College of Education Invited to Join Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab) Initiative to Strengthen Educator Preparation Across the U.S.

The NC State College of Education has been invited to join the Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab), an initiative to strengthen educator preparation in the United States by building the collaborative capacity of preparation programs, school districts and policymakers.

EdPrepLab links research, policy and practice and supports preparation programs that are equity-focused, student-centered and grounded in the science of learning and development. Network members “consistently employ deeper learning and equity practices across teaching and/or leadership preparation programs.”

The College of Education annually prepares more than 300 students across 120 licensure areas in both undergraduate and graduate programs, where they engage in extensive coursework in both content areas and instructional methods. The college is also North Carolina’s largest supplier of STEM teachers and offers the state’s only STEM-focused elementary education program.

The college’s innovative principal preparation program, which prepares leaders with a focus on turning around historically low-performing schools, was ranked 14th in the nation and 1st in North Carolina by U.S. News and World Report’s most recent Best Graduate School Rankings in the Educational Administration and Supervision specialty category. It is also one of only five principal preparation programs in the nation to be recognized as exemplary by the University Council for Educational Administration.

Ninety percent of graduates from the college’s principal preparation program met or exceeded student growth expectations in high-need districts, compared with only 75% of principals in all of North Carolina.

The College of Education was ranked the #31 best graduate college of education in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, placing the college among the top 8% of programs nationwide. The college’s Elementary Education Teacher Preparation program tied at #25 in the nation in U.S. News’ education specialty category while our Secondary Education Teacher Preparation program was ranked #24 in the nation and the only program in North Carolina to make the list.