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89 Percent of Recent Grads’ Value-Added Scores At or Above Expectations

BATON ROUGE – Today the Çàɬֱ²¥ Board of Regents released its 2011-12 Annual Report for Teacher Preparation that shows 89 percent of University of Çàɬֱ²¥ System recent graduates’ value-added scores were at or above expectations.  This year’s report marks the first comprehensive measurement of graduates of redesigned teacher education programs at Çàɬֱ²¥System schools.

Starting in 2001, the Çàɬֱ²¥System’s nine universities began a total redesign of teacher education programs that included closer alignment with K-12 student curricula, increased student teaching experiences, teacher certification requirements prior to graduation, and alternative pathways to becoming a teacher. 

As a result, Çàɬֱ²¥System schools are putting about 1,500 new teachers in the classroom each year that have already logged at least 180 hours of actual classroom teaching and passed state licensure examinations.  The value-added assessment shows the vast majority of those new teachers (89 percent) are meeting and exceeding expectations in their first years in the classroom. 

“When you consider that teachers are responsible for every other profession, preparing teachers is among the most important thing we do,” said Çàɬֱ²¥System President Sandra Woodley.  “Our universities have worked hard to strengthen teacher education programs, and that hard work is paying off.  We will continue to use the value-added assessment and other evaluation tools to fine-tune our programs to produce the best possible results in the classroom.”

As the largest higher education system in the state with over 92,000 students, it is no surprise the Çàɬֱ²¥System also produces the majority of teacher education graduates.  A comprehensive look at all nine university education programs revealed the following quality indicators.

Çàɬֱ²¥System Schools Provide the Majority of Local and Regional Educators:

• Over 80 percent of teachers in the seven Southwest Çàɬֱ²¥ school districts are McNeese State University graduates.
• Approximately 77 percent of teachers in northeast Çàɬֱ²¥, which the U.S. Census Bureau has cited as one of the poorest parishes (counties) in the nation, are ULM graduates.
• The superintendents of Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Charles, and the Archdiocese school districts are graduates of the University of New Orleans.

Çàɬֱ²¥System Schools Produce Exceptional Graduates:

• The 2012 and 2011 Çàɬֱ²¥ high school teachers of the year were Çàɬֱ²¥ Tech University graduates.
• McNeese’s endowed Burton College of Education has produced 2 national teacher hall of fame members and 52 national board certified teachers.
• The 2013 Çàɬֱ²¥ middle school teacher of the year, 2012 Çàɬֱ²¥ overall teacher of the year, and 2010 Çàɬֱ²¥ principal of the year were Northwestern State University graduates.
• The 2013 Çàɬֱ²¥ Overall Teacher of the Year is a two-time University of Çàɬֱ²¥ at Monroe graduate.

Çàɬֱ²¥System Schools Use Technology to Enhance Learning:

• Nicholls State University teacher education students use webcams and the Internet to reach out to live elementary school classrooms across South Çàɬֱ²¥.
• Southeastern Çàɬֱ²¥ University is the only university in the region to use the TeachLiveE Avatar Virtual Classroom in collaboration with the University of Central Florida.

Çàɬֱ²¥System Schools Are Recognized Nationally:

• Grambling State University received a $3 million grant from the Alternative Teacher Certification Project to address the need for highly qualified math, science, and special education teachers in underrepresented groups.
• The University of Çàɬֱ²¥ at Lafayette’s education, computer science, and engineering programs were ranked as some of the best in the nation by the Princeton Review.

To download a copy of the Çàɬֱ²¥System’s Teacher Education Program report which includes a profile for each university go to www.ulsystem.edu/teachereducation. 

-ULS-