Reinhardt University’s Price School of Education has earned a Level 4 rating on the 2019 Teacher Preparation Program Effectiveness Measures (PPEMs) published by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). According to the PSC, 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 www.gapsc.com.
Dr. Nancy Marsh, Dean of Reinhardt’s Price School of Education
“We have always had a strong program, dedicated faculty, and wonderful students,” said Dr. Nancy Marsh, dean of the Price School of Education. “However, now, with the PSC making each university’s scores public, prospective students have data to support a decision about where they want to learn their craft.”
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.
“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.
