FARMINGTON — The campus community at the University of Maine at Farmington was stunned by the recent release of a National Council on Teacher Quality ranking that gave the nationally accredited university a poor rating and a warning.

More than 1,400 teacher-preparation programs across the country were rated on a scale of one to four stars. The review proposes that the way colleges and universities prepare teachers is mediocre and could be considered another factor in the decline of education in America.

Most of the University of Maine system ranked poorly, with UMF listed among the lowest-performing programs for both elementary and secondary education.

UMF received no stars in the ranking, only a warning mark for potential students and employers.

The report was compiled based on course syllabuses, student handbooks and other college materials, according to the study.

Katherine Yardley, associate provost and dean of education at UMF, said the university has a strong reputation for preparing students.

“You can’t see the whole picture of what we do looking at a syllabus or website,” Yardley said.

Rated one of the best colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, UMF has produced four of the last five Maine teachers of the year, as well as two of the last three technology educators, she said.

The National Council on Teacher Quality’s review method differed from the one used during the national accreditation process, Yardley said, adding that UMF has earned accreditation since 1966.

That process includes a team of professionals who come to campus, interview people such as students and faculty and attend classes to get a good sense of how UMF prepares teachers, Yardley said.

There was no contact from the National Council on Teacher Quality, other than a request for a syllabus and student handbook in 2011, she said. UMF had no input in the review.

UMF’s ranking is based on a 2010 syllabus that doesn’t reflect changes made since including the Common Core State Standards, a new standard for teaching English and math in K-12 schools, she said.

UMF graduates disputed the ranking, saying they were well-trained.

“I was appalled,” said Stephanie Fogler, a 2010 graduate who is a third-year teacher at Newport Elementary School. “I felt very prepared (for the classroom). There were no surprises.”

Part of her preparation at UMF included several opportunities to be in the classroom prior to student-teaching during her senior year. She participated in practicums and course work in local classrooms each year at UMF, she said.

“UMF is very open about teaching and helping you see every angle before you get into the classroom,” she said of the school’s efforts to ensure that students are on the right career path, both for themselves and for education.

Hired by Regional School Unit 19 after graduation, Fogler found that being a UMF graduate was a plus in the application process and in her early days of teaching.

“During the first few weeks, a literary specialist at the school assured me, ‘You’re from UMF; you’ll do fine,’” she said.

UMF applicants always get an interview, Yardley said. Superintendents are impressed with how strong they are.

Recent graduate Catherine MacDonald was hired to teach at Cascade Brook School in Farmington this fall. She feels UMF has a strong program, one that helped her obtain the new position by graduation. She continues to hear of other classmates finding jobs within six weeks of graduation.

“UMF graduates are prepared and competent,” she said. “The study doesn’t completely reflect the program at UMF. It’s not just about courses. Whatever we do in the classroom is more indicative of our strengths and preparation than what’s on paper.”

Both young teachers said mandatory testing at UMF helps ensure teacher preparation. Results on the first test taken as a freshman indicate whether the student can continue in the education program. The second test is taken before they can student-teach. It determines the student’s preparation in their content area, MacDonald said.

“Feedback is important to us,” Yardley said. “So we’ll look at what (the report) says and see if anything makes sense. We work very hard to prepare students.”

The National Council on Teacher Quality advocates for reforms in teacher policies in an effort to increase the number of effective teachers, according to its website.

“We are committed to lending transparency and increasing public awareness about the four sets of institutions that have the greatest impact on teacher quality: states, teacher preparation programs, school districts and teachers’ unions,” according to the website.

Based in Washington, D.C., the council was founded in 2000. Funders include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corp. of New York, among others. For more information on the council, go to http://www.nctq.org/siteHome.do.

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