The National Council on Teacher Quality gives Missouri S&T high marks for teacher preparation.

Students enrolled in the teacher education program at Missouri University of Science and Technology are among the nation’s most prepared to enter classrooms to teach, a new National Council on Teacher Quality report says.

In a report released today (Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015), the NCTQ gives Missouri S&T high marks for teacher preparation. The report included Missouri S&T in its list of 35 colleges and universities in the nation to earn an “A” on the council’s “high school content standard.” The ranking considers specific state regulations on teacher certification standards as well as individual institutions’ course content offerings, degree plans and admissions selectivity.

“Research has shown that teachers’ mastery of content knowledge is directly correlated with how effectively they communicate subjects to students,” says the NCTQ in announcing the report. “Undergraduate programs are responsible for ensuring that future high school teachers receive meaningful subject matter preparation so that they can pass this information along to their students.”

Missouri S&T and 34 other colleges and universities “are both selective in which teacher candidates they admit and demonstrate effectiveness in preparing future teachers for knowledge in their anticipated subject areas,” the NCTQ says.

The council’s analysis of the Missouri S&T teacher education program, as well as other programs, is available online at www.pathtoteach.org.

Missouri S&T offers eight core areas of study for secondary education: applied mathematics, biology, chemistry, economics, English, history, physics and psychology. Students interested in teaching in elementary schools may pursue a bachelor of arts degree in multidisciplinary studies with a concentration in math or science.

This isn’t the first time the NCTQ has cited Missouri S&T for excellence in teacher education. In September, the organization named Missouri S&T one of the best values in teacher education in Missouri.

For more information about Missouri S&T’s teacher education program, visit teachereducation.mst.edu.