Recent data points to a growing literacy crisis in the United States.
According to the National Literacy Institute, more than one-fifth (21%) of adults are considered illiterate, with over half (54%) reading below a sixth-grade level. Scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress reveal that only one-third of U.S. schoolchildren are proficient in reading.
Gordon College, a private Christian institution in Wenham, Massachusetts, recently announced the creation of its first doctoral program aimed at addressing the crisis. The Doctor of Education in the Science of Learning will be offered by Gordon’s Herschend School of Education.
Dr. Ellen Ballock, dean of the Herschend school, said, “Gordon has been a leader in evidence-based literacy practices for over 50 years. Our doctoral program is designed for immediate impact across all educational contexts, including K-12 education, speech-language pathology clinical practice, and education policy.”
According to a statement from Gordon, the program “is intended to support the development of scholar-practitioners—individuals who are well prepared to apply a deep understanding of research as they engage with real-world complexities of practice.” Students will take courses in the program, such as The Neuroscience of Literacy, Linguistics and Language Variation, and Education Policy and Advocacy.
“The Herschend School is nationally recognized for our early literacy preparation grounded in the science of reading. Designing a doctoral program focused on language and literacy was a natural progression for the College,” said Dr. Sandra Doneski, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Our faculty have long been committed to preparing teachers, reading specialists and school leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to equip children to read proficiently, including those with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.”
The first cohort for the program will begin in the fall of 2026.
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