Southern University Regains Teacher Training AccreditationBATON ROUGE, La.
Southern University’s teacher training program has regained full national accreditation. About 90 percent of would-be teachers at the Baton Rouge campus now pass the Praxis exam, a test that assesses their prowess in their subject and their teaching abilities in the classroom.
In 2001, 33 percent of Southern students passed the test, which is required for teaching in Louisiana classrooms. The school has since made the test a requirement for graduation.
“We’re certainly in our finest hour, as far as I’m concerned,” said Dr. Ivory L. Toldson, dean of the College of Education.
Tougher standards have cut in half the number of students who graduate, Toldson said. But the number of students graduating is on the rebound, he said. Now, almost all students who complete the program have been certified, he said.
In May, about 80 teaching students received degrees. The school’s turnaround follows four years of probationary accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education because of the low Praxis scores.
Accreditation means a school meets national standards put in place by teacher education professionals.
—The Associated Press
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