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

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

Completer Impact on P-12 Student Learning Growth

• The EPP routinely uses the state's P-12 student learning growth data to determine how its completers contribute to P-12 student learning. The GaDOE provides P-12 student learning growth data as a part of the TEM. *However, this data has yet to be available since the 2018 reporting year due to the waiving of student testing and teacher assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The GaDOE notified the EPP that the TEM scores were not calculated for the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2022-2023 school years. Because this is lagging data, data may not be available again until 2024-2025. Additionally, we have temporarily included the most recent years of our data and analysis that evidence completer impact on P-12 student learning growth through the Georgia Department of Education Teacher Effectiveness Measure (PDF). We will provide updated data as soon as it is available in the 2024-2025 school year. In the interim, partnering school systems provided the EPP with Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS) summative ratings as a temporary means to evidence the completers' impact on P-12 student learning growth. The TAPS evidence organized by is aggregated at the unit level and disaggregated by program. The data include summative scores by standard from six school systems and educators (n=84) and are representative of all grade-level programs. Data indicate the inductee teachers from ̨Íåswag are performing on average at a level III (out of IV). Level III is the expected level of performance and means the educator is demonstrating consistency in meeting the performance standard.
   

Completer Effectiveness

• To evidence how the EPP's program completers apply professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the P-12 classroom, we use TAPS data, which are also collected and provided to the EPP by the GaDOE. The TAPS ratings were not required to be calculated by school systems for the 2019-2020 through 2023-2024 school years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because this is lagging data, the EPP will not have TAPS data again provided by the GaDOE until the 2024-2025 school year at the earliest. In the interim, partnering school systems provided the EPP with Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS) summative ratings as a temporary means to evidence the completers' impact on P-12 student learning growth. The TAPS evidence organized by is aggregated at the unit level and disaggregated by program. The data include summative scores by standard from six school systems and educators (n=84) and are representative of all grade-level programs. Data indicate the inductee teachers from ̨Íåswag are performing on average at a level III (out of IV). Level III is the expected level of performance and means the educator is demonstrating consistency in meeting the performance standard.
  
  

• Additionally, the GaPSC surveys administrators who supervise inductee teachers (first-year teachers) through the "Employer Perceptions of Preparation Survey" and inductee teachers through the "Inductee Perceptions of Preparation Survey." While the surveys cannot provide P-12 student growth data or employer observation data as evidence of completer effectiveness, they provide insights into the inductee teachers’ effectiveness from the perspective of the employers evaluating their effectiveness and through the self-assessment of each inductee teacher. To review trends in our data, we present four years of results (2020, 2021, 2022, & 2023), followed by a discussion of the results for Inductee Perceptions of Preparation Survey (PDF) and the Employer Perceptions of Preparation Survey (PDF).

Satisfaction of Employers (Initial)

To gauge employer satisfaction, the EPP utilizes the "Employer Perceptions of Preparation Survey" administered annually by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). The GaPSC provides these data to the EPP each spring for the previous year. The survey is based on state and national standards, including the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards.The survey questions and results, including a discussion of the results, are included in the GaPSC Survey of Employers of Induction Teachers (PDF), located at the end of Measure 2. 

Satisfaction of Employers (Advanced)

For our advanced programs, the EPP created surveys to ascertain employers' satisfaction with program completers. We send a survey to each employer one year after the alums have completed their advanced program and have been employed in a public P-12 school in Georgia. These surveys are based on program-specific standards and state program requirements, and they measure perceived comfort or skill regarding meeting these standards in the classroom or at the school or district level. The survey questions and results, including a discussion of the results, are included in the attachments entitled "Tier 1 Employer Survey," "Curriculum and Instruction Employer Survey," and Tier II Education Leadership Employer Survey,” located at the end of Measure 2.

