National Accreditation

Art K-12

Basic Business 6-12

Biology 7-12

Business Marketing Information Tech 6-12

Chemistry 7-12

Curriculum & Instruction Transition to Teaching

Early Childhood

Elementary Ed K-6

English 7-12

English as a Second Language K-12

French 7-12

Geography 7-12

Health and Physical Ed K-12

Health and Physical Ed PK-12

Health Ed 7-12

History 7-12

Language Arts 7-12

Mathematics 7-12

Middle grades 5-9

Modern Language 7-12

Music Ed K-12

Physical Ed 7-12

Physics 7-12

Political Science 7-12

Psychology 7-12

Social Science 7-12

Spanish 7-12

Special Ed 7-12

Special Ed K-12

Special Ed K-6

Speech Communication 7-12

Theatre 7-12

Business 7-12

German 7-12

Sociology 7-12

Principal

Superintendent

Special Education Supervisor

Reading Specialist

School Counselor

School Psychologist

School Librarian

Speech-Language Pathologist

Each section represents a CAEP annual reporting measure. Measures are a mix of those described in CAEP Annual Reports, and other measures that the EPP uses for data-based decisions.

Measure 1: Completer Impact and Effectiveness

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 when determined by both the teacher and the principal at their institution. 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 2023/24 year was 3.01. The mean score of Principals evaluating first-year teachers demonstrated and overall review of 3.08. In 2023-24, employers of third year teachers rated their UNK employee at 3.18 (on a 4-point scale).

Review of data from measures of student abilities according to InTasc (UNK Program Objectives) Standards was completed. Mean scores across the 4 domains of abilities were measured on each of the program common assessments.  These assessments include the Lesson Plan Assignment, the Unit Plan Assignment, Professional Dispositions and Summative Assessment of Teaching. On a four-point scale, completers demonstrated 3.33 across all four focus areas on the Lesson Plan.  They demonstrated a mean score of 3.44 on the Unit plan assignment and 3.48 on the Professional Dispositions.  The overall score for the Summative Assessment of Teaching was 3.31.

The table below demonstrates mean scores for completers in each InTasc Domain for each of the common assessments.

nm = not measured on instrument

Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholder Involvement

When principals at schools where first-year students were employed were asked to rate the faculty member on his/her impact on student learning, 49% identified the teacher as “Highly Effective” and 41% as “Moderately Effective”. Eleven percent identified the first-year teacher as “Somewhat Effective”. When Principals were asked if the first-year teacher was effectively prepared for continued employment, 99% (100) said “Yes”.

Completer Satisfaction

When first-year teachers were asked how they would rate their impact on student learning, 49% responded as “Highly Effective” while 41% responded with a “Moderately Effective” answer and only 11% responded “Somewhat Effective:.  When teachers were asked if they believed that they were prepared to be an effective first-year teacher, 85% (75) said “Yes”. 14% (13) said “No”. Results were from 88 first year teachers polled.

Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Program Completion

The GPA for students admitted into Teacher Education rose to 3.58.  The number of students admitted (n=314) decreased from the previous two years. The numbers of students admitted to clinical practice (n=314) increased and the number of students completing the program (n=217) also increased from the last couple of years. Grade point average of students matriculating and completing the program remained steady at 3.63.

The Praxis I examination requirement has been removed from both a program and Nebraska Department of Education as a requirement for entry into a professional teacher education program.  Graduates, however, are required to pass the Praxis II examination to receive the credential. The percentage of graduates passing the Praxis II examination on their first attempt was 86.4%.

All outcome measures for each of the 9 Educator Dispositions identified by program faculty demonstrated scores above the program benchmark 0f 3.00 on a 4-point scale. The 2023-24 range of scores for completers was 3.30-3.8 on 4-point scale. The overall mean for the completers across all 9 professional dispositions was 3.48. The 2022-2023 mean score was 3.59. Measures of positive and enthusiastic attitude (3.8) was the highest of the categories while the disposition that identifies preparedness in teaching, was the next highest score (3.61). The lowest score came from the disposition that identified self-regulated behavior and takes initiative (3.30). Mean scores across dispositions throughout their academic career for the cohort of students graduating in 2023/24 (3.48) showed a slightly lower measure from 2022/23 (3.56)).

Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions

Licensure Rate

Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have prepared is reliant upon passing the Praxis II Content area examination. 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 86%. The mean percentage of students passing on their first attempt over the last 5 years was 88%, ranging from 85%-94.94%. The subject area with the highest subject test scores for completers included Art, BMIT, El Ed, English, Middle level Math, Math, Soc studies, Spanish,  SPED. The lowest first time pass rate was 38.6%

Graduation, Retention & Placement Rates

 The process for tracking retention continues to be a point of focus among the College of Education and institution administration. Improvements have however, been made in the management of data that has helped faculty and administration make data-based decisions on this front.  Teacher Education programs did demonstrate a 74.6% retention rate compared to the UNK overall measure of 80% for freshman first year measures. We can also report that there were accepted into the Teacher Education 314 for the 2023-24 academic year.  Two hundred and seventeen students graduated in the same year.  Four hundred thirty-eight were accepted into Teacher Education for the 2023/24 year. We are working to correct this process in order to better report retention and attrition of program enrollment. We can report that 281 of the 309 (86%) of the students that challenged the Praxis II Subject Assessments, past on their first attempt. This would suggest that these students were able to become certified, a requirement for being hired as a teacher in Nebraska.  This data does give us some insight into completer leading to employment.  We are working to help all programs across COE, including those that are not Teacher Education, to develop and implement a process for better tracking employment rates by program.  The university did test a campus-wide questionnaire for the acquisition of data from graduates.  The university tracking of employment by academic program is implemented spring 2025.

Consumer Information

UNK Average Cost of Attendance

Average salary for Teachers in Nebraska and across the U.S.

UNK Student Loan Default Rates

Initial certification programs are all approved by the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).