Bowie State Shows Dramatic Growth in Students Majoring in Education

Enrollment Increases Buck Regional and National Trends

 

MEDIA CONTACT: David Thompson, dlthompson@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311

(BOWIE, Md.) – As traditional teacher education programs in the region and across the nation cope with enrollment declines, Bowie State University has been steadily increasing the number of students enrolled in bachelor's education programs growing from 221 students in 2018 to 319 in 2021, almost a 50 percent jump.

“Our education programs at Bowie State are trending upward dispelling the local and national trends that show less students majoring in education,” said Dr. Rhonda Jeter, dean of the College of Education (COE). “The primary reason for our success is that we nurture and support our students who choose a career in education and offer a high-quality program at an affordable price,” she said. “We also network and have developed strong partnerships with local county school systems so that they’re familiar with our curriculum and degree programs.”

Maryland, like almost all states across the nation, is facing a teacher shortage. Since 2012, students pursuing education degrees in the state has plummeted by 33 percent and teacher vacancies have substantially increased due to retirement and other factors compounded by the COVID pandemic

Bowie State University continues to focus on the critical need to attract high caliber students to its education programs to help fill the teacher void in the state. This is particularly important since the majority of Maryland’s new teachers are not representative of the student demographics in the state which have grown more diverse in recent years. Maryland’s public school population is over a third Black and 20 percent Latino.

Recent reporting indicated that the teacher shortage is magnified nationally by the fact that Black and Latino teachers have a higher churn rate than their white peers. In its 2021 State of the U.S. Teacher Survey, Rand Corporation researchers found that about half of Black teachers reported they were likely to leave their jobs by the end of the school year, which was higher than other races.

“Everyone already knows that without qualified teachers in our classrooms, students’ ability to learn diminishes drastically,” said Dr. Jeter. “That’s why our mission in the College of Education is to continuously promote teaching as an important career emphasizing to our students the dire need for them in classrooms and the upward mobility in the field if they pursue a Master's or Doctorate in Education.” 

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education programs are key components of Bowie State’s curriculum along with unique programs designed to increase the number of special education and Black male teachers. The university also has programs to help para-professionals secure education degrees and other credentials to enable them to become classroom teachers through the Maryland State Department of Education Leads and Teacher Collaborative Grant programs.

“Our doctoral Education Leadership degree program grew from 69 students in 2021 to 149 students today, an increase of 116 percent in one year,“ said Dr. Jeter. “The numbers soared this fall due to the program expanding to be offered online for the first time. We anticipate even more educators to enroll in the program in the future.”

Bowie State has a long and proud history of educators earning advanced degrees at the university. Dr. Monica Goldson, Chief Executive Officer of the Prince George’s County Public Schools and Dr. Monifa McKnight, Superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools, both earned master's degrees from Bowie State.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.