Stakeholder Involvement (Initial and Advanced)

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

Supporting Evidence:

• GaPSC Survey of Employers of Induction Teachers (PDF)
• GaPSC Inductee Perceptions of Preparation Survey (PDF)
• Tier 1 Employer Survey (PDF)
• Tier 2 Employer Survey (PDF)
• Curriculum and Instruction Employer Survey (PDF)
• Stakeholder Involvement Evidence (PDF)

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

Proprietary Assessments – Initial and Advanced

The GACE assessments are specific to each content area and contain questions pertaining to the content and pedagogy of the discipline. Each GACE assessment for initial teaching licensure is comprised of two tests – Test I and Test II. Each test is scored on a scale of 100 to 300, with a score of 220 to 249 passing at the induction level and 250 to 300 passing at the professional level. Candidates are required to pass the assessment at a score of 220 or higher for initial teaching licensure in Georgia. As demonstrated in the GACE Summary Report attached at the end of this section, most of the EPP’s candidates passed the GACE at the professional level. The overall passing percentage by the test was high, ranging from 90 to 100%. Moreover, the average scaled score for EPP test-takers was higher than that for all test-takers in the state, except for marketing, and economics. Moreover, the average scaled score for EPP test-takers was higher than that for all test-takers in the state, except for physics, business, marketing, and music test II.

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

Candidates in the Tier II Educational Leadership Program are required to take the Performance Assessment for School Leaders. The PASL is a performance assessment composed of three tasks: 1) Problem Solving in the Field, 2) Supporting Continuous Professional Development, and 3) Creating a Collaborative Culture. Candidates complete written commentary and submit evidence for each task. There are 64 possible points, and to pass the assessment, candidates must score 42. In 2022-2023, the EPP had six candidates complete the PASL. As seen in the PASL Summary Report at the end of this section, 100% of the EPP’s Tier II Educational Leadership candidates passed the PASL.

Grade-Point Averages

At the point of program completion, initial and advanced licensure candidates also demonstrate competency by earning an overall GPA of at least 3.0. For our initial licensure programs, the overall average GPA at program completion during 2022-2023 was 3.64. The overall average GPA for advanced program completers was 3.92. The EPP’s GPA disaggregated data is included in the GPA Summary Chart attached at the end of this section.

Title II Reporting

In addition to the proprietary assessments and grade-point averages, the EPP also reports completion data to the federal government under the Higher Education Act. The information contained in the Title II Reports at the end of this section includes assessment pass rates from recent years and explanations of internship hours required for program completion.

Supporting Evidence:

• GACE Summary Report (PDF)
  
• PASL Summary Report (PDF)
• Intial Program Completers - 2022 -2023 (PDF)
• Advanced Program Completers - 2022 -2023 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2024 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2023 (PDF)
• Title II Report - 2022 (PDF)

Most graduates from initial and advanced preparation programs at the University of North Georgia earn positions upon graduation and are employed one year after graduation in a public school in Georgia. It is important to note that this does not account for graduates who may leave the state of Georgia or find employment in the private school sector in Georgia. Overall, approximately 88.6% of initial program completers and 96.2% of advanced program completers are employed in an education position for which they have prepared one year after program completion. Employment rates are disaggregated at the program level in the following sections titled “Initial Programs” and “Advanced Programs.”

Initial Programs

Completers Hired (PDF)

The disaggregated data for 2022-2023 reveal that most initial teacher preparation programs had high employment rates in fields for which the completers were prepared. There are two programs with lower employer rates: Health and Physical Education (80%) and Art Education (75%). The lower employment rates in these two areas are partly evident because there are fewer total completers. Reasons for lower employment rates in areas for which the completers were prepared could include completers leaving the state, acquiring positions in private schools, pursuing graduate school, or accepting jobs in their content field industry

Advanced Programs

Completers Hired (PDF)

The disaggregated data for 2022-2023 reveal that the advanced preparation programs had high employment rates in fields for which the completers were prepared. TThe Curriculum and Instruction Program completers were employed at a rate, whereas the Tier I and Tier II Educational Leadership Program had 100% employment. Overall, the disaggregated data for advanced programs indicate a high employment rate in fields for which the completers were prepared.