Bay Path University earns high marks for teacher preparation

Longmeadow, MA– Bay Path University was recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for its success in preparing teachers to pass education licensure exams. Bay Path has continually exhibited high pass rates on the mathematics licensure exam. The school was also recognized by the NCTQ as a “stand out institution” for the support they provide to education students, the only institution in Western Massachusetts to earn that accolade and one of only nine in the state.
Bay Path had a 97% 'best attempt' pass rate for the General Curriculum Mathematics subtest, compared to the state ‘best attempt’ pass rate of 77%. The term ‘best attempt' applies to the total number of test takers who pass, regardless of the number of attempts.
“This is outstanding,” says Ellen Rustico, EdD, Assistant Dean of Education and Licensure Programs at Bay Path. “The mathematics subtest is noted as the 'most challenging' for test takers, and Bay Path’s pass rate is indicative of the support we provide our students in preparing for the exams.”

At the same time, Bay Path has a significantly higher percentage of Pell grant recipients (60%) than the state average (35%), and yet, the school’s average first-attempt pass rate on the mathematics subtest is 53%, compared with 50% across the state.

“We see this as a critically important data point,” says Dr. Rustico. “We’re helping to build and strengthen a diverse workforce of educators, who bring very valuable perspectives to their classrooms, along with their subject knowledge.”

According to the NCTQ, “Building a strong, diverse teacher workforce is an equity issue of the highest priority, especially as we support students to recover from the pandemic. Licensure tests often reveal inequities in aspiring teachers' educational experiences that teacher preparation institutions are in the best position to address, supporting these aspiring teachers by shoring up gaps in content knowledge.”

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About Bay Path University

Bay Path University was founded in 1897. Bay Path’s enrolled population of over 3,000 includes traditional undergraduates; adult women at The American Women's College, the first all-women, all-online accredited degree program in the country; and women and men master’s and doctoral students. Bay Path’s goal is to give students confidence in the fundamentals of their chosen field, the curiosity to question the ordinary, the leadership to show initiative, and the desire to make a difference