The Neag School of Education was founded in 1940 when the Connecticut Agricultural College became the University of Connecticut. It is based in the Charles B. Gentry Building, which as built in 1960 in honor of the former director of the Division of Teacher Training and University President. In 1999, the School of Education was renamed after Ray Neag, a businessman and graduate of UConn. Neag was co-Vice Chairman of Arrow International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of medical devices. The donation of $21 million is the largest gift given to an education school in the nation. In 2000, the building underwent major reconstruction, and a 20,000-square-foot wing was added to the west side of the building. The former deans of the School of Education are:
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate programs in curriculum and instruction for both pre-service and in-service educators. The program does not offer a teacher credential, which is only offered through the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates program. The undergraduate programs allow students to gain core competencies in teaching at all levels of education. The graduate programs allow for more specialized knowledge in a content area to prepare for additional certification later on. Doctoral programs allow students to pursue positions as professors or researchers in wide array of settings. The two main research units are the New Literacies Research Lab, which is recognized as the world's premier labor for reading comprehension and learning skills required for emerging information and communication technologies, and the Reading/Language Arts Center, which facilitates the improvement of literacy instruction. One particular focus of the program is strengthening Connecticut's investments in K-12 science programs and other STEM fields.
The Department of Educational Leadership connects theory, practice, and policy in a variety of academic programs, including educational leadership, education policy, executive leadership, and more. The program is also hope to the university's Sport Management program, offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees.
Department of Educational Psychology
Teacher Education
The Teacher Education center offers two programs. First, the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates is an 11-month, full-time, accelerated program that allows students to earn a Connecticut Teacher Certification and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction or MA in Educational Psychology. Students are required to complete coursework in addition to passing all relevant PRAXIS II examinations, as required by the state. Most recently, the program expanded to offer a track in Mandarin Chinese, in addition to its programs in French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Latin. Second, the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program in Teacher Education is a five-year, advanced program for undergraduates. Graduates of the program receive a Bachelor of Science in Education, a Master of Arts in Curriculum, and a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology. The accelerated track of the program allows for students to gain exposure to a number of areas within five years. The IB/M program began in 1987 from conversations between the Holmes Group, John Goodlad, and the National Network for Educational Renewal. The IB/M program offers courses of study in the following areas: Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Comprehensive Special Education, and Music Education. The program is built upon 6 key tenets which emphasize the common core of pedagogical knowledge required for all education majors, as well as clinical experience in a variety of environments. In the first two years of the program, students complete a well-rounded liberal arts coursework. In the Junior Year, students begin to take courses designed to help them learn about students as learners. In the senior year of the program, students gain more specific pedagogical knowledge. And, in the master's year, students gain clinic experience through an internship. In 2007, 90.7% of the IB/M program was female.
Accreditation & Rankings
The Neag School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The accreditation covers teacher-preparation programs and advanced-education-preparation programs at the University of Connecticut and its regional campuses. In five specialty programs, the Neag School of Education is recognized as in the top 25 in the nation. Considered a Public Ivy, the main campus of the University of Connecticut is located in Storrs and is considered one of the leading research universities in the United States. The school aims to be diverse with the following demographics in the 2018–2019 academic year: White, Unknown, Hispanic/Latinx, Black/African American, Asian, Two or more races, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.
Research Centers
The Neag School of Education promotes interdisciplinary research and education. It works with five main research centers at the University of Connecticut: Research Centers Center for Behavioral Education and Research, Center for Education Policy Analysis, Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability, Reading and Language Arts Center, and the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development. It is also affiliated with the National Center for Research on Gifted Education, which is funded by the Department of Education.
