Elementary prep program ranks near top

Elementary prep program ranks near top

Henderson State University’s undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program is one of the best in the nation and ranks in the 90th percentile in ratings released this month by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)

The council released new ratings for 875 undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs. The latest Teacher Prep Review discovered that the nation’s top programs — those that graduate teachers well versed in both evidence-based content and methods of teaching — are not all located at the nation’s best known elite universities.  Henderson State is included among those that qualify for this tremendous distinction and upholds its reputation as a top teacher preparation program within the state.

NCTQ examined three areas: selection of candidates, content knowledge (early reading, elementary math, science and social studies), and the quality of practice opportunities, including classroom management. Henderson’s highest grades were in elementary math, classroom management, and selection criteria. 

“So much of what teachers do in their first years relies on what they learned in their preparation programs,” said Arne Duncan, former Secretary of Education. “I am quite happy to see signs of movement being made by programs and hope they use the results of this review to guide further improvement.”