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Clark Cancels Ed Courses to Head Off Accreditation Problems

By Camille Ferguson
Black College Wire

The School of Education at Clark Atlanta University has taken drastic measures this semester, canceling major courses in order to provide "multiple intervention" through an intense program to refresh students' reading, writing and math skills.

According to Dr. Fran Jackson, associate dean of the school, the decision to suspend upper-level courses in the curriculum for students who had not met the university or department's admission policy for passing Praxis I was made in the fall. Praxis is a national standardized test and passing it is a state requirement for teacher certification. The faculty believes the program is an effective way for students to prepare for the exam.

"We admit to having some problems in the school," Jackson said. "But we are trying to address the problem before a visiting team of examiners come."

The team is the board of examiners from the National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education, which in spring 2004 will determine whether the department meets the standards for maintaining accreditation.

NCATE will measure the university based on such standards such as academic competence, field experience, diversity and faculty qualifications.

Jackson emphasizes that the new program, known as the STEPS semester, provides students with specialized training on generic test-taking strategies and skills, including weekly pre-professional seminars and tutorials.

"The faculty is working hard to ensure that the standards are met," Jackson said. "Students . . . had taken courses that were not benefiting them," she added. "Our enrollment in the pre-professional seminar is going well. We will be able to access its effectiveness."

Last semester approximately 218 students were enrolled in education courses. Of that number, "not many" had taken or passed the Praxis I, Jackson said.

The policy for admission the teacher education program is that students are exempt from the exam only if they have an SAT score of at least 1000, a GRE score of 1030 or an ACT score of 22 or greater. It also says that students would not gain admission into the department without a passing score on Praxis.

Dr. Ernest Pete Middleton, dean of the School of Education, insists that most students were aware of the policy, but continued to enroll in restricted courses.

However, he also acknowledged that prior to his appointment as dean in the fall of 2001, the policy had not been strictly enforced.

"It is criminal to have students come to this university and go through four years of school and not be able to teach," Middleton said.

Nevertheless, Middleton seems unapologetic about the new standards. He insists that students who continue to avoid taking the exam "will be advised out of the program."

Jackson does not believe the failure to enforce the policy is the only factor. However, some students in the department disagree.

A junior who transferred to Clark Atlanta from Georgia Perimeter College explained that until last November, she didn't know there was a problem.

"We knew we had to take the Praxis," she said. "But yet and still they took our money and then told us we couldn't get our grades."

Apparently, students who had not satisfied the admission requirement were given a grade of incomplete for the relevant courses they had taken and passed last semester, pending completion of the exam.

Students are not the only ones feeling the heat. According to Middleton, the university must produce a pass rate of 80 percent or higher to avoid a $25,000 fine and a "low performance" evaluation by NCATE.

Meanwhile, the junior awaits another opportunity to pass the test after failing last November. However, she isn't convinced that the tutorials are enough to help her pass the exam in just three months.

In the meantime, unlike some who have changed their majors, this student participates in the seminars and attends her restructured class schedule.

Both Jackson and Middleton indicate they have things under control.

"We are offering multiple intervention," Jackson said. "We are confident that students who participate will pass the course."

Camille Ferguson is a student at Clark Atlanta University who writes for the Panther.