How the College of Education is addressing the teacher shortage
College of Education: Part of Indiana’s $2M funding initiative to support teachers of English Language Learners
Purdue University is one of ten Indiana universities offering a completely online add-on license to prepare teachers – for free – to provide effective language, literacy, and content-area instruction for students classified as English Language Learners (ELLs).


Four Indiana deans of education discuss why students should become teachers
The deans of four Indiana teacher training schools – the Purdue University College of Education, Indiana University Bloomington School of Education, Teachers College at Ball State University and Bayh College of Education at Indiana State University – are coming together to encourage students to go to college to become teachers – and to change lives in the process.
Obenchain, Barce receive IDOE grant to address state’s teacher shortages
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced recipients of $10.6 million in funding to aid Indiana’s schools and community partners in supporting local initiatives to attract and retain educators across the state – including researchers in the College of Education.


West Side students harvesting STEM know-how, with side of veggies, in GEAR UP program
Students at the Gary West Side Leadership Academy Thursday celebrated a fall bounty that went beyond tomatoes and beans. The students, who are participating in one of nine Indiana GEAR UP programs, watched the unveiling of a new greenhouse next…
On-campus leaders in online education: Purdue College of Education
The College of Education’s Purdue Online program jumped from #42 to #22 this year in the U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) rankings for online education programs, putting it in the top 6% of ranked schools.


IHE quotes Barce on teacher shortage, alternative programs
For-profit “alternate route” teacher-preparation programs are gaining popularity to help meet the nationwide teacher shortage, but our Assistant Dean for Teacher Education Jennifer Barce warns that alternative programs need to include quality assurance.
Barce gives back-to-school advice via Associated Press, state & national outlets
The Associated Press quoted Jennifer Barce, assistant dean for teacher education at the College of Education, saying the advice she gives student teachers preparing for their first day in the classroom works for kindergarteners too: “Be safe, healthy, fed and well-rested.” Fox News, Wane 15, the Indianapolis Star and a host of national outlets picked up the story because it’s good advice for parents, teachers and students.


NCTQ names Purdue’s College of Education an “Equitable and Excellent” program
Building a more diverse teacher workforce is becoming ever more essential – so much so that part of the College’s Strategic Plan focuses on recruiting and retaining candidates from historically underrepresented groups. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) recently named the College of Education as an “Equitable and Excellent” program, one of 89 institutions nationwide that exhibit equity and excellence in pass rates for aspiring teachers of color.
CL2EAR to enhance literacy, English language learning, and teacher professional development
The Purdue University College of Education launched the new Center for Literacy and Language Education and Research (CL2EAR) on August 1, 2022. CL2EAR will focus on faculty-led research, use literacy and language research at its core, and generate funding from multiple sources including research grants and contracts with departments of education.


Obenchain featured in media, shares insights into Indiana’s teacher shortages
Indiana schools have more than 4,200 open jobs right now, and more than half of those openings are teacher positions, according to the state’s education online job board.
Boilermaker Track to Teaching: A clear and quick path to teacher licensure
For some students, becoming a teacher is the career path they always planned. For others, the decision to enter the teaching profession comes later in their undergraduate studies.


Purdue University program named among top in country for preparing future elementary math
The undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program at Purdue University has been named among the best in the nation when it comes to ensuring future elementary teachers have the essential content and skills they need to teach mathematics.
Innovation Initiative: Pursuing a curriculum buoyed in big ideas
Grounded in the pursuit of resiliency and reflection, the College of Education’s Innovation Initiative is the most comprehensive change in two decades for the teacher education curriculum. Faculty are collaborating to infuse the new curriculum with advances that answer the needs of our future teachers, the students they will educate and an evolving society.


Indianapolis STEM Teacher Residency Program (ISTR)
Purdue University’s Indianapolis STEM Teacher Residency (ISTR) program seeks individuals without extensive teaching experience who possess a strong academic and/or professional background in a STEM field and are interested in pursuing a career in secondary (Grades 5-12) science or mathematics teaching.