Education Accreditation 2024

Annual Report Measures

The Division of Education at Philander Smith College (PSC) received notice of accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for seven years, from 2020 to 2027. The following program was included: Elementary Education K-6. The program was approved at the Initial Licensure Level, and the accreditation period is from April 27, 2020, through April 2027.

The Division of Education at Philander Smith University is a CAEP-accredited Educator Preparation Provider that prepares culturally competent teachers who understand, model, and demonstrate a commitment to rigorous national standards for teaching and to improving teaching and learning for students in diverse urban and rural settings through face to face instruction, clinically supervised demonstration of pedagogical proficiency, technology-enhanced lessons and multiple measures of quality. In the Summer of 2023, Philander Smith College earned university status and became Philander Smith University.

The national CAEP accreditation indicates that we successfully prepare new teachers to know their subject area, serve diverse groups of students, have meaningful preservice experiences, and use data to drive targeted program improvement. CAEP accreditation ensures quality through external annual reviews.

Mission

Aligned with the University's mission, the Educator Preparation Program (EPP) is to graduate academically accomplished professionals prepared to model critical and creative thinking to improve the quality of life for students, their families, the community, and global society. Furthermore, the EPP is committed to preparing outstanding educators who will become community, national, and world leaders, promote excellence and equity, and model appreciation for diversity in the classroom as advocates for social justice.

Vision

The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) is guided by the shared vision and core values expressed in the Department’s Conceptual Framework. Within the Conceptual Framework, the context is outlined for how the institutional, state, and professional standards are addressed in the programs that prepare candidates to be the FORCE in the teaching/learning process. The conceptual framework influences the course of study, the strategies for teaching, program coherence, and appropriate assessment strategies to measure student outcomes accurately

CAEP Annual Reporting Measures

The Division of Education was approved by the Arkansas Department of Education to offer the Educator Preparation Licensure Program in Elementary Education (ELED) K-6 in the fall of 2017. The program was designed to enable candidates to acquire knowledge, skills, and dispositions crucial to effective teaching. The Division is committed to preparing outstanding educators who will become community, national, and world leaders, promote excellence and equity, and model appreciation for diversity in the classroom as advocates for social justice.

Our program provides candidates with rigorous clinical experiences and instructional practices aligned with CAEP Standards, interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium Teaching Standards (InTASC), Arkansas Teaching Standards, and Arkansas K-12 Academic Standards.

Note: In 2023, Philander Smith updated its website and hired a new hosting company. Some of our links and extensions were briefly inactive during the transition period. Annual Reporting measures for 2023 are located at https://www.philander.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/division-of-education/education-accreditation-2023/

CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation)

CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) educator accreditation is a seal of approval that assures quality in educator preparation. CAEP accreditation, according to CAEP, provides a framework that allows educator preparation programs to continually self-assess and annually conduct evidence-based analysis of their programs and their efficacy.

ANNUAL REPORTING MEASURES

Philander Smith University is an accredited Educator Preparation Provider that prepares culturally competent teachers who understand, model, and demonstrate a commitment to rigorous national standards for teaching and to improving teaching and learning for students in diverse urban and rural settings through face-to-face instruction, clinically supervised demonstration of pedagogical proficiency, technology-enhanced lessons and multiple measures of quality.

For the 2022-2023 school year, CAEP has four annual reporting measures, which inform the public on program impact and outcomes. We invite public members to review these standard-based measures to gain more insight into teacher quality and effectiveness at Philander Smith University. Below are the four reporting measures for our undergraduate initial licensure programs, with links to data tables and information that provide supporting evidence for each measure.

IMPACT MEASURES
Measure I. (Initial). Completer effectiveness and Impact on P-12 learning and development (Component R4.1)	Measure II. (Initial and/or Advanced). Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement (Components R4.2\|R5.3 \| RA.4.1)
Measure III. (Initial and/or Advanced). Candidate competency at program completion (Component R3.3 \|RA3.4)	Measure IV. (Initial and/or Advanced). Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have prepared

IMPACT MEASURES

Measure I: Completer effectiveness and Impact on P-12 learning and development
Impact on P-12 Learning and Development.

The Division of Education uses multiple measures to determine the impact on learning and development. First, the Division reviews the PSC Education Preparation Growth Report provided by the Arkansas Department of Education. Secondly, we interview completers and employers to evaluate program preparation and effectiveness in alignment with the Arkansas Teaching Standards and the InTASC Standards. Thirdly, we review available state, district, and local achievement data.

Measure I. Completer Impact- PSC Document Review 2023

Measure I. Completer Impact Document Review

Measure I. Growth Reporter-Baseline

Measure I. Completer Arkansas Educator Provider

In collaboration with our K-6 partners, Philander Smith University can measure completer impact on K-6 learning and development by reviewing K-6 student data, including ACT Aspire assessment data in our recent completers’ schools. This information is made public by the Arkansas Department of Education at the following address: https://myschoolinfo.arkansas.gov. This information allows the EPP to search and compare public schools and districts across Arkansas using the toggle navigation system.

The Accountability At-A-Glance reports provide an overview of each school’s rating or letter grade (state accountability) and an overview of the ESSA School Index score for all students and subgroups of students (federal accountability). The ESSA School Index (federal accountability) includes students’ weighted achievement and growth on state-required assessments for grades three through ten, graduation rates, and school quality and student success indicators. In addition, the report includes three years of trend data on numerous indicators for student subgroups. Trend information will give the completer and the EPP a sense of how students perform academically over time.

Positive student growth results were reported for the 2022-23 school year in schools where or completers were assigned. Schools improved growth scores in literacy and mathematics, as measured by the Arkansas Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) System for value-added growth. Arkansas does not release scores by individual teachers.

Measuring Completer Impact: Document Review

Statewide Report - 2019
Statewide Report - 2020
Statewide Report - 2021

Measure II. (Initial and/or Advanced). Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder
involvement (Components R4.2|R5.3 | RA.4.1)

This report provides a positive summary of satisfaction of Employers.

Measure II. PSC Interviews of Completers and Employers Based on the InTASC Standards

Measure II. Satisfaction of Employers

Measure II. Clinical Partnership and Stakeholder Involvement

Measure II. K-6 2023 Program Interview Employer and Completer

Measure III (Initial and/or Advanced) Candidate competency at program completion
(Component R3.3 |RA3.4)

The Division of Education uses multiple measures to determine teacher effectiveness. First, the division ensures that the cooperating teachers are highly qualified. Every cooperating teacher must have at least five years or more of practical classroom experience, complete all required yearly professional development and training, and be rated effective in their individual yearly summative appraisals by the principal or designee. Additionally, the cooperating teachers are interviewed and surveyed to provide feedback on the effectiveness of each candidate. Each candidate receives ratings through Disposition ratings and valid Classroom Observation and Lesson Plan Instruments.

The EPP also measures candidate effectiveness by using proprietary assessments to determine what students should know and be able to do. Candidate GPAs, course progressions, and candidate interviews are also used. Additionally, we use EPP-created assessments aligned to InTASC Standards and the Praxis Multiple Subject Exam K-6. One hundred percent (100%) of our completers’ scores meet or exceed the state licensure assessment scores. Moreover, all of our graduates were immediately hired and are now respected teachers in elementary schools.

The following links are provided as measures of teacher effectiveness

Measure III. Candidate Competency - Disposition Data Summaries

Measure III. Foundations of Reading Assessment

Measure III. Title II Program Report

Measure III. Multiple Assessments and Trends

The Division successfully prepares graduates for success, and we validate claims by reviewing assessment information results. One essential measure is the graduation rate. All graduates in our program must pass licensure requirements as one of the graduation mandates.

Measure IV: Ability of Completers To Be Hired in Education Positions for Which They
Have Prepared (Ability To Be Hired)

The Elementary Education Program enables candidates to acquire knowledge, skills, and dispositions crucial to effective teaching. All educator program majors interested in pursuing a degree in Elementary Education leading to licensure must meet Philander Smith University’s graduation and Arkansas Licensure requirements. Admission to the college does not automatically admit the education major to the Educator Preparation Program. A “major” is a student who has officially declared education as their chosen field of study; a “candidate” is an education major formally admitted to the Educator Preparation Program. All education majors must meet the published guidelines for each program. PSC surveys graduating seniors and recent graduates each year to track employment trends. Survey data indicates that all our graduates obtain employment in their field upon graduating. Our candidates are eagerly recruited before graduation, and they are immediately hired after graduation.

Measure IV. Ability of Completers To Be Hired
Measure IV. Trends and Licensure Pass Rate
Measure IV. Graduation Rate