Accreditation and Reporting

Measure 1. (Initial): Completer Effectiveness (Component 4.1)

The Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) uses multiple measures to understand how its completers 1) impact P-12 student learning and 2) apply professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the P-12 classroom. The most direct measures used by the EPP are components of the Georgia Department of Education’s (GaDOE) Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES), which is the teacher evaluation mechanism in Georgia. The TKES provides an annual measurement, known as the Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM), for each educator. The TEM is calculated from the Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS) rating, the teacher’s professional growth rating, and the students’ growth. The EPP also uses employer and inductee teacher perception surveys administered by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). These surveys are an indirect measure of completers’ impact on learning and development, classroom instruction, and overall effectiveness in that student performance data is omitted. Moreover, the inductee survey measures how completers reflect on their skills and perceived impact on their classrooms and students, and the employer survey indicates their view of the completers’ teaching skills, abilities, and effectiveness. Lastly, the EPP is also conducting a case study to triangulate results and gain additional insights into educator preparation broadly and also during the pandemic.  

Completer Impact on P-12 Student Learning Growth

• The EPP routinely uses P-12 student learning growth data collected by the state to determine how its completers contribute to P-12 student learning. The GaDOE provides P-12 student learning growth data as a part of the TEM. However, this data is not available for the 2020-2021 reporting year due to the waiving of student testing and teacher assessment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The GaDOE notified the EPP that the TEM scores were not calculated for the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school years. Because this is lagging data, the EPP will not have this data again until the 2023-2024 school year. In the interim, the EPP is conducting a study on completers' teaching experiences during the pandemic. We began this work in 2021, but it is ongoing. We aim to have preliminary findings to share in 2023.  

Completer Effectiveness

• To evidence how the EPP's program completers apply professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the P-12 classroom, we use TAPS data, which are also collected and provided to the EPP by the GaDOE. The TAPS ratings were not calculated for the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because this is lagging data, the EPP will not have TAPS data again until the 2023-2024 school year. In the interim, the EPP is conducting a study on completers' teaching experiences during the pandemic. We began this work in 2021, but it is ongoing. We aim to have preliminary findings to share in 2023.
  
  Additionally, the GaPSC surveys administrators who supervise inductee teachers (first-year teachers) through the "Employer Perceptions of Preparation Survey" and inductee teachers through the "Inductee Perceptions of Preparation Survey." While the surveys cannot provide P-12 student growth data or employer observation data as evidence of completer effectiveness, they provide insights into the inductee teachers’ effectiveness from the perspective of the employers evaluating their effectiveness and through the self-assessment of each inductee teacher. To review trends in our data, we present three years of results (2019, 2020, & 2021), followed by a discussion of the results for the Inductee Perceptions of Preparation Survey (PDF) and the Employer Perceptions of Preparation Survey (PDF).

Satisfaction of Employers (Initial)

To gauge employer satisfaction, the EPP utilizes the "Employer Perceptions of Preparation Survey" administered annually by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). The GaPSC provides these data to the EPP each spring for the previous year. The survey is based on state and national standards, including the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards. The survey questions and results, including a discussion of the results, are included in the GaPSC Survey of Employers of Induction Teachers (PDF).

Satisfaction of Employers (Advanced)

For our advanced programs, the EPP created surveys to ascertain employers' satisfaction with program completers. We send a survey to each employer one year after the alumni have completed their advanced program and have been employed in a public P-12 school in Georgia. These surveys are based on program-specific standards and state program requirements, and they measure perceived comfort or skill regarding meeting these standards in the classroom or at the school or district level. The survey questions and results, including a discussion of the results, are included in the attachments entitled "Tier 1 Employer Survey" and "Curriculum and Instruction Employer Survey" located at the end of Measure 2. The Tier II Educational Leadership Employer Survey will be administered for the first time in 2022, following the timeline of surveying employers one year after program completion. The survey will be developed, reviewed, and piloted during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Stakeholder Involvement (Initial and Advanced)

The EPP is fortunate to have stakeholders willing to commit their time and energy to contribute to the ongoing improvement of our programs. Our three most engaged stakeholder groups are our College of Education (COE) Advisory Council, Mentor Teacher Advisory Board, and Educational Leadership Taskforce. Each group is comprised of external (school or district personnel) and internal (faculty and administrators; students are included in the COE Advisory Council) stakeholders. We routinely discuss needs, innovations, evaluations, and decisions with our stakeholders. During the 2020-2021 academic year, each stakeholder group continued to meet semesterly. However, we shifted to a virtual meeting format. The meeting agendas are included at the end of Measure 2 and are titled “Stakeholder Involvement Evidence.”

