CEAP Office of Assessment

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.

This set of assessments aligns to CAEP Annual Report Measure 1: Completer Effectiveness (Component R4.1).

As of December, 2022 our state provides data on completer effectiveness in an online dashboard. To access the data for WCU, open the state's EPP Performance dashboard for Student Growth. This data is from the state's EVAAS system, a value-add model of teacher performance. The model uses end of subject/grade testing plus other data to determine if an individual teacher's students do not meet, meet, or exceed their expected growth in learning for that year, according to the model. In the list of all EPPs in the center of the page, click to highlight "WCU" in the list. This will filter all other visualizations (except the "overall" percentage across all EPPs in the top left) to display data from WCU. The line graph on the left of the dashboard shows the ratings for recent WCU graduates (by calendar year of graduation).  For comparison, click on the highlighted WCU in the center graph to unselect it; this removes the filter and allows you to see the ratings for all beginning teachers in the state. For the three most recent years of data available (2022, 2023, and 2024), WCU has nearly the same percentage of recent graduates that meet or exceed expected growth compared to the average for the whole state in 2022 and 2024. In 2023, a lower percentage of graduates' students met or exceeded expected growth than the state overall. The reason for the 2023 data being lower is not clear; however, we note that this may coincide with the group of students admitted to teacher education without passing the Praxis Core due to COVID. Given the bookending results are close to the state averages, we do not see an immediate need to react to the current data. However, this will be watched next year to see if the decrease in 2023 reoccurs.

We last examined this data in April 2025; at that time the dashboard had data through calendar year 2024 and was last updated on 2/6/2025.

This set of assessments aligns to CAEP Annual Report Measure 1: Completer Effectiveness (Component R4.1).

As of December, 2022 our state provides data on teaching effectiveness in an online dashboard. To access the data for WCU, open the state's EPP Performance dashboard for Teaching Performance.

The graphs show data collected on beginning teachers (3 years of service or less) in public schools in North Carolina by the NC Educator Effectiveness System (NCEES). This system collects principal ratings of teachers on five key performance areas aligned to state teaching standards:

• Standard 1: Teachers Demonstrate Leadership ("LEADER")
• Standard 2: Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students ("CLS ENV")
• Standard 3: Teachers Know the Content They Teach ("CONTENT")
• Standard 4: Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students ("PEDAGOGY")
• Standard 5: Teachers Reflect on Their Practice ("REFLECT")

In the list of all EPPs in the center of the page, click to highlight "WCU" in the list. This will filter all other data to display data only from WCU (except the "Overall" data card in the top left). You can select the year of data to display in the "Years to Display" selector near the top of the dashboard. The bar graph in the middle left of the dashboard shows the most recent ratings for WCU graduates by standard for the selected calendar year(s). Note the codes in the list of standards above that correspond to this graph. The graph in the top left shows a percentage of all graduates that are rated proficient or higher by calendar year.  For comparison, click on the highlighted WCU in the center graph to unselect it; this removes the filter and allows you to see the ratings for all beginning teachers in the state. The line graph near the top left indicates the most recent calendar years of data available on our graduates. Consider the three most recent years available (2022 through 2024), WCU graduates rated performance increased slightly from 2022 to 2023 then decreased one percentage point to 2024. These ratings are generally comparable to the percentage of those proficient or higher for the whole state. It should be noted that there is low variability among the majority of EPPs with most having their graduates rated proficient or higher at a rate of 90% or more. We will continue to monitor this but do not see a negative trend we need to respond to.

We last examined this data in April 2025; at that time the dashboard had data through calendar year 2024 and was updated on 2/6/2025.

This set of assessments aligns to CAEP Annual Report Measure 2: Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement (Components R4.2, R5.3, RA 4.1).

