NEWS RELEASE
February 19, 2002
Graceland University's masters of education program is among only 43 graduate education programs nationwide named to the U.S. News and World Report current "Best of the Online Grad Programs"
Graceland's program, begun in January 2000 on the Graceland Independence, Mo. campus, is recognized because of its curriculum, says Bill Armstrong, Dean of the Graceland School of Education. All the courses in the program are designed around the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Additionally, one mentor is assigned to each cohort who stays with it through the two-year program.
Cohorts (groups of 20-24 students) begin the two-year schedule together and complete it together. They have input about specific courses and about class scheduling. Designed especially for those who are teaching, Graceland's master's program is valued by the teacher/students because they can complete an advanced degree while continuing to work. The teachers' principals and superintendents value the program especially in this time of teacher shortage; they aren't pressed to find replacements for teachers who leave to work on advanced degrees.
The value of the curriculum itself is manifested in the work and ideas the teacher-students receive. Although the program is only two years old, several of its participants literally have changed their teaching style . . . and shared their innovations with their fellow teachers.
The Graceland program has been featured twice in the past year when Dean Armstrong served as presenter at two national education conferences: one sponsored by the NBPTS in conjunction with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); one sponsored by the American Association of College Teacher Education. (AACTE). He has been invited to return to the NBPTS/NCATE conference this spring.
Currently, approximately 100 students are enrolled in the Graceland program - on both the Independence and Lamoni campuses and online. Anyone interested in further information may contact online mentor Dr. Lee Graham, Graceland School of Education Director of Technology at lgraham@graceland.edu or by calling 641-784-5256.
