Instagram Combined Shape quotation Created with Sketch. 69

Assessment and Accreditation

SUNY Potsdam Educator Preparation Programs (EPP)

EPP Mission Statement

“Education programs at SUNY Potsdam are committed to the preparation and enhancement of teachers who are grounded in disciplinary knowledge emanating from the liberal arts and sciences, and in curricular and instructional theory and practice. The Departments strive to cultivate teachers to become critical thinkers, reflective practitioners, and lifelong learners. Students in initial and advanced programs actively learn to integrate subject matter knowledge, innovative pedagogy, and student-centered values, in collaboration with P-12 partners and the larger community, to maximize the education and welfare of students. SUNY Potsdam education programs are committed to preparing and sustaining teachers from diverse backgrounds who acquire and apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed in meeting the challenges facing schools today, and in the future."

CAEP logoEducator Preparation Provider's Accreditation Status

Accreditation with stipulations is granted at the initial-licensure level. Accreditation status is effective between Spring 2022 and Spring 2024. The provider must demonstrate that all stipulations have been corrected within two years to continue accreditation. A Stipulation Documentation virtual site review will occur in Fall 2023.

Accreditation is granted at the advanced-level. Accreditation status is effective between Spring 2022 and Spring 2028. The next site review will take place in Fall 2027.

Initial Programs:

  • Childhood/Early Childhood Education (BA)
  • Adolescence Education English (BA)
  • Adolescence Education Math (BA)
  • Adolescence Education Social Studies (BA)
  • Adolescence Education Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, or Physics (BA/MST)
  • Childhood Education (MST)
  • Adolescence Education English (MST)
  • Adolescence Education Mathematics (MST)
  • Adolescence Education Science (MST)
  • Adolescence Education Social Studies (MST)

Advanced Programs:

  • Educational Technology Specialist (MSED)
  • Literacy (MSED)
  • Special Education (MSED)

Music Education programs listed below are accredited by the National Association of Music (NASM)

  • Music Education (BM)
  • Music Education (MM)

CAEP Reporting Overview

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has four Accountability Measures, which are used to provide information to the public on our program outcomes and program impact.

CAEP Accountability Measures

  • Measure 1: Completer Impact and Effectiveness
     
  • Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholders Involvement
     
  • Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Program Completion
     
  • Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions for Which They Have Been Prepared

The EPP completed the collection of CAEP std. 4.1- Impact data on beginning teachers using a case study methodology and sent the stipulation report to CAEP for review. A stipulation virtual visit will occur in fall 2023. Data will be uploaded by the end of the fall 2023 semester.

Survey Administration

A 2021 Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) was administered to determine satisfaction with completers’ preparation for their assigned responsibilities when working with P-12 students. The survey was sent to 120 administrators of whom 55 responded (46% pass rate). Employers indicated they had supervised completers within the past 1-5 years and across disciplines. Employers were primarily associated with completers at the following school levels: Elementary n=24, Middle School n=14, High School n=13 and K-12 n=10 and, had supervised candidates for: early childhood (n=24), childhood (n=36), secondary education: English (n=16), math (n=13), science (n=16), and social studies (n=15).

  • 2022 Employer Satisfaction data summary - Unavailable
    Our 2022 Employer Satisfaction data will be available after our pilot case study is completed in one school district. The EPP plans to use a representative sample of employers in the local school districts where our completers are employed in their first year of teaching. The EPP will maintain dissemination of a one-year employee satisfaction survey to continue meeting the requirements for CAEP standard R4.1
     
  • 2021 Employer Satisfaction data summary (xlsx)

Completers Satisfaction Survey
A Completers Satisfaction Survey was administered to determine how completers from initial educator preparation programs in the School of Education and Professional Studies perceive their preparation to work in schools. The survey was developed in preparation for our CAEP accreditation report in 2021 and is framed by the INTASC standards: Content Knowledge, The Learner and Learning, Instructional Practice, and Professional Responsibilities.

Survey Administration
The survey was sent electronically to completers who were asked to evaluate their preparation on a five-point scale from ‘N/A’ (0), ‘Not at all Prepared’ (1), ‘Somewhat Prepared’ (2), ‘Prepared’ (3), and ‘Well Prepared’ (4) as options. The surveyed population were graduates beginning in 2014-2015, 2016-2017 and 2018-2019.

Completers Survey Results

Following our CAEP site visit in fall 2021 and after reviewing the guidelines in the CAEP Revised 2022 Standards workbook, the EPP revisited the process for identifying the population to be surveyed and determined that graduates in AY 2021-2022 would have completed one year as a beginning teacher. Therefore, a one-year completer survey was disseminated to graduates in AY 2021-2022. Moving forward, the EPP will maintain the dissemination of a one-year completer survey based on a representative sample for all initial programs to continue meeting CAEP requirements for R4.1.

The EPP is reviewing survey questions for an Employer Satisfaction pilot survey for Advanced Studies programs.

A pilot survey for the EPP’s Advanced Program completers was completed in spring 2023. Revisions were made to pilot survey. The revised survey was sent out to our 2021-2022 Advanced Program completers in August 2023. Results of this survey will be available at the end of fall 2023.

Competency at completion for all initial level programs is based on multiple measures to determine if our teacher candidates are ready for the profession. Multiple measures include certification requirements and EPP created assessments completed during student teaching.

Certification Requirements                                    
Our candidates must successfully pass all New York State certification requirements which typically include one or more assessments from the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) program.

NYS Teacher Certification Examination Program
The New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) program is designed to help ensure that certified teachers have the knowledge and skills to succeed in New York State public schools.  As part of its Race to the Top application, the State Education Department committed to redesigning the examinations required for teacher certification. Read more here.

Educating All Students (EAS) Test Results

Content Specialty Test (CST) Results

The EPP submits annual Title II Reports that describes the pass rates of graduates on state certification assessments and other program data. The Title II reports below are available in Adobe PDF format.

 

NYS Teacher Certification Examination Program
The New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) program is designed to help ensure that certified teachers have the knowledge and skills to succeed in New York State public schools.  As part of its Race to the Top application, the State Education Department committed to redesigning the examinations required for teacher certification. Read more here.

Educating All Students (EAS) Test Results

Content Specialty Test (CST) Results

Data for 2021-2022 will be available by the end of fall 2023.

The New York State Department of Education (NYSED) requires all teachers employed in the public schools in New York State to have a valid teaching certificate. State certification is also required for teachers employed in state-operated and state-supported schools, Special Act school districts, approved private schools for the education of students with disabilities, and approved preschool special education programs.

The following data represents program completers who graduated within the academic year and area of certification. Program completers are individuals who earn a teacher education degree or certificate and successfully completed clinical practice. The table also specifies the number of completers who passed NYS licensure exams and were issued teaching certification at both the initial and advanced level programs.

Initial Programs (Teacher Candidate-Program Completer Data)

Advanced Programs (Teacher Candidate-Program Completer Data)

The completer graduation rate is defined as the rate at which first time, first year candidates began and successfully completed their educator preparation program.

Undergraduate – Initial Program Data

  • 6-year Graduation Rates  2012-2014 -This file shows 6-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time students from the 2012, 2013 and 2014 fall cohorts. File can be found can be found here (PDF).
  • Persistent Report 2019-2020 -This file shows the number of undergraduate registered students who either return or graduate from one fall term to another by major. File can be found can be found here (PDF).

Retention Data
Files show the percent of first-time graduate students, both full and part-time, who either returned or graduated from one fall term to another by major.

Initial Programs

Advanced Programs

Institutional Level Continuation & Graduation Rates
The National Center for Education Statistics provides comprehensive information relating to continuation and graduation rates at the institutional level. Additional information relating to tuition, financial aid, enrollment, and other college general information for SUNY Potsdam is also available. View these data online.

  • Information regarding default rates for Federal loan programs can be found online, though these data are not as current as may be desirable.
  • SUNY Potsdam provides extensive consumer information, accessible online.
FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2015
National Default Rate 9.7 % 10.1% 10.8%
SUNY Potsdam Default Rate 7.5% 6.2% 5.7%
No. in Default 89 74 73
No. in Repay 1,179 1,179 1,280
Enrollment Figures 4,339 4,384 4,592
Percentage Calculation 27.1% 26.8% 27.8%

Enrollment: To provide context for the Cohort Default Rate (CDR) we include enrollment data (students enrolled at any time during the year) and a corresponding percentage (borrowers entering payment divided by that enrollment figure). While there is no direct relationship between the timing of when a borrower entered payment (October 1through September 30) and any particular enrollment year, for the purpose of these data we chosen to use the academic year ending on the June 30 prior to the beginning of the cohort  year (e.g., FY 2017 CDR year will use 2015-2016 enrollment).