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Program Evaluation

CAEP Accountability Measures

Listings of initial and advanced professional education programs and progression plans outlining program expectations (CAEP Annual Report Section 4.1; R3.3; RA3.3) Accordion Closed

Initial teacher preparation programs for AY 2022-2023:

*Indicates programs that were reviewed and accredited by CAEP during the last accreditation cycle in 2017.

Degree program names are linked to the respective catalog information (see Details tab), which outlines requirements that must be met to earn the degree and qualify for a state Institutional Recommendation. To access the Progression Plan, click on the link in the Overview tab. These requirements are confirmed by an academic advisor before the teacher candidate can receive final clearance to student teach.

College of Arts and Letters

  • Art Education (BSEd)*
  • Music Secondary Education (BMEd)*
    • Choral Emphasis
    • Instrumental Emphasis
  • Secondary Education – English (BSEd)*
  • Secondary Education – History and Social Studies (BSEd)*
  • Secondary Education – Spanish (BSEd)*

College of Education

  • Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education (BSEd)
  • Elementary Education (BSEd)*
  • Elementary Education – Certification (MEd)*
  • Special and Elementary Education (BSEd)*
  • Special Education – Early Childhood Special Education with Certification (MEd)*
  • Special Education – Mild/Moderate Disabilities Certified (MEd)*

College of the Environment, Forestry and Natural Sciences

  • Secondary Education – Biology (BSEd)*
  • Secondary Education – Chemistry (BSEd)*
  • Secondary Education – Earth Science (BSEd)*
  • Secondary Education – General Science (BSEd)*
  • Secondary Education – Mathematics (BSEd)*
  • Secondary Education – Physics (BSEd)*
  • Teaching Science With Certification (MAT-S)*

College of Health and Human Services

  • Health Sciences – Physical Education (BSEd)*

Historical listing of initial teacher preparation programs

Advanced education programs for AY 2022-2023:

*Indicates programs that were reviewed and accredited by CAEP during the last accreditation cycle in 2017.

Degree program names are linked to the respective catalog information (see Details tab), which outlines requirements that must be met to earn the degree/certificate and qualify for a state Institutional Recommendation. To access the Program of Study, click on the link in the Overview tab. These requirements are confirmed by an academic advisor or Education Leadership staff member before the candidate is cleared to enroll in the final internship course. A second check of requirements is completed by Graduate College staff as part of the candidate’s application for graduation.

Educational Leadership

  • Principal (GCert)*
  • Educational Leadership – Principal K-12 (MEd)*
  • Superintendent (GCert)*
  • Educational Leadership – K-12 Administration (EdD)*

Educational Psychology

  • School Psychology (EdS)*

Historical listing of advanced educator programs

Enrollment and graduation data (Initial R3.1; Advanced RA3.1) Accordion Closed

NAU’s enrollment and graduation data for all degree programs are publicly available through the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. Listings of the initial and advanced professional education programs are included at the top of this web page. Candidates enrolled in teacher preparation programs (and a few other programs intended for in-service teachers) are eligible to apply for the Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA) at NAU Scholarship & Program, which is designed to support recruitment and retention of teachers for Arizona’s public schools; see NAU’s ATA website for more information about this program.

Table 1 provides an overview of enrollment and graduation counts for teacher preparation programs for the past three years. Figures 1-4 provide ATA enrollment and graduation trends, respectively, by academic year and campus location. Table 2 provides enrollment and graduation counts for advanced educator programs. Following these data charts, a narrative providing analysis, interpretation, and use of data is listed.

Table 1: Teacher Preparation Programs Enrollment and Graduation Data

Academic YearEnrollmentGraduates
2020-20212182521
2019-20202136556
2018-20192243572

Figure 1: ATA at NAU Enrollment Trends by Academic Year
Figure 2: ATA at NAU Enrollment Trends by Academic Year and Campus Location
Figure 3: ATA at NAU Graduation Trends by Academic Year

*Note: The AY 21-22 graduate number is tentative and subject to change.

Figure 4: ATA at NAU Graduation Trends by Academic Year and Campus Location

*Note: The AY 21-22 graduate number is tentative and subject to change.

Data Sources: NAU’s website for enrollment data; PEP’s Title II reports for graduation rates; PEP’s ATA reports.

Table 2: Advanced Educator Programs Enrollment and Graduation Data

Academic YearEnrollmentGraduates
2020-2021*877266
2019-2020914273
2018-20191033262

*There was an additional advanced educator program in 2020-2021 (i.e., the PK-12 College and Career Counseling (MEd) program) in comparison to the previous academic years (i.e., 2019-2020 and 2018-2019).

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

Initial teacher preparation programs:

Enrollment for teacher preparation programs has been relatively stable for the past three academic years with 2,243 candidates in AY 2018-2019,  2,136 candidates in AY 2019-2020. and 2182 candidates in AY 2020-2021. The number of teacher preparation program graduates has been relatively stable across these three years (572, 556, and 521 program completers, respectively), however a decline was noted in AY 2020-2021. PEP staff overseeing student teaching placements noted a decline in student teaching applications for AY 2020-2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PEP staff have also noted a substantial increase to approximately 630 student teachers for AY 2021-2022.

Enrollment and graduation data, including ATA enrollment and graduation data, are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through a PEP Initial Teacher Preparation Coordinating Council meeting and through the COE/PEP Recruitment and Retention faculty and staff committee. The past three years of enrollment and graduation data are also shared in programs’ internal biennial reports completed during the fall semesters of even years. Additionally, these data were shared with external stakeholders as part of the 2019, 2020, and 2022 District Representative Meetings held in conjunction with the NAU PEP Annual Teacher Career Fair.

There has been significant growth in ATA due to state approved funding of the program beginning in AY 2019-2020. ATA enrollment grew from 59 and 161 ATA members in AYs 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, respectively, to 900, 951, and 1,014 ATA members in AYs 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022, respectively. Interest in the ATA continues to be high and numbers enrolled in ATA reflect the full award allocation provided to NAU by the Arizona Board of Regents. For AY 2020-2021, NAU initially expended all funding and maintained an ATA waitlist. When funding was increased in Spring 2021 because of recent, voter-approved ballot initiatives, students on the waitlist were approved for ATA and provided appropriate scholarship funding. Upon review of the enrollment data for AY 2019-2020, we also noted a significant increase in enrollment for graduate students pursuing NAU’s approved alternative pathway graduate programs.

Similar to the enrollment numbers, the ATA graduation trend data show an increase. The number of ATA graduates grew from 26 ATA graduates for the first cohort graduating in AY 2018-2019 to 265, 305, and 361 ATA graduates in AYs 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022, respectively. We also anticipate the ATA graduation number for AY 2021-2022 to increase aas we finalize ATA graduate numbers for this academic year. ATA data reports are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through the PEP Initial Teacher Preparation Coordinating Council as well as through public reports published by the Arizona Board of Regents. ATA’s data reports are available on the ATA at NAU website.

