American University – School of Education, Teaching, and Health
NCATE: 1.2.b Continuous Improvement
1.2.b - Summarize activities and changes based on data that have led to continuous improvement of
candidate performance and program quality. Discuss plans for sustaining and enhancing performance
through continuous improvement as articulated in this standard.
[Summarize activities and changes based on data that have led to continuous improvement of
candidate performance and program quality.]
The unit makes use of ongoing processes to evaluate programs at the unit, program and student level in
order to make informed decisions about activities and program changes. Given our goal to equip our
graduates with both breadth and depth in terms of knowledge, skills attitudes and the ability to make
real and lasting change in the lives of P12 learners, we regularly reflect on data from each of the
decision levels into order to engage in continuous improvement. More detail about our decision
making process is outlined in Standard 2 below.
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) now provides categorical data from the Praxis II assessments. The
EPP has evaluated these data, and although we find no consistent trends in the Praxis II sub-categories,
we are able to present these data to SPAs and track data for state approved programs.
Transcript reviews are now completed prior to program admission. This ensures that students with
significant deficits are counseled out before beginning the programs. These changes are described in
Exhibit 2.4.g.
Since our previous submission, SETH has narrowed our assessment of the Impact on Student Learning
and is moving this process to the methods courses. This had improved the quality of candidate
preparation relative to working with P12 learners and better prepares candidates to focus on student
outcomes in student teaching. In addition, we developed a Student Teaching Course Rubric in Fall 2012
that provides for ongoing evaluation of candidate growth relative to professionalism, preparedness,
instruction, learning environment and classroom culture. Initial implementation of the rubric indicates
that it is an effective tool by which the EPP can measure candidate development over the student
teaching semester.
Based on feedback from the SPAs, SETH made significant adjustments to program assessments,
strengthening their alignment to content standards. These changes are described in Exhibit 2.4.g. In
addition, the EPP shifted assessments from the unit level to the program level. Assessments are now
also connected to specific content in foundational and methods courses, rather than conducted upon
program completion. This change allows the EPP to make student-level adjustments in programs of
study or placements, while also allowing program faculty the ability to refine course assessments to be
more cohesive in nature.
[Discuss plans for sustaining and enhancing performance through continuous improvement as
articulated in this standard.]
Assessments for SETH's initial education programs are comprehensive and consistently applied.
However, to ensure that SETH is continuously assessing and improving all of its programs, we intend to
begin implementing assessments in AY 2014-15 for advanced programs. Data from these assessments
will be evaluated based on the systems described in Standard 2. Data from the initial implementation of
some of these assessments will be available for the on-site review
Across all programs, processes to collect data are constantly in refinement. Currently some programs
are under review by SPAs; these reviews may result in SETH refining current assessment processes. In
addition, we continue to improve data collection processes and to increase inter-rater reliability.