Accreditation
Alaska Pacific University’s Teacher Education K-8 Certificate program (Previously known as Certificate Only Option Program—CO-OP) is currently accredited by NCATE, while in transition to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) http://caepnet.org/.
Annual Reporting Measures
Measure 1: Completer effectiveness and impact on P-12 student learning
In order to measure completer effectiveness, we use the following key measures:
1.NeXT survey of employers regarding completer effectiveness
2.Completer observation during first year of teaching (using STOT observation guide)
Excerpted Completer Observation Data:
| Indicator (using STOT observation guide: https://www.ndacte.org/student-teacher-observation-tool-stot-training-module/) |
Percentage of completers scored as meeting or exceeding the expectation |
| Exhibits fairness and belief that all students can learn. | 100% |
| Uses knowledge of students’ socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic differences to meet learning needs. | 100% |
| Creates a safe and respectful environment for learners. | 100% |
| Clearly communicates expectations for appropriate student behavior. | 100% |
| Guides mastery of content through meaningful learning experiences. | 100% |
| Uses relevant content to engage learners in innovative thinking & collaborative problem solving. | 100% |
| Uses multiple methods of assessment. | 100% |
| Provides students with meaningful feedback to guide next steps in learning. | 100% |
| Uses appropriate data sources to identify student learning needs. | 100% |
| Connects lesson goals with school curriculum and state standards. | 100% |
| Uses assessment data to inform planning for instruction. | 100% |
| Varies instructional strategies to engage learners. | 100% |
*This data is excerpted from voluntary observations during completers first year teaching. The observations have been conducted by EPP faculty during the 2021-2022 school year.
Measure 2: Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement
Satisfaction of Employers:
| Indicator | Percentage of employers indicating agree or strongly agree |
| Effectively teaches the subject mater in their licensure area | 100% |
| Regularly adjusts instructional plans to meet students’ needs | 100% |
| Plans lessons with clear learning objectives/goals in mind | 100% |
| Provides students with meaningful feedback to guide next steps in learning | 100% |
| Clearly communicates expectations for appropriate student behavior | 100% |
| Helps students work together to achieve learning goals | 100% |
| Connects core content to students’ real-life experiences | 100% |
*Data extracted from NExT Survey of Employers 2020-2021 (https://www.nexteachers.org/surveys-1)
Stakeholder Involvement Includes:
- Regularly Meeting Program Advisory Board (host teachers, district partners, alumni, principals, and clinical educators)
- Regularly Meeting Candidates Advisory Board (current candidates at various stages of the program)
- Stakeholder feedback on assessment tools ahead of adoption
- Stakeholder feedback on priorities for any newly hired positions
- Partnership with district and community partners to expand pathways towards careers in education
- NeXT Common Metrics Tools: https://www.nexteachers.org/surveys-1
If you would like to provide feedback to the program or become involved in one these stakeholder initiatives, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to ealvey@alaskapacific.edu.
Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Completion
We use a variety of measures to ensure candidates competency at program completion. These include formal observations during the student teaching placement using the STOT observation guide (https://www.ndacte.org/student-teacher-observation-tool-stot-training-module/) and successful completion of the Teacher Work Sample (https://www.wku.edu/rtwsc/). In addition to these program requirements, our candidates take an elementary education Praxis exam required by the state of Alaska to demonstrate competency at completion (https://www.ndacte.org/student-teacher-observation-tool-stot-training-module/).
Praxis 5018: Elementary Education Content Knowledge (Sept 2018- May 2022)
| N | Mean Score | Number Passing | Percent Passing | |
| All test takers | 10773 | 166 | – | – |
| Alaska Pacific University | 21 | 177 | 17 | 81 |
| Alaska Department of Education and Early Learning | 256 | 173 | 217 | 84 |
*Small numbers require the aggregation of years.
Praxis 5017: Elementary Education Curriculum, Assessment & Instruction (Sept 2018-May 2022)
| N | Mean Score | Number Passing | Percent Passing | |
| All test takers | 9507 | 168 | – | – |
| Alaska Pacific University | 8 | 171 | 7 | 87 |
| Alaska Department of Education and Early Learning | 104 | 163 | 91 | 85 |
*Small numbers require the aggregation of years.
Measure 4: Ability of completers to be hired in education following licensure
| 2021-2022 Completers | 75% (including certified, substitute, or other education related field) |
| 2020-2021 Completers | 100% (including certified, substitute, or other education related field) |
| 2019-2020 Completers | 100% (including certified, substitute, or other education related field) |