As of December, 2022 our state provides data on employer satisfaction in an online dashboard. To access the data for WCU, open the state's EPP Performance dashboard for Employer Satisfaction. 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 35 items that are aligned to the state's five professional teaching standards. In the list of all EPPs in the center of the page, click to highlight "WCU" in the list. This will filter all other data to display from WCU. You can select the year of data to display in the "Years to Display" selector near the top of the dashboard. For comparison, click on the highlighted WCU in the center graph to unselect it; this removes the filter and allows you to see the ratings for all beginning teachers in the state. The "By Response" graph in the center left of the dashboard shows the overall effectiveness rating for WCU graduates compared to other beginning teachers averaged over the years included. The "By Survey Year" graph in the top left indicates what percentage of beginning teachers from WCU were rated as comparable to or more effective than their peers. For the three most recent years of data available (2021 thorugh 2023), WCU graduates are rated comparably to completers of all EPPs. We note that the vast majority of EPPs achieve ratings of 90% or higher of their graduates who are comparable or better than those from other programs, so variability is somewhat low. We further note that the percentage of WCU graduates who performed comprably or better than peers dropped slightly in 2022 then stayed nearly the same in 2023. However, 2023 data is only slightly more than one percentage point lower than the state average. This data still seems to indicate the strength of our program as seen by employers and is comprable to other EPPs in the state. We do not see a need for immediate action.

We last examined this data in April 2025; at that time the dashboard had data through calendar year 2023 and was updated 3/3/2025. The state informed us that data from 2024 is being validated and should be available June, 2025.

This set of assessments aligns to CAEP Annual Report Measure 2: Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement (Components R4.2, R5.3, RA 4.1).

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.

This graph includes the MAED, MSA, and EdD programs.

This graph includes the MAED and MSA programs. The EdD program is revising their instrument.

The SSP in School Psychology program is one of our advanced programs but had a low response rate with their initial survey, so we are not able to present these publicly. We did not collect this data during the COVID pandemic.

New Survey Schedule

As of Spring 2023, we made a new schedule for collecting employer satisfaction data. Our programs do not have large numbers of graduates, so to prevent survey fatigue we have designated a cycle of three years over which we survey employers of each program's graduates once over that three year period. Our schedule is:

• Year 1 - MAED Comprehensive Education
• Year 2 - MSA School Administration and EdD in Educational Leadership (combined)
• Year 3 - SSP School Psychology

In addition, in the first year for each program in our cycle, we reviewed the program's survey against the new CAEP survey criteria. After review, a pilot, and revisions, they were found compliant.

We began this cycle in spring 2023 as "year 1" in the cycle. We reviewed the survey used for the MAEd program. We decided to revise it and the piloted it as required to ensure it meets the new CAEP criterial. In that spring, we also surveyed the employers of graduates of our MAED program who have graduated in academic year 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022. Results from this survey are shown in the following graph. Employers were asked to rate each item on a Likert scale where 5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3= Neither agree nor disagree, 2 = Disagree, and 1 = Strongly Disagree.

Results indicate that on most items, the average ratings are "Agree" or higher. The two items below "Agree" are both rated an average of 3.9. These do not lead us to concern over these items, but we note that these issues of preparation for current employment in general and particular assigned responsibilities. We will review these results with the program at our fall program assessment meeting.

As per schedule, in Spring 2024, we surveyed employers of graduates of our MSA and EdD programs. Through data available from our state, we identified the employers of graduates of our MSA and EdD programs who graduated in academic year 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023. Results from this survey are shown in the following graph. Employers were asked to rate each item on a Likert scale where 5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3= Neither agree nor disagree, 2 = Disagree, and 1 = Strongly Disagree.

Results indicate that on all items the average ratings are "Agree" or higher. We consider this to show employers of graduates in these programs are well satisfied with their preparation.

As per our schedule, in Spring 2025, our Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) program will survey employers of their recent graduates from years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24. The SSP program created their own instrument to survey employers and will use this for their data collection. This work is somewhat delayed due to personnel turnover in the program but we anticipate it being complete in early Summer 2025 and results will be posted here.

The advanced program data presented here is the most recent data available as of April 2025.

Data Source(s): Internal data collection/analysis

This set of assessments aligns to CAEP Annual Report Measure 3: Candidate competency at completion (Component R3.3), specifically for initial level programs.

