Trained teachers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Education scored significantly above the state average this year, continuing a trend from past years. Every year, the Alabama State Department of Education releases a report card that provides feedback for universities across Alabama from K-12 school districts across the state. That feedback reflects how well professional teachers trained by schools of education are doing on the job.
Trained teachers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Education scored significantly above the state average this year, continuing a trend from past years.
When compared to the state average of graduates from other schools of education, K-12 employers perceived that a larger proportion of UAB-trained teachers had a greater understanding of how learners grow and develop. UAB-trained teachers also scored at the Teacher Leader level more than twice as often as graduates of other schools across the state. In sum, the UAB School of Education last year not only produced a stronger pool of teachers than other Alabama institutions, UAB also produced more teacher-leaders.
Employers perceived UAB School of Education graduates were more successful at:
- Managing the learning environment: 80 percent of UAB SOE students were perceived to be at the Effective Teacher level or above, while only 62 percent of the graduates at other institutions across the state were rated at the Effective Teacher level or above.
- Connecting concepts, perspectives from varied disciplines and interdisciplinary themes to real-world problems and issues: 75 percent of UAB SOE graduates were at the Effective Teacher level or above, while the state average for other schools of education was at 54 percent. UAB SOE students also were perceived as being slightly more effective in this area as well.
- UAB SOE grads were perceived to perform at the Teacher Leader level at almost twice the average of institutions across the state.
“The art and science of teaching in these times demands compassion, flexibility, the embrace of accountability and thinking differently,” said Dean of the UAB School of Education Autumn Cyprès. “The accomplishments of our graduates in the K-12 classroom, particularly during this extraordinary time of the COVID-19 pandemic, are a point of pride for our faculty and professional staff. The UAB School of Education is now more committed than ever to advancing educational practice for the state of Alabama, and the nation, in this new chapter of our shared history.”