Posted on May 11, 2017
CCU School of Education Programs Ranked Top in the State and Nation
Today the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its national rankings for 717 baccalaureate programs in secondary education, specifically on career preparation for future high school teachers.
NCTQ has named the secondary education program in Colorado Christian University’s School of Education as one of only 16 programs in the nation to receive the exclusive “Top Tier” designation. This prestigious designation is in addition to CCU’s elementary education program having also been ranked among the top tiers of all elementary education programs evaluated nationwide by NCTQ. According to the report, CCU’s programs require “coursework and practice that make their education graduates better prepared to handle classroom responsibilities.”
These rankings by NCTQ have placed both the elementary and secondary education programs in CCU’s School of Education as the top education programs in the State of Colorado, and in the 98th percentile of all education programs, nationwide.
“We are extremely honored that NCTQ’s study has awarded us Top Tier status for our secondary education licensure programs,” said Dr. Debora Scheffel, dean of CCU’s School of Education. “This reflects the extraordinary dedication of our faculty, who ensure that all those who graduate from our programs are prepared to be an outstanding teacher from day one.”
The study examines programs’ admission standards, subject-area preparation, requirements for courses on instructional methods, guidance on how to manage a classroom, and whether programs provide and ensure high quality clinical practice opportunities.
CCU’s education programs incorporate extensive clinical practice from the start — enabling Teacher Candidates to start observing K-12 classrooms as early as their freshman year. The standards-based educational model offered in the context of a Christian worldview, is unique among education programs in Colorado, graduating candidates who are committed to impacting the lives of K-12 students in exemplary ways.
“At a time when fewer than half of the nation’s teacher prep programs successfully show future teachers both what to teach and how to teach it, it’s great to see programs like CCU proving that there is a better way,” said Kate Walsh, president of NCTQ. “Programs awarded Top Tier status understand that their most important job is to deliver well prepared teachers to classrooms, by paying a lot of attention to the nuts and bolts of what it takes to become effective.”
Read the complete Landscape report online, or to learn more about the School of Education at Colorado Christian University, visit ccu.edu/education.