NCTQ contacted all teacher preparation programs in the US and requested that they participate in the survey used for the report. Almost all independent, non-profit institutions, including member schools of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), refused to participate. Jesuit institutions refused because of flaws in the report’s methodology and research integrity.

The NCTQ standards and survey methodology differ substantially from those of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), the two major accrediting organizations that are in the process of merging to form the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). These organizations use multiple criteria that are focused on the outcomes of preparation programs. By contrast, the NCTQ data are inherently flawed, relying largely on inputs such as admissions procedures, assigned textbooks, and the structure of student teaching experience.

The deans and chairs of the Jesuit schools and departments of education share the belief that the NCTQ report does not represent well-grounded analysis and criticism. Instead, the report provides a vehicle for presenting conclusions that were essentially reached before the study began, conclusions that are at best dubious and suspect.

We know that our Jesuit education programs prepare teachers of education through quality offerings that continue reevaluation and strive for academic excellence and social justice, which are at the essence of all Jesuit institutions’ mission. AJCU welcomes this national dialogue on the quality of teacher preparation programs in the United States through the lens of accuracy and appropriate data.