Video: New Report Gives Mississippi Teacher Prep Programs Average To Low Scores

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The National Council on Teacher Quality released a report rating education schools across the country. According to them, none of Mississippi’s Colleges or Universities received a perfect score.

“It’s unfortunate that this organization NCTQ came out and issued a report and based on very limited information and limited data made judgement calls about the quality of teacher preparation without having all the facts,” said Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum.

The study finds that Mississippi’s teacher training programs are at best: average. For example, William Carey University and MUW received the best scores. But University of Mississippi’s undergraduate secondary education training received 2 1/2 out of four stars. Mississippi State University received just 2 stars. Delta state received the worst rating in this category: 0 stars.

“There are a lot of flaws in it and their methodology. In our case, they gave a poor rating for one of our teaching specialties that doesn’t even exist. It’s really an add on. In another category, they gave us a poor rating for something they didn’t even have any information. I’m a lawyer by training, how would you like it if a judge made a decision on a case without having any evidence before him or her. That’s what happened in this case,” said Delta State University President Bill La Forge.

Keenum believes the ratings should be based on more than just a few documents.

“Basically all the information they received from our university and other schools were just a syllabi or course content that’s provided and then the handbook that they use in their classrooms. That’s not adequate information to make a full judgement on the quality of our teacher education,” said Keenum.

But Kate Walsh, President of The National Council on Teacher Quality says the documents they receive says a lot and shows a need for educational improvement.

“Syllabi matter! They’re turned into the department for approval. They’re turned into the State department for approval. So I’m sort of wondering why are analysis of those documents somehow less legitimate? There’s a lot of stuff that we look for. Some of it is very basic information, there’s no question. But we think there’s value to knowing this information,” said Walsh.

Click on the link below for a look at the ratings for Mississippi’s Institutions.

http://www.nctq.org/teacherPrep/findings/stateFindings.do?state=MS#institutions