About US
Department of teacher Education
An education degree means having the skills to lead a classroom.
It takes unwavering faculty support, an innovative curriculum, and immersive student-teaching opportunities to prepare you for a career in education. Discover what it means to be an educator—a passionate teacher, a knowledgeable leader—to influence the minds of tomorrow. With the prestigious CAEP accreditation, our programs have continually produced successful graduates who are ready to enter a classroom and thrive.
Special note to Out-of-State Applicants
Opportunities
Prepare to step from one classroom to another.
Classroom learning. Working with professors. Application of knowledge. Student teaching. It’s all designed to fulfill your dream of becoming a teacher—where you can influence and foster the next generation of curious minds.
Accreditation
We’re committed to providing you with the best education.
Get an education rooted in continuous improvement—at a university committed to producing successful graduates. Our accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation means we demonstrate that excellence through course content, immersive experiences, program impact, and more. As a student in the Department of Teacher Education, you can be confident in a curriculum that is designed for you and our faculty to achieve the highest academic, research, and ethical standards.
Measures for Success
We adhere to guidelines to prove our excellence.
Purdue University Fort Wayne’s educator preparation programs have earned national accreditation through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (2019–26). This accreditation applies to both initial and advanced preparation programs. (Our counselor education program is accredited separately, through CACREP.) See the list on our accreditation website.
One of the core elements of our programs is a continuous-improvement model that provides feedback to faculty about policies and practices. Purdue Fort Wayne routinely monitors a wide range of program measures, such as student academic progress, completer feedback, and employer satisfaction. Further, we believe it is important to share our data with the public to promote transparency and trust in higher education.
Below, we provide four measures used to monitor our initial educator preparation programs. Data for advanced programs can be found on the websites for those specific programs. Additional data provided by the Indiana Department of Education can be found on our Title II and 1388 Reports page.
The Indiana Department of Education collects teacher-effectiveness ratings for teachers with three years of experience or fewer. The effectiveness data are based, in part, on students’ achievement and growth during an academic year. Recent graduates from Purdue Fort Wayne are consistently rated as effective or highly effective by their principals, frequently meeting or exceeding state averages.
Percent of Completers Rated as Effective or Highly Effective
| Year | Teachers with 1 Year of Experience | Teachers with 2 Years of Experience | Teachers with 3 Years of Experience | Total |
| 2017–18 Purdue Fort Wayne | 95% | 97% | 97% | 97% |
| 2018–19 Purdue Fort Wayne | 100% | 97% | 100% | 99% |
| 2019–20 Purdue Fort Wayne |
96% | 100% | 98% | 98% |
| 2019–20 State of Indiana | 96% | 98% | 99% | 98% |
Source: in.gov
The Indiana Department of Education conducts an annual survey of principals who supervise first- and second-year teachers. The survey asks principals to evaluate teachers’ preparation in three domains (knowledge, disposition, and performance) reflecting elements of national professional standards, such as the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium. Principals’ overall satisfaction with Purdue Fort Wayne graduates frequently matches or exceeds statewide averages. Satisfaction within the individual domains often exceeds 95 percent.
Principals’ Overall Satisfaction (Satisfied or Highly Satisfied) with Recent Graduates
| Year | Purdue Fort Wayne | State of Indiana |
| 2017–18 | 93% | 93% |
| 2018–19 | 93% | 96% |
| 2019–20 | 98% | 97% |
Source: doe.in.gov/epps
The following are employer satisfaction rates for our advanced program graduates:
- Counselor Education: TBD
- Educational Leadership: 100 percent satisfied or highly satisfied with graduates
- Special Education: 100 percent satisfied or highly satisfied with graduates
Pass rates on state licensure exams for both pedagogy and content knowledge are tracked through Title II data. Overall pass rates for Purdue Fort Wayne completers are shown below. Pass rates on individual exams are higher. Additional details can be found on our Title II and 1388 Report.
Licensing Rates
| Year | Purdue Fort Wayne |
| 2017–18 | 81% |
| 2018–19 | 73% |
| 2020–21 | 71% |
Source: doe.in.gov/epps
The following are pass rates for our advanced program graduates:
- Counselor Education: 100 percent pass rate on licensure exam (October, 2021)
- Educational Leadership: 84 percent pass rate on licensure exam (October, 2021)
- Special Education: 100 percent pass rate on licensure exam (October, 2021)
Purdue Fort Wayne tracks how many of our completers teach in Indiana public schools the year after graduating. In addition, completers also take positions that are not captured in these data, such as independent early childhood settings, out-of-state schools, or less traditional educational settings, like museums, zoos, or public-outreach programs for organizations. Our own surveys indicate that approximately 80 percent of graduates have positions at the time of graduation, which is often before many schools have finalized hiring decisions over the summer.
Percent of Purdue Fort Wayne Completers Teaching in Indiana Public Schools
| Graduating Year | Percent Teaching in Indiana Public Schools |
| 2017–18 | 46% |
| 2018–19 | 47% |
Source: IDOE data requests
The following are placement rates for our advanced program graduates:
- Counselor Education: 100 percent job placement of graduates
- Educational Leadership: TBD
- Special Education: 100 percent job placement of graduates