By Victoria Brito

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – UTRGV’s undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program, in the College of Education and P-16 Integration, has received a grade A in classroom management from the National Council on Teacher Quality.

NCTQ is an independent, nonprofit research and policy organizationthat aims to update the teaching profession.

UTRGV scored in the top 14 percent of nearly 1,000 programs in classroom management, and was evaluated based on assessment and feedback forms of the program used during clinical teaching. 

The NCTQ score is based on the following criteria:

• Establishing rules and routines that set expectations for behavior.
• Maximizing learning time by managing time, class materials, and the physical setup of the classroom, and by promoting student engagement.
• Reinforcing positive behavior by using specific, meaningful praise and other forms of positive reinforcement.
• Redirecting off-task behavior through unobtrusive means that do not interrupt instruction and that prevent and manage such behavior.
• Addressing serious misbehavior with consistent, respectful and appropriate consequences.

 

Dr. Alma Rodriguez, dean of the UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration, said this ranking reflects the dedication of the college to provide quality training for the future educators of Texas. 

“This ranking provides us with reassurance that the instruments we are using to evaluate our clinical teachers are giving us quality feedback about what our teacher candidates know and are able to do as they’re getting ready to complete the teacher preparation program and enter the teaching profession,” Rodriguez said.

UTRGV currently has more than 1,700 students enrolled in the elementary teacher preparation program.

Dr. Janna Arney, UTRGV deputy president and interim provost, said UTRGV is committed to providing every opportunity for students aspiring to enter the workforce as teachers.

“It is quite an accomplishment to score in the top 14 percent of almost 1,000 programs,” she said, “and we remain committed to preparing our undergraduate teaching students for jobs as educators.”