COE Advisory Council 

The COE Advisory Council is a stakeholder group that collaborates to serves the entire EPP. Membership consists of school and district personnel, such as teachers, principals, human resources officials, and superintendents, and EPP personnel, such as students, faculty from varying departments, staff members, and administrators. During the 2020-2021 school year, the COE Advisory Council provided the EPP feedback on a wide array of topics, such as evolving COVID policies, using a P-12 student survey for CAEP standard 4/A.4, changing to a new web-based assessment system, developing a COE Mission Statement, and using virtual vs. face-to-face practicum and internship supervision methods. The members also reviewed and discussed hiring data, field placement data, and completer survey data and volunteered to be interviewed during the spring 2021 site visit. Additionally, members from the EPP provided updates on innovative programming and new program offerings established to serve partnering schools’ needs. The innovative programs included Summer Scholars, Steps to College, Camp Appalachia, GenCyber Warrior Academy, CyberStart, “Grow Your Own” programs – RISE and ATP, and a new online cohort group for the Elementary and Special Education Program.

Educational Leadership Task Force

The Educational Leadership Task Force is a group that collaborates to serve the Tier I and Tier II Educational Leadership Programs. This group is composed of school administrators, program faculty, and EPP administrators. The program faculty sought feedback from Task Force members on recruiting strategies and assessing leader dispositions. The members also reviewed and discussed program data such as enrollment, GACE Content Assessment results, PASL results, employer survey results. Members volunteered to review new EPP-created assessments, review the new Tier II employer survey, and serve on an assessment validation panel. The EPP shared updates on partnership agreements and memorandums of understanding, the use of educational simulations, and the spring 2021 site visit.

Mentor Teacher Advisory Board

The Mentor Teacher Advisory Board is a group of educators from partnering schools who serve as mentors to teacher candidates during the practicum and internship portion of the programs. Faculty and staff from the EPP facilitate the board. The mentor teacher members span our educator preparation programs in terms of grade levels, content areas, and school districts, so we are able to have diverse perspectives. During the 2020-2021 school year, the advisory board members provided feedback on the impact of the pandemic on clinical experiences, mentor teacher training, mentor teacher survey questions, mentor teacher survey results, and clinical assessment due dates. EPP members shared updates on the state discontinuation of EdTPA and plans for the spring 2021 site visit.

Supporting Evidence:

• GaPSC Survey of Employers of Induction Teachers (PDF)
• Tier 1 Employer Survey (PDF)
• Curriculum and Instruction Employer Survey (PDF)
• Stakeholder Involvement Evidence (PDF)

At the point of program completion, initial and advanced licensure candidates demonstrate competency by passing a proprietary assessment administered by Educational Testing Services, including the Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) or the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL), and possessing a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA). Candidates in all initial teaching licensure programs and two advanced licensure programs complete GACE assessments, whereas candidates in the Tier II Educational Leadership Program must pass the PASL.

Proprietary Assessments – Initial and Advanced

The GACE assessments are specific to each content area and contain questions pertaining to the content and pedagogy of the discipline. Each GACE assessment for initial teaching licensure is comprised of two tests – Test I and Test II. Each test is scored on a scale of 100 to 300, with a score of 220 to 249 passing at the induction level and 250 to 300 passing at the professional level. Candidates are required to pass the assessment at a score of 220 or higher for initial teaching licensure in Georgia. As demonstrated in the GACE Summary Report attached at the end of this section, the majority of the EPP’s candidates passed the GACE at the professional level. Out of the 569 tests taken for initial licensure, only five tests were not passed (<1%). Moreover, the average scaled score for EPP test-takers was higher than the average scaled score for all test-takers in the state.

