ASU’s undergraduate teacher-prep program recognized as one of nation’s best

Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College is one of only 12 teacher-preparation programs in the 99th percentile of the National Council on Teacher Quality’s 2016 evaluation of undergraduate elementary education programs.  

The report, “Landscape in Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate Elementary Ed,” examined 875 undergraduate teacher-preparation programs in 396 public and 479 private colleges and universities. NCTQ is funded by private donors and foundations. It accepts no government funding.

NCTQ’s methodology assesses programs on a number of dimensions, including how they teach reading, elementary math, science and other STEM content. ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College scored high on its nationally renowned student residency experience, known as iTeachAZ. 

“The NCTQ evaluation represents the assessment of an organization that shares our commitment to improving education through outstanding teacher preparation,” said Carole Basile, dean of Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. “It reflects what a lot of other colleges of education have said by sending their people to workshops we hold where they can learn about our teacher-prep programs, especially the way we design clinical experiences and support students.”

Of the 12 institutions NCTQ ranked in the 99th percentile, ASU is the only one that is also in the top 15 in US News & World Report’s ranking of graduate education programs.

“We’re committed to excellence across the board,” Basile said. “Our job is to be great at both undergraduate and graduate education, at both teacher prep and world-class scholarship.”

Written by Paul Gediman, Marketing & Advancement director, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College; Paul.Gediman@asu.edu