The UAF SOE Initial and Advanced Teaching Licensure Programs

- Elementary, Music Education, Secondary, and Special Education (Initial & Advanced) -


CAEP Annual Measures 2019-2020

Measure 1

Impact that completers’ teaching has on P-12 learning and development

The impact of our graduates on their P-12 students is studied through a robust case-study. During the 2019/20 academic year, the University of Alaska Fairbanks partnered with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District (FNSBSD) to engage in a case study of UAF initial licensure graduates in their second year teaching in Fairbanks schools. The goals of the case study include determining the impact and effectiveness of UAF pre-service initial licensure programs by collaborating with the FNSBSD to gather rich information on a small group of graduates in their second year of teaching, and measuring the impact of graduate teaching on student learning goals. Data collection tools can be found in the table below.

Case Study summary of positive impact on student learning:

  • FATCAT data show that graduate participants were highly-effective in positively impacting the learning of their ELP students.

  • FATCAT comments show that participants are able to identify and utilize appropriate data collection methods to monitor​ ​student progress.

  • One participant drew on qualitative data that demonstrated student enthusiasm for learning activities.

  • Focus group participants developed their own methods of documenting and monitoring student progress that allowed them to track both whole class and individual learning.

A link to the summary findings from the case study can be found here. A link to case study methodology can be found here. For a copy of the comprehensive case study, please contact the UAF School of Education. The findings from the case study were examined in February 2021 by UAF faculty.

Measure 2

Indicators of teaching effectiveness

Graduates

The effectiveness of UAF initial licensure graduates in the workforce is assessed through the case study of graduates that also aligns data from the following NExT surveys:

  • NExT exit survey of candidates at the point of program completion

  • NExT graduate survey of alumni in the workforce completing their first year of teaching

  • NExT employer survey of supervisors of UAF graduates completing their first year of teaching

As part of the case study report, data and narrative responses from the case study and NExT surveys are aggregated and organized according to the four main strands of InTASC standards: Learners, Learning and Diversity; Content Knowledge; Instructional Practice; Professionalism. For an overview of strengths and areas of improvement for each InTASC standard, please see the 2020 Case Study Overview.

Employers of initial licensure graduates report on observed effectiveness of completers in their first year of teaching through the NExT employer survey using the following scale:

1 = Disagree;

2 = Tend to Disagree;

3 = Tend to Agree;

4 = Agree.

Looking at the following three indicators, employers agree that our initial graduates demonstrate effective teaching. For more data from the NExT surveys see Measures 3 and 4.

Interns/student teachers

In the final months of licensure programs, the teaching effectiveness of our initial interns/student teachers is documented through field observations and a culminating assessment task. Both of these are aligned with the InTASC Standards.


Field Observation


Mentor teachers and university supervisors use the Skills of Teaching Observation Tool (STOT) that was created by the North Dakota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NDACTE) to document field observations and provide feedback to interns/student teachers. The final observation can be compared to previous observations, as the STOT is employed multiple times during the culminating teaching experience.

The charts below show the percentage of the final STOTs for each semester scored at each level of achievement for each InTASC category. Improvement in most areas is evident as students move from the first semester to the second semester of the internship year. To successfully complete the initial licensure program, interns must score at the Proficient level (3.0) or higher with no areas rated Underdeveloped/Underdeveloped Plus.

Culminating Assessment Task

The Alaska Teacher Culminating Assessment Task (ATCAT) assesses beginning teacher knowledge of planning, teaching, assessment and reflecting on practice. It includes the submission of lesson plans, video/narrative of instruction, analysis of assessment data, and reflections on practice. Interns/student teachers complete the ATCAT during the final month of their internship. The ATCAT is pass/fail, and interns/student teachers must score at the Proficient with Revisions level or higher to pass the assessment. Interns are given the opportunity to revise at least once if expectations are rated Underdeveloped in any area.

The chart below shows the percentage of interns/student teachers who scored at each achievement level of the ATCAT.

Measures 3 and 4

Surveys of Employers and Graduates

In the Spring of 2020, the UAF SOE partnered with the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research (CAEPR) at UAA to conduct surveys of initial licensure graduates and alumni employers through the Network for Excellence in Teaching (NExT) at North Dakota State University (NDSU). The survey instrument is aligned with the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Standards. The UAF SOE also deployed additional NExT surveys to graduates and alumni employers of Advanced Special Education graduates in Fall of 2020.

Respondents are asked to what degree they agree that the UAF licensure programs prepare graduates to be successful in the areas of instruction practice, working with diverse learners, creating a positive learning environment, and professionalism.

Survey Scale:

1 = Disagree;

2 = Tend to Disagree;

3 = Tend to Agree;

4 = Agree.

“Unable to Respond” responses were excluded from the mean calculation

Measure 3 - Satisfaction of Employers and Employment Milestones

Spring 2020 NExT Employer Summary Results

Employers shared strong satisfaction with our graduates by consistently agreeing that our graduates displayed the following behaviors and dispositions of effective teachers.

Measure 3 2020
Measure 3 Advanced 2020

Measure 4

Satisfaction of Completers

Summary of Graduate Satisfaction with Profession from the 2020 Case Study:


Strengths

  • Graduates reported enjoying their jobs and feeling positive toward the teaching profession despite difficulties in their first year.

  • Graduates describe mutually beneficial collaborations with colleagues.

  • Graduates expressed feeling confident in upholding legal expectations.

  • Alumni survey data shows a high level of agreement that the program prepared candidates to seek out relevant professional literature to support their teaching.

Areas for improvement

  • While the employer and alumni surveys show high agreement that the program provided adequate preparation for collaborating with parents and guardians, one graduate reported feeling underprepared in working with parents where there might be a difficult relationship.

Of graduates of the Advanced Special Education program from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019 (n=7), 57% have gone on to complete their M.Ed in Special Education.

Spring 2020 NExT Graduate Survey Summary Results

*Advanced Special Education responses include graduates from 2018-2020 in order to report numbers that maintain student anonymity.

Measure 5

Graduation rates

Students entering the internship class represent any student who was accepted and enrolled in the 2019-20 cohort. Graduates represent any student who graduated Fall 2019, Spring 2020, or Summer 2020. The overall number of graduates may also include students who completed student teaching prior to Fall 2019 but didn’t graduate until Spring 2020.

Measure 6

Ability of completers to meet licensing (certification) and any additional state requirements.

All completers of UAF initial teaching licensure programs must meet Alaska State Basic Competency Exam and Content Area Exam requirements prior to graduation. Average Basic Competency Exam scores can be found in the table below.

Advanced Special Education completers must pass the Praxis II: Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications exam. The average score on the Praxis II: Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications was 182 (n=6*). The state of Alaska requires a score of 151 to pass and receive an endorsement.

*Includes graduates from 2018/19 and 2019/20

Measure 7

Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they were prepared.


Of the 2019-2020 initial licensure graduates,

  • 73% have been identified teaching in schools in Alaska, and

  • 3% have been identified as teaching out of Alaska.


Of the 2019-2020 advanced Special Education graduates,

  • 80% have been identified as teaching in schools in Alaska as Special Education teachers, and

  • 20% have been identified as teaching out of state.


Of the combined group of initial and advanced graduates teaching in Alaska, 82% are teaching in urban school districts. 18% are teaching in rural school districts. Of those teaching in Alaska, the urban school districts are distributed as follows:

    • 49% are teaching in Southcentral Alaska

    • 33% are teaching in Fairbanks, Alaska

Measure 8

Student loan default rates and other consumer information.