WGU Ranked Among Top 1% of Teacher Prep Programs by National Council on Teacher Quality

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has again ranked WGU's Teachers College programs among the best in the nation. The online, nonprofit school maintained its status as a top teacher prep program, earning higher scores than 99% of the university's peers.

Out of 2,481 programs included in NCTQ's annual Teacher Prep Review, WGU was one of just 7 schools to earn the highest overall quality score for its undergraduate secondary teacher prep programs. For this latest report, NCTQ switched to a percentile ranking system, but the results affirm WGU's status among the leading teacher education programs in the country, with its competency-based programs earning a spot in the 99^th percentile.

"WGU's teaching programs continue to be exemplary at preparing skilled teachers to succeed in the classroom, ensuring the success of our K-12 students," said Kate Walsh, NCTQ President. "WGU once again is a top-ranked undergraduate secondary teacher prep program, providing its students not only with sufficient content knowledge, but also with the tools necessary to establish a positive learning environment in the classroom."  

NCTQ's quality standards emphasize the importance of both helping teachers achieve subject mastery and training them in teaching methods specific to that subject. WGU's undergraduate secondary programs received "A" grades for secondary content in the sciences, secondary coursework methods, student teaching, classroom management, and secondary practices.

WGU prepares teachers for licensure in all 50 states, and 98% of WGU students pass their Teacher Performance Assessment (as required by their state) within 90 days of completion of their demonstration, or student, teaching. WGU's Teachers College, which has graduated nearly 26,000 students to date, is one of the largest producer of STEM teachers in the country, conferring 11% of the nation's bachelor's and master's degrees in STEM teaching.

"We are proud to see that our efforts for preparing well-qualified teachers continue to be recognized," said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Academic Vice President, WGU's Teachers College "WGU's program focuses on demonstrating mastery of the skills and knowledge that teachers need to excel,  ensuring that all graduates are classroom-ready on day one."

About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves 84,000 students and 92,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 20 years, the university has become a leading force in changing lives of through education. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.

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SOURCE Western Governors University

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