CEAP Office of Assessment

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Reports (These were previously known as the IHE reports)

These reports are generated in conjunction with the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

DPI Archive: EPP Performance Reports (more extensive reports) | EPP Report Cards (just report cards)

Undergraduate Programs

• 2019-2020 - EPP Performance Report
• 2018-2019 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2017-2018 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2016-2017 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2015-2016 - IHE Performance Report  | IHE Report Card

Graduate Programs

• 2019-2020 - EPP Performance Report
• 2018-2019 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2017-2018 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2016-2017 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2015-2016 - IHE Performance Report  | IHE Report Card

Master's of School Administration Program

• 2019-2020 - EPP Performance Report
• 2018-2019 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2017-2018 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2016-2017 - EPP Performance Report | EPP Report Card
• 2015-2016 - IHE Performance Report  | IHE Report Card

2019-2020 - Traditional Programs | Alternative Programs

2018-2019 - Traditional Programs | Alternative Programs

2017-2018 - Traditional Programs | Alternative Programs

2016-2017 - Traditional Programs | Alternative Programs

2015-2016 - Traditional Programs | Alternative Programs

2014-2015 - Traditional Programs | Alternative Programs

NCATE - Programs Accredited

Fall 2020

Fall 2019

Fall 2018

Fall 2017

Fall 2016

Fall 2015

As our teacher and professional education programs are accredited through CAEP, we are required to submit an annual report and publicly present data on our programs. We encourage you to look through our data and analyses in each of the sections below.

The graph shows data collected on beginning teachers (3 years of service or less) in public schools in North Carolina. The bars show the percentages of P-12 students taught by beginning teachers who do not meet, meet, or exceed their expected growth in learning for that year. Beginning teachers who graduated from WCU are compared to all beginning  teachers across the state.

Over these years of data, WCU alumni track closely with all beginning teachers in the state on their performance. Percentages of WCU alumni who do not meet expected growth has fluctuated over this time frame, but are generally close to beginning teachers across the state. One area of some improvement is in the percentage of WCU alumni who exceed expected growth. This rose from 15-16 to 17-18 academic years and has been higher than the state percentage for the first time in the two most recent years. It remains to be seen if this is a trend, but could indicate WCU is producing a number of students who are able to achieve strong growth rates.

Due to COVID-19, NC DPI did not collect the Spring 2020 student assessment data that underlies this analysis. Thus, we expect no information for P-12 impact to be available for 19-20. The graph below shows the most recent data available to us.

Data source(s): DPI IHE Reports

The graphs show data collected on beginning teachers (3 years of service or less) in public schools in North Carolina. The bars show the percentage of WCU alumni that are rated Proficient or higher on key performance areas compared to all beginning teachers in the state. The performance ratings are made by the principal. They key performance areas are aligned to state teaching standards:

• Standard 1: Teachers Demonstrate Leadership
• Standard 2: Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students
• Standard 3: Teachers Know the Content They Teach
• Standard 4: Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students
• Standard 5: Teachers Reflect on Their Practice

The data show our alumni track closely with all beginning teachers in the state on their rated performance. In all five standards, the most recent two years of data shows our candidates are rated the same or higher on average than all beginning teachers statewide.

Due to COVID-19, NC DPI did not collect the Spring 2020 performance assessments of teachers that underlies this analysis. Thus, we expect no information for teaching effectiveness as rated by principals to be available for 19-20. The graphs below show the most recent data available to us.

Data source(s): DPI IHE Reports

The NC Employer Survey has been developed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina (EPIC). The survey requires NC principals or assistant principals to rate all beginning teachers on 21 items that are aligned to the state's five professional teaching standards. See the graphs for average ratings for WCU alumni compared to teachers prepared by all other NC universities, universities outside NC, and alternative entry programs. The scale is from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest rating.

This survey was first administered in 2016-2017. The current results show WCU as comparable to other preparation paths. WCU ratings rose from 2016-2017 to 2017-2018 in all five areas. In 2018-2019, all areas but Leadership either stayed comparable to the previous year or went up again. In 2019-2020, WCU ratings were slightly lower than the average ratings for other North Carolina preparation programs, though still higher than other sources of teachers. We conclude that this indicates employers of WCU graduates are overall satisfied with our graduates and that they compare favorably to other sources of teachers. It is difficult to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March 2020, may have impacted the most recent cohort of graduates and therefore their employer's satisfaction.

The data presented here is the most recent data available as of April 2021.

