong reading skills are fundamental to a student's success across all academic subjects and later in life, framing the mandate as a crucial step in ensuring every child has the best tools for learning.
Understanding the Audit Results
The statewide audit evaluated all 48 teaching programs on two primary criteria: their adherence to 73 specific benchmarks related to the science of reading and their complete removal of banned instructional practices. This created three distinct categories for universities.
How Universities Were Categorized
- In Alignment: Scored at least 71 out of 73 on science of reading benchmarks and had zero instances of banned teaching practices.
- Partial Alignment: Scored below 71 on benchmarks but still had zero instances of banned practices.
- Not in Alignment: Had one or more violations for including banned teaching practices, regardless of how well they scored on the science of reading benchmarks.
This strict classification meant that even a single piece of non-compliant material could land a university on the "not in alignment" list, even if its overall program was strong. Other major institutions on this list included Ohio State University, Ohio University, and Bowling Green State University.
Local Universities Respond to Findings
Both Wright State and Central State were placed in the "not in alignment" category due to specific course materials. However, their situations highlight the nuances of the audit's findings.
Wright State's Case
According to the audit report, Wright State's non-compliance stemmed from a single textbook used in one of 25 evaluated courses. The textbook incorporated the now-banned "three-cueing" method. University officials confirmed they had volunteered to be one of the first institutions reviewed.
Despite the non-compliance flag, Wright State achieved a perfect score of 73 out of 73 on the audit's science of reading benchmarks, an accomplishment shared by only 20 institutions statewide.
In a statement, Wright State spokeswoman Nichole Rustad confirmed the issue and the university's response. "The audit team identified non-compliant material in one of the 25 courses evaluated," she said. "That course has since been discontinued. All courses currently offered within the program are fully aligned and compliant."
WSU Provost Jim Denniston added, "We are proud to be one of the 20 institutions statewide to receive a perfect 73 out of 73 on the science of reading audit. The finding related to the single course was limited to specific sections of a course textbook. That textbook has been eliminated and Wright State has submitted documentation affirming corrective action."
Central State's Action
Central State University was flagged for two instances of banned materials within its program. Like Wright State, the university moved quickly to address the findings.
Dr. Lillian Drakeford, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Education, provided a statement on the university's actions. "Central State University took immediate action by removing those resources and implementing new adoptions that ensure full alignment with the science of reading and the state guidelines," Drakeford said. "We are currently updating our courses and anticipate that these updates will be finalized and ready for the beginning of the 2026 spring semester."
A Statewide Shift in Teacher Education
While some universities work to correct minor infractions, many others in the region passed the audit without issue. The University of Dayton, Miami University, Wittenberg University, Cedarville University, and Wilmington College were all found to be in full alignment.
Mary-Kate Sableski, a professor of literacy at the University of Dayton, commented on their successful audit. "This audit reinforces for us that we’re preparing future teachers to help every child become a strong, confident reader," she said in a press release.
Governor DeWine noted that while the audit revealed "mixed results," he was encouraged that most universities are excelling. He also mentioned that the 10 universities on the non-compliant list have informed the state that they have already become compliant since the audit was conducted, although official follow-up verification is still pending. The results signal a significant and rapid shift in how future educators across Ohio will be trained to teach the state's youngest students how to read.
