Rutgers Graduate School of Education Awarded for Outstanding Physics Teacher Preparation Program
Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE) has been recognized for its outstanding contributions to the preparation of future physics teachers by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), a partnership between the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). The GSE has been presented with “The 5+ Club” award, which recognizes institutions that graduate at least five highly qualified physics teachers each academic year. Less than 20 institutions in the United States graduate five or more highly qualified physics teachers most years. The GSE has produced 17 highly qualified physics teachers since 2012.
“It’s a honor to have our program recognized for its commitment to the advancement of physics teacher preparation,” notes Dr. Eugenia Etkina, Physics Program Coordinator and Professor at the GSE. “Training highly qualified physics educators is extremely important, especially with the current shortage of physics educators.”
The American Association for Employment in Education found in their 2014 report that the teacher shortage in physics is number one among 59 education fields. Graduating five or more physics teachers a year is a significant achievement; the majority of institutions are graduating less than two physics teachers a year.
“Rutgers University’s excellent physics teacher preparation program is a service to the state of New Jersey,” stated Sam Aronson, President of the American Physical Society. “We congratulate Rutgers University for its excellence in physics teacher education, and for serving as a national model for STEM teacher preparation.”
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