Advanced professional education programs:

Enrollment for NAU’s advanced professional education programs is experiencing a decline with 1033 candidates enrolled in AY 2018-2019, 914 enrolled in AY 2019-2020, and 877 enrolled in AY 2020-2021. Despite the decline in enrollment, NAU’s advanced program graduates remained relatively stable with 262 completers in AY 2018-2019, 273 completers in AY 2019-2020, and 266 completed in AY 2020-2021. One explanation for the decrease in enrollment is a technical reporting issue where NAU needed to move from a single academic plan with multiple emphases to separate academic plans for two of our advanced programs. That is, the Educational Leadership (EdD) – K-12 Administration Emphasis and Elementary Education (MEd) Reading K-8 Emphasis became separate academic programs in AY 2020-2021, which allows us to report enrollment and graduation data for only these emphases. In AYs 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, these emphases were part of a larger academic plan with multiple emphases, which resulted in only being able to report enrollment and graduation data at the program level and not for these specific emphases. NAU has also experienced enrollment declines in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment and graduation data are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through the COE/PEP Recruitment and Retention faculty and staff committee. The past three years of enrollment and graduation data are also shared in programs’ internal biennial reports completed during the fall semesters of even years.

Completer effectiveness (Measure 1; Initial R4.1) Accordion Closed

NAU recognizes the value of evaluating how graduates contribute to P-12 student learning and growth, and apply the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions from their program of study as a new teacher. To meet this challenging expectation, NAU PEP is working in conjunction with the AZ K12 Center, a center sponsored by NAU’s College of Education, to collect meaningful data regarding program completer effectiveness from NAU graduates participating in the Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA).

ATA provides a scholarship for any remaining tuition and mandatory fees once all gift aid is applied for students enrolled in an eligible teacher education program. ATA participants commit to teach one year in a public school district, charter school, or Bureau of Indian Education school located in Arizona for any portion of a year they receive a scholarship. In addition to providing scholarship funding, the State of Arizona also funded mentoring/induction services for ATA graduates during their first year of teaching in an Arizona school. NAU ATA graduates receive mentoring/induction services from the AZ K12 Center. ATA graduates are allowed a one year grace period before beginning their teaching service commitment. This delay may influence if or when the graduate applies for mentoring/induction services with the AZ K12 Center.

Given the significant number of candidates enrolled in ATA, NAU is gathering data from this sub-population in relation to CAEP Standard R4.1 (2022). NAU PEP and AZ K-12 Center leadership and staff meet regularly to increase coordination of services and implement effective communication to student teachers and graduates. Some strategies implemented to more effectively enroll ATA graduates into the AZ K12 Center mentoring/induction services include adding marketing messages outlining the range of mentoring/induction options to the ATA Welcome and Exit Letters, and including representatives of the AZ K-12 Center at the NAU PEP Annual Teacher Career Fair in order to inform school districts of the free professional development services available to ATA graduates. The next step is identification and consistent implementation of data collection instruments from mentors regarding new teachers, who are NAU graduates. The data collection instruments are aligned to:

R4.1 Completer Effectiveness – The provider demonstrates that program completers:

  • effectively contribute to P-12 student-learning growth AND
  • apply in P-12 classrooms the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions that the preparation experiences were designed to achieve.

To provide evidence that NAU graduates “effectively contribute to P-12 student-learning growth,” NAU PEP is exploring the use of the New Teacher Center’s Analyzing Student Learning instrument, which is one tool the AZ K-12 Center provides for mentors to use in their work with beginning teachers. The Analyzing Student Learning tool was developed to create habits of mind when reviewing student work in relation to student learning or performance goals and content standards. This tool allows teachers to reflect on the strengths their students have in relation to a set criteria based on standards. Next, teachers identify challenge areas and consider ways to support students to make categorical growth. The Analyzing Student Learning tool supports the scaffolding process for reviewing assessment data related to student learning, teachers to create immediate next steps to address the various student learning need and set expectations for the following lesson plan criteria. Mentors use coaching language to find entry points into the conversation to show beginning teachers how to make connections between teacher efficacy and student performance. The AZ K-12 Center is collecting the Analyzing Student Learning from mentors that used it with our ATA at NAU graduates. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Arizona schools/districts restricted on site visits in classrooms, which has limited the use of the Analyzing Student Learning tool by mentors. The AZ K-12 Center was able to share four Analyzing Student Learning samples for our graduates from AY 2021-2022; a narrative providing analysis, interpretation, and use of these data is listed below.

To seek evidence related to NAU graduates applying “the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions that the preparation experiences were designed to achieve,” NAU PEP and AZ K-12 Center Staff have developed a Beginning Teacher Effectiveness Observation Instrument aligned to this CAEP Standard component. This instrument was designed to be completed by mentors in collaboration with their mentees/NAU graduates. A pilot administration of the instrument was conducted in Fall 2021. These pilot results are available through the link below. Following this result file, a narrative providing analysis, interpretation, and use of data is listed.

  • Beginning Teacher Effectiveness Observation Survey Pilot Results from Fall 2021

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

Analyzing Student Learning Pilot Results from AY 2021-2022

In AY 2021-2022, the Analyzing Student Learning tool was used by mentors with four NAU AY 2020-2021 graduates. The four Analyzing Student Learning tool samples were for mathematics lessons at the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade levels. In completing the Analyzing Student Learning tool, all four NAU graduates completed the Standards-Based Content and Informing Instructional Practice sections of the tool describing the standard(s) including the knowledge, skills, and actions targeted in the lesson, how the targeted standard(s) are addressed in the lesson, and what student performance would look like for meeting standard(s). Two of the samples also demonstrated that NAU graduates completed the Student Performance Levels section of the tool where they rated each of their students’ level of performance as well as calculated the number and percentage of students meeting standard(s), approaching standard(s), and far below standard(s). When completing this analysis of their students’ performance, both NAU graduates found that the majority of their students met the lesson standards (25-48%) or earned a score(s) related to approaching the lesson standards (12-37.5%). Very few students were found to be far below standards (8-12.5%). Additionally, it was noted that a performance rating could not be provided for some students at the time the Analyzing Student Learning tool was completed.

The AZ K-12 Center will continue to collect the Analyzing Student Learning from mentors that use it with our ATA at NAU graduates. In AY 2022-2023, the AZ K-12 Center is anticipating being able to collect more Analyzing Student Learning samples as COVID-19 restrictions by districts/schools regarding on site visits to classrooms continue to be removed.

Beginning Teacher Effectiveness Observation Survey Pilot Results from Fall 2021

As noted above, the Beginning Teacher Effectiveness Observation Instrument was completed by mentors in collaboration with their mentee teachers (i.e., ATA at NAU graduates) to measure “the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions that the preparation experiences were designed to achieve.” When completing this survey, mentors had several opportunities to observe mentees’ classroom practices and debrief with their mentees. Additionally, mentees had time in the classroom as a beginning teacher to recognize their strengths and areas for improvement. For the Fall 2021 pilot, survey responses were received from 12 mentors and mentees (i.e., NAU graduates) from AY 2020-2021. These mentees/graduates represent NAU’s undergraduate teacher preparation programs in Elementary Education, Secondary Education – English, Special and Elementary Education, Health Sciences – Physical Education, and Music Secondary Education. Based on these pilot survey results, Learning Environments (InTASC Standard 3), Planning for Instruction (InTASC Standard 7), and Learning Differences (InTASC Standard 2) were areas our graduates demonstrated effective teaching practices. The area that respondents indicated our graduates were struggling or lacked confidence in relation to their teaching practices was Classroom Management.

The Beginning Teacher Effectiveness Observation Instrument will continue to be administered by the AZ K-12 Center in October and March. The decision to administer this survey during these months was a collaborative decision by NAU PEP and the AZ K-12 Center to allow the mentor and mentee enough time working together to provide meaningful responses. Additionally, in conjunction with completion of this survey, mentors collaborate with their mentees on goals based on a combination of InTASC standards, the district’s evaluation rubric, and priority indicators through the New Teacher Center. The AZ K-12 Center has found that waiting to administer this survey allows for richer conversation that is authentic to the knowledge, skills, and disposition of that beginning teacher. In addition to publicly posting results on this NAU PEP Program Evaluation web page, these results along with data from other instruments (e.g., student teaching evaluation measures) and input from stakeholders (e.g., Cooperating Teachers feedback) are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through the PEP Initial Teacher Preparation Coordinating Council meetings. Program faculty and leadership review these data to determine if any program improvements are needed and if so, what curriculum changes should be made.

Satisfaction of employers (Measure 2; Initial R4.2; Advanced RA4.1) Accordion Closed

Initial teacher preparation programs:

NAU PEP is gathering employer satisfaction data from school and district personnel who attend NAU PEP’s Annual Career Fair. Results are available through the links below. Following these results files, a narrative providing analysis, interpretation, and use of data is listed.

  • Career Fair Survey for District Participants, Results from Spring 2021-Spring 2022
  • Career Fair Survey for District Participants, Results from Spring 2018-Spring 2020
  • Career Fair Survey for District Participants, Results from Spring 2015-Spring 2017

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

As noted above, employer satisfaction data for initial programs are collected from school/district personnel who attend NAU PEP’s Annual Career Fair. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spring 2021 Career Fair was held virtually using Handshake. The percentage of respondents indicating that our candidates were prepared for their interviews with them has been consistently high at 94% (in Spring 2019) to 100% (in Spring 2020), though the percentage decreased to 78% in Spring 2021. The change from an in-person event to a virtual format may account for the decreased percentage of respondents indicating that our teacher candidates were prepared for their interviews. This may be due in part to the on site coaching regarding how to discuss and describe professional terms and instructional strategies, etc. that is provided to candidates by the PEP Director and other faculty, advisors, and staff that occurs prior to and between interviews. The percentage of respondents indicating that our candidates were prepared for their interviews with them increased to 83% in Spring 2022.

For the past four years, based on interviews with candidates, respondents have indicated dispositions (e.g., attitude, openness for students to learn, confidence, ethics, etc.) and pedagogy were strengths of our candidates’ preparation. Technology and content were also identified as candidates’ strengths. Areas for improvement identified by respondents across the past four years were working with special populations (e.g., IEPs, laws, differentiation, etc.), assessment (e.g., collect, manage, and analyze assessment data), and classroom management. In addition to publicly posting results on this NAU PEP Program Evaluation web page, results are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through a PEP Initial Teacher Preparation Coordinating Council meeting.

NAU transitioned to using the NExT (Network for Excellence in Teaching) Common Metrics Instruments starting in AY 2021-2022. In addition to an Exit Survey and a Transition to Teaching Survey (administered to program completers approximately one-year post-graduation), the NExT Common Metrics Instruments include a Supervisor Survey to collect employer satisfaction data about program completers for their first-year teaching. NAU will utilize the Supervisor Survey for the first time in Summer 2022. All of these NExT surveys are aligned with each other as well as the InTASC standards. The NExT Surveys are proprietary instruments and have evidence of validity and reliability.

Advanced educator programs:

With the approval of the Advanced CAEP Standards, the NAU PEP Advanced Coordinating Council members developed an Employer Survey for advanced programs. The Employer Survey was piloted in Spring 2022, though the response rate for this pilot administration was low. These pilot results are available through the link below. Following this results file, a narrative providing analysis, interpretation, and use of data is listed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Advanced Programs Employer Survey was not administered in Spring 2021. For the Spring 2022 administration of the survey, program leadership and faculty employed other strategies for locating advanced program graduates’ employers in an effort to improve response rates as well as implementing systematic reminders. Spring 2022 data results will be extracted in summer and analyzed by programs in Fall 2022.

  • Employer Survey Results Spring 2020

The EDL program leadership and faculty are also exploring other methods for collecting employer satisfaction data, including conducting focus group interviews with partner districts. One focus group interview was held in Fall 2021; ( see Focus Group Protoc0l); preliminary analysis of data results is provided below.

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

Spring 2020 Survey Data Analysis

Across NAU’s advanced professional education programs, 54 employers completed the Employer Survey during the pilot administration in Spring 2020. Of the 54 employers that responded, only 29 employers (or 56%) indicated they had hired NAU advanced professional education program graduates during the past three years. Based on the survey items, these 29 employers appear to have hired NAU graduates representing all advanced professional education programs. However, the number of responses per program were low ranging from 1 to 11 responses. The percentage of responses from these 29 employers indicating that they find NAU advanced program completers competent and worthy of hiring was high with 52% of respondents indicating “always” and 39% indicating “most of the time.” Employers also indicated they would hire another NAU advanced program graduate with 86% of respondents indicating they were “extremely likely” and 24% indicating they were “likely.” The percentage of employers indicating they were satisfied with the overall preparation of NAU advanced program graduates for their position was high with 70% indicating they were “extremely satisfied” and 26% indicating they were “satisfied.” Further results related to advanced program completers’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions by position/program can be found in the results file listed above. Findings from this pilot employer survey were shared internally with program faculty and leadership.

