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State education officials praise Alabama A&M, UAH educator-preparation work but flag ongoing classroom challenges
Summary
State Department of Education staff reported positive findings from recent visits to Alabama A&M and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), noting progress on literacy textbooks and clinical practice but identifying recurring concerns about classroom management and teacher retention.
State Department of Education staff told the department board at a work session that recent visits to Alabama A&M University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville showed both institutions are taking concrete steps to improve teacher preparation, particularly around literacy and clinical practice, but that new teachers still report struggles with classroom management and administrative paperwork.
Department staff emphasized that the institutions have revised syllabi, adopted textbooks reviewed by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) or similar review lists, and increased practice opportunities for candidates. "They have to work and be more creative with preparing candidates for practice," a department presenter said about Alabama A&M. The presenter added that UAH faces different preparation needs because many of its students enter with advanced math and science coursework.
The board heard that Alabama A&M reported its educator-preparation enrollment and that roughly half of that cohort is in elementary education; the university described partnerships that bring about 60-plus districts to campus for a “school partnership day” aimed at recruiting and placing graduates. Alabama A&M staff said placement of graduates is not a major problem, but retention once teachers enter the field is a concern: "Securing a job is not an issue. The issue is trying to hang on to them and let them get through their programs," an Alabama A&M representative said.
Board members pressed the institutions on literacy alignment. Department staff said institutions were required to submit revised textbooks and course syllabi and that, at the time of visits, the textbooks submitted were rated either exemplary or acceptable under national review criteria. "Those textbooks that were previously unacceptable, institutions made that transition and adopted the textbook," a department official said.
Both universities told the board they include classroom-management coursework and supervised practice, but new teachers still report classroom management among their top needs. UAH described an "early start" program in which candidates begin the school year with the teacher of record to see initial routines and classroom setup; Alabama A&M described extended field experiences and faculty-advisor partnerships with regional districts.
Department staff said they will produce a report summarizing visits and will host a statewide conference in June focused on literacy, numeracy, mentoring and certification topics to support educator-preparation programs and newly certified teachers. The presenters thanked faculty and district partners for cooperation and asked the board to continue encouraging institutions to align coursework and field experiences with state standards.
Board members commended the institutions and staff for a collaborative approach to program improvement, noting that the visits are intended as support rather than purely evaluative monitoring. The session closed with board members inviting the institutions to remain engaged with the Department's future training and data-sharing work.
