Welcome from the Dean

The Neag School of Education is proud to have earned a reputation among its peer institutions of being a school on the move. This is due to the outstanding efforts of our faculty, their teaching, research and mentoring, as well as the strategic investments we have made in people, programs and technology.

Among our points of pride are:

The Neag School is the top ranked public graduate school of education in the Northeast and on the East Coast according to U.S.News & World Report. Four of our core programs rank among the nation's top 20 including: Elementary Education (13), Secondary Education (17), Curriculum and Instruction (19), and Special Education (20).

Our doctoral program in kinesiology is ranked #1 in the nation. This ranking was the result of an objective review process conducted for the first time by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education and stands for five years (2005-2010).

Three recent national studies have ranked our School Psychology Program at the top of its field, and two of its faculty as among the most productive.

Two national research centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education are located at the Neag School -- the National Research Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (NRCGT) and the OSEP Technical Assistance Center for Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS).

One of the most prestigious journals, the Journal of Literacy Research, selected a team of six Neag School scholars to serve as its editorial team for the next three years.

We are an NCATE accredited school of education – the standard of excellence in teacher preparation.

Our good fortune began in 1999 after the faculty crafted a strategic plan to emphasize selective centers of excellence, while enhancing the quality of our programs and the reputation of our school. These efforts sparked the interest of Ray Neag, a successful businessman and UConn alumnus, who desired to make a difference with his hard-earned fortune. He chose to make a $21 million investment in our school; and his support -- on both a financial and personal level -- continues to impact our students, faculty and staff, as well as the children in the classrooms of Connecticut and the nation.

For decades, most schools of education in the nation were not considered to be as important as some of the other schools and colleges on their campuses. This is not the case at UConn where teacher education is recognized as a university-wide responsibility. This commitment, and our nationally recognized Integrated Bachelor's/Master's (IB/M) program, drew the attention of the prestigious Carnegie Corporation of New York. We are honored to be one of the 11 teacher education programs chosen by Carnegie as an outstanding model. In partnership with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, we are proud participants in Carnegie's highly-regarded teacher reform effort called Teachers for a New Era (TNE).

Our established signature programs, considered among the best in the country, include: teacher education, gifted and talented, exercise science, school psychology and administrator preparation. Recently, we have invested significantly to raise the following programs to signature status: measurement and assessment, literacy and numeracy, special education, and educational leadership. By increasing grants and endowments, we've been in the position to hire some of the country's top talent in these fields.

I am proud to be dean of the Neag School of Education and to be an alumnus; and I am enthusiastic about our prospects for continued success in the coming year!

Richard L. Schwab
Dean