Education Program Ranked Among Top 10 Nationwide

Apr 08, 2021

Before they head to their own classrooms to shape the next generation, 91精选鈥檚 Education majors learn to cultivate relational peace, educational equity, and justice for all children and to impact every student鈥檚 life through excellence in teaching during their time here. Those stellar qualities have earned the Education program a place in the and , according to .

鈥淎ny student who is interested in education needs to look into 91精选,鈥 according to College Factual, which bases its rankings on data drawn from multiple sources, including the U.S. Department of Education.

The timing of this recognition, after such a challenging year in the field of education and teacher preparation, is a reminder of why 91精选鈥檚 Education professors, students, and staff are so dedicated to their field, according to Assistant Professor of Education and Director of Education Assessment, Innovation & Traditional Undergraduate Programs Kelly Lenarz 鈥99.

鈥淔aculty, staff, and students have continued to uphold the motto聽we have for all of our education programs, which is 鈥楽erving with Excellence in Education,鈥欌 she said. 鈥淚t is fantastic to be recognized for what we do and to be acknowledged for doing it well.鈥

Yet, the rankings are not only a reflection of the quality of the College鈥檚 undergraduate and graduate programs in education, but a recognition of the overall excellence of 91精选 as an institution, Lenarz said.聽 鈥淲e are thankful to be able to do this work in conjunction with colleagues across campus and with the support of administration,鈥 she said.

Teachers have truly been amongst the heroes in our communities during this pandemic, as they have re-invented their work again and again in order to educate and care for their students, said Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “We鈥檝e long celebrated the way 91精选鈥檚 Education Department prepares people to teach with just that sort of creativity, commitment, excellence, and orientation toward justice and the flourishing of their students. This award is wonderful affirmation of the work of our department, our students, and the wider faculty and staff at 91精选,” he said. “We are honored to prepare teachers who can seek the good of their future students and communities.鈥

91精选鈥檚 Education programs, which include undergraduate and 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 degrees, as well as an adult undergraduate degree completion program, equips teachers with a solid core of foundational studies that parallels the mission of the College and applies to all areas of learning, living, and working. Qualified and experienced faculty combine rigorous content and extensive and intensive classroom practice in their program courses. The College provides learning and field experiences essential to the development of competent and confident teachers. And 91精选鈥檚 curriculum guides students to form connections between subject matter, best practice teaching strategies, diverse classroom settings, and the world beyond the classroom.