Morehouse College Educator Preparation Program

Problem

Morehouse College seeks to understand the effectiveness of its signature teacher preparation program.

The Morehouse College Educator Preparation Program (MCEPP) was launched to address the national shortage of Black male teachers. Despite a growing body of research showing the benefits of teacher diversity, fewer than 2 percent of U.S. teachers are Black men. Morehouse College, the only all-male historically Black college and university (HBCU), is uniquely positioned to respond to this challenge.

Through MCEPP, the Morehouse Center for Excellence in Education aims to recruit, prepare, and retain Black male educators by offering rigorous coursework, clinical training, financial support, and mentorship. They turned to NORC to help them evaluate the program’s effectiveness.

Solution

NORC is conducting a mixed-methods evaluation to assess MCEPP’s effectiveness.

NORC is examining student outcomes such as program completion, certification, placement in high-need schools, and retention. The evaluation integrates quantitative data from administrative records and surveys with qualitative insights from interviews and focus groups to understand how different levels of engagement such as mentoring, coursework, and clinical experiences affect success. The evaluation also documents barriers to success and highlights effective practices that support persistence. By triangulating data sources and conducting cross-case analyses, NORC provides Morehouse with actionable insights to refine the program and support replication.

Result

Our findings will guide program improvements and support replication across institutions.

Our evaluation will produce annual memos, replication guidance, and a final report synthesizing findings across four years. Early results will inform program adjustments, while later analyses will identify core components that drive success. Deliverables will include user-friendly materials for stakeholders interested in adopting similar models. The final report will offer evidence-based recommendations for scaling MCEPP and strengthening the pipeline of Black male educators. By documenting effective practices and barriers, NORC’s evaluation will help Morehouse refine its approach and contribute to broader efforts to diversify the teaching workforce.