Fall 2021 Educational Leadership Focus Group Data Analysis

Employers from one district who participated in a Fall 2021 focus group were complimentary of the hands-on, relevant degree program which enabled graduates to enter district positions with a degree of familiarity of processes and procedures. They indicated that the graduates hired in their district were well-prepared and “have a good understanding of what’s expected of them as an administrator”. The district participants in the focus group encouraged the continuance of the partnership and offering of the degree program locally, which is specifically geared toward producing administrators with the knowledge and skills germane to the district while maintaining the high preparation standards of NELP. Focus groups will be conducted in Spring 2022 with other districts to determine their level of satisfaction with our graduates.

Stakeholder involvement (Measure 2; Initial/Advanced R5.3) Accordion Closed

Initial teacher preparation programs:

NAU PEP has implemented two new approaches to improve our collection of feedback from key stakeholders, Cooperating Teachers (CT) and Principals/Directors.

  • Student Teaching Cooperating Teacher Survey: For AY 2021-2022, additional items (see General CT Additional Items; Math/Science Additional Items) were added to the mid-term administration of the Student Teaching CT Survey instruments. The items share data results from the respective student teaching evaluation instruments from the previous academic year and request feedback regarding the data results in relation to the candidate the CT is mentoring as well as general feedback regarding communication, training materials, and placement processes/procedures.
    • Data Collection: Fall 2021, pilot administration with CT mentoring student teachers in 16-week placements (N=187); Spring 2022 additional items administered to all CTs as part of the mid-term evaluation of student teachers in 8-week and 16-week placements (Data collection is still in the process of being finalized.)
    • Summary Data Results:
      • Early Childhood Education/Elementary Education
      • Special Education
      • Secondary Education
    • Teacher Preparation Advisory Council: A Teacher Preparation Advisory Council was formed. CTs and Principals/Directors were invited to participate through the additional instrument items and through direct emails to CTs and Principals/Directors who frequently accept NAU student teachers. Participation in the Teacher Preparation Advisory Council was approved by the Arizona Department of Education as qualifying for “Serving in a leadership role of a professional organization related to the profession of teaching or the field of public education” (see Educator Certification: Renew Your Certification | Arizona Department of Education (azed.gov), Professional Development Activities).
      • Convening: A Teacher Preparation Advisory Council was formed in AY 2021-2022. In February/March 2022, a total of 6 Cooperating Teachers and 3 Principals/ Directors participated in the meeting aligned to their position and/or discipline area. The individuals participating represented schools and districts in Flagstaff as well as other communities where NAU delivers teacher preparation programs including Yuma and Glendale, Arizona.
      • Data Presentations:
        • Early Childhood Education/Elementary Education
        • Special Education
        • Secondary Education

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

Although we have consistently connected with school and district partners through a District Representative Meeting held in conjunction with an annual Teacher Career Fair, NAU PEP sought to improve our collection of feedback from Cooperating Teachers and Principals/Directors for program improvement. Results from the Cooperating Teacher Survey as well as feedback noted through the Teacher Preparation Advisory Council meetings have been shared with programs.

At the unit level, the PEP Initial Teacher Preparation (ITP) Coordinating Council acted upon feedback from Cooperating Teachers who indicated the scale for the Cooperating Teacher Survey items did not allow for the option of communicating to teacher candidates that they observed their growth/development but there was still room for improvement. This feedback was shared with the Teacher Preparation Advisory Council members as noted in the presentations. The members were in support of this recommended change to the scale to improve feedback to teacher candidates and quality of data collected and reported. At the March 2022 ITP Coordinating Council Meeting, the change to the scale for the Cooperating Teacher Survey instruments was approved for implementation beginning in AY 2022-2023.

Given the data results, the PEP staff who oversee student teaching are working on ways to improve communication regarding expectations to Cooperating Teachers/Principals/Directors. A concise handout has been developed to provide to Cooperating Teachers/Principals/ Directors beginning in Fall 2022 summarizing key aspects of the mentor teacher role. Expanded details regarding the Cooperating Teacher role is described in the Teacher Candidate Handbook.

Advanced educator programs:

Principal (GCert & MEd) and Superintendent (GCert & EdD)

Educational Leadership faculty members who coordinate the Principal and Superintendent programs participated in several data-gathering efforts regarding satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement. These included a focus group in Fall 2021 , as well as a stakeholder survey in Spring 2022 .

A focus group held in Fall 2021 provided rich data from stakeholders with one partner school district offering an accelerated MEd Education Leadership – Principal K-12, which was co-constructed and implemented between NAU and the district. The stakeholders from the partner school district noted the professionalism of the program, the rigor, as well as its effectiveness. As stakeholders, they expressed interest in keeping the program relevant, real-life, and hands-on. They noted hiring program graduates as a mutual benefit. Other benefits discussed included the ability to augment syllabi to include what candidates want to know more about, the camaraderie of the program, and the practicality of the degree. Given their familiarity with the EdD Educational Leadership-K-12 Administration degree program, focus group participants also discussed this program. Participants described the cohort nature of the program, as well as the ability to draw on one’s experiences while working through the program as two strengths.

A stakeholder survey (N = 36) yielded a 44% response rate. Responses were received from school and district leaders, community partners, faculty members, candidates, past graduates, and emeriti faculty. Through the survey results, respondents indicated they had been involved in program design (37.5%), continuous improvement (31.25%), and program evaluation (31.25%). Program design examples included reformatting and implementing new syllabi, developing the American Indian School Leadership Program, supporting accreditation work, and designing new courses. Examples of continuous improvement efforts included providing programmatic feedback, acknowledging the role of readily accessible mentors for part-time faculty who teach in the programs, and improving upon programs such as the American Indian School Leadership Program.

Additional focus groups with other district partners are planned for Spring 2022 to gather information regarding strengths and areas for improvement of the programs. Faculty will review and analyze results of these data gathering efforts and determine appropriate action steps for continuous improvement.

School Psychology (EdS)

In AY 2021-2022, a stakeholder survey was developed and administered to school/district mentors who work with EdS School Psychology candidates. The results of this survey yielded 33 responses, an 18% response rate. Most school/district respondents had participated as a mentor for internship candidates completing an embedded assessment, the Competency Evaluation of Practicum Field/Internship Experiences (CEFE) (85.71%) and one respondent had participated in program evaluation (14.29%). The CEFE is a comprehensive appraisal of the development of candidates’ skills in practice and is organized by each of the 10 NASP 2020 Domains of Practice. Under each of the domains, there are key skill areas that relate to each of the domains. CEFE data, along with ratings on other internship signature assignment submissions and other available data, guide decisions regarding a candidate towards recommending progression to internship semester two or program completion. Survey respondents indicated participating in evaluating interns, supporting placements of practica candidates with supervisors who in turn evaluated the intern, supervised interns in schools, coordinated interns and practicum candidates, had interns in the past, and/or provided university proctors with feedback regarding candidate preparation. Program evaluation comments included evaluating the preparation of interns and practicum candidates.

