O A C T E

An affiliate of American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

 Press Release

 From the Oklahoma Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE) Membership

State Report Card on the Quality of Teacher Preparation

Title II – Oklahoma

    The Oklahoma Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (OACTE),an association of deans from Oklahoma’s 21 state and private colleges with teacher preparation programs, is  pleased to share Oklahoma’s 1999-2000 Title II State Report Card on the Quality of Teacher Preparation.

    Results of Oklahoma pass rate percentiles confirm Education Week’s, “Quality Counts,” 2000 survey that ranks Oklahoma third in the nation for improving teacher quality.  The recently released pass rates from the 1999-2000 teacher certification examinations show the overall summary of the three required examinations ranges from 98%-82%.  Pass rates show that all Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Programs in the state’s colleges and schools of education are within an A to B grade range.

   Reports on the quality of teacher preparation programs in all 50 states are now required by national legislation, Section 207 of Title II of the Higher Education Act.  These reports are to be filed with the U.S. Department of Education and released to the public by October 9, 2001.

   The OACTE deans have collaborated with the State Department of Education, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation, and the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education to improve teacher preparation and assure that beginning teachers demonstrate a high level of teaching and professional skills as part of their licensing and certification requirements.

   In the mid 1990’s the Oklahoma legislature set in motion a re-design of teacher preparation programs from an input model of prescribed courses to a model of competency-based preparation.  Completion of degree does not qualify a person for teacher licensure unless teacher candidates meet the required teacher competencies based on assessment from the three certification examinations for Oklahoma Educators:

                   ·        Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET)

                ·        Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT)

                ·        Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination (OPTE)

     The OACTE members believe that Oklahoma’s changes have met with calls from across the United States to improve programs for teacher preparation and licensure.

    Teacher pass rates from each of the three certificate examinations have been completed by the National Evaluation Systems, Inc. (NES).  Results are reported to the institutions with teacher education programs.  Quartile placements from the 1999-2000 academic year have been computed by the NES using the United States Department of Education regulations.

    Pass rates vary from institution to institution due to several factors that can easily place an institution in a different quartile.  Variables include:

                ·        Differences in admissions requirements to colleges and universities

                ·        Differences in Professional Education Program admissions requirements from institution to institution.

                ·        Number of teacher candidates enrolled in the institution.

                ·        Number of teacher candidates completers from an institution who have taken the exams.

                ·        Diversity of the student population taking the exams.

                ·        Different requirements at institutions as to the timing of when teacher candidates take the exams during their program.

                ·        Number of students who transfer from out-of-state colleges or universities.

    Oklahoma has one of the most rigorous teacher preparation and testing programs in the United States with the three required exams: general education, subject area and professional education.  Many states only require one teacher examination while some have no provision for testing.

   The OACTE deans are pleased to share the Title II results with the public.  Oklahoma teacher preparation programs are doing very well, as compared to the nation, and keep improving.  More information can be found on many of the individual college and university web pages.

TITLE II – OKLAHOMA

STATE REPORT CARD ON THE QUALITY OF TEACHER PREPARATION

September 1, 1999 through August 31, 2000

·  Pass Rate Percentile computed from the pass rate for the three competency-based teacher assessments.

·  Program Completers:  A program completer is a person who has  met all the requirements of an Oklahoma

   Commission for Teacher Preparation approved teacher preparation program leading to the completion of

   degree requirements.  Completion of degree requirements does not, however, qualify a person for teacher

   licensure unless the required teacher assessments have been passed.

·  Note Universities with the same percentages are alphabetized.

*  Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Mid-America Bible College are not included due to the “Rule of 10”

    which exempts from including those institutions with fewer than 10 graduates taking any single teacher

    certification or licensure assessment during a report year.