DBU Named One of the Top Teacher Preparation Programs in Country, Again

Once again, Dallas Baptist University has been recognized as one of the top teacher education preparation programs in the country by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a nonpartisan, non-profit research and policy organization.

This month, as part of a new book, Start Here to Become a Teacher, NCTQ named 120 undergraduate programs that excel in preparing teacher candidates to meet the demands of their future classrooms. Using nearly two decades of extensive research in teacher preparation, NCTQ assessed programs on critical, evidence-based measures, including:

• Rigorous admissions process;
• Emphasis on research-based approaches to teaching reading and math for elementary candidates;
• Content knowledge for secondary candidates;
• Training in classroom management strategies that work for all students; and
• Quality student teaching experiences.

Of the 872 undergraduate programs reviewed, Dallas Baptist University was recognized as a leader in the field.

"We celebrate this wonderful accomplishment of once again being recognized by NCTQ as a top teacher preparation program," said Dr. Adam C. Wright, DBU President. "DBU strives to be academically rigorous and unapologetically Christ-centered. We are proud of our graduates and the excellence they demonstrate through their teaching and their investment in the young lives who will lead us into the future."

"The universities named in Start Here are exemplary in their dedication to training the next generation of great teachers," explained Kate Walsh, NCTQ President and book author. "We commend these institutions for the thoughtful manner in which they've grounded their approach to teacher preparation in what research shows to actually be effective."

Start Here to Become a Teacher is intended to serve as a guidebook for aspiring teachers. In addition to naming top undergraduate teacher preparation programs, the book highlights common myths about teaching, explains what successful teachers love most about their jobs, features an affordability index for housing depending upon teachers' salaries, suggests enrollment in specific courses, and provides advice for leveraging student teaching experiences to land first jobs. Learn more at www.startheretoteach.org.