Skip to main content

Graduate elementary teacher prep, secondary education licensure programs ranked among top in nation

Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 | 

The Lipscomb University College of Education’s graduate elementary teacher prep and graduate secondary transitional teaching licensure programs have been ranked among the top in the nation by the National Council on Teacher Quality in its newly released 2018 Teacher Prep Review of 567 traditional graduate programs, 129 alternative route programs and 18 residencies that prepare elementary and secondary school teachers.

REPORT CARD_A“We have a strong track record of preparing teachers to perform at the highest levels, and this ranking is one measure of the effectiveness of our program,” said Deborah Boyd, dean of Lipscomb University’s College of Education. “We are very pleased that our traditional graduate elementary teacher preparation program has been evaluated by NCTQ’s extensive criteria and determined to be one of the most effective in the country in preparing teachers to be successful in the classroom which will positively impact countless students.”

The nationwide study names Lipscomb University as a national top 10 graduate elementary teacher prep program in the nation and one of only five programs in the country ranked in the 98th percentile or above in that category. Lipscomb was the only university in Tennessee to be included in the top 10. Click here to view listing.

Programs were evaluated in the categories of Admissions: selection criteria; Knowledge: early reading, elementary mathematics and elementary content; and Practice: student teaching and classroom management.

In addition, Lipscomb’s graduate secondary transitional teaching licensure program has also been named one of the top in the nation and one of the top two in Tennessee in the NCTQ’s 2018 Teacher Prep Review ratings. Click here to view listing.

Programs were evaluated in the categories of Admissions: selection criteria; Knowledge: high school content and secondary methods coursework; and Practice: student teaching and classroom management. Lipscomb’s Teaching License Program is specifically designed to meet the needs of the new teacher. Through Lipscomb’s program, students may earn licensure in any of over 20 different areas in teaching including: elementary, middle grades and secondary subject specialties. The program can be completed in 12-18 months and is designed to fit busy schedules with classes on weeknights, Saturdays, online and during the summer.

REPORT CARD_BIn May 2017, NCTQ ranked Lipscomb’s undergraduate secondary education teacher preparation program one of only 16 programs in the nation designated a “Top Tier” institution and one of only six programs in the country ranked in the 99th percentile. Lipscomb was the only university in Tennessee to receive the “Top Tier” designation. Click here to view listing.

This is the latest recognition of the quality and effectiveness of Lipscomb’s teacher preparation program. In February, Lipscomb University was once again recognized for the seventh consecutive year as one of the most effective teacher preparation programs in Tennessee as it earned top scores on the 2017 Teacher Preparation Report Card released by the Tennessee State Board of Education.

In 2014, the College of Education’s secondary teacher preparation program shared the No. 1 ranking in the nation by the NCTQ in its annual Teacher Prep Review. The college’s graduate program in the elementary grades was named No. 14 in the nation. Since that review, the NCTQ restructured its ranking structure. In 2015 Lipscomb's College of Education was ranked the No. 15 best value in the nation by the National Council on Teacher Quality. In addition, the college was ranked among NCTQ's 35 "Top Colleges for Content Preparation" in the nation. The College of Education was named the 2016 Model of Excellence in Partnerships by the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education.

For more information about Lipscomb University’s College of Education, visit education.lipscomb.edu.

Send College of Education dean Deborah Boyd a note of congratulations