Our initial level programs use multiple measures to determine if our teacher candidates are ready for the profession. See the following links and data tables for a summary of this data.

Licensure Exams

Our candidates must successfully pass one or more standardized exams to qualify for a North Carolina teaching license. The NC Department of Public Instruction maintains a data dashboard that allows you to examine performance on licensure exams. In the list of all EPPs in the center of the page, click to highlight "WCU" in the list. This will filter all other data to display data only from WCU. You can select the year of data to display in the "Years to Display" selector near the top right of the dashboard. For comparison, click on the highlighted WCU in the center graph to unselect it; this removes the filter and allows you to see the ratings for all beginning teachers in the state. The filters at the top of the page can be used to examine categories of licensure exams and assessment attempt (first attempt or best attempt). The graph on the top left indicates an overall pass rate based on all attempts on all exams. For the three most recent years of data (2022 through 2024), WCU's pass rates are higher or comparable to the average of all EPPs. We will continue to monitor these results, but are overall satisfied with our candidate's performance compared to our peers.

We last examined this data in April 2025; at that time the dashboard had data updated as of June 30, 2024.

edTPA

edTPA is an assessment of teacher education candidates’ skills in planning instruction, conducting instruction, and assessment of student learning. It is a nationally used assessment and is scored by professional educators external to WCU. Attempting the edTPA assessment is required for all teacher candidates and passing it is a requirement for a North Carolina teaching license. The graphs below present our recent edTPA results. Note that in North Carolina, candidates pass edTPA with a score of 38 or higher.

 

 

As seen in the graphs, our pass rates are high - close to 100% for the years of data available. Also, our average candidate scores are consistently higher than the average scores of all candidates in the state and nation. We consider these positive outcomes and demonstrate the value of our programs in preparing candidates for their professional career in teaching.

These data are current as of April 2025 and include results through our Spring 2024 cohort of graduates.

Certification of Teaching Capacity (CTC)

The Certification of Teaching Capacity (CTC) is an assessment of teacher education candidate’s capacity to teach according to the NC state teaching standards. This is assessed near the end of each candidates' Intern II experience. The assessment is aligned to the NC Teaching Standards:

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

The graph below presents our recent CTC results. Note that candidates are required to rate a 3 or higher on all items on the CTC in order to be recommended for a license in North Carolina.

As seen in the graph, the average overall score and averages for ratings on each standard are all 3.5 or higher for candidates in all three years. We consider this to indicate a strong indicator of the quality of our candidates according to our state standards.

As we present data by academic year, these data were examined and are current as of April 2025.

Educator Dispositions Assessment (EDA)

The Educator Disposition Assessment (EDA) is designed to assess dispositions of teacher education candidates as they progress through an academic program. The EDA consists of a nine-item rubric that is used to rate candidates on a scale of 0 (Need Improvement), 1 (Developing), and 2 (Meets Expectations). The EDA was created by researchers at Florida International University based on current dispositions research and aligned to the InTASC standards.

We assess candidates with the EDA at three gateways: entry to the program (at the time of admission to teacher education), at a midpoint (when they are applying for their year long internship), and at the endpoint (the final semester of internship). In the graphs below, these do not follow cohorts. They are the average disposition scores of all candidates going through that gateway in that academic year. Our expectation is that there will be a stairstep pattern of scores with entry at the lowest point and endpoint at the highest. We also expect that candidate scores will be at or very close to a 2 (Meets Expectations) by the endpoint gateway.

In two prior years, our expectations are confirmed in that we see a stairstep pattern. However, in the two most recent years the entry point candidates were rated higher compared to the midpoint data. Midpoint scores in 2022-2023 are also slightly lower than scores in 2021-2022, but are higher than entry scores in the previous year. Our initial conclusion is that a group of candidates joined our program in 2022-2023 who had dispositions that more closely align with the teaching profession than typical for our cohorts. However, the pattern held for 2023-2024 of the midpoint ratings being lower than entry point. N is relatively large (>150 for the endpoint stage and larger for the other stages), so we suspect this is not due to one individual rater or cohort. This can be monitored in future years to see if it persists as other cohorts move through our program. We will also investigate data from our formative feedback and action plan process to see if those indicate more issues presenting at the midpoint stage of our program.

