Press release:
UNC Asheville’s Education Program Earns “A” from the National Council on Teacher Quality
UNC Asheville’s Department of Education has earned an “A” from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) and is named as one of 35 schools most effective at preparing high school teachers with content knowledge.
“It is truly an honor for the UNC Asheville Department of Education to be recognized in this manner,” says Kim Brown, chair and associate professor of education. “The hallmark of our licensure program is that we follow the liberal arts model for licensure. This method allows future teachers to gain a degree in a content area in addition to teacher licensure. This strengthens content knowledge in a very effective and comprehensive manner, which is crucial in the classrooms of today and the future.”
The 35 colleges and universities from 16 states were selected from among 800 measured. NCTQ considered specific state regulations on teacher certification standards as well as individual institutions’ course content offerings, degree plans and admissions selectivity. Those schools making the list are both selective in which teacher candidates they admit and demonstrate effectiveness in preparing future teachers for knowledge in their anticipated subject areas.
“Teachers deserve the opportunity to be prepared, and we congratulate these colleges and universities for leading the pack in taking steps to give teachers a solid base in subject knowledge,” Kate Walsh, president of NCTQ, said in a release. “The most critical step is to make sure that the coursework is rigorous and strong, holding students accountable for achieving mastery in the subjects they intend to teach.”
The findings are part of a new analysis on education colleges conducted by the NCTQ in partnership with YouthTruth Student Survey. The research has shown that teachers’ mastery of content knowledge is directly correlated with how effectively they communicate subjects to students.
Earlier this year, NCTQ named UNC Asheville to its Top 25 Best Value list of colleges of education.
UNC Asheville students earn a bachelor’s degree in a specific subject as well as teacher licensure. Learn more about UNC Asheville’s Department of Education and teacher licensure program at https://education.unca.edu/.
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