Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NCTQ To Release 2018 Teacher Prep Review

  • 04/05/18

Who: National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a non-partisan research and policy organization dedicated to ensuring every classroom has an effective teacher.

What: NCTQ's 2018 Teacher Prep Review which rates 567 traditional graduate programs, 129 alternative route programs, and 18 residencies preparing both elementary and secondary teachers.  The Review rates these programs on a number of factors, including how well they cover teachers' knowledge of subject matter, classroom management, and the need for practice. 

Unfortunately, our ratings found that both traditional graduate and alternative route models compare unfavorably with undergraduate teacher preparation models, presuming too much about candidates’ grasp of the subject matter they will be teaching without providing the additional support needed to account for their lack of knowledge. With the high number of new teachers in the workforce, particularly in schools that serve traditionally-underrepresented students who need additional support, it is imperative that programs provide prospective teachers with the proper support from their prep programs to become effective first-year teachers. 

Programs rated in the top 10 nationally include INSPIRE Texas (top alternative route elementary program), CUNY - Hunter College in New York (top graduate secondary program), and Richmond Teacher Residency (top residency program). 

About the National Council on Teacher Quality:

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) is a nonpartisan research and policy group, committed to modernizing the teaching profession and based on the belief that all children deserve effective teachers. NCTQ is the nation’s expert on the quality of teacher preparation programs and evaluates national teacher education against evidence-based criteria. More information about NCTQ can be found on our website, www.nctq.org.

Featured

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • DLR Group Hires Three for Higher Education Practice

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has brought three new hires on board to help shape its higher education practice in California and the northeast, according to a press release.

  • Growing Allied Health Workforce Demands Fueling Greater Need for Higher Education Facilities

    With the demand for healthcare professionals at an all-time high, colleges and universities are challenged with supporting the workforce demands in their own communities. Careers in allied health generally require specific training and/or certification, with some positions requiring degrees, certified credentials, and continuing education.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.