Data Source(s): DPI NC Employer Survey

In the 2019-2020 academic year, our advanced programs piloted a survey of the satisfaction of employers with our recent graduates (graduates in the range 2016-2019) they have hired. Questions were modified to be specific to programs, but aggregated by general concept. Results from our first administration of this survey are presented below. Note that this set of surveys has not been validated as this pilot is being reviewed by our faculty for revision. Our phase-in plans for advanced programs include validating the surveys used and establishing a regular schedule to collect them. These results indicate employers are overall satisfied with our recent graduates. These data do not indicate a clear area of weakness to address.

The data presented here is the most recent data available as of March 2021. As of April 2021, we are collecting surveys for the 2017-2020 cohorts of graduates.

The graphs below indicate how valuable each aspect of the teacher education program is to beginning teachers in NC. The data compare teachers who are WCU alumni, teachers prepared by all other campuses in the UNC System, and all teachers prepared by private NC universities. These graphs indicate that WCU graduates have responses generally comparable to other beginning teachers in the state. Over the three years of data, ratings of WCU graduates on the value of fieldwork, student teaching, and faculty have risen to exceed ratings of those by the other populations. The value of coursework has fluctuated, though rose from 2016-2017 to 2017-2018. In 2018-2019, this rating was comparable to other UNC System graduates though lower than non-UNC system graduates. We do not see a clear reason for this pattern, but it does not indicate a significant weakness in the program.

The data presented here is the most recent data available as of February 2021. We have no indication whether this data will be collected for the 2019-2020 cohort of beginning teachers.

Source: DPI Beginning Teacher Survey

In the 2019-2020 academic year, our advanced programs piloted a survey of the satisfaction of recent graduates (graduates in the range 2016-2019) with our programs. Questions were modified to be specific to programs, but aggregated by general concept. Results from our first administration of this survey are presented below. Note that this set of surveys has not been validated as this pilot is being reviewed by our faculty for revision. Our phase-in plans for advanced programs include validating the surveys used and establishing a regular schedule to collect them. These results indicate our graduates are overall satisfied with what our programs provide and don't indicate a clear area of weakness.

The data presented here is the most recent data available as of February 2021.

 

With respect to graduation rates, students may enter the university intending to major in one area of teacher education, but eventually select another teacher education major. Thus, we are reporting a single graduation rate for all programs in aggregate. We disaggregate only on cohort (calendar year of first enrollment at the university) and undergraduate vs. graduate degree.

 

Undergraduate Program Graduation Rates

The blue bar represents the percent of students who enroll the university in the given calendar year who major in teacher education at some point at WCU, who graduate in four years or less. As an example, of all students who enrolled at WCU for the first time in calendar year 2012 AND who declared a teacher education major at some point in their time at WCU, 36% graduated in a teacher education program within four years of enrollment. The red bar indicates how many of the same group of students graduated with a non-teacher education degree to give a sense of how many students have moved out of the program but still go on to complete an academic program at WCU.

The four-year graduation rates dipped with the cohort from 2015. We do not have enough information to consider this a trend and we will see if the 6-year graduation rate also dips for this cohort. 

The six-year graduation rate doesn't show a strong trend, rather it fluctuates between 41% and 47%. At the least, the difference in graduation rates from 4 to 6 year ranges indicates there are a substantial number of students who take beyond four years to complete our program.

The data presented here is the most recent available as of April 2021.

 

 

Graduate Program Graduation Rates

Graduate programs that are approved by CAEP usually see much less movement of students among majors, so the red bar will be very small. The six year graduation rate rose over time and seems to have leveled off at around 80%. This is closely matched by the four year graduation rate, indicating that nearly all students are completing advanced programs within four years.

The data presented here is the most recent available as of April 2021.

 

In addition, you may explore the university-wide graduation rates available for undergraduate and graduate students at the university’s Tableau Profile. In particular, the Student Migration Sunburst when set to look at the department of "Teaching and Learning" displays the paths of the majority of undergraduate students in teacher education majors.

Undergraduate License Programs

The graph below indicates the percentage of graduates from WCU and from all teacher education programs across the state who hold an initial North Carolina Teaching License one year after they graduate from a bachelor-level university program. Note that the years indicate the academic year in which the measured cohort graduated. For example, the cohort indicated 2018-2019 graduated in that academic year and their licensure status was checked as of summer 2020. Note that this data excludes graduates who work in a public charter school, private school, or out of state.

With the exception of 2016-2017, WCU alumni have a higher rate of obtaining a license than all programs across the state averaged.

The data presented here is the most recent available as of Arpil 2021.

