MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The undergraduate Physical Education Teacher Education program at West Virginia University has been nationally recognized for successful preparation of students.
The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) recognized the College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences for having met or exceeded the “Initial Physical Education Teacher Education Standards” for preparing their undergraduate students. WVU’s undergraduate students in this program have a 100 percent pass rate on the Praxis II physical education exam.
“It’s been a little over a three-year process for us,” said Valerie Wayda, Department Chair for Coaching and Teaching Studies. “Accreditation basically means it’s a stamp that we have a quality program — something that prospective students and parents can look for in a teacher education program.”
Department of Coaching and Teaching Studies Professor Sean Bulger said the program strives to use a comprehensive approach that goes beyond a school gymnasium. This includes about 150 hours in schools gaining practice teacher experience.
“Quite a bit of the data that we collect to inform program decisions and also for the accreditation process relates to how our teacher candidates, when they’re out in their field placements, are impacting the K-12 learners whom they are serving,” he said.
The undergraduate program provides teaching candidates with experience at all levels of physical education and health education training, giving candidates flexibility in which part of physical education they start their teaching careers.
“What we’re able to say, with some level of certainty, is that the teacher candidates who enroll in our program will be well prepared to transition into full-time teaching positions in the K-12 schools,” Bulger said.
Bulger said teacher quality is a national issue — and he hopes this accreditation will increase the competitiveness of WVU’s program.
“At the end of the day, it really demonstrates the effectiveness of the teacher candidates that we’re preparing to go out in the schools,” he said.
Though they don’t keep a running tally of job placement level at the undergraduate level, Bulger said graduate students have a 100 percent job placement rate. Many graduate-level students are able to finish the entire program in four and a half years.
“In essence, just an extra semester that they can graduate with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s,” Valerie Wayda said. “So we have it via accelerated bachelor and master’s program, which is pretty unique from any other program out there.”
To maintain accreditation the institution or program must undergo a similar review on a regular basis. SHAPE generally conducts program reviews every seven to ten years.