Southeastern's College of Education ranked 15th in nation for value
Thursday, October 29, 2015 
by: Rene Abadie
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s education program was ranked 15th in
the nation for value by the National Council on Teacher Education (NCTQ).
NCTQ released its “Best Value” ratings of colleges of education across the U.S.
The study took into consideration a combination of quality and affordability factors,
taking into account net price to attend school – including tuition, fees, and average
financial aid awards – average teacher salary in the state, and how well the school
prepares future teachers for the realities of the classroom.
Southeastern received an “A” rating in NCTQ’s “Path to Teach,” a tool for future
teachers. It is the second year NCTQ ranked Southeastern’s education program as among
the best in the country. The university’s program in secondary education last year
was ranked 28th in the nation.
“Southeastern’s teacher preparation programs have always been highly regarded,
and it is rewarding to see our College of Education faculty be recognized for their
excellent work in preparing great teachers,” said Southeastern President John L. Crain.
Shirley Jacob, interim dean of the College of Education, said the announcement
demonstrates that students in the program are receiving a high rate of return on their
investment in education.
“We ensure that our teacher candidates are well prepared for classroom work, not
only through student-teaching responsibilities but also through numerous field experiences
and other opportunities to interact with children in educational settings,” she said.
“We share credit for our success with other academic programs at Southeastern,
which teach the content the teachers need to master,” she added. “We also recognize
the important roles that our affiliated middle and high schools play in providing
excellent teacher supervisors who mentor and oversee the work of our teacher candidates
in their schools in the various districts in the region. Much of a new teacher’s success
depends upon the support received during this experience.”
“While there are an unlimited number of guides to help people buy products – from
the right car to the right refrigerator – when it comes to picking the best college
of education, which is one of the most important decisions one can make, people are
left to fend for themselves,” said NCTQ President Kate Walsh. “We are pleased to empower
future teachers so they can focus on student growth rather than worry about gaps in
their own training or if they’ll be able to pay back a mountain of debt.”
The NCTQ is a non-partisan research and policy group committed to restructuring
the teaching profession based on the belief that all children deserve effective teachers.
The organization works to achieve fundamental changes in the policy and practices
of teacher preparation programs, school districts, state governments and teachers
unions.
