Meredith College Known for Excellence in Teacher Preparation
- Published
Meredith College is well known for its long history of producing quality teachers who are exceptionally prepared to work in classrooms in the state of North Carolina and beyond.
Meredith teacher education graduates often have job offers even before they finish their student teaching. They are prepared to walk into their classrooms ready to lead.
According to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction Educator Preparation Dashboard, which was released in September 2020, 92% of Meredith’s Education program graduates from 2016-18 rated their quality of preparation for classroom teaching as very well or well. The average for all education preparation programs in North Carolina is 76%.
The Dashboard also showed that 95% of Education program graduates were rated proficient, accomplished, or distinguished on each performance level of the N.C. Educator Effectiveness System. Teachers earn ratings on five standards: demonstrating leadership; establishing a respectful environment for diverse populations of students; knowing the content they teach; facilitating learning from their students; reflecting on their practice.
“We are proud of our Education program, but even more so we are proud of our graduates. They are dedicated teachers and leaders in their schools who work to meet every student where they are and help them to grow academically, emotionally, and socially,” said Assistant Professor of Education Heather Bower, who serves as department head. “We are thrilled to watch them grow into those teachers while they are with us and then support them in their own classrooms.”
A recent example of the strengths of students and graduates of Meredith’s Education program happened when local schools had to switch to a virtual model in spring 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened. Meredith student teachers were commended for their ability to adapt to this sudden change.
Meredith graduates tend to remain in education and become leaders in their schools and districts. Graduates have received numerous accolades, on the state and national level, for their teaching. Many Meredith alumnae earn awards in their schools and school systems each year. Meredith alumnae have been recognized as North Carolina Principal of the Year, North Carolina Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year, Gilder Lehrman North Carolina History Teacher of the Year, and recipient of the Milken Educator Award, known as the “Oscar” of teaching.
Meredith College’s education program has a unique approach to educating teachers. A Meredith student who plans to become a teacher majors in the field of her choice and, at the same time, pursues a program that leads to teaching licensure. This combination of a college major plus a teacher education program uniquely prepares Meredith graduates to meet the needs of their students.
Meredith is also one five schools selected as partners of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows, an effort to recruit top students for the teaching profession by providing forgivable loans for new teachers who agree to teach in North Carolina in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or special education.
Meredith College offers the following teacher education programs:
Meredith also offers graduate programs in education. The Master of Arts in Teaching is designed for people who have bachelor’s degrees in fields other than education and are seeking initial N.C. teaching licensure in elementary education, English as a second language (ESL), or special education (general curriculum). Teachers can earn a Master of Education with specialties in elementary education, English as a second language (ESL), literacy, and special education (general curriculum).
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