NCTQ Illinois Ed School Report

Preparing Teachers in the Prairie State

Ed School Essentials: A Review of Illinois Teacher Preparation is the latest in a series of NCTQ reports examining if education schools are truly producing the best possible teachers. Our biggest review to date, we measure 111 undergraduate and graduate programs in 53 schools against 39 standards, all focused on design of these programs, or the fundamentals needed to train top-notch teachers.

By looking in detail at the design of education schools, we pursue such key questions as...Will their graduates be able to teach reading or manage a classroom? Will they be sufficiently knowledgeable about their content area? Do they know about different types of assessments? Have they practiced enough? Were their mentors themselves effective teachers?

This information is especially useful for ed-school "consumers," particularly aspiring teachers looking to find the best program and school districts needing to hire. Visit our consumer guide to find out how we rate programs.

The full report and appendices can also be downloaded here.