For the EPP’s advanced licensure programs, the Curriculum and Instruction and Tier I Educational Leadership programs require GACE assessments. These GACE Assessments contain only one test scored on a scale of 100 to 300. The passing score for these assessments is set at 250. As seen in the GACE Summary Report at the end of this section, 100% of the EPP’s advanced candidates passed their GACE Assessment.

Candidates in the Tier II Educational Leadership Program are required to take the Performance Assessment for School Leaders. The PASL is a performance assessment composed of three tasks: 1) Problem Solving in the Field, 2) Supporting Continuous Professional Development, and 3) Creating a Collaborative Culture. Candidates complete written commentary and submit evidence for each task. There are 64 possible points, and to pass the assessment, candidates must score a 42. In 2020-2021, the EPP had four candidates complete the PASL. As seen in the PASL Summary Report at the end of this section, 100% of the EPP’s Tier II Educational Leadership candidates passed the PASL.

Grade-Point Averages

At the point of program completion, initial and advanced licensure candidates also demonstrate competency by earning an overall GPA of at least 3.0. For our initial licensure programs, the overall average GPA at program completion during 2020-2021 was 3.59. The overall average GPA for advanced program completers was 3.95. The EPP’s GPA disaggregated data is included in the GPA Summary Chart attached at the end of this section.

Title II Reporting

In addition to the proprietary assessments and grade-point averages, the EPP also reports completion data to the federal government under the Higher Education Act. The information contained in the Title II Reports at the end of this section includes assessment pass rates from recent years and explanations of internship hours required for program completion. At this time, the 2022 Title II Reporting for the 2020-2021 academic year is delayed due to a transition in government website suppliers. The 2022 Title II Report will be available soon after the June 30th reporting deadline.

Supporting Evidence:

• GACE Summary Report (PDF)
  
• PASL Summary Report (PDF)
• GPA Summary Chart (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2022 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2021 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2020 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2019 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2018 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2017 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2016 (PDF)

Most graduates from initial and advanced preparation programs at the University of North Georgia earn positions upon graduation and are employed one year after graduation in a public school in Georgia. It is important to note that this does not account for graduates who may leave the state of Georgia or who may find employment in the private school sector in Georgia. Overall, approximately 89% of initial program completers and 90% of advanced program completers are employed in an education position for which they have prepared one year after program completion. Employment rates are disaggregated at the program level in the following sections titled “Initial Programs” and “Advanced Programs.”

A report distributed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in 2021 demonstrated that an average of five years of employment data indicated that 77% of teaching program completers are employed one year after program completion (pg. 2). State data also revealed that the annual employment rate trend is increasing, from 70% in 2016 to 81% in 2020 (pg. 1). As a point of comparison for 2021, our initial teacher preparation program completers are employed in the first year at a higher rate (89%) when compared to the state average (81%). A similar report for advanced programs is not available for comparison.

Initial Programs

Completers Hired (PDF)

The disaggregated data for 2020-2021 reveal that most initial teacher preparation programs had high employment rates in fields for which the completers were prepared. There are two programs with lower employer rates: Mathematics (71.43%) and Music (50%). The lower employment rates in these two areas are partly evident because there are fewer total completers. Reasons for lower employment rates in areas for which the completers were prepared could include completers leaving the state, acquiring positions in private schools, pursuing graduate school, or accepting jobs in their content field industry.
 

Advanced Programs

Completers Hired (PDF)

The disaggregated data for 2020-2021 reveal that the advanced preparation programs had high employment rates in fields for which the completers were prepared. Two of the three programs were at approximately 90%, whereas the Tier II Educational Leadership Program had one completer who was not employed in a field for which they were prepared. This individual continued to serve in an assistant principal position in 2021, but the Tier II Educational Leadership program prepares leaders for the principalship or district-level leadership positions. Overall, the disaggregated data for advanced programs indicate a high employment rate in fields for which the completers were prepared.