Our other expectation, that candidates at the endpoint will be at or close to a 2 (Meets Expectations) rating is borne out consistently in the data over all years. This, plus the general stairstep pattern in the data from at least entry to endpoint indicates that our programs move our candidates closer to a pattern of dispositions necessary to be a professional teacher.

As these data are presented by academic year, the data are current as of April, 2025.

This set of assessments aligns to CAEP Annual Report Measure 3: Candidate competency at completion (Component RA3.4)

Our advanced level plans are proceeding with their phase-in plans as presented in our CAEP site visit in fall 2021. Status on these measures is indicated for each program below.

MAED in Comprehensive Education

This program has created rubrics to assess our students' progress. The assessments include the Methods of Educational Research Rubric and the Specially Designed Instruction Rubric.
The frist version of the Educational Research Rubric was validated in 2021. The purpose of this assessment is to measure if our students can use research in their practice, understanding the different research methodologies. Data from the years in which we used this rubric are seen in the following graph. 

Although found valid, the original training created for this rubric had low inter-rater reliability. This rubric was revised in Fall 2023 and a validation study at that time found the new rubric valid. From that point onward, the new rubric is in use. Data from the 2023-24 academic year (collected in spring and summer of 2024) is presented below.

In both versions of the rubric, students are rated on a scale of 1=Unsatisfactory, 2=Developing, 3=Proficient, and 4=Exemplary. As the graphs show, nearly all average ratings of students fall between Proficient and Exemplary. While the item "Demonstrate Use of Research" averaged lower than the Proficient level in 2021-22, it has not done so since. The two most recent cohorts have averaged above 3.5 on thist construct. No individual item seems to indicate a significant issue to address for this construct. We will continue to collect and monitor this data but no action seems indicated at this time. This data is the most recent  available as of April, 2025. 

 

The Specially Designed Instruction rubric was found valid in Spring 2021. Data has been collected since then. This assessment demonstrates that candidates can effectively integrate technology in the creation of specially designed instruction for exceptional children.

Students are rated on a scale of 1=Unsatisfactory, 2=Developing, 3=Proficient, and 4=Exemplary. As the graph shows, average item scores are in the proficient to exemplary range. No changes seem warranted at this time. This is the most recent data available as of April 2025.

SSP in School Psychology

The PRAXIS exam for School Psychology is required to be licensed in North Carolina and for graduation from this program. Candidates are required to achieve the state's passing score required for licensure. Every year, 100% of WCU students have passed the Praxis exam. For the Praxis 5402 version of the test, the average passing score for the WCU school psychology graduate students is provided in the chart below. In the 2023-24 academic year, the state gave the option to take the Praxis 5403. 100% of WCU students that attempted this exam passed with an average score of 165.7 (cutscore = 155).

All candidates are passing the exam with a sound margin, including on the new version of the exam. We see no warrant for change at this time. Data are the most recent available as of April, 2025.

All candidates must complete a field-based practicum and a clinic-based practicum and be evaluated at a proficient level to be ready to enter internship. Data from supervisor evaluations of these experiences is presented in the tables below.  This data indicates a drop in average performance for the 2022-2023 year. Given cohorts are small, this outcome seems to be due to the struggles of an individual student outside the control of the program.

Students are achieving strong ratings on these evaluations. We do not see a need for intervention at this time. This is the most recent data available as of April 2025.

 

MSA in School Administration

The MSA Program evaluates candidates on criteria related to Strategic Leadership and Leadership for Social Justice.  The program has established reliability and validity for these assessments. Students are evaluated during the second year in the program at the end of the Fall Semester during Internship I and then again at the end of the Spring Semester during Internship II. There were 19 students In the 2022-2023 Cohort; all 19 were evaluated during Internship I and 18 were evaluated during Internship II.

