Shepherd University School of Education & Educator Preparation Program
CAEP Accountability Measures
School of Education / SU EPP Enrollment Demographic Data — As of Fall 2023
Source Shepherd University Office of Institutional Research (Fall 2023 Census Data)
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The purpose of the Educator Preparation Program [EPP] at Shepherd is to facilitate the development of teacher candidates who demonstrate the willingness and capacity for a pedagogy that truly empowers all students in today’s diverse P-12 classrooms. To ensure its effectiveness and quality across all specialties and disciplines throughout the program, the EPP at Shepherd University is committed to implementing and refining the process of continuing improvement and comprehensive assessment. Consequently, our efforts to ensure we address the measures CAEP has established to ensure we are accountable to our candidates, our stakeholders, the university, and the public often overlap and are intertwined.
Consequently, many of the elements in the report below overlap and are intertwined as well.
Measure 1: Completer Impact & Effectiveness / Impact on P-12 Learning & Development (Standard R4.1)
Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers & Stakeholder Involvement (Standard R4.2)
In the past, the State of West Virginia had contracted with Qualtrics as well as the Network for Excellence in Teaching (NExT) to survey P-12 based administrators supervising graduates working in West Virginia schools to help its Educator Preparation Programs analyze Measure 1 for ongoing program improvement and accreditation purposes. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data was not collected nor analyzed for the 2019-2020 nor 2020-2021 academic years. The contract between NExT and the State of West Virginia expired in December 2021, so in 2021-2022, the State contracted with Skyfactor to collect the information; unfortunately, we also did not receive any data from that initiative for Measures 1 and 2a. While we will continue to accept any information provided from the state, in 2022-2023 we determined to work directly with our local and regional P-12 partners to solicit the information moving forward to solicit their participation in gathering data regarding Employer Satisfaction and Completer Effectiveness/Impact regarding Shepherd EPP graduates/completers for the past five (5) years (Measures 1 and 2); surveys for the 2022-2023 school year were directly distributed to stakeholders within and across the region. Anecdotally, P-12 superintendents, faculty, and HR representatives made statements in multiple focus group meetings that have indicated Shepherd graduates are highly sought-after as teachers and colleagues in and around the region, which has supported quantitative survey data that indicates the same (Measures 1, 2a, 2b).
Additional proposed measures to determine Completer Impact/Effectiveness include a potential Case Study or further Focus Group initiatives in which Program Completers would participate in a mini-“Teacher Work Sample” project during their first two to four years of employment and share their findings with the EPP. Doing so would allow the EPP to more reliably evaluate the “impact/effectiveness” of our completers on P-12 learning and development without relying on the state and/or other entities to provide data for Measure 1. Therefore, the EPP at Shepherd anticipates being able to provide information to the public regarding Measures 1-2a in 2025 and beyond.
Measure 2b: Stakeholder Involvement (Standard R4.2)
Measure 3: Candidacy Competency at Completion (Standard R3.3)
The EPP at Shepherd University works closely with a variety of stakeholders within the university, the community, the state, and the region to ensure our program meets and exceeds our improvement and accreditation efforts each year (see below). We strive for excellence in all we do, and that includes making sure our candidates are able to serve diverse learners in the P-12 setting around the area in whatever specialty they may choose. We develop various Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) each year with schools throughout the region (see below), and we are continuing to work closely with our partner schools and administrators as well as our teacher candidates to co-select and evaluate both cooperating teachers and placement settings to ensure our candidates experience the best placements possible [Measure 2b]. We continue to survey teacher candidates regarding their practicum experiences during their culminating student-teaching/Residency experience(s), and we review and analyze that data to guide our decision-making efforts to guide both field and clinical placements each semester [Measure 2b].
Since the inception at Shepherd University of the culminating yearlong residency experience in 2019-2020 for elementary education candidates, we host open interview sessions each semester with any candidate who plans to enter the residency experience with administrators from some of our local P-12 Partner schools in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties (WV) as part of our continuing and developing co-selection process [Measure 2b]. Beginning in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years, we began to pilot the yearlong residency option with our secondary education candidates as well, specifically in the Social Studies program, and we will continue to expand the pilot during the 2024-2025 school year with other specializations, with an ideal goal of all candidates beginning the yearlong residency experience during the Fall 2025 semester. (NOTE: All entering Freshman will be on the yearlong residency track beginning in Fall 2024.) Finally, we extended our agreements with a number of our neighboring P-12 partners in Maryland and Virginia to offer the yearlong residency option to our candidates as of the 2023-2024 academic year as well; candidates began yearlong residency experiences in both Frederick County, MD, and Loudoun County, VA, this year. [Measure 2b].
Fall 2021-Spring 2022 Residency Placements
During the initial residency experiences, our elementary candidates were placed solely in Berkeley County, WV. For the 2021-2022 academic year, the four candidates who completed the residency performed very successfully, scoring at a level of “Proficient” or “Distinguished” on all areas on the Skills of Teaching Observation Tool [STOT], which correspond directly to the InTASC Standards, with an overall summative average of 3.59 by the end of the residency experience [Measure 3]. [See below.]
Fall 2022-Spring 2023 Residency Placements
During the 2022-2023 academic year, we expanded our residency placements for our elementary candidates into Jefferson County, WV, and extended the program to pilot the residency for secondary candidates to include the social studies specialization. For the Fall 2022 semester, we had four elementary and one secondary (SS) candidate in the Residency I semester, all five of whom were placed in Berkeley County; they all successfully completed that experience and continued into the Residency II experience during the spring semester. For Spring 2023, we expanded to include an additional 10 elementary candidates in the Residency I experience, 3 of whom were placed in Jefferson County, WV [Measure 2b], and all 10 successfully completed the Residency I semester. For the 2022-2023 academic year, the 5 candidates who completed the residency again performed very successfully, scoring at a level of “Proficient” or “Distinguished” on all areas of the Skills of Teaching Observation Tool [STOT], with an overall summative average of 3.64 by the end of the residency experience [Measure 3]. [See below.]
Fall 2023-Spring 2024 Residency Placements
During the 2023-2024 academic year, we continued the residency placements in both Berkeley & Jefferson County, WV, and we continued to include social studies candidates as a pilot for the secondary program. We also extended the pilot to include placements in Loudoun County, VA, and Frederick County, MD. For the Fall 2023 semester, we had a total of seven candidates in the Residency I experience [five elementary and two secondary (SS)] and nine in the Residency II experience; one of the elementary candidates from the spring decided to postpone their Residency II experience. Five of the seven F23 Residency I candidates were placed in Berkeley County, WV; one in Loudoun, VA; and one in Frederick, MD; six have successfully completed their Residency I experience and continued into their Residency II semester this spring, including the two secondary candidates. For Spring 2024, we have expanded to include an additional nine candidates (eight elementary; one secondary social studies) in the Residency I experience, all of whom are placed in either Berkeley (8) or Jefferson (1) Counties in WV [Measure 2b]. For Fall 2023, the nine candidates who completed the Residency II experience once again performed exceptionally well, scoring at a level of “Proficient” or “Distinguished” on all areas of the Skills of Teaching Observation Tool [STOT], with an overall summative average of 3.82 by the end of their residency experience [Measure 3]. [See below.]
Measure 2b: Stakeholder Involvement (Standard R4.2)
The Educator Preparation Program Council (EPPC) is the body that is responsible for educator preparation and teacher education at Shepherd University. The EPPC is chaired by the Coordinator of the Educator Preparation Program, Accreditation & Compliance [CEPAC], and is comprised of the following: School of Education faculty; all specialization coordinators; certification analyst; field placement coordinator; one student representative from each of the following programs: elementary education, secondary education, MAT and MACI programs; and one representative from each two-year institution with an active/signed SU collaborative agreement (e.g., community / technical colleges). The Ex-Officio member of the EPPC is the Dean of the College of Business, Recreation, & Education. In this way, the EPPC exemplifies how various stakeholders across the university and community share responsibility and authority in determining what is important in teacher education at Shepherd University. The EPPC, through monthly meetings (see minutes / below), administers, coordinates, evaluates, monitors, reviews, and revises the Educator Preparation Program at Shepherd University. The EPPC has the responsibility to ensure that all specializations are conducted in a manner that is consistent with the stated philosophy, theme, and objectives of the Educator Preparation Program [EPP].
