Indiana University East’s School of Education ranks as one of the top public universities producing the most effective teachers in Indiana.

The State Board of Education evaluated first, second, and third-year teachers based on four performance standards: highly effective, effective, improvement necessary, and ineffective. According to the State Board of Education, the 2012-2013 school year was the first year for statewide teacher evaluation and this is the first collection of baseline aggregate results.

The university had one of the highest percentages of educators who ranked highly effective or effective, although IU East had a smaller pool of graduates included in the study compared to other public and private institutions of higher education. Of the 14 IU East graduates evaluated, 50 percent of its graduates were ranked highly effective and 43 percent were ranked effective.

The IU East School of Education has far more graduates who are now teaching from these past years. About one quarter of IU East graduates teach in Ohio or in another state while the rest remain in the area. The School of Education has had a 90 percent and above employment rate for the past two years for both the elementary and secondary programs. In the coming years, the school anticipates a far larger number of IU East graduates being counted into this report.

Dean of the IU East School of Education Marilyn Watkins said, “The strong partnerships we have with area schools contributes significantly to the success of our program. Principals and teachers welcome our pre-service teachers into their schools and work closely with them as they learn the joys and rigors of teaching. Our success is tied to our school community.”

Watkins will retire this spring. Jerry Wilde, professor of education at IU East, will serve as the interim dean for the 2014-2015 academic year, beginning July 1.

“It’s an honor to assume the role of interim dean at the finest teacher education program in the state of Indiana. The faculty and staff are absolutely united by the single goal of working to prepare pre-service teachers in becoming highly effective teachers,” Wilde said.

Watkins said that preparing teachers involves numerous and integrated components including depth and breadth of content knowledge, being well versed in current research and strategies about how to teach, and having strong professional beliefs. She added that the schools intense field experiences, including pre-student teaching and student teaching, are integral to preparing teachers.

“Our focus for pre-service teachers is on their ability to positively impact student learning and on how to reflect on their teaching so that they are constantly improving,” Watkins said.

IU East’s School of Education offers a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education. The school also offers a Transition to Teaching program which supports qualified individuals who want to transition from a career outside of education into being a licensed teacher. At the graduate level, the school also offers a Master of Science in Education.

For more information, contact the IU East School of Education at (765) 973-8224.