Dr. Mike Alfano, Dr. Michael Faggella-Luby , Dr . Rachael Gabriel, Dr. Marijke Kehrhahn,

1. Assessment of Teacher Education Programs in Higher Education: Alumni/Employer Survey Results, K-12 Achievement Research Findings, and What Remains to be Investigated Dr. Mike Alfano, Dr. Michael Faggella-Luby, Dr. Rachael Gabriel, Dr. Marijke Kehrhahn, Dr. Mary Yakimowski University of Connecticut Transition to the Connecticut State Standards and System of Assessments Third Annual Connecticut Assessment Crown Plaza, Cromwell Rocky Hill, CT August, 2012 PowerPoint available at: http://www.education.uconn.edu/assessment/

2. Assessment of Teacher Education Programs in Higher Education: Alumni/Employer Survey Results, K-12 Achievement Research Findings, and What Remains to be Investigated • This panel from UConn’s Neag School of Education will discuss major findings from research on their teacher preparation programs. This session will include a description of the Neag School of Education’s Assessment Plan and an overview of studies that have been completed recently. Specifically, panelists will describe major findings from our alumni and employee surveys, staffing research, and K-12 studies (including recent results from studies of student achievement in math and reading). Then, with audience participation, we will open a discussion of possible directions for future research to meet CT’s K-12 district needs.

3. Introducing … Mary E. YakimowskiNeag School of EducationDirector of AssessmentThe Neag Assessment PlanThe Alumni SurveysThe Employer Surveys

4. Introducing … Michael AlfanoFormally, UConn Neag School of EducationExecutive Director of Teacher EducationCurrently, Southern CT State UniversityProfessor & Chair, Dept. of Sp Ed & ReadingThe Placement of Alumni

5. Introducing … Michael Faggella-LubyNeag School of EducationAssociate Professor, Special EducationThe Evidence-based Survey Studies

6. Introducing … Dr. Rachael GabrielNeag School of EducationAssistant Professor, Reading/Language ArtsThe Pupil Performance Studies

7. Introducing … Dr. Marijke KehrhahnNeag School of EducationAssociate DeanWhere This Leads Us &Generating Ideas from You

8. Mary E. YakimowskiNeag School of EducationDirector of AssessmentThe Neag Assessment PlanThe Alumni SurveysThe Employer Surveys

9. Neag School of Education

10. Purpose of Assessment Plan • Assessment/Evidence-based • culture leading to continuous improvement • Accreditation

11. Cycle of Continuous Improvement

12. Neag School of Education Assessment Plan

13. Assessment Plan

15. Neag Assessment Plan Highlights Incorporated many best practices including: • Focus on facilitating an assessment culture. • A system of participatory participation in assessment development and reporting. • Formative and summative assessments at both the candidate and program level to embrace ongoing feedback. • Efforts made to ensure that assessments are credible, fair, consistent, accurate, and unbiased, allowing for multiangulation.

16. (continued) • Information available from external sources such as state licensing exams, evaluation through clinic experiences, employer reports, and alumni studies. • Alignment of all accreditation processes from the university to program levels. • A concerted effort to provide a spotlight on assessment. • A system for reviewing and approving the assessment plan. • Assessment-related research opportunities.

17. Alumni and Employer Surveys • Every 2 years for select programs, every 4 years by school

18. Purpose • Collect information from stakeholders (10 years of alumni) for: • Continuous improvement of the Neag School • Dissemination to school, depts, unit, programs • Commitment to “high quality programs of study and to conduct meaningful research that speaks to the critical issues in education, technology, sports, and health and wellness” (http://www.education.uconn.edu) 4,244 total alumni identified 3,818 of those had valid addresses 758 responded 17% of total identified alumni 20% response rate from contacted alumni

19. 29 Reports School-wide, Each Department, and Teacher Education Report School-wide Report Department of Curriculum & Instruction Bilingual Education Elementary Education English/Language Arts Mathematics Music Science Social Studies World Language Department of Educational Leadership Ed Leadership Education Admin Ed Leadership Executive Leadership Ed Leadership UCAPP Department of Educational Psych Cognition and Instruction Counseling Education Gifted & Talented School Psychology Special Education Department of Kinesiology Athletic Training Exercise Science Physical Therapy Sports Management Teacher Education Unit IB/M TCPCG