Candidate competency at completion (Measure 3; Initial R3.3; Advanced RA3.3) Accordion Closed

Initial teacher preparation programs:

NAU PEP monitors candidate progression and competency from admission to a teacher preparation program (i.e., meeting Additional Admission Requirements specified in the catalog) through completion through the following practices and measures (CAEP Standards 3.2 & 3.3).

  • Established, documented policies and procedures that outline the steps followed by academic advisors when working with teacher preparation candidates. These policies and procedures align with the PEP Data Management System (in Salesforce, a university supported application) and the associated online applications and automated email communications for PEP admission and student teaching.
    • Summary: In relation to the policies and procedures and specified requirements, two examples of changes include refining catalog language related to the calculation of admission GPA(s) (implemented in the AY 2020-2021 catalog) as well as modifying student teaching requirements to address the multiple state and university training modules that are now required (implemented in the AY 2021-2022 catalog; also see https://nau.edu/pep/required-training-modules/). Additionally, the two relevant policies and procedures followed by academic and faculty advisors were updated and approved by the ITP Coordinating Council members in March 2022. Work related to established policies and procedures are tracked by the EPP in an evidence file (see Evidence File: Policies & Procedures for Monitoring Candidate Progression and Competency from Admission through Completion).
      Section 5 Data of this file provides a copy of the updated and approved policies and procedures. Data regarding student teachers documents continued verification of meeting catalog and student teaching course requirements. When student teachers do not meet course requirements, an appropriate grade (i.e., Incomplete, Fail, or Withdraw) is entered based on university policies.
  • Student teaching requires successful completion of several instruments intended to measure candidate competency related to InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards. The primary student teaching observation instruments are:
    • Student Teaching Evaluation instruments
      • National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) Aspiring Teacher Rubric (used for NAU’s teacher preparation programs except Secondary Education, Math/Science)
        • Summary: The Aspiring Teacher Rubric (ATR) is a proprietary instrument developed by the National Institute for Excellence in Education. NAU PEP selected the ATR as the student teaching evaluation instrument due to the explicit alignment to the InTASC Standards (CAEP Standards R1). It is a validated instrument that requires training and certification to support the consistent implementation and reliability of the data collected. The AY 2020-2021 data results were shared internally with the Initial Teacher Preparation (ITP) Coordinating Council and with Cooperating Teachers (key stakeholders) through additional evaluation items added to the instrument mentor teachers complete. The additional items regarding these evaluation results were piloted in Fall 2021 and fully implemented in Spring 2022. The raw data results and data analysis from these additional items as well as open ended comments provided by Cooperating Teachers were provided to ITP Coordinating Council members and program coordinators at the March 2022 ITP CC meeting to review further and determine if any instructional or program improvements are needed and if so, what curriculum changes should be made. Additionally, ATR data are reported at the program level. Work related to the ATR including examples of use of data from program level assessment report files are documented by the EPP in an evidence file (see Evidence File: Student Teaching Evaluation: ATR Summary & Data).
      • University of Texas Austin UTeach Observation Protocol (used for NAU’s Secondary Education Math/Science teacher preparation programs)
        • Summary: The AY 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 data results were shared internally with the Initial Teacher Preparation (ITP) Coordinating Council and with Cooperating Teachers (key stakeholders) through additional evaluation items added to the instrument mentor teachers complete. The additional items regarding these evaluation results were piloted in Fall 2021 and fully implemented in Spring 2022. The raw data results and data analysis from these additional items as well as open ended comments provided by Cooperating Teachers were provided to ITP Coordinating Council members and program coordinators at the March 2022 ITP CC meeting to review further and determine if any instructional or program improvements are needed and if so, what curriculum changes should be made. Summary information regarding the UTOP and data analysis are documented by the EPP in an evidence file (see Evidence File: Student Teaching Evaluation: UTOP Summary & Data Analysis).
  • Arizona has several requirements for teacher preparation programs that are intended to ensure candidate competency as well. These requirements include:
    • Passing score on appropriate Professional Knowledge licensure exam(s) (see https://nau.edu/pep/required-training-modules/, Ability of completers to meet licensing and state requirements and Title II Reports (Initial R3.3; Advanced RA3.3))
    • Completion of Youth Suicide Prevention Training (see https://nau.edu/pep/required-training-modules/, Ability of completers to meet licensing and state requirements and Title II Reports (Initial R3.3; Advanced RA3.3))
    • Completion of state approved Structure English Immersion (SEI) course; NAU’s state approved SEI courses include: 1) BME 331W: Structured English Immersion in Early Childhood Settings, 2) BME 430: Methods and Materials in Second Language Teaching and Structure English Immersion, 3) BME 631: Structured English Immersion and Sheltered English Content Instruction, 4) BME 437: Structured English Immersion Methods for Secondary School, 5) BME 537: Structured English Immersion Methods for Secondary School, and 6) ENG 406: ELL Methods and Materials for Secondary Teachers; for courses listed as a Major Requirement for NAU’s teacher preparation programs, such as these state approved SEI courses, a Grade of “C” or better is required; completion of the SEI requirement is also marked on the graduate’s Institutional Recommendation
    • Completion of a course or state approved exam regarding the US and Arizona Constitutions; NAU offers POS 220: Federal and Arizona Constitutions, which is available for both undergraduate and graduate teacher preparation candidates; evidence of completion of a course to meet the US and Arizona Constitutions requirement is confirmed by the academic advisor and then marked on the candidate’s Institutional Recommendation, which is provided to the Arizona Department of Education for the graduate’s application for teacher certification

Advanced educator programs:

NAU’s advanced programs that currently fall within CAEP’s scope policy include Educational Leadership (Principal GCert, Educational Leadership – Principal K-12 MEd, Superintendent GCert, Educational Leadership – K-12 Administration EdD) and School Psychology (School Psychology EdS). These programs follow prescribed curricula tied to respective national standards (School Psychology program/National Association of School Psychologists (NASP); Principal & Superintendent programs/National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP)). Entry into these programs requires adherence to NAU’s Graduate College admission criteria, as well as individual program admission requirements: School Psychology EdS; Principal GCert, Educational Leadership – Principal K-12 MEd, Superintendent GCert, Educational Leadership – K-12 Administration EdD.

