School of Education   NewsRelease

UNCG TEACHER EDUCATION REMAINS "NUMBER 1";
ACCOMPLISHMENT CELEBRATED IN "SHINY APPLE DAY"

Chancellor Patricia A. Sullivan said, "You are a powerhouse for public education," as she addressed faculty and students during a celebration on the steps of Curry Building on Friday, Sept. 21.  UNCG's School of Education rated the number one teacher education program in the state for the second year in a row.

        GREENSBORO–Chancellor Patricia A. Sullivan hailed UNCG's education students and its teacher education program as "a powerhouse for public education in North Carolina" as students, faculty and staff observed "Shiny Apple Day" in celebration.
        The reason? For the second year in a row, the Teacher Education Program at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has been rated the number one teacher education program in the state by the State Board of Education.
        "You did it once, you did it twice," Sullivan said. "You've shown the state that we produce the best teachers for North Carolina here at UNCG."
        At the short program, students got their first look at a banner placed over the Curry Building entrance which proclaimed "State Board Rates UNCG #1 Again In Teacher Education." In keeping with the theme, all of those attending received apples.
        Provost A. Edward Uprichard told the students and faculty, "Congratulations. I hope you feel good about your accomplishments because this University is proud of you." He concluded by noting, "The children of North Carolina will benefit from work that goes on here and from the work that you will do in the schools when you graduate."
        Dr. Dale Schunk, dean of the School of Education, said that North Carolina has always stood out as a leader in education for the nation. "To be able to say that you're the best in North Carolina is to say that you're the best in the country," he said. "This is a great honor that we have earned, but it's a challenge at the same time. We can't sit still."
         In addition its number one ranking, UNCG’s teacher education program was given its second “exemplary” rating on the 2000-01 Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) rankings, which were announced today by the State Board of Education. UNCG will hold the "title" until  2003, because the rankings will be released on a biennial basis in the future. The good news was released at the state level on Sept. 12.
        “This honor for the second year shows UNCG’s continued tradition of excellence in education and our ability to prepare and support the professional development of caring, collaborative and competent educators who work in diverse settings,” said Dr. Ceola Ross Baber, director of the Teacher Academy and associate dean for teacher education and school relationships at the time of the announcement.
        “Our students spend hundreds of hours in classrooms across the region getting the skills needed and necessary so when they leave here they are ready. This recognition shows that what we are doing at UNCG is right for us, right for the community and right for the state."
        UNCG topped the list of 47 state teacher preparation programs, posting perfect scores in 10 of the 14 categories and a point total of 141 of a possible 150.  Second place was the teacher-training program at East Carolina University (140). Others rated exemplary are UNC-Pembroke (138), Salem College and Western Carolina University (136), and Appalachian State University and Duke University (135).
        The teacher-education “report card,” as it has been nicknamed, is prepared in compliance with the Excellent Schools Act of 1997. The report is to be issued annually for three years and biennially thereafter. Institutions will be rewarded or sanctioned based on the data contained in this report. The state’s ranking of institutions will also be reported on the Title II Report (national report card).
        Schools that earn "exemplary" ratings, requiring a score of 135 or higher, will be rewarded with scholarship funds for students through an appropriation from the N.C. General Assembly. The state rated each teacher education program based on three criteria: compliance with state and national accreditation standards, the quality of its graduates and involvement with and service to public schools.
        Teacher preparation at UNCG is a campus-wide responsibility, not one that is located simply in the School of Education. Educators in all the university’s academic units are members of the UNCG Teachers Academy.
        More than 30 teacher education programs at UNCG are coordinated through the UNCG Teachers Academy. UNCG’s programs, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, represent nearly all the academic disciplines that are taught in the public schools. They range from birth-kindergarten, elementary and middle grades education to programs in the sciences, languages, social studies, mathematics, physical education, music, theatre and English. There are also programs in educational technology, school administration, counseling, special education, curriculum and school media.
        Education has been a major offering in UNCG’s curriculum since its opening in 1892 as the State Normal and Industrial School. With major strengths in business, science, the humanities and technology, as well as education, UNCG offers the community and the Triad and state an unparalleled combination of multidisciplinary resources for developing new knowledge, stimulating business and inspiring leadership.
        In addition to the School of Education, UNCG programs are housed the College of Arts and Sciences and in four professional schools: Bryan School of Business and Economics, School of Health and Human Performance, School of Music and School of Human Environmental Sciences.

Back to the Latest News Releases
Return to the University News Service Home Page