Data source(s): DPI IHE Reports

 

Advanced Programs

Most Advanced level programs, such as the MAED in Comprehensive Education and Masters of School Administration are designed so that at the completion of the program, the graduate has met all requirements for state licensure. For advanced programs, we do not receive a report on licensure status similar to above for our teacher education programs. However, we are part of the licensure process by recommending individuals for a license at the time they apply for one. Based on our local records of recommendation for a license, we can calculate the percentage of graduates from each year who have been recommended for a license. The graph below indicates the percentage of graduates from the MAED Comprehensive Education, MSA School Administration, SSP School Psychology, and EdD Educational Leadership with a P-12 Concentration programs who have been recommended for a NC DPI license. We have no benchmark with which to compare this data.

The data presented here is the most recent available as of April 2021.

Overall, nearly 80% of graduates from our advanced programs are obtaining licenses from the state of North Carolina.

Undergraduate License Programs

The graph below indicates the percentage of graduates from WCU and from all teacher education programs across the state who are employed as a teacher in a North Carolina public school one year after they graduate from a bachelor-level university program. Note that the years indicate the academic year in which the measured cohort graduated. For example, the cohort indicated 2018-2019 graduated in that academic year and their licensure status was checked as of the end of the 2019-2020 school year.  The percentage of WCU alumni employed in the state has consistently risen and is higher than the average of other comparable programs as of the 2018-2019 cohort. The rise in WCU alumni's percentage is outpacing the rise among all programs across the state. Note that this data excludes graduates who work in a public charter school, private school, or out of state.

The data presented here is the most recent available as of April 2021.

Data source(s): DPI IHE Reports

 

Advanced Programs

The graph below provides employment information about graduates of our advanced programs. These data show if a graduate from WCU from the indicated academic year is employed in a NC public school and if a graduate is employed in a NC public school in a role appropriate for the advanced degree earned. Note that this excludes graduates who work in public charter schools, private schools, or out of state. For example, this data indicates that of all graduates from advanced programs in the cohort that graduated in 2017-2018, 54% are employed in an North Carolina public school. Also, 42% of those 2017-2018 graduates are employed in a role appropriate for the degree and associated license area. MAED in Comprehensive Education, MSA in School Administration, SSP in School Psychology, and EdD in Educational Leadership-P12 Concentration. In addition, job titles were considered as to whether they were now in a position that the degree and associated license qualified them for. MAED graduates can be a classroom teacher or higher position. MSA and EdD graduates must be in at least an assistant principal position or at the district office. SSP graduates must be in a Psychologist position or relevant district office position.

The data presented here is the most recent available as of April 2021.

Overall, we see that 38% to 45% of graduates of advanced programs are not employed in NC public schools. These may be in charter, public, or out of state schools or other career paths. For those graduates that do stay in NC Public Schools, they are likely to be in a role appropriate to their job role. The majority of those that are not in a relevant role to their degree are graduates of the MSA School Administration program. We suspect this is due to the limited number of assistant principal and principal positions compared to teacher positions, thus MSA graduates may have to wait a few years before obtaining such a position.

The information in this section was checked and is current as of April 2021.

WCU Tuition Information

NC Promise Information - A program from the state of North Carolina that sets WCU tuition to $500 per fall and spring semester for in-state undergraduates and $2500 for out-of-state undergraduates.

WCU Financial Aid

WCU Guide to Consumer Information

WCU Student Loan Default Rates - as reported by the National Student Loan Data System

NC Department of Public Instruction Salary Schedules - The standard salaries of teachers in North Carolina.

College Assessment Calendar - approved 11/29/2017 by Leadership Council

Dates for 2020-2021, Organized by Assessment Product

 

CIRs (Continuous Improvement Reports)

• September 18 - Strategic Planning Day - review CIR feedback, identify improvement actions and strategy to implement
• Ongoing - implement improvement actions
• February 5 - Assessment Day - initiate draft of CIR by this date; programs schedule individual meetings
• June 1 - Final CIR due to college for internal review
• September 1 - Final CIRs due from college to university

 

Our college established an Annual Assessment Day beginning in January 2013 to examine assessment data and identify strengths and areas for improvement. All faculty, staff, and stakeholders are invited to participate in the day-long activities for the purpose of assessing our programs.

Assessment Day Agenda 2021

Assessment Day Agenda 2020

Assessment Day Agenda 2019

Assessment Day Agenda 2018

Assessment Day Agenda 2017

Assessment Day Agenda 2016

Assessment Day Agenda 2015

University Faculty Resources

Advanced Licensure Portfolio Documentation

WCU Assessment and Strategic Program Review

 

The following are links to campus, state and national resources regarding assessment preparation, the latest news and legislation on education-related issues, plus tools and information for ongoing learning.

AACTE - American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

NC DPI - North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

CAEP - Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation

SACSCOC - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

SACSCOC at WCU

WCU University Factbook

NCTEAN - North Carolina Teacher Education Assessment Network