Happy Holidays from Fairmont State University. The University is closed from 4 p.m. Friday, December 20 through Thursday, January 2. Fairmont State will reopen on Friday, January 3.
Benchmark data on students of recent completers provides the EPP with an insight into completer effectiveness. Working with two local school districts who employ the majority of our completers, the EPP obtained I-Ready for English/Language Arts, I-Ready Math, and I XL Science benchmark data for 11 completers. The presented data represents assessment results from two diagnostic assessments. I-Ready Benchmark data reflect an overall average of 43% of students scored "On or Above Grade Level" with a range of 19% to 90%. Data indicates that an average of 34% of students scored "One Grade Level Below" with a range of 17% to 67%. "Two or More Grade Levels Below" represented 23% of students with a range of 0% to 53%. Overall, students of program completers performed higher in 2022-2023 than in 2021-2022. An average of 43% of students of program completers scored "On or Above Grade Level" in 2022-2023 while only 38% of students scored "On or Above Grade Level" in 2021-2022.
Students of program completers scored higher in English/Language Arts than Math. I-Ready English/Language Arts data reflect an average of 44% of students scored "On or Above Grade Level" with a range of 24% to 78%. Data indicates that an average of 29% of students scored "One Grade Level Below" with a range of 17% to 38%. "Two or More Grade Levels Below" represented 26% of students with a range of 0% to 53%, with on student who did not complete the assessment for one program completer. To provide comparison, data reported by the West Virginia Department of Education using another assessment tool shows 43% of West Virginia students meet or exceeds standards, 28% partially meet standards, and 28% do not meet standards. Our recent completers are on par with their peers in West Virginia.
I-Ready Math data reflect that an average of 37% of students in classrooms of EPP completers scored "On or Above Grade Level" on these benchmarks with a range of 19% to 61%. Data reflect that an average of 41% of students in classrooms of EPP completers scored "One Grade Level Below" with a range of 28% to 44%. "Two or More Grade Levels Below" represented an average of 25% of students with the range of 4% to 49% with one student who did not complete the assessment for one program completer. To provide comparison, data reported by the West Virginia Department of Education using another assessment tool shows 35% of West Virginia students meet or exceeds standards, 30% partially meet standards, and 35% do not meet standards. Our recent completers are on par with their peers in West Virginia.
Using a program developed survey instrument, recent completers were asked to complete a survey through Qualtrics. Eighteen recent program completers responded to questions on how well the Fairmont State Teacher Education Program prepared them with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they would need to be effective in the classroom. Graduates were asked to rate each question on as either "strongly agree", "agree", "disagree", or "strongly disagree". The survey has 8-10 statements starting with "My teacher education program prepared me to:" on the following themes: Curriculum and Planning, The Learner and Learning Environment, Teaching, and Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal, School, and Community.
Curriculum and Planning found 94% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 89% to 100% for each prompt.
The Learner and Learning Environment found 89% respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 56% to 100% for each prompt. The statement "My teacher education program prepared me to use a variety of strategies for managing student behavior" is a notable outlier with 8 of 18 respondents (45%) disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with the statement and will be a topic of discussion moving forward.
Teaching found 93% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 72% to 100% for each prompt.
Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal, School, and Community found 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 72% to 100% for each prompt. The statement "My teacher education program prepared me to participate in school-wide activities" is a notable outlier with 5 of 18 respondents (28%) disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with the statement and will be a topic of discussion moving forward, especially as the EPP works to increase engagement with families and communities.
Strengths were found in all categories. Noted below are responses that 100% of respondents
agreed they were prepared by the teacher education program to:
- use a variety of instructional strategies
- understand how diverse groups of students learn
- establish appropriate rapport with students
- understand how the social and cultural background of students impact learning
- communicate positively with students
- know when to be flexible and make adjustments in teaching to facilitate learning
- reflect on teaching practices
- support a learner-centered culture
In spring 2023, the EPP developed survey (Standard R4.2) was used to collect information on Employer evaluations of new teacher performance through Qualtrics.
Seven employers responded, some employing more than one graduate, to prompts concerning how well the Fairmont State Teacher Education Program prepares completers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they would need to be effective in the classroom. Graduates were asked to rate each question on as either "strongly agree", "agree", "disagree", or "strongly disagree". The survey has 8-10 statements starting with "The recent Fairmont State University Graduates in my building are well prepared to:" on the following themes: Curriculum and Planning, The Learner and Learning Environment, Teaching, and Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal, School, and Community.
Curriculum and Planning found 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that completers from Fairmont State were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 71% to 100% for each prompt.
The Learner and Learning Environment found 86% respondents agreed or strongly agreed that completers from Fairmont State were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 71% to 100% for each prompt. The statement "The recent Fairmont State University graduates in my building are well prepared to use a variety of strategies for managing student behavior" is a notable outlier because this was an outlier with completer data as well. 2 of 7 respondents (29%) disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with the statement and will be a topic of discussion moving forward.
Teaching found 84% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that completers from Fairmont State were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 72% to 86% for each prompt.
Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal, School, and Community found 88% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that completers from Fairmont State were prepared on all tasks, with a range of 86% to 100% for each prompt.
Strengths were found in Curriculum and Planning, The Learner and Learning Environment,
and Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal, School, and Community categories.
Noted below are responses that 100% of respondents agreed our program completers were
prepared to:
- demonstrate content knowledge and pedagogical skills
- plan engaging lessons
- use standards-based curriculum framework to plan instruction
- participate in the development of Individual Education Plans and provide appropriate
accommodations for individual students
- meet ethical standards / codes of conduct in working with students, families, and
colleagues
With the implementation of the yearlong residency initiative that was mandated by West Virginia Board of Education Policy 5100 for all EPPs by Fall 2021, stakeholder involvement continues to be a priority. Teachers and administrators from the EPP's professional development school (PDS) network were involved throughout the curriculum development process and plans for implementation during 2021-2022 and work continued in 2022-2023. Included below are minutes and agendas from these working groups and representations of our work to engage additional stakeholder groups, like our area superintendents, as we work to meet policy expectations.
Employer Satisfaction Survey Results - Spring 2023
The EPP provides two advanced programs, one in Educational Leadership with options for certification and another for the M.Ed Reading Specialist Program.
A formal Educational Leadership Advisory Board was formed and met in September 2022. Additionally, several informal discussions were had with stakeholders concerning syllabi, key assessment and rubrics, and the rollout of the internship. A survey for supervisors for the program completers was developed to be distributed in the 2023-2024 year.
Due to a transition in the Program Coordinator for the M.Ed. Reading Specialist, the Advisory Board did not meet during the 2023-2023 academic year nor were surveys sent to employers.
Advance Programs will receive more priority in 2023-2024 with the validity of the Educational Leadership Advisory board survey to be conducted, and advisory board meetings to be held and documented for each program, and surveys to be distributed to employers.
Educational Leadership Advisory Board Meeting Agenda Fall 2022
The EPP tracks the number of completers of Initial programs as defined by CAEP through our Certification Officer and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Operations. Initial certification numbers represent all candidates completing the undergraduate education programs, MAT graduate programs, and the M.Ed. in Multi-categorical Special Education with Autism graduate program.
During the 2022-2023 year our students are beginning to transition from a traditional semester long student teaching experience into a year long residency experience as required by WV Board of Education Policy 5100 as a phase in process. This is reflected in the data for some assessment pieces.
At the completion of the program, the EPP documents that candidates achieve a high standard for content knowledge and can teach effectively to promote student learning and development. The EPP demonstrates that candidates meet the standard for high academic achievement and ability through the Student Teaching Assessment (STA), Praxis II Content Area exams, and Principles of Learning and Teaching Praxis II exams. In addition, during student teaching or residency, candidates design and implement an action research project to demonstrate their impact on student learning and present findings to faculty and peers. During the student teaching experience, candidates in the undergraduate and MAT programs demonstrate the ability to teach college and career-ready standards in lesson and unit plans and are evaluated in each placement using the Student Teaching Assessment (STA). The STA is aligned with the West Virginia Professional Teaching Standards (WVPTS), the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) standards, and the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards. Candidates are assessed on four standards that include 20 specific competencies: Standard 1: Curriculum and Planning; Standard 2: The Learner and the Learning Environment; Standard 3: Teaching; and Standard 4: Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal, School, and Community.
Data from Fall 2022 Student Teaching (n= 22) and Spring 2023 Student Teaching (n= 13) and Spring 2023 Residency (n=9) indicate that candidates performed well on all standards, with average scores on standards ranging from 3.31 out of 4.00 on Standard 2 in Fall 2022 to 3.74 out of 4.00 on Standard 1 in Spring 2023 Student Teaching data. Review of the competencies for each standard indicates that average scores were above the proficient (3) level for all standard competencies.
Strengths include Competency 1C: Setting Goals and Objectives for Learning (Fall 2022: 3.56 out of 4.00; Spring 2023 Student Teaching: 3.87 out of 4.00; Spring 2023 Residency 3.7); Competency 1D: Designing Instruction (Fall 2022: 3.47 out of 4.00; Spring 2023 Student Teaching: 3.56 out of 4.00; Spring Residency 2023: 3.73); and Competency 2F: Organizing the Learning Environment (Fall 2022: 3.63 out of 4.00; Spring 2022 Student Teaching: 3.72 out of 4.00; and Spring 2023 Residency: 3.5 ).
Relative weaknesses include Competency 2E: Managing Student Behaviors (Fall 2022: 3.31 out of 4.00; Spring 2022 Student Teaching: 3.64 out of 4.00; Spring 2022 Residency: 3.47). Even average scores on weak areas surpass the expectation for proficiency, providing strong evidence that candidates meet EPP and West Virginia Department of Education expectations at program completion.
