Standard 1 Knowledge, Skills and Dispo

1. What content knowledge tests are used for the purpose of state licensure and/or program completion? If the state has a licensure test for content, what is the overall pass rate? What programs do not have an 80% or above pass rate? In the Commonwealth of PA, PRAXIS II examinations are used to evaluate content knowledge for purposes of state licensure and program completion. The pass rate for all certificates supported in the Center for Education is 100 percent. The Office of Certification and Field Experiences does not recommend candidates for certification to the Department of Education unless they have achieved the criterion cut-score required for a respective test. By definition completers have passed PRAXIS II;therefore, the pass rate is 100 percent.

2. See Table 4 in the Institutional Report which reports pass rates on PRAXIS II a content licensure test. The table compares pass-rates program by program and across all programs.

3. What do the data in the above table (Table 4) tell the unit about the content knowledge of initial teacher candidates?

The data in Table 4 reveal the following trends: a) in most initial licensure programs, candidates meet or exceed the criterion cut-score required to demonstrate proficiency in content knowledge; b) Mathematics and Social Studies candidates have not met the criterion cut-score for the year 2007-8.

4. Data from other key assessments include measures of content knowledge that are typically addressed by Assessment 2 in the national recognition reports submitted to specialized professional organizations., and grade point averages as unit indicators of content mastery. All certificate programs have been submitted for national review and/or have been approved by the Commonwealth of PA (2007). Therefore, no evidence is presented in the institutional report to respond to this question. (However additional, supplemental information about content assessments in program reports can be accessed at this link: Program Reports and Sample Assessments. Supplemental information regarding grade point averages for postbaccalaureate candidates for initial licensure, specialist and school administration certificates, for master's degree candidates, and for doctoral degree candidates are presented in Exhibit 1..4 below.)

5. What do data from key assessments indicate that advanced teaching candidates demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the content knowledge delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards? The Center for Education does not support programs for the preparation of advanced teaching.

6. What do follow-up studies of graduates and employers indicate about graduates' preparation in the content area? If survey data are being reported, what was the response rate?

(The information about Graduate/Alumni Surveys has been added to provide supplemental information for the convenience of BOE members. During the Fall of 2007, a biennial survey of graduates of Center for Education certificates and degrees was administered. The survey is reproduced in Exhibit 1.6a. Data from the survey was aligned with elements of the conceptual framework. Graduates' responses are disaggregated by Degree and academic program, and they are described in Exhibit 1.6b. One hundred and eighty-one graduates responded. in answer to the question of how well they felt prepared in areas of Academic Excellence, the mean response was 4.61 on a scale of 1 to 5, indicating graduates believed they were well-prepared for their careers as educators in the area of academic excellence.)

During 2007 and 2008 a 3-wave sample of school administrators in areas served by the Center for Education was conducted. School in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, northeastern Delaware counties and northern counties in Maryland were sent questionnaires. Sampling of schools was exhaustive and 1898 school administrators were surveyed. The return rate was marginal; only 57 administrators returned surveys. These follow-up surveys of employers indicate that respondents viewed Widener Candidates as well prepared and proficient in the knowledge, skills and dispositions associated with the elements of the Center for Education Conceptual Framework. This evidence however should be placed in context; many respondents had no opinion as their preferred response. See Exhibit 1.6 c.

7. Exhibits from Graduate/Alumni surveys and the Employer survey. (These links also appear in the General Section of the electronic exhibit room.)

Exhibit 1.1 Summary of Grade Point Averages
Exhibit 1.6 a Graduate/Alumni Survey

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