Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) - Low-Performing and At-Risk Teacher Preparation Programs

Oct 15, 2026

Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), amended in 2008, requires states to report annually on key elements of teacher preparation programs and initial credentialing for kindergarten through 12th grade. This issue brief summarizes the characteristics and trends of low-performing and at-risk teacher preparation programs, highlighting state criteria and oversight gaps, citing a GAO report, and noting the small share of programs nationally flagged by program type.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Low-Performing and At-Risk Teacher Preparation Programs

State Evaluation and Accreditation Approaches

Oversight Gaps Identified by GAO

States Without Identified AR/LP Programs

National Share of Programs Identified as AR/LP

Program-Type Distribution and Consequences

highereducationact News You Can Use Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended in 2008 by the Higher Education Opportunity Act, requires states to report annually on key elements of their teacher preparation programs and requirements for initial teacher credentialing, kindergarten through 12th grade. Title II News You Can Use is a series of issue briefs on key data collected through the Title II HEA data collection. This issue brief provides information on the characteristics and trends of low-performing and at-risk teacher preparation programs. Low-Performing and At-Risk Teacher Preparation Programs Over the past several years, the education field has seen a heightened policy focus on teacher quality as one of the most significant factors in increasing student achievement. This has contributed to an increased spotlight on the role of teacher preparation programs in adequately preparing teachers. Policymakers and stakeholders are scrutinizing the quality andrigor of teacher preparation programs, including the standards used to evaluate their performance (Demonte, 2015) . In some states, the assessment of teacher preparation programs occurs in multiyear cycles as part of the state approval process. In others, programs are reviewed by a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the Secretary for accreditation of professional teacher education programs, such as Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) . In many states, the state approval process and program accreditation are linked. As required by the HEA, states report annually on how they evaluate their teacher preparation programs. States ...the education field has seen a heightened policy focus on teacher quality... establish the criteria they use to evaluate the performance of traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs. Teacher preparation programs that do not meet their state’s criteria maybe classified by their state as “low performing” or “at risk of being identified as low performing.” However, a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighted a general lack of oversight by some states on reviewing the performance of teacher preparation programs. Thereport highlighted that some states have low standards or lack of criteria for identifying teacher preparation programs as low performing, particularly alternative route programs (GAO, 2015) . Several states have never reported having at-risk or low-performing programs Although states are required by federal law to assess whether their teacher preparation programs are low performing, the GAO report revealed that some states failed to do so. Seven states reported to the GAO that they do not have a process in place or have not set criteria to identify teacher preparation programs as low performing (GAO, 2015) . Twenty-four states, American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and Virgin Islands have never identified any programs as being low performing or at risk. States That Have Never Identified Any Programs as AR or LP American Samoa District of Columbia Guam Marshall Islands Micronesia Northern Marianas Palau Puerto Rico Virgin Islands WA OR ID NV UTCA AZ AK MT WY CO NM ND SD NE KS OK MN WI IA IL MO AR MI OH IN KY TN NH ME VT NY PA MA RI CT NJ DE WV MD VA DC NC SC TX HI MS AL GALA FL States that have never identi ed any programs as at risk or low performing States that have identi ed at least one program as at risk or low performing While several states have never reported having at-risk or low-performing teacher preparation programs, those that have seem slow to respond to those low-performing programs. A survey conducted by Education Week on state standards and the policies states use to review the performance of teacher preparation programs revealed that there is a la

FAQs

What does Title II of the HEA require states to report annually?

States must report annually on key elements of their teacher preparation programs and requirements for initial teacher credentialing for kindergarten through 12th grade.

How are teacher preparation programs classified as low performing or at risk?

States establish criteria for evaluating traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs; programs not meeting state criteria may be classified as “low performing” or “at risk of being identified as low performing.”

What did the GAO report find about state oversight?

The GAO highlighted a general lack of oversight in reviewing teacher preparation program performance, including some states having low standards or lacking criteria—especially for alternative route programs.

Oct 15, 2026

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