The EPP at SU is also involved with our EPP Advisory Council (EPPAC), which is comprised of representatives from the EPPC (above) along with a representative/liaison appointed by the WVDE, public school administrators, classroom teachers (including SU alumni), & (ideally) community representatives. The EPPAC meets once each semester (e.g., spring & fall) [see minutes / below], serving as an advisory body to the EPP in developing & reviewing all programs & policies specifically for the preparation & licensure of new teachers. Per WVDE Policy 5100, the EPPAC “shall review matters as related to: new & revised preparation programs; admission, retention & exit criteria; pre-professional skills, including trauma-informed & social-emotional best practices, content specialization, & professional education assessments; educational technology activities & assessments; annual testing & supply/demand reports; WVBE & national program reviews & findings; WVBE educational preparation & licensure policies & statutes; recruitment of students; clinical & field experiences; & development of preparation of policies & programs for inclusion in WVBE self-study materials.” Furthermore, substantive program of study modification (e.g. addition or deletion of courses, significant changes in course content or clinical experiences) must be submitted to the EPPAC for review.
Other initiatives in which we include not only our internal (EPPC) and EPPAC members but also our local and regional P-12 partners, current candidates, and alumni include various focus groups as well as the aforementioned surveys that gather both quantitative and qualitative data in our ongoing efforts to ensure continuous improvement in general across the EPP as well as with focused and intentional initiatives. During the 2022-2023 academic year and into the Fall 2023 semester, a variety of themes were identified across these measures, some of which have already begun to be addressed and others are currently being addressed and/or will begin to be addressed in the coming months. For more information, refer to the following documents.
SU EPP Focus Groups & Survey Data Triangulation Document.pdf
SU EPPAC F23 Focus Group Continuous Improvement Priority Ranking Info.pdf
Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Program Completion (Standard R3.3)
The EPP at Shepherd University measures Candidate Competency at Program Completion in a variety of ways. The primary indicator of our candidates’ competency within their respective content areas are their course grades and GPAs within their professional & specialty studies courses (e.g., no grades below “C” in those courses & a minimum 2.75 GPA, with a 3.0 minimum GPA in the final clinical semester). An overall content-area GPA of 2.5 is required by WV Policy 5100, while the EPP at SU has set the minimum at 2.75 to be admitted to the EPP (Juncture 1), to qualify for the final clinical practicum (Juncture 2), and to be recommended for licensure (Juncture 3). At each Juncture point, each individual candidate must also maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 with no grade lower than “C” in their professional & specialty studies courses. (NOTE: Professional studies courses are those defined as “Courses beginning with [an] EDUC prefix required for certification in different fields of study.” Specialty studies are “Typically, those content courses required for certification in different fields of study (e.g., Multi-Subjects K- 6, Social Studies 5-Adult, etc.).”) Per the nature of the EPP, 100% of all candidates meet or exceed this requirement throughout the EPP & at program completion. Additionally, the EPP at Shepherd has determined that all candidates by program completion must satisfy the Cohort GPA minimum of 3.0 to meet both CAEP & WVDE requirements; this cohort GPA is calculated within the candidate’s final semester when they are completing their final clinical experience (e.g., student teaching or Residency II) along with the EDUC 461 Student Teaching Seminar course, during which they complete and submit the edTPA. Over the past 18 months, the GPA for each Cohort has well exceeded the 3.0 minimum (S22 = 3.66; F22 = 3.46; S23 = 3.58), with an overall average Cohort GPA of 3.57 for the entire time period [more than one-half GPA point overall]. The strong performance of SU EPP candidates in their content-area coursework as well as their final clinical practicum, all of which is designed to specifically address the CAEP and InTASC Standards, shows that these candidates are well prepared to meet the content demands critical to beginning teachers in their respective & chosen fields. Aligning coursework to the various & respective national standards (e.g., NCSS, NSTA, NCTM) as well as the CAEP & InTASC Standards ensures that candidates are not only exposed to necessary content but also have multiple opportunities to deepen their understanding & develop content mastery in addition to the requisite pedagogical & professional skills necessary to become effective educators (Measure 3).
