State to certify entire class of University teacher-prep students

Every University student who took New Jersey's teaching-certification exams last year passed the tests and is now a certified teacher.

As part of the state's Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers, the 20 students who completed the University's teacher preparation program and passed the tests earned New Jersey Certificates of Advanced Standing stating that they are now qualified teachers.

This is no small feat, considering that each student had to pass all 25 of the rigorous exams. Students in Princeton's teacher preparation program must complete all of the University's regular course requirements, as well as departmental requirements and a student teaching experience at a school in the area.

"It is above and beyond [the] regular [undergraduate] program," said John Webb, director of the program. "It requires a commitment on their part."

Webb said that though the program entails a lot of responsibility, it also prepares students well for the teacher certification exams.

"There is a solid program here for them to be properly trained [as teachers]," Webb said.

Last year's success is not an aberration according to teacher preparation program manager Margaret McCormack. "We do well every year. This isn't unusual at all," she said.

McCormack said would-be teachers did well across the state on the tests this year, with a state passing rate of 92 percent.

Princeton, however, is the only university in New Jersey with a 100 percent passing rate.

"The success of our students doing well on this test is directly related to the quality of education at Princeton," McCormack noted.

It is the first time the teaching program has had to file a report of the test results with the state and federal government. "What's so big about it now is that [this report] is going out to the public," McCormack explained.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey State Department of Education said the department will issue no statement or opinion on the report until this summer.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

This year Princeton's teacher preparation program experienced a slight decrease in number of participants, said John Webb.

"We are quite a ways down Nassau street, [so] it is hard for students to find us," he noted.

Webb said he hoped students already on campus would consider participating in the program. "There is quite a large number of students on campus with an interest in being a teacher," he said. "We would like to reach these students."

Nevertheless, as a result of this report, McCormack said she believes more prospective teachers will be interested in entering the teacher preparation program given its now public record of high test scores.

"I hope students realize what a great job is done here," she said.