<p>Interested in finding out how strong college is in a “new” field my D is considering… is there a list out there or something that would show this? As some of you might remember D was interested in going to LOTS of school with the aspiration of becoming a college professor… now that she sees how much just undergrad school is going to cost us (and her) she is rethinking things and decided that she might just take the secondary teaching program at Rice and perhaps teach while working toward her Ph.D. I am interested in finding out how strong Rice’s teaching program is. It appears they have three different program options. How can I find this out?</p>
<p>There are no rankings specifically for secondary school teacher prep programs that I know of. </p>
<p>Since my daughter is also looking at possibly teaching at the high school level, I do know that some of the questions to ask about an undergraduate teaching credential program include (1) is the program recognized by the state in which it is located (2) does that state have credential exchange programs with other states (i.e., your credential in Texas will be accepted elsewhere) and if so, which ones (2) how much “in the classroom” training time the program provides for and what type of schools is that training typically done at (i.e., public high school, private high school, in programs for high school students run by the college?) (3) how much of the program/clases focus on actual teaching skills versus more general education theory (ideally, they said you should take lots of classes that specifically discuss classroom preparation, actual teaching skills, etc.) (4) Job placement after graduation - what type of placement services does the school offer for teachers, where do typical graduates end up teaching. </p>
<p>My daughter has talked to several of her teachers and these are all things they said to look for in programs. They all, to a person, however, also told her that the best preparation for teaching high school is to get a degree in the subject area from a good college. Several suggested that she wait to get her teaching credential until after she gets her undergraduate degree she could get it at a university in the geographic area where she wants to ultimately work. They felt that it is easier to find a job if you have student taught locally. They also suggested that she get a Masters in Teaching (MAT) which they felt is almost a requirement for beginning teachers these days - don’t know if that is something related to the job market in our area or is true everywhere.</p>
<p>I know we have some high school teachers here that might add some ideas to this list. </p>
<p>While there are no rankings per se that I’ve ever seen for secondary teaching programs, I do know that these schools are often mentioned as having strong education programs in general — perhaps you could look at their programs and see how Rice’s program compares? Some of these programs may only be for elementary school education.</p>
<p>Tufts
Columbia U (graduate only program)
Rutgers
U of Michigan
Connecticut College
U of North Carolina - Chapel Hill</p>
<p>carolyn: thanks so much for all the great information~ I guess that we have some work to do. Oh, well, now that decision has been made I guess D will have some time to look into all of this. She was reading the course info that Rice sent and she really liked what she saw about the MAT program… she said that she thinks that she still could major in English (her love) and then apply to the MAT program…I believe her junior year. I think she should probably look into the “predictions” for job prospects in the teaching field over the next several years as well. She is my “wanderer” so she wouldn’t really mind re-locating for a job opportunity (but I would sure like to know about job prospects near home!)… I am going to print out info. from the colleges you referenced about their programs and then she can contrast and compare with Rices. I also printed out your post so she can begin her list of questions for the fall. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>Sounds perfect if she can do the MAT program and then still go on to do her doctorate. Probably the skills she learns in the MAT program would be handy for teaching in college. Of course, her other choice might be to go directly to graduate school with a teaching assistantship that would help pay her way through grad school.</p>
<p>Isandin, PhD programs are usually “free”. </p>
<p>Students don’t pay anything out of their pocket at most schools and in fact at the most prestigious schools students get an outright scholarship with no duties required. Typically health care insurance is also provided. For example Yale says “The steady trend of financial aid at Yale has been toward full funding for all Ph.D. students, and few schools can rival the breadth of support that Yale provides. Of the approximately 410 Ph.D. students entering the Graduate School in the fall of 2004, all were offered a financial aid package consisting of four years of full tuition, at least four years of stipend support (minimum $17,000 in 2004-2005), and comprehensive health care coverage.”</p>
<p>Even when the school does not offer blanket grants, a student who finds an advisor with a research grant can often fund students from that grant. And almost all schools you have the chance to be a TA or RA (research associate) and that covers the cost of school and living expenses.</p>
<p>Its not a fancy living, but if you’re used to being a starving student from undergrad you might find it comfortable.</p>