Praxis II assessments further ensure the EPP that candidates have a minimal content knowledge base; this is another of the multiple measures used by the EPP to demonstrate and triangulate data regarding candidates’ content knowledge (Measure 3). Candidates must pass the Praxis II content-area assessments prior to gaining admission for their final clinical experience (Juncture II). The last three years of data provided by ETS from the Title II Pass-Rate Report for the Praxis content-area series of assessments required for certification is as follows:
However, most candidates typically score in the average or above average range, with many scoring in the “exceeds average” range within their specializations and very few scoring “below average” in any area. Overall performance tends to be relatively consistent across the various subtests across all demographics within each specialization. In looking at the overall performance of all candidates across all programs and demographics, the data clearly demonstrates that all programs within/across the EPP adequately prepare our candidates within their various specializations, with an overall average of almost 12 points higher than that required by the state on the Praxis II content area exams, with a number of programs realizing an overall mean more than 15 points higher than the benchmark. (See “overview” below.) Praxis II data clearly demonstrates the required prerequisite content coursework adequately supports development of the required content knowledge necessary to effectively teach P-12 students in all specialization areas and, therefore, provides further support for candidate competency at completion (Measure 3).
SU EPP Praxis II Content Knowledge Overview S22-S23.pdf
ETS Praxis Info 2022-2023 (Click for Information on Praxis II Pass-Rate Reporting across All Specializations)
Another tool by which a candidates’ competency is evaluated during the final clinical practicum is the Skills of Teaching Observation Tool (STOT). By the end of the final practicum, candidates should be “Proficient” (scoring “3”) on most indicators on the STOT, with some variation between “2” – “4” allowed to account for the strengths and weaknesses of individual candidates. Completers from Spring 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023 had mean ratings of 2.71 to 3.99 as related to the components of CAEP Standard R1 on the STOT as a whole, indicating that all candidates within the EPP at Shepherd, at a minimum, were very close to being fully proficient in the knowledge & skills indicated by all InTASC Standards & CAEP Standard R1 (Content Knowledge). When examining scores for individual indicators, the overall strength of Shepherd’s EPP is evident. On average, all indicators have a mean greater than “3” (“Proficient”) across all programs for Standard R1. In a breakdown of ranges, the mean score across the four components fell between 3.29 – 3.53; this demonstrates an overall “proficiency” of the candidates throughout the EPP across all programs/demographics as related to content & pedagogical knowledge & skills.
In addition to content and pedagogical knowledge and skills, the candidates’ understanding of their professional responsibilities must be adequately assessed by program completion to ensure they are prepared to enter the teaching profession. The Skills of Teaching Observation Tool [STOT] further provides support that candidates across the EPP at Shepherd demonstrate this professional understanding. On average, candidates across all programs/demographics demonstrate an overall Professional Responsibility proficiency rating on the STOT of 3.542 as related specifically to InTASC Standard 9 (3.532) and Standard 10 (3.551) for Spring 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023. As related specifically to InTASC Standards 8.1 and 8.3, candidates also demonstrate an overall proficiency (3.329) in their ability to “[Vary] Instructional Strategies to Engage Learners” and “[Differentiate] Instruction for a Variety of Learning Needs.” Finally, candidates throughout the EPP demonstrate an overall average proficiency rating of 3.366 in their ability to “[Use] Technology Appropriately to Enhance Instruction” as measured and evaluated by the STOT during the final clinical practicum. Overall, STOT data from the final practicum provides further evidence that teacher candidates who demonstrate the various knowledge and skills assessed by the STOT as aligned with the various InTASC/CAEP/WV Standards also successfully complete their respective programs at Shepherd and earn their teaching licensure within the State of WV. This further translates to satisfactory performance as not only teacher candidates but also beginning professionals in their respective field(s) as related to Measure 3.
SU EPP STOT Data Overview.pdf (Click for Information on STOT Data across All Specializations)
STOT Assessment Guidelines.pdf (Click for Information on the STOT Assessment Tool & Guidelines)
Another measure by which the EPP at SU determines proficiency of candidate knowledge and competency at completion in all areas as well as their readiness for certification is through their ability to successfully complete the edTPA during their final clinical semester. This is both a graduation (Shepherd University / EPP) and licensure/certification requirement (EPP / State of West Virginia). Since its implementation at Shepherd as part of Measure 3, we have transitioned our candidates in each specialization towards increased success as state and national guidance has suggested. We are now operating at national norms across all specializations (cut scores).
