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Covenant's Teacher Education Program Earns Highest Rating

The Covenant College Teacher Education Program has earned a Level 4 rating on the 2019 and 2020 Teacher Preparation Program Effectiveness Measures (PPEMs) published by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). Level 4 is above the expected level of performance for effectively preparing future teachers and is the highest rating available. The PPEM ratings of all Georgia educator preparation program providers are now available to the public on the GaPSC PPEM Dashboard at GaPSC.com.

What are PPEMs?

The PPEMs evaluate educator preparation programs using measures collected during candidates’ time in the program, such as certification assessments required by the state, and measures collected following completion once candidates are in the classroom, such as classroom observations by supervisors and surveys of employers and newly employed teachers. The primary purpose of the PPEMs is to give educator preparation programs detailed information that they can use to improve.

What is a PPEM Score Used For?

“In Georgia, all educator preparation providers are engaged in a process of continuous improvement informed by data,” said Penney McRoy, Educator Preparation Division Director at GaPSC. “The PPEMs add to that ongoing process, providing one more tool to assist them in preparing great teachers for our schools.”

Additionally, the PPEMs are meant to provide the public with valuable information on educator preparation programs, particularly individuals considering entering a program themselves. PPEMs will also complement the GaPSC program approval cycle, with program providers required to maintain acceptable scores in order to stay approved to educate future Georgia-certified educators.

“A Level 4 is reserved for those program providers whose performance was exemplary, and we will ask these providers to share their best practices with other Georgia program providers,” said McRoy.

“This remarkable result is the culmination of the diligent and collaborative work of faculty, teacher candidates, and partner schools in our local area to provide a rigorous and relevant teacher preparation experience that impacts student learning in diverse school contexts,” stated Dr. Jack Beckman, Chair of the Covenant College Teacher Education Program, “and we are thrilled to have been so recognized by the Professional Standards Commission.”

News article originally published on Nov. 20, 2019

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