 The University of Pikeville's undergraduate teacher preparation program was recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality earning an 8th grade in NCTQ's new teacher prep review strengthening elementary reading instruction report. The National Council on Teacher Quality assesses and reviews all of the education programs across the country. The University of Pikeville received notification this past week that our elementary education program received an A quality, meaning there are several different areas that they review. Part of it is the intentionality of preparing elementary students for reading. U-Pikes teacher prep program is among 23 percent nationwide and four in Kentucky to earn an A from NCTQ. The program has met standards for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction. We have over a billion students across the nation who really have just challenges with reading. A fourth of our students in school districts have trouble mastering basic reading levels. And so our program is very intentional about helping teachers and supporting teachers. We also work with cooperating teachers in our districts and so we're very thankful for districts being open to our students being placed and practicing the experiences that they learn in the classroom. The University of Pikeville is proud of their teacher preparation program and is dedicated to meeting the needs of the community. For Mountain Top News, I'm Kelsey Dean.