20. Satisfaction and Importance • Six-point Likert-type scale

21. Teacher Education: Satisfaction with Educational Quality • Educational Quality Two highest items • accessibility of faculty • overall quality of instruction Three lowest items • range of courses • course content • challenged to meet academic potential

22. Overall Preparation

23. Preparation for the Teaching Profession

24. What would you consider the most valuable experience offered by the NSoE? Top 3 themes: Clinical My student teaching experience changed my life and affected my teaching more than I ever thought possible. I was able to implement many of the teaching strategies that I learned at NEAG during this experience. Having spent the first half of the year visiting the classroom, and the second half student teaching in that same classroom was incredibly beneficial. Courses The individual methods courses offered for each content area during the TCPCG program has been the most relevant and useful of all courses. Furthermore, the courses on Multicultural education and Students with special needs continue to be important in my career and I often refer to materials for information. Faculty • I think the most valuable experiences I had in the Neag School were the connections I made with my professors. I always felt well-supported and mentored by the professors I had, and I still e-mail with several of them for advice and help. These professors are not only experts in their fields, but valuable resources and friends to all students in the Neag School.

25. What did you find least valuable? Top 3 themes: • Courses • The course about special education was not effective in preparing me for the teaching field. While this is an important topic to be aware of, the material was not presented in a manner that I was able to retain information, and I did not feel prepared to handle situations involving special education upon entering the teaching field. • Clinical • The clinicals that were outside of your concentration-- for me, high school social studies did not help me much with elementary school. Instead give us time in primary vs. intermediate elementary. • Technology • During my time there, the technology component was least valuable. We basically just demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.

26. Recommend NSoE? 95.9% of respondents would recommend graduate study at the Neag School of Education to others

27. Summary • Positive responses to survey regarding alumni perceptions of the Teacher Education programs • Most are employed in field for which they received training and satisfied with their employment • Parts of Teacher Education to improve were most often identified as courses and clinical experiences

28. Michael AlfanoFormally, UConn Neag School of EducationExecutive Director of Teacher EducationCurrently, Southern CT State UniversityProfessor & Chair, Dept. of Sp Ed & ReadingThe Placement of Alumni(via district and CSDE records)

29. How many alumni are employed by Connecticut Public Schools? Answer: 3,090 165/166 districts

30. Distribution of Our Alumni Across Connecticut School Districts

31. Alumni Teachers Employed by Connecticut School Districts (map does not include related services and administrators)

32. Alumni Elementary Teachers Employed in by Connecticut School Districts Green= alumni

33. Orange= alumni Alumni Secondary Teachers Employed by Connecticut School Districts

34. Alumni Special Education Teachers Employed by Connecticut School Districts Pink = alumni

35. Where are our alumni employed as related service personnel

36. Alumni Employed as School Psychologists in by Connecticut School Districts Red = alumni

37. Alumni Employed as School Counselors in 2009-2010 by Connecticut School Districts Yellow = alumni

38. Top Employers of Alumni as Related Service Personnel

39. Top Employers of Alumni as School Psychologists

40. Top Employers of Alumni as School Counselors

41. Where are our alumni employed as administrators?

42. Alumni Employed as Elementary Administrators by Connecticut School Districts Asst. Principals Principals Areas shaded represent alumni

43. Areas shaded represent alumni. Principals Asst. Principals • Alumni Employed as Middle School Administrators • by Connecticut School Districts

44. Alumni Employed as High School Administrators • by Connecticut School Districts Asst. Principals Principals Areas shaded represent alumni.

45. Alumni Employed as Central Office Personnel • by Connecticut School Districts Pink = alumni

46. Who employed the most of our alumni?

47. Top Employers of Alumni

48. Top Employers of Alumni Secondary English/LA Teachers

49. Top Employers of Alumni Special Education Teachers

50. Michael Faggella-Luby Neag School of EducationAssociate Professor, Special EducationThe Evidence-based Survey Studies