Reich College of Education

Preparing Quality Educators - Past, Present and Future

• Appalachian was first founded as a teaching college in 1899
• 5 undergraduate majors, 13 graduate majors, 1 doctoral program
• Elementary Education is one of Appalachian's top 10 majors
• One of the largest teacher preparation programs in the state with over 2,000 students
• One of five UNC Ssystem Literacy Innovation Leaders, collaborating with K-12 schools to improve students’ reading achievement
• One of six institutions selected by the Principal Fellows Commission through a competitive grant process to be the recipient of recurring grants from the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program

Focus on Student Success

• Over 360 students were awarded almost $980,000 in scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year - more than any other college at Appalachian
• 100 full-time faculty members
• Average class size:
  • Undergraduate: 27 students
  • Graduate: 15 students
  • Doctoral: 10 students
• International opportunities 
• Graduates approximately 400 teachers per year
• Ranked 1st of Top 50 Alma Maters by Total Number of National Board Certified Teachers for 2021 - sixth consecutive year
• Almost all 100 counties in North Carolina employ an RCOE teacher or administrator
• The Mathematics and Science Education Center offers thousands of materials for pre-service and in-service teachers to use in their classrooms, increasing the engagement and interactivity of STEM lessons across the region

Award-winning Faculty and Alumni

• Dr. Kindel Nash, Spangler Distinguished Professor of Early Childhood Literacy, was named the 2022 Early Literacy Teacher Educator of the Year by the National Council of Teachers of English Early Childhood Education Assembly.
• Dr. David Koppenhaver was named the 2022 Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity; and Dr. Alecia Jackson was named the 2020 Provost's Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity.
• Dr. Theresa Redmond (2022) and Dr. Patrick O'Shea (2021)  were recipients of the Board of Governors Appalachian State University College Award.
• Dr. Stacey Garrett was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award by the ACPA-College Student Educators International in 2022. 
• Two alumnae from the marriage and family therapy graduate program were named recipients of the prestigious American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Graduate Research Award.
• In 2022, three alumni were finalists for the NCCAT Prudential North Carolina Beginning Teacher of the Year; three alumni are North Carolina Regional Teachers of the Year; and two alumni are Wells Fargo Regional Principals of the Year.
• Dr. Don Phipps '92 '97 was named the 2023 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, and two other alums were finalists.
• Meredith Draughn '15 is the American School Counselors Association 2023 National Counselor of the Year.