Accreditation

NDSU evaluates completer effectiveness using statewide assessment data from the North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA). This analysis focuses on students taught by first-year graduates and compares their learning outcomes over time and against students taught by more experienced teachers. Program completers are making a measurable difference in P–12 student learning—especially for students needing the most support—while ongoing program improvements are focused on strengthening outcomes for all learners.

What the Data Show

Across two years of data (2022–2024), results indicate a mixed but meaningful impact on student learning:

• Growth for struggling students:
  Many students who began below proficiency showed measurable improvement. For example, substantial percentages of students moved from “partially proficient” to “proficient” or “advanced.”
• Challenges maintaining high performance:
  Some students who were already proficient experienced declines, leading to a slight overall drop in proficiency rates in both math and language arts.
• Consistent patterns across cohorts:
  These trends appeared in both years of data, suggesting a stable pattern rather than a one-time result.
• Context matters:
  When compared to students taught by more experienced teachers, similar trends were observed, indicating that broader factors (such as post-pandemic learning conditions) likely influenced outcomes—not just teacher experience.

Key Takeaways

• Program completers positively impact student growth, particularly for students who start below proficiency.
• Findings align with national trends for early-career teachers, reinforcing the validity of results.

How NDSU is Using These Results

NDSU is using these data to drive continuous improvement by:

• Strengthening clinical preparation experiences
• Enhancing early-career teacher support and mentoring
• Partnering with school districts to address instructional gaps
• Using multi-year data trends to guide program refinements

NDSU gathers feedback from school leaders to understand how well our graduates (program completers) are prepared for today’s classrooms. This input comes from supervisor surveys and is used to continuously strengthen the program.

Overall Employer Feedback

Employers report strong satisfaction with program completers, noting that first-year teachers are well-prepared across key areas of teaching practice. Ratings across all domains fall between “tend to agree” and “agree,” indicating a high level of confidence in graduates’ readiness. Ongoing collaboration with stakeholders ensures the program continues to evolve—strengthening graduates’ ability to meet the needs of all learners.

Key strengths include:

• Professionalism: Graduates demonstrate responsibility, ethical practice, and a commitment to ongoing learning.
• Learning Environment: Completers create organized, respectful, and supportive classrooms.
• Instructional Practice: Graduates effectively teach content and provide meaningful feedback to students.

Areas for Continued Growth

While feedback is overwhelmingly positive, employers identified areas where preparation can be strengthened:

• Differentiation for diverse learners:
  Additional support is needed in adapting instruction for students with varied needs, including those with IEPs and English learners.
• Higher-order thinking and problem-solving:
  Opportunities exist to further strengthen instructional strategies that promote critical thinking.

How Stakeholder Feedback Drives Improvement

NDSU actively engages stakeholders—including employers, alumni, and clinical partners—to ensure the program remains responsive and relevant.

• A revived Advisory Council provides input on curriculum, clinical experiences, and program priorities.
• Stakeholders participate in reviewing and validating assessments and rubrics, ensuring they reflect real classroom expectations.
• Feedback directly informs course revisions, clinical experience design, and recruitment strategies.

Continuous Improvement in Action

Based on employer and stakeholder feedback, NDSU is:

• Enhancing coursework and clinical experiences focused on inclusive teaching and differentiation
• Increasing the rigor of instructional preparation, especially around critical thinking
• Strengthening partnerships with schools to ensure alignment with workforce needs

NDSU ensures that all candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions needed for effective teaching before program completion. Candidate competency is verified through multiple aligned measures during the final phase of preparation—Clinical Practice. Graduates leave the program well-prepared for the classroom, having demonstrated strong, consistent performance across multiple measures of teaching effectiveness—ensuring they are ready to support learning for all students.

Clear Expectations for Program Completion

To successfully complete the program, candidates must:

• Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75
• Complete all coursework and clinical experiences
• Pass required Praxis Subject and Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exams
• Demonstrate competency across four key areas—Learner & Learning, Content Knowledge, Instructional Practice, and Professional Responsibility—through the Capstone assessment

Strong Evidence of Candidate Readiness

Data from multiple assessments show that candidates consistently meet or exceed expectations:

• High Praxis pass rates:
  Most content areas achieved near or at 100% pass rates, with only a few areas identified for additional support.
• Academic growth over time:
  Candidates demonstrate steady improvement in GPA across program phases, reflecting increasing mastery of content and pedagogy.
• Clinical performance at or above proficiency:
  During student teaching, most assessment scores range from 3.00 to 3.57 (on a 4-point scale), indicating strong readiness for professional practice.
• Strengths in key teaching areas:
  Candidates excel in instructional planning, content delivery, technology integration, and creating inclusive, learner-centered environments.

Multiple Measures Provide a Complete Picture

Candidate competency is determined using a triangulated system of evidence, including:

• Capstone portfolio (lesson plans and reflective analysis)
• Skills of Teaching Observation Tool (STOT) completed by multiple evaluators
• Supervisor observations during clinical practice

This approach ensures that decisions are based on consistent performance across multiple measures and perspectives, rather than a single assessment.

Equity and Consistency in Outcomes

• Candidates from different backgrounds (including Pell-eligible students) perