National Accreditation

I. P-12 Student Learning/Development

Results of First and third year teacher evaluations by principals at their schools

Impact on P-12 Student Learning / Indicators of Teaching Effectiveness The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) regularly collects data from first and third-year teachers as well as employers of those teachers. Data collected is an indicator of teacher effectiveness in the classroom across InTasc Standards. The scores collected and used for overall assessment are reflected on a 4.0 scale. The mean score reported by first-year teachers across standards for the 2019/20 year was 3.20. The mean assessment score of Principals evaluating first-year teachers was 3.11.

II. Observations of Teaching Effectiveness

Outcome measures of student abilities

Review of data from measures of student abilities within the Charlotte Danielson framework was completed. Mean scores across the 4 domains of abilities demonstrated similar scores as to the previous four years. On a three-point scale, completers demonstrated 2.87 as a mean score in the area of abilities addressing Learning and the Learner. The area of Instruction Practices demonstrated a mean cohort score of 2.84 and the area of Professional Responsibility provided a mean score of 2.89. Each of these scores is comparable to the previous three years of data. The one area where completers demonstrated a substantially lower score was the 2.76 score by students in the area of Content Knowledge. Similar findings were found for the completer cohort for students’ previous year of clinical work. This may be related to the lower Praxis II Subject test scores demonstrated by the 2019/20 cohort as compared to the 2018/2019 cohort.

III. Employer Satisfaction and Completer Persistence

Employers of First Year Teachers’ Survey and Employers of Third Year Teachers’ Survey

When principals at schools where first-year students were employed were asked to rate the faculty member on his/her impact on student learning, 58% identified the teacher as “Highly Effective” and 41% as “Moderately Effective”. Only 11% identified the first-year teacher as “Somewhat Effective”. When Principals were asked if the first-year teacher was effectively prepared for continued employment, all buy one said “Yes”.

In 2018-19, employers of third year teachers rated their preparation the highest at 3.74 (on a 4-point scale), with completers next highest at 3.73. Employers of first year teachers ranked them at 3.48, slightly higher than the first year teachers rated themselves (3.40). None of mean scores of the three groups rated UNK completers below a 3.00, indicating that all groups believed UNK completers were prepared to be effective teachers as defined by the NE InTASC Standards.

IV. Completer Satisfaction

First and Third year teacher surveys Completer Exit Survey

When first-year teachers were asked how they would rate their impact on student learning, 33% responded as “Highly Effective” while 67% responded with a “Moderately Effective” answer.  When teachers were asked if they believed that they were prepared to be an effective first-year teacher, 89% (53) said “Yes”. Eleven percent (6) said “No”. 

See comparison with other survey results under Employers of First Year Teachers’ Survey and Employers of Third Year Teachers’ Survey.

Measures of Educator Dispositions 

All outcome measures for each of the 9 Educator Dispositions identified by program objectives demonstrated scores above the program benchmark but were all slightly lower than the 2018-19 measures. The 2019-20 range of scores was 3.39-3.6 on 4 point scale. The 2018-2019 range of scores was 3.5-3.69. Interestingly, measures of professionalism (3.6) were still the highest of the categories while the disposition that identifies social and emotional intelligence for promoting personal and educational goals/stability, were the second highest score (3.66). The lowest score came from the disposition that identified self-regulated learning behaviors/takes initiative. Mean scores across dispositions throughout their academic career for the cohort of students graduating in 2019/20 showed a steady rise from 2017/18-2019/20. The mean score for the cohort when starting the professional program was 2.82 (benchmark of 2.50). The second year mean scores were 3.22 with a completer score of 3.59, demonstrating a continual improvement across the dispositions for the cohort as the students progressed through the program. The benchmark mean for the second and completer year was 2.5. of 3.55). 

V. Completer or Graduation Rate

UNK Candidate Milestones

The candidate milestones are Admission to Teacher Education, Admission to Clinical Practice, and Completion.

The GPA for students admitted into Teacher Education remained high (3.64), however the number of students admitted (n=248) dropped from the previous year (n=340). The reason for this is not fully understood, but marks a decrease in students beginning admitted. The numbers of students admitted to clinical practice (n=230) and completing the program (n=205) remained steady. Grade point average of students matriculating and completing the program remained steady at 3.66 & 3.64 respectively.

There were some changes first-time pass rate for the Praxis I examination. The first-time pass rate for the reading portion dropped slightly from 86.77% in 2018/19 to 85.34% 2019/20. Also, the first-time pass rate on the writing portion, 64.79% from 72.9% in 2018/19. The biggest change was an increase in pass rate from 66.42% in 2018/19 to 89.2% in 2019/20. This was likely attributed to the revision of the math part of the test.  

VI. Licensure Rate

Praxis Subject Assessment Table and Analysis

Ability of completers to meet licensing/certification requirements & Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have prepared. Measures of first-time pass rate for the Praxis II Subject Assessment were also analyzed in comparison to previous years. The percentage of students passing the subject specific examination was 84.94%. The mean percentage of students passing on their first attempt over the last 5 years was 88.42%, ranging from 79.09-94.84. While lower than the percentage of completers passing on the first attempt for the 2018/19 year (94.84), the percentage passing on the first attempt clearly lies within the range of scores for the last 5 year period. The subject area with the highest subject test scores included Middle Level English and Math, BMIT, Elementary Education and Special Education. The subject with the lowest first-time pass percentage for this reporting period, was Health Physical Education. 

Comparisons have not been made with state and national benchmarks. Consideration for comparisons to statewide and national data is currently being done. 

VII. Employment Rate

UNK Teacher Retention and Employment Rates

The process for tracking retention has been revisited since last reported. We have found discrepancies in obtaining these numbers that the data collected does not accurately reflect genuine retention rates by persons accepted into and completing the program. Consequently, we are pursuing changes in how we track students matriculating through and completion that results in degree or certification. We can report that there were 233 students accepted into the Teacher Education Program in the 2017/18 academic year. There were 232 completers in the 2019/20 academic year. This does not accurately report for a cohort as only 1/3 of the graduates were accepted in the 2017/18 year and others graduated at other times. Thus we are unable to report retention by person or cohort and would instead rather report completion by person. We are working to correct this process in order to better report retention and attrition of program enrollment.

The process of tracking completer employment was influenced by issues related to COVID-19. Consequently, we are unable to accurately report placement of students graduating and who became licensed to teach in the state of Nebraska.

VIII. Consumer Information

UNK Current Average Cost of Attendance

Average salary for teachers in Nebraska and across the U.S. (U.S. bureau of labor statistics)

UNK Student Loan Default Rates