McKay School of Education > Deans > McKay School of Education :: Fact Sheet

MSE Fact Sheet

Basic Statistics

BYU operates one of the largest teacher preparation programs in the nation.

Total undergraduate enrollment: 1,502

Department Breakdown:

Total graduates: 26,413

Both undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered - List of Degrees

Accreditation

BYU's teacher preparation structure was initially accredited by NCATE in 1991 as the College of Education. In 1996 the name and many administrative aspects of the college were changed by action of the Board of Trustees. At that time the name was changed to the David O. McKay School of Education (MSE), and it was accredited under that name.  In 2003 the accreditation unit was redefined to more accuately indicate the cross-campus nature of the education endeavor. Accreditation is currently under the title of The Educator Preparation Program at Brigham Young University (EPP), and responsibility for program quality and accreditation renewal is shared across the many colleges and departments that participate in the preparation of teachers.

BYU-Public School Partnership

The Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership (BYU-PSP) is an official collaborative unit that includes the McKay School of Education and five nearby school districts: Alpine, Jordan, Nebo, Provo and Wasatch.  Its Governing Board includes the dean of the McKay School and the superintendent of each district--all with equal voices in Partnerhsip affairs.  The overarching goal of the Partnership is the simultaneous renewal of teacher education and schooling:  Schools need teachers who are well prepared, and in order to prepare them well, the university needs excellent schools to model for them and provide them with opportunities to preactice.  In a sense the partnership schools provide a diverse learning lab for McKay School students.  In turn, the McKay School offers its facilities and personnel to implement outstanding programs in the partnership districts.

A number of populations benefit through the Partnership:

• Partnership schools educate almost 170,000 students: approximately one-third of Utah’s school-age children.
• The Partnership represents 7,000 teachers.
• BYU's Educator Preparation Program graduates 1,000 new teachers each year--most of them having observed and practiced in Partnership schools.
• The Partnership directs more than 40 collaborative projects, most of which are administered through the Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling (CITES), the Partnership's facilitating unit.

The following are among the most influential of the Partnership initiatives:

• TELL (Teaching English Language Learners)--A multi-course program leading to certification of teachers to teach students who are learning the English Language.
• Science and Engineering Fair K-12--A project which provides university equipment and mentoring for outstanding science students who want to create projects to compete on local, state, and national levels.
• Intern Program--An alternative to student teaching, which places senior level teacher candidates in classrooms full time for a year, with half the salary of regular teachrs, along with benefits.
• Positive Behavior Support Initiative (PBSI)--An initiative which teaches social skills and encourages peaceful interactions schoolwide, and provides individualized interventions for students who are showing serious academic and behavioral problems.
• Comprehensive Literacy--A program providing instruction and mentoring in the teaching of literacy.
• Comprehensive Math--A state-wide initiative that includes several classes leading to certification of teachers as mathematics specialists.

Educator Preparation Program

The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) consists of the McKay School of Education and eight other BYU colleges, comprising 26 departments, which collaborate to prepare undergraduate secondary teaching majors or minors:

• College of Fine Arts and Communications
• College of Life Sciences
• College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• College of Health and Human Performance
• College of Humanities
• College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences
• College of Engineering and Technology