Gordon’s Education Program Recognized for Effective Content Preparation

Path to Teach, NCTQ’s new tool for future teachers, ranks education programs and schools to help applicants navigate their college search.

Gordon College’s Department of Education was granted the distinction of being one of the “Top Colleges for Content Preparation” in the country by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) today.

Of the 800 programs examined nationwide, Gordon was one of only 35 recognized for highly effective teacher training, specifically in terms of content preparation. Gordon is one of only four CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities) schools to achieve this ranking.

Students in Gordon’s education program pursue their anticipated subject areas as double majors alongside their early childhood, elementary, middle school, or secondary education major. NCTQ identified six of these subjects—including English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and history—as areas where Gordon particularly excels in preparing future teachers for content mastery.

According to NCTQ, research has shown that teachers’ mastery of content knowledge is directly correlated with how effectively they communicate subjects to students. It is, therefore, important that prospective teachers receive meaningful subject matter preparation so that they can pass this information along to their students.

“Teachers deserve the opportunity to be prepared, and we congratulate these colleges and universities for leading the pack in taking steps to give teachers a solid base in subject knowledge,” said Kate Walsh, president of NCTQ. “The most critical step is to make sure that the coursework is rigorous and strong, holding students accountable for achieving mastery in the subjects they intend to teach.”

Gordon’s undergraduate elementary and secondary programs have also been recognized as a “Best Value” by NCTQ and have earned top recognition in NCTQ’s Teacher Prep Review. NCTQ is a nonpartisan research and policy organization that measures teacher effectiveness and works to ensure that future teachers are ready to lead the classroom when they graduate.