edTPA Data shows that 100% of EPP candidates across all programs and demographics evaluated with the edTPA during the reporting time frame achieved a score higher on the edTPA than that required by either the EPP (as of S22) [mean score] or that recently mandated by the WVDE (Spring 2023). The overall mean of all candidates during the timeframe (S22, F22, S23) was 46.29, almost 6 points higher than the average of 40.5 points set by the EPP at Shepherd across all edTPA exams (an average of either 37 for 15-rubric assessments or 44 for 18-rubric assessments). More than 90% of our candidates are now achieving excellent scores on their edTPA (high/median scores), as shown below (Measure 3).
edTPA Disaggregated Info S21 – S23.pdf (Click for full score reporting / disaggregation [Spring 2021 – Spring 2023])
The final means by which candidates’ competency at completion is highlighted for Measure 3 focuses on their critical dispositions; this is accomplished through the use of the SU Teacher Candidate Disposition Assessment (TCDA), which is a new evaluation tool within the EPP at Shepherd. Through the use of the TCDA, the EPP will be able to establish and monitor each candidate’s dispositions and their ability to reflect positive beliefs about the learning potentials of all P-12 students, their commitment to continued growth in cultural awareness, and their ability to reflect on their own personal biases and equitable practices. This is not only a CAEP and WVDE requirement but also has been highlighted as a suggested continuous improvement area of focus from our P-12 Partner and survey/focus group feedback and EPPC workgroup reviews. Initial data from the use of the TCDA during the Pilot (S23/F23) is promising, with the majority of students and candidates at all levels “meeting expectations” across all Dispositions, programs, and demographics (Measure 3). NOTE: The lower scoring dispositional indicators of “Demonstrates Professionalism,” “Demonstrates Self-Regulation and Initiative,” “Demonstrate Preparedness in Teaching and Learning” will be the recommended areas of focus for continuous improvement efforts for EPP faculty in the professional/specialty course review process during S24 and into the 2024-2025 Academic Year.
SU TCDA Evaluation Instrument.pdf
Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions for which they have been Prepared (Standard R3.3)
The State of West Virginia has reported and is responding to an overwhelming increased teacher shortage across the state in all areas, with such initiatives as TeachWV.com and the Grow Your Own program, in which local high school students enroll concurrently in college courses during their junior and senior years of school. Shepherd University is participating in the Grow Your Own (GYO) program, and we are already and successfully “growing” future teachers and recruiting future education candidates into the EPP at SU. Since the inception of GYO at SU (F22), a total of 21 high school students have enrolled in education courses as future candidates in the EPP at Shepherd through this state-sponsored program; 9% of those students also attended our “ExCITEd” high school recruitment event in the School of Education at Shepherd – the primary recruitment event of the EPP at SU.
Just as we have begun conducting our own Employer Surveys and implementing our own Exit Surveys within the EPP, we have also begun conducting our own Alumni Surveys. However, because the State of West Virginia is similar to many other states across the country with shortages in all areas and an abundance of openings for teachers in all fields, Shepherd University’s completers are able to be hired in positions for which they have been prepared if they simply seek the opportunities provided to them. In addition to districts within West Virginia, our candidates seek employment within the local region, into Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Anecdotally, we have also been made aware that candidates have successfully extended their job searches outside the local area, with candidates serving P-12 students in the Midwest and southwestern United States along with those who are serving in the Peace Corps, Teach for America, and beyond.
We employed our Alumni Survey in Spring 2023 using questions formerly employed by the WV HEPC as mentioned before (e.g., NeXT, Qualtrics, Skyfactor), and began directly distributing the survey to completers of the EPP ourselves rather than relying on outside entities to do so; survey distributions included all completers over the past five years (Measure 4).
On average, based on data from Spring 2022 and Spring 2023 combined, 79.6% of all respondents report high satisfaction (>4) with the ability of the EPP at Shepherd to prepare them for the responsibilities they encounter in their daily work, as related to all 10 InTASC Professional Teaching Standards, with an overall satisfaction rating of 5.77 (on a scale of 1-7, with 4 being “moderately” and 7 indicating “extremely” satisfied). Approximately 70% of all respondents report overall satisfaction with the EPP at Shepherd as well as its ability to provide both the interpersonal and professional skills necessary to succeed.
SU EPP Alumni Survey Data Overview.pdf (Click for an overview of the data from the combined S22/S23 data.)
Updated 3/2024 TDK