School of Education makes the grade
Posted on Jul 26, 2010 in News
The Alabama State Department of Education awarded the School of Education (SOE) with straight A’s on its most recent report card, the Teacher Preparation Program Performance Profile for 2008-2009.
“To have a perfect report card is extremely exciting for UAB,” dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Thomas M. DiLorenzo, Ph.D., said.
“The report card illustrates the caliber of faculty that we have in the School of Education and the work that they have done to develop a high-quality teacher preparation program.”
According to Lou Anne Worthington, PhD., associate dean for programs in the SOE, the school has improved from last year’s report card.
“This is the best report card we have ever received,” Worthington said.
“Among the 27 institutes that prepare teachers in the state, there were only six or seven that made straight A’s. We were right at the top on this year’s report card.”
UAB excelled in the categories of On the Job Performance, Partnerships with Alabama Elementary/Secondary Schools, and the Alabama Prospective Teacher Testing Program, which includes the Basic Skills Test and the Praxis II.
“We did extremely well on the Professional Education Personnel Evaluation Program (PEPE) and on the Praxis II,” Worthington said.
“This is a huge indicator of how well UAB prepares teachers. The great scores on the Praxis II are not just a success for School of Education, but they are a campus wide achievement.”
UAB also prides itself in the pre-teaching experience in elementary/secondary schools its education students are required to complete.
UAB education students must have between 200 to 250 hours of experience. The state only requires 150 hours.
Amanda Perzo, an undergraduate in the SOE was proud of the report card.
“I think it reflects the greatness of our teachers, students and everyone in the SOE and all the hard work they put into being successful.”
“Over the last 15 years approximately half of Alabama’s teachers of the year come from UAB,” Worthington said. “UAB produces very successful teachers.”
With the nation coming out of a recession, the most desirable teaching jobs are not always available, however.
“I was told by the State Department of Education that across all the school systems in Alabama, about 1800 teaching jobs were cut, mostly through attrition,” Worthington said.
“The competition is much greater for our students now than in the past.”
“Schools are consolidating and downsizing,” Perzo said, “but I think that the experiences I have gained here will make me more marketable than the competition.”
Graduate student Amanda Cacioppo feels confident about her career path.
“When you graduate from UAB, the school guarantees you [a teaching job].”
Even with the job cuts, UAB teachers are able to succeed.
“Over 95 percent of education graduates find jobs,” Worthington said.
Worthington believes the SOE will continue to maintain and improve the grades for next year’s report card.
“It is important to recognize that it is not just one person who makes the grade,” Cacioppo said.
“No one receives an A in this type of environment without a team effort.”
Email: sjsperl@uab.edu
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