Inside Education and Health Sciences
UD teacher education earns an A+ in elementary math teacher preparation
By Emily Clemenson
The National Council on Teacher Quality released the 2025 ratings for elementary math instruction, and the teacher education program at the University of Dayton has received an A+.
"Under the guidance of associate professor Lindsay Gold and all of our elementary education professors, our students become mathematical content and pedagogical experts," said Jackie Arnold, associate professor and coordinator for the PreK-5 program. "They become confident in their research-based teaching practices to engage students in understanding critical mathematical competencies."
Out of the 43 programs that were evaluated in the state of Ohio, UD is one of just five that earned an A+ in elementary mathematics. Only 16% of universities across the country earned the highest rating on this measure.
"An A+ rating is a clear indicator of high-quality teacher preparation,” said Treavor Bogard, associate professor and chair of the Department of Teacher Education. “It reflects strong alignment with professional standards, subject-matter and intentional field experiences in learning to teach elementary level math."
UD's teacher education program also earned an A+ in reading foundations in the most recent reading preparation report, released in 2023. The University of Dayton is the only institution in Ohio that has an A+ rating in both reading and math, and one of just 10 across the entire country.
NCTQ reports that elementary math instruction sets children up for success all the way into adulthood. Since math is cumulative, struggles early on make it hard for students to catch up to their peers as they progress through school. Teachers who are effectively trained to teach elementary math are better equipped to help their students succeed.
Ali Carr-Chellman, dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences, is proud of the program's A+ rating in elementary math instruction.
"Our teacher education program incorporates more than 150 hours of pedagogical, mathematical and curriculum instruction to prepare our candidates to be highly effective practitioners," Carr-Chellman said. "Students who come to UD know they will be equipped to be the best teachers they can be."