Leader in U of I’s School of Education Criticizes Review of Statewide Teacher Preparation

A new study on state university teaching programs is being called 'questionable' by the head of the teacher certification unit at the University of Illinois.

The Washington-D.C. based National Council on Teacher Quality gave the U of I high marks this week for its undergraduate elementary and graduate secondary programs. However, it reported that Illinois State University has failed designs in elementary and special education, while Eastern Illinois University earned a 'fair' rating.

The council reviewed on-line course guides and syllabi at 53 schools, a total of 111 undergraduate and graduate programs. The executive director of the U of I's Council on Teacher Education, Chris Roegge, said without site visits and a real dialogue, the report commissioned by Advance Illinois is somewhat superficial.

Roegge added that even the U of I received a low rating in one area, before he rectified the situation. One component was not covered in the coursework the NCTQ researched on line, so Roegge sent the council syllabi for three additional required courses that covered those areas.

"I received a reply that said 'well, those courses aren't part of our analysis - which makes no sense," Roegge said. "We got that rectified. I said 'regardless if it's part of your anaylsis or not, these are courses that are required in the program. You're looking for this particular element in the program. Here's where it is. So there were a lot of things of that type that we came across."

Roegge said what is lost is that recent graduates are just getting started in the field.

"All of the great lengths that we go to to prepare them, and all of the assessments that we give them, and all of the hoops that they jump through," Roegge said. "When they receive their bachelor's degree, and in some cases, a master's degree, and they're initially certified by the state, they are still novice teachers. And the development of their skills and abilities as a teacher is just beginning."

Organizations that include all 53 teaching programs issued a response to the report, calling it 'faulty' and 'narrow in focus.' Groups like the Illinois Association of Teacher Educators also point out that the Council on Teacher Quality hasn't been accredited by the federal government, or any state board of education.