Analysis of data from the action research project suggests that candidates provide effective instruction through the application of content knowledge and pedagogical skills, and they positively impact student learning. Candidates in undergraduate elementary and secondary programs performed well on the final report and presentation with mean scores of 3.47 out of 4.00 in Fall 2022 on all final report criteria and a mean score of 3.70 out of 4.00 on presentation criteria. Scores were slightly higher in Spring 2023, with a final report mean score of 3.64 out of 4.00 on all report criteria and 3.85 out of 4.00 on presentation criteria.
An analysis of tests taken by candidates in Initial level programs from Fall 2022-Spring 2023 reveals 11 out of 22 Praxis tests or subtests had a pass rate of 80% or higher, with 9 tests at a 90% or higher pass rate. However, the pass rate did not meet the 80% criteria overall on the elementary subtests and six out of fourteen Praxis secondary or subject area content tests taken by candidates in Initial programs. In many cases for secondary content tests, the lower pass rate was due to repeated tests by a small number of test-takers and a small number of test-takers who did not pass. For example, nine content tests with a pass rate below 80% had less than four test takers. While EPP pass rates were below the 80% pass rate criteria on the elementary science and social studies MS subtests, they were above 80% on both the CKT Social Studies and CKT Science subtests. These tests were added as options for Elementary majors due to the low state average pass rates of 59% on the Elementary MS Science subtest (EPP= 73%) and the state average of 48% on the Elementary MS Social Studies subtest (EPP= 67%). However, the faculty recognized that the EPP needed to support candidates who struggled to pass these elementary subtests and added a class for content test preparation. In addition, an online module was made available to all candidates with test preparation materials.
Student Teacher and Residency Assessment 2022-2023
Praxis Test Pass Rates - 2022-2023
Action Research Final Report Directions
The Advanced programs include candidates completing the M.Ed. Reading Specialist program and the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. At the completion of the program, the EPP documents that candidates in the Reading Specialist program achieve a high standard for content knowledge and can teach literacy skills effectively to promote student learning and development. The EPP documents that candidates in the Education Leadership program obtain the professional knowledge and skills needed to promote the success and well-being of students and adults in K-12 schools. The EPP demonstrates that candidates meet the standard for high academic achievement through program assessments and Praxis II Content Area exams.
Reading Specialist candidates complete a practicum during the final semester of the program. The activities and assignments in the practicum are designed to help candidates meet the qualifications of a Reading Specialist/Literacy Coach as defined by the International Literacy Association (ILA) standards. During the semester candidates assess, plan, and implement instruction for students who struggle with literacy. The candidates are evaluated twice a semester by their supervisors. Review of data indicates that candidates performed well above the proficient level of 3.00 out of 4.00 with scores ranging from 3.33 to 4.0 on each criterion in Fall 2022 (n=2) and Spring 2023 (n=3).
Educational Leadership completed an Action Research Project to demonstrate a positive impact on the school setting. Final Report scoring averaged 3.74 out of 4.0 in Fall 2022 (n=6) and 4.0 out of 4.0 in Spring 2023 (n=3) with presentation scores of 4.0 out of 4.0 in Fall 2022 and 4.0 out of 4.0 in Spring 2023
Praxis test data from Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 indicates that candidates in the Education Leadership program are meeting EPP expectations. All Education Leadership candidates passed the Ed. Leadership: Administration and Supervision exam. Candidates in the Reading Specialist Program did equally well on their content exam with a 100% pass rate. Praxis Test Pass Rates - 2022-2023
Reading Specialist Practicum Data 2022-2023
Action Research Final Report Directions
The EPP Professional Development School (PDS) Office systematically tracks the number of completers hired after they complete their respective program. The PDS office regularly checks the PDS County Board of Education meeting agendas and personnel directories to identify the location of hired completers and communicates with completers who provided the EPP with contact information. Current data reflect completers from Fall 2019 to Spring 2023. Data reflects that 79% to 100% of candidates from Initial programs who completed during these semesters have been employed in Education, either as substitute or full time educators, 69% are in full time positions. The three semesters with the highest percentage employment rate (100% in Fall 2019, 83% in Fall 2021, and 89% in Spring 2023) are the semesters that the EPP knows the status of all completers.
Initial Programs Employed Completers Fall 2019 - Spring 2023
All candidates accepted into the M.Ed. Reading Specialist Advanced program are certified teachers. Upon completion of the program in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, every graduate was employed as a teacher or substitute in a WV public school.
Education Leadership Advanced Programs Completers show all completers we have information on are employed in West Virginia schools. One completer in 2021-2022 and two completers in 2022-2023 we do not have information on at this time. 25% of completers between 2021-2023 are employed in leadership roles in West Virginia Schools. As in previous years, discussions with candidates indicate that many teachers add the Education Leadership certifications with plans to apply for administrative positions in the future. Advanced Program Completer Employment
