Lamar University College of Education and Human Development Response to NCTQ, June 12, 2013
On Tuesday, June 18, 2013, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a self-appointed group not working with or under the guidelines of any government or educational group, will release in partnership with U.S. News and World Report, the first edition of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Review. Lamar University and other Texas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (TACTE) deans, in a February 2011 letter to Mr. Brian Kelly, Editor of U.S. News and World Report, declined to participate in the project based on prior experiences with an NCTQ published review of Texas education schools in 2010. The 2010 review cited grossly incorrect information on Lamar University’s educator preparation programs. The incorrect information was based on data gathered through questionable methods and criteria not aligned with state or national standards for educator preparation. The Lamar University education faculty compiled an 11 page document correcting the errors in the NCTQ report but the Lamar response was never addressed or published. In the TACTE letter to Editor Kelly, the Texas deans stressed concerns about the limitations of the study and the methodology used by NCTQ, the use of “input” analysis rather than performance-based “outcome” analysis, and the lack of consistency with current national and state accountability standards.
Lamar University received a second open-records request from NCTQ for information on the educator preparation programs in February 2012. At that time the Lamar College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) Educator Preparation programs were preparing for a national accreditation visit by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) a thorough and highly respected accreditation agency. The Lamar University COEHD Dean sent the following response to NCTQ:
Lamar University’s Educator Preparation program is in the process of developing an electronic documents room for our national accreditation visit fall 2012. Our electronic documents room will include all the materials requested by NCTQ and will be complete on May 15, 2012. At that time, upon your request, Lamar University will provide access to the documents room.
No response or request for access to the electronic documents room was received.
At this time the administration and faculty of the COEHD have not seen the U.S. News and World Report review but NCTQ listed Lamar University as one of the top ten most secretive educator preparation programs in the nation on the NCTQ web site. NCTQ also purchased an ad in the Lamar University student newspaper referring to the educator preparation programs’ secrecy and requesting students to send information. The NCTQ report will not be credible, however Lamar ranks.
Lamar University’s Educator Preparation programs welcome well-designed accountability and embrace the strong accountability measures of the Texas Education Agency and the high standards set by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education/Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education. Please go to the Lamar University College of Education and Human Development web site and click on the spring 2013, v. 3, n.3 college newsletter. On page 11 of the newsletter is a copy of our LU Educator Preparation Report Card with enrollments, program completion data, and state certification examination pass rates. There are also links to degree plans, course syllabi, faculty vitae, the student teaching handbook, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Lamar University resume, and our NCATE status. Lamar Educator Preparation seeks to be fully transparent and embrace valid research and reports that aim to improve the quality of programs that prepare school personnel.
Dr. Hollis Lowery-Moore
Dean College of Education and Human Development
Lamar University