Both rubrics use a 4-point scale and include a description of the criteria for each score. The Strategic Leadership Scale verbal qualifiers are Emerging, Developing, Proficient and Exemplary and students are evaluated on the quality, breadth and depth of the leadership skill measured. The Social Justice Scale qualifiers are None, Minimal, Moderate, and Strong, and students are evaluated based on the quality, and depth of students’ demonstration of elements of social justice issues. 

In 2022-23, there was substantial growth from the Fall to the Spring across all categories of Strategic Leadership, with no less than 80% of the cohort earning proficient or exemplary by the end of the program. In two categories: Strategic Orientation and Implementing and Executing an Initiative 94% of the cohort was proficient or higher. 

With respect to Leadership for Social Justice the growth between Internship I and II was palpable. The entire cohort demonstrated moderate or strong evidence in recognizing systemic roots of problems of practice in their local contexts. Additionally, all students demonstrated moderate or strong evidence in identifying and utilizing an initiative aimed at dismantling some form of inequity in their school. Almost 80% of the students were able to demonstrate at least moderate evidence of being able to capitalize on assets. We note that results for both Intern I and II in 2022-23 are higher than 2021-22.

Given these results, no immediate action seems warranted. We will continue to monitor this data for future cohorts. We are still compiling data from 2023-24 and will post it when available. This is the most recent data as of April 2025.

EdD in Educational Leadership

In the EdD in Educational Leadership program, candidates are evaluated on their Disquisition, which is their final product in the program. We present here the average ratings of the most recent three cohorts in the EdD program. All items are rated on a four point scale.

As can be seen in the graph, candidates’ evaluations, particularly growth, are overall positive. In the Fall of 2022, the program faculty decided to have all committee members evaluate students (previously only  committee members who are faculty in the program evaluated students on this rubric). Thus, the number of evaluations for cohort 8 pre was 16 versus 34 for the post, more than double for the post assessment. The increase in sample size and the lack of training for committee faculty external to the program may contribute to some of the post scores lower than the pre scores. This issue self-corrected for Cohort 9 when all committee members evaluated students during the proposal and after the final defense. We do not see a pattern in the data that indicates an issue we need to address but will continue to monitor. As of April 2025, this is the most recent data available.

The NC Department of Public Instruction maintains a data dashboard that allows you to examine the percentage of our graduates who are employed in North Carolina public schools within three years of completion of their program. In the filters at the top, you can select different graduating cohorts by calendar year. In the list of all EPPs in the center of the page, click to highlight "WCU" in the list. This will filter all other data to display only WCU. For comparison, click on the highlighted WCU in the center graph to unselect it; this removes the filter and allows you to see the ratings for all beginning teachers in the state. The left graph indicates the percentage of graduates in each year that obtained employment in a North Carolina public school within 1 to 3 years of completing the program.

Comparing WCU graduates to the whole state, our completers are employed at somewhat lower rates than for the state with a pronounced dip in 2022. Except for the pronounced dip, our graduates tend to be employed in North Carolina about 10% lower than the average for all progrms in the state. A major factor is that many of our students pursue employment in bordering states. We are in close geographic proximity to other states with higher initial teacher pay and interns anecdotally report pursuing employment in those states. Further, noting the graph on the right of the page that shows employment by "License Group," we see the group "SPSU" (Special Subjects) has much lower employment rates than others. This group includes  health and physical education, art, and music. These programs have healthy emrollment at WCU, but these are not high need areas in our region or state and are employed approximately 20% less in state than the state average, while other licensure areas are close to or higher than state averages for employment rates. We conclude that our results show our special subject area graduates are employed at a lower rate due to saturation and are seeking employement elsewhere.

More positively, our in-state employement within one year rate is increasing over the previous three years. We will monitor this data, though we accept our strong Special Subjects programs may continue to supply other states. We do not have employement data for our graduates outside of North Carolina public schools.

We last examined this data in April 2025; at that time the dashboard had data updated as of February 6, 2025.

Fall Strategic Planning Day - September 13, 2024

CIRs due to college - September 20, 2024

Spring Strategic Planning Day - January 31, 2025

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University Faculty Resources

CEAP College Assessment Site and Resources (requires WCU login)

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