Adrian Responds to Teacher Ed Report posted 8/16/07
Questions raised about Michigan’s new ranking of teacher education programs.

On August 14, Michigan’s State Board of Education received a report designed to “grade” Michigan’s teacher education programs (available to view at www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Item_W_204559_7.pdf.) While this “Performance Scores” report generally presents excellent news about Michigan’s teacher education institutions, it falls short in ways that unfairly casts doubt on several of those programs, including ours.

Adrian College is justifiably proud of the quality of our teacher graduates and of our program. The report shows that we are among the state’s most successful in “program completion” rates. Over 90 percent of those who start our program achieve their goal of becoming a certified teacher.

Unfortunately, the report’s format hides this very important point.

It is important to note that although every one of our Spring 2006 student teachers completed the required online survey for the report, their responses were lost due to technical and administrative errors. This misplaced information dropped Adrian’s teacher education program into a lower category. We are grateful that the Michigan Department of Education staff is working with us to retrieve that data, and that they are offering great support as we prepare a formal appeal of our ranking.

We are also grateful that State Superintendent of Schools Mike Flanagan emphatically reminded the State Board members, “This is just one measure and this is our first stab at it.” Acknowledging that the report “makes it look like these institutions are in real trouble,” he assured the Board that they “do not have to worry” about whether the colleges are producing good teachers.

In the past two years, Adrian College achieved record-breaking levels of enrollment and financial gifts. This growth is the direct result of an exciting new array of facilities and student activities, coupled with a longstanding tradition of academic excellence. The Performance Scores report is a frustration, but all those who know Adrian College’s commitment to excellence can recognize how misleading its conclusions are.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Performance Scores report or about Adrian’s teacher education program, you are urged to contact Dr. Tim Frusti, the newly-appointed chair of the Teacher Education Department. He can be contacted by phone at 517-264-3873 or by email at tfrusti@adrian.edu.