Candidates are guided by faculty and advisors across their program of study (POS) ensuring proper class sequencing and mentoring. Programs provide handbooks (e.g., EdS School Psychology Student Handbook) and/or other appropriate guiding documents that are shared internally with their candidates to assist with their progression. Additionally, NAU’s Graduate College monitors candidate progress through grade reports. When candidates fall below grade thresholds, academic improvement plans are constructed to assist the candidates toward success. For example, the School Psychology EdS program, a review of academic and professional progress occurs for each candidate at the end of each semester. Furthermore, annually, candidates formally meet with advisors to discuss their progress in the program. At that meeting, the candidate reviews the rating form and comments related to their progress in the areas of didactic coursework, research skills and progress, clinical skills and progress, assistantship performance, interpersonal skills and professionalism, self-awareness, self-evaluation, and critical thinking skills, other accomplishments and/or concerns, and status on graduation requirements. Similar processes and procedures are followed for the EDL Principal and Superintendent programs. In particular, the EDL Principal and Superintendent programs check for successful completion of program requirements prior to final clearance to begin the internship course and again at the conclusion of the program of study before the state Institutional Recommendation is issued to the graduate.

Ability of completers to meet licensing and state requirements and Title II Reports (Measure 3; Initial R3.3; Advanced RA3.3) Accordion Closed

Initial teacher preparation programs:

Licensure exam pass rates

Note: These data are based on Title II reports filed by the EPP. Title II reports are due in April each year and report the previous academic year’s data. Statewide Average Pass Rate data become available two years later. Scores are only reported when there are 12 or more candidates.

Table 1. Overall Assessment Pass Rates reported to Title II (Traditional Programs)

 

Table 2. Overall Assessment Pass Rates reported to Title II (Alternative Programs)

Table 3. NAU’s Average Pass Rates for NES Professional Knowledge Exams (Required Exam for Teacher Certification), AY 2018-2019 thru AY 2020-2021

NES ExamNAU's Average Pass RateState's Average Pass Rate
Professional Knowledge: Early Childhood (AZ093)92%75%
Professional Knowledge: Elementary (NT051)97%96%
Professional Knowledge: Special Education (NT601)93%87%
Professional Knowledge: Secondary (NT052)99%99%

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

For the past three reported years (i.e., AYs 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020), licensure exam pass rates for initial teacher preparation programs reported to Title II have been high at 96-98% for traditional programs. These high licensure exam pass rates for NAU’s initial program candidates are higher than the state’s average pass rate of 90% for traditional programs for data available to date.

For alternative pathway programs, there were fewer than 12 candidates completing the licensure exams in AYs 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 therefore pass rates are not reported publicly. The pass rate data have been shared with the program faculty. For AY 2019-2020, NAU had no alternative pathway program completers.

Table 3 documents NAU’s average pass rates for the NES Professional Knowledge Exams for AY 2018-2019 thru AY 2020-2021. The Arizona Department of Education requires a passing score on the appropriate Professional Knowledge Exam for teacher certification. As noted in the chart, NAU’s average pass rate for the three years reported met or exceeded the state’s average pass rate for the same three reporting years.

PEP’s licensure exam pass rates are reviewed each spring, especially in relation to available state pass rate data, for all EPP programs as well as at the individual program level. The results are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through the PEP Initial Teacher Preparation Coordinating Council and program review assessment report files. Additionally, the average pass rates for the Professional Knowledge Exams (Table 3) were shared with candidates through an Arizona Teacher Licensure Exams: Information and Preparation Resources webinar and web page (see https://nau.edu/coe/test-preparation-resources/). The webinar was held twice in AY 2021-2022, and it will continue to be conducted twice per year going forward.

State requirement

Youth suicide prevention training is a state requirement passed by the Arizona legislature for teacher training programs to provide suicide awareness and prevention instruction to all teacher candidates (see Statue 15-1656. Suicide prevention training). The awareness teacher candidates gain through this suicide prevention training is important preparation for assisting their future students. This state required training also aligns to CAEP Standards R1.4, “candidates engage in professional learning” and R3.2, “the provider creates and monitors transition points from admission through completion that indicate candidates’…professional responsibilities.” Additionally, this evidence aligns to CAEP Standard R3.3, “the provider ensures candidates possess academic competency to teach effectively with positive impacts on diverse P-12 student learning and development” and as noted in the CAEP Annual Report for Measure 3 (R3.3) “data that reflect the ability of EPP candidates to meet…state requirements.” Information and data reporting regarding this state requirement is being tracked and maintained in an evidence file maintained internally by the EPP.

Summary AY 2020-2021: Arizona EPP’s were asked to implement this new state requirement during AY 2020-2021. During Fall 2020, NAU researched various options and selected a state approved, free, online delivered training option developed by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (see https://sptsuniversity.org/). It was determined that the “Making Educators Partners in Youth Suicide Prevention: ACT on FACTS” was the best option in terms of being a state approved training and accessible by NAU teacher preparation students located at campus sites throughout the state. This required professional development training was launched in Spring 2021 to all teacher candidates officially admitted to a teacher preparation program. Reminder emails to complete the required training were sent throughout the semester and additional efforts were made to follow-up through phone calls as well as email messages for Spring 2021 student teachers and candidates registered for student teaching in Fall 2021. In Spring 2021, our data results demonstrate a 96% completion rate and in Fall 2021, we had a 100% completion rate. These data results were shared with the ITP Coordinating Council and the determination was made to continue to administer this state requirement centrally with the support of PEP staff. Additionally, EPP leadership worked with university staff who oversee updates to the catalog, and the catalog language beginning in AY 2021-2022 was modified for all of the EPP’s teacher preparation programs to indicate the Youth Suicide Prevention Training as well as the Professional Dispositions Modules are required for clearance for student teaching.

Title II Reports

Traditional Programs, 2020-2021

Alternative Programs, 2020-2021

Traditional Programs, 2019-2020

Alternative Programs, 2019-2020

Traditional Programs, 2018-2019

Alternative Programs, 2018-2019

Traditional Programs, 2017-2018

Alternative Programs, 2017-2018

Advanced educator programs:

Principal (GCert & MEd) and Superintendent (GCert & EdD)

The Principal and Superintendent programs are the only advanced programs that require completion of a licensure exam for certification. Listed below are the number of program completers by Principal and Superintendent programs. This information is provided for comparison with aggregate pass rate results for the total number of NAU candidates in Tables 3, 4, 5 and 6.

AEPA/NES principal and superintendent exams pass rates

AY 2020-2021, Program Completers

  • Principal Graduate Certificate & MEd Educational Leadership – Principal K-12 programs = 134
  • Superintendent Graduate Certificate & EdD Educational Leadership – K-12 Administration programs = 15

AY 2019-2020, Program Completers

  • Principal Graduate Certificate & MEd Educational Leadership – Principal K-12 programs = 132
  • Superintendent Graduate Certificate & EdD Educational Leadership – K-12 Administration programs = 42 *one student completed both programs simultaneously and is counted twice

AY 2018-2019, Program Completers

  • Principal Graduate Certificate & MEd Educational Leadership – Principal K-12 programs = 144
  • Superintendent Graduate Certificate & EdD Educational Leadership – K-12 Administration programs = 39 *one student completed both programs simultaneously and is counted twice
Table 3. Overall Assessment Pass Rates, aggregated for the Principal Sub-test 1

Program CompletersNumber taking testNumber passing testpass rate (%)
AY 2021-2022222091%
AY 2020-2021454084%
AY 2019-2020424095%

Table 4. Overall Assessment Pass Rates, aggregated for the Principal Sub-test 2

Program CompletersNumber taking testNumber passing testpass rate (%)
AY 2021-2022211990%
AY 2020-2021393897%
AY 2019-2020403895%

Table 5. Overall Assessment Pass Rates, aggregated for the Superintendent Sub-test 1

Program CompletersNumber taking testNumber passing testpass rate (%)
AY 2021-20222*
AY 2020-20213*
AY 2019-20206*

Table 6. Overall Assessment Pass Rates, aggregated for the Superintendent Sub-test 2

Program CompletersNumber taking testNumber passing testpass rate (%)
AY 2021-20221*
AY 2020-20211*
AY 2019-20202*

*Note: Scores are only reported when there are 12 or more candidates. Additionally, NAU only has access to results if candidates note that NAU may receive the results when registering for the exam.

Analysis, Interpretation, & Use of Data

For advanced professional education programs, only the principal and superintendent programs require a licensure exam for certification. The number of principal candidates passing these licensure exams has been high with a 84-98% pass rate for both principal licensure sub-tests over the last three years (i.e., AYs 2018-2019,  2019-2020, and 2020-2021). For the superintendent advanced programs, there have been fewer than 12 candidates completing the licensure exams therefore pass rates are not reported publicly. The pass rate data have been shared with the program faculty. The principal and superintendent program’s faculty analyzed and interpreted these data as well as worked on next steps in relation to these findings as part of their NELP (National Educational Leadership Preparation) program review reports submitted in September 2021. For example, based on the pass rates for program completers for the principal and superintendent degree programs, EDL faculty are continuing to monitor the licensure exam data, especially as more data becomes available for the AY 2020-2021 MEd and Graduate Certificate Principal program completers. Further, to respond to the lower response rates (i.e., data results faculty are able to access), faculty will remind candidates about taking the AEPA exam as soon as possible post-graduation and ask they select NAU when completing the exam registration form using a variety of methods such as including this information in the internship syllabus and by asking university supervisors to share this information again during the final meeting for the candidate’s internship portfolio.

School Psychology (EdS)

All candidates in the EdS School Psychology degree must complete the National School Psychology Examination for School Psychologists (I.e., the ETS PRAXIS II #5402 exam). Although Arizona does not require a licensure exam, NAU candidates are required to take the PRAXIS ll exam prior to completing internship and evidence of completion of the exam completion must be received by the Educational Psychology Department for a candidate to be issued an Arizona Institutional Recommendation (IR) upon graduation.

Additionally, to become a National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP), applicants must achieve a passing score (147) on this exam. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for NCSP immediately after graduating from the EdS program. NAU’s AY 2018-2019 and AY 2019-2020 results (N = 28) indicate 100% of candidates passed the PRAXIS II at the NCSP level with some candidates far exceeding the minimum criterion. These results support candidate attainment of the relevant standards and are a strong indication that NAU’s candidates are mastering the information presented throughout the program.

Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have prepared (CAEP Annual Report Section 4.2, Measure 4; Initial/Advanced) Accordion Closed

Initial teacher preparation programs:

Employment rate

Arizona continues to experience a severe teacher shortage and ranks first in the United States in terms of turnover rate of teachers (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). In 2017, Arizona’s turnover rate was calculated as 24% compared to the average turnover rate among all states which was 10% (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). For the teacher openings in Arizona needing to be filled for the 2020-2021 school year, as of September 2021, 26% of these Arizona teacher positions across the state remain unfilled and an additional 55% of these Arizona teacher positions “were filled by individuals not meeting standard teacher requirements” (Moffit & Wing, 2021). The annual US Department of Education Teacher Shortage Areas report further documents teacher shortages for the state of Arizona. Given the significant teacher shortage Arizona schools/districts continue to face, NAU PEP hosts an annual Teacher Career Fair to connect employees with NAU candidates during the final semester of their program of study as well as with recent NAU graduates. Below are marketing flyers for the past three years.

  • February 18, 2022 Career Fair
  • February 12, 2021 Virtual Career Fair
  • February 28, 2020 Career Fair and Interview Fest

NAU also collects self-report employment data from candidates through the T-PREP Exit Survey administered at the conclusion of student teaching. The survey items ask if the candidate has already been offered a teaching position for the next school year. Additionally, NAU and the state’s third party vendor Heartland ECSI (Educational Computer Systems, Inc.) collect employment verification data for the subset of NAU candidates who were members of the Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA) at NAU. These employment data are collected for ATA at NAU members in order to verify completion of the ATA teaching service commitment, and they started being collected in December 2020 for FY 2020 program completers.

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

T-PREP Exit Survey data for the ability of our candidates to be hired have been relatively consistent. At the end of student teaching, the percentage of candidates responding to that question indicating they had already been offered a teaching position for the next school year was 46%, 48%, and 53% in AYs 2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021, respectively. Results are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through a PEP Initial Teacher Preparation Coordinating Council meeting.

Additionally, NAU’s 2016 Self-Study Report provided employment data requested from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). In March 2021, NAU worked with ADE to approve a new data sharing request contract. In Spring 2021, NAU PEP completed a new data request for employment data for initial teacher preparation program graduates from the past 5 years. The requested employment data for initial teacher preparation program graduates was received from ADE in Fall 2021. NAU PEP is currently working with NAU’s Institutional and Research Analysis Office on aggregating and reporting for this massive, raw data file. NAU PEP plans to analyze and interpret these employment data and share findings with stakeholders during AY 2022-2023.

Advanced educator programs:

NAU PEP collects self-report employment data from advanced program candidates through the Exit Survey administered near the end of the candidate’s final semester in the program. The survey items ask if the candidates from advanced programs have already been hired in education positions for which they were prepared.

Analysis, Interpretation, & Use of Data

The results from Spring 2018 (pilot administration) indicated 79% of advanced program candidates had a teaching or other education professional position that they would begin or continue upon graduation. Similarly, for AYs 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, 77% and 76% of advanced program candidates, respectively, indicated they had a teaching or other education professional position that they would begin or continue upon graduation. The latest results from AY 2020-2021 show a decline to 70% of students with positions. The results are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through a PEP Advanced Coordinating Council meeting.

As noted above, in March 2021, NAU worked with ADE to approve a new data sharing request contract. NAU PEP has submitted an employment data request to ADE to obtain Arizona employment information for NAU’s advanced program completers for the past five years; these data will allow for tracking of the employment of our advanced program graduates working for a public school or district in Arizona. The requested employment data for advanced program graduates was received from ADE in Fall 2021. NAU PEP is currently working with NAU’s Institutional and Research Analysis Office on aggregating and reporting for this massive, raw data file. NAU PEP plans to analyze these employment data and share findings with stakeholders during AY 2022-2023.

Satisfaction of completers (Initial R4.3; Advanced RA4.2) Accordion Closed

Initial teacher preparation programs:

NAU PEP surveys teacher preparation program candidates regarding their satisfaction with their degree program at the conclusion of the student teaching course. The Exit Survey instrument (T-PREP) was developed by a group of teacher preparation researchers at Arizona’s three state universities. NAU PEP also surveys graduates using a New Teacher Survey instrument adapted from the Exit Survey. It is distributed to program completers once, approximately one year after graduation. The links below are for results files for the past four data cycles; administrations of the New Teacher Survey data are presented with the corresponding Exit Survey results for comparison purposes. Following these results files, a narrative is presented providing analysis, interpretation, and use of data.

  • Exit Survey Results (AY 2019-2020 Graduates) & New Teacher Survey Results (Spring 2021 New Teachers)
  • Exit Survey Results (AY 2018-2019 Graduates) & New Teacher Survey Results (Spring 2020 New Teachers)
  • Exit Survey Results (AY 2017-2018 Graduates) & New Teacher Survey Results (Spring 2019 New Teachers)

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

For the initial programs Exit Survey administered in the candidates’ final semester, the response rates were 63%, 78%, and 72% for 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020, respectively. For the New Teacher Survey administered approximately one year after graduation, the response rates were 16%, 13%, and 20% for Spring 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively. Satisfaction data from the Exit and New Teacher Surveys have been consistently high for these three cycles of data. The percentage of respondents indicating they would recommend their program to a future teacher has been 85-91% of respondents indicating they strongly agreed or agreed. During these three data cycles, the percentage of respondents grading initial program experiences with a grade of A or B have also been consistently high in relation to the quality of classes (89-93% of Exit Survey respondents and 72-85% of New Teacher Survey respondents), practicum experiences (80-91% of respondents), and student teaching experiences (85% or more of respondents). Additional narrative related to the high program ratings as well as areas for improvement identified can be found in the results files linked above.

These results are shared internally with program faculty and leadership through the PEP Initial Teacher Preparation Coordinating Council meeting and with external stakeholders participating in the Annual Teacher Career Fair. Additionally, Exit Survey and New Teacher Survey results from AY 2020-2021 related to areas where our candidates indicated they felt somewhat unprepared (i.e., navigating school politics; working with school administrators; and explaining student performance data to parents/guardians, students, and families) were shared through the Teacher Preparation Advisory Council meetings held in February/March 2022 to gather input from external stakeholders (i.e., Cooperating Teachers and Principals/Directors). Feedback noted through the Teacher Preparation Advisory Council meetings have been shared with programs to review further and determine if any instructional or program improvements are needed and if so, what curriculum changes should be made.

NAU transitioned to using the NExT (Network for Excellence in Teaching) Common Metrics Instruments starting in AY 2021-2022. The NExT Common Metrics Instruments include an Exit Survey (to collect satisfaction data from candidates near the end of their final/student teaching semester) and a Transition to Teaching Survey (administered to program completers approximately one-year post-graduation). The NExT Common Metrics Instruments also includes a Supervisor Survey (to collect employer satisfaction data about program completers for their first-year teaching). All of these NExT surveys are aligned with each other as well as the InTASC standards. The NExT Exit and Transition to Teaching Surveys are proprietary instruments and have evidence of validity and reliability.

Advanced educator programs:

The NAU PEP Advanced Coordinating Council members developed and piloted an Exit Survey with candidates in their final semester in Spring 2018. This common instrument is now being administered centrally across all advanced programs to candidates at the conclusion of both the fall and spring semesters. Beginning in Spring 2019, the Exit Survey was adapted to create a Graduates Survey, a common instrument to survey graduates one year after graduation across all advanced programs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Advanced Programs Employer Survey was not administered in Spring 2021. For the Spring 2022 administration of the Graduates Survey, leadership and faculty for advanced programs are employing other strategies for locating advanced program graduates’ contact and employment information in an effort to improve response rates; one strategy being used is utilizing the employer information provided by ADE for advanced program graduates. Spring 2022 data results will be extracted in summer and analyzed by programs in Fall 2022. In the links below, administrations of the Graduates Survey data are presented with the corresponding Exit Survey results for comparison purposes. Following these results files, a narrative providing analysis, interpretation, and use of data is listed.

  • Exit Survey Results 2020-2021
  • Exit Survey Results 2019-2020
  • Exit Survey Pilot Results 2018-2019, Graduates Survey Results Spring 2020
  • Exit Survey Pilot Results Spring 2018, Graduates Survey Pilot Results Spring 2019

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

For the pilot administrations of the Exit and Graduates surveys from Spring 2018 and Spring 2019, the response rates were 34% and 5%, respectively. The Exit Survey response rate was 36% for AY 2018-2019, and the response rate for the Graduates Survey was 8% in Spring 2020 (for advanced program graduates from AY 2018-2019). In AYs 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, the Exit Survey response rates were 35% and 43%, respectively. The percentage of respondents indicating they would recommend their NAU advanced program to others has been consistently high for these data cycles with 90-100% of respondents indicating they were “extremely likely” or “likely.” During these data cycles, quality of program ratings have also been consistently high in relation to the overall quality of their NAU advanced program (84-98% of respondents) and satisfaction with their preparation at NAU to pursue/continue their chosen profession (82-95% of respondents). Additional narrative related to the high quality of advanced program ratings as well as areas for improvement identified can be found in the results files listed above.

Beyond publicly posting results on this NAU PEP Program Evaluation web page, results are shared internally with program faculty and leadership.

 

Student loan default rates and other consumer information Accordion Closed

The NAU PEP website includes an Exploring the Profession web page. This page provides information regarding degree programs offered, cost of attendance, student loan default rates, average teacher salaries, and resources for future teachers.

Federal Student Aid, an office of the US Department of Education, provides the following report of the most recent three year trend data for Northern Arizona University:

Analysis, Interpretation & Use of Data

Federal Student Aid reports the FY 2018 national cohort default rate is 7.3 percent. NAU’s FY 2018 default rate was 4.6 percent or 2.7 percentage points below the national cohort rate. NAU’s student loan default rate as compared to the national cohort default rate will continue to be reviewed each spring and updated results reported publicly through this web page.

Professional Education Programs
Location
Room 123 Building 27
Eastburn Education
801 S. Knoles Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5774
Mailing Address
PO Box 5774
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5774
Contact Form
Email
PEPAdministration@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-7246
Fax
928-523-7449
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