OHIO YSU is 4th in teacher tests

Ohio State's 98-percent passage rate was the highest.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University's performance on teacher certification tests is tops among public universities in Northeast Ohio and ranks fourth in the state.
Ninety-two percent of students in YSU's Beeghly College of Education passed the certification exams in 1999-2000.
That's above the 91-percent state average and also higher than Kent State University's 91 percent, University of Akron's 88 percent and Cleveland State University's 87 percent.
Ohio State University's 98-percent passage rate ranked first in the state, followed by University of Miami at 94 percent and Ohio University at 93 percent.
YSU placed fourth, tied at 92 percent with Bowling Green State University and Wright State University.
Official's comment: "The scores reaffirm what we already know about our teacher-preparation program, and that is it is a very good one," said Dr. Philip Ginnetti, assistant dean of YSU's Beeghly College of Education.
Students graduating with college degrees in education must pass the exams to be certified and eligible to teach in Ohio primary and secondary schools.
The test scores are part of a report card that YSU and hundreds of other colleges and universities nationwide with teacher-preparation programs released Monday under the Higher Education Act of 1998, known as Title II.
The act, aimed at making the nation's education schools more accountable, requires any institution that prepares teachers and receives federal funding to report the percentage of students who pass their initial certification or licensure exams.
State has 50 programs: In Ohio, 50 colleges and universities have teacher-preparation programs and will report test results to the Ohio Department of Education.
Based on the reports, the state education department will rank colleges and universities in four categories: high performing, performing, at-risk or low performing.
Low-performing schools could lose federal funding, such as financial aid to students.
The state will analyze the data and issue a report to the U.S. Department of Education in October. The national data will be compiled and sent to Congress by April 2002.
"Ohio State has been a national leader in education for decades, and our students' success on their licensing exams shows we continue to graduate outstanding teachers," OSU President William E. Kirwan said in a press release.
At the bottom: Cleveland State University's 87-percent overall passage rate ranked last among the Ohio's 11 largest four-year public universities.
"Most Cleveland State teaching candidates balance the demands of college with the demands of work and families," Dr. Thomas Frew, interim education dean, said in a news release.
"That they are ultimately successful in reaching their education goals is a testament to their dedication to the teaching profession."
Many college officials emphasized that the tests measure only pencil-and-paper knowledge of prospective teachers.
"The real test of teacher education programs is how well our graduates perform in the classroom," Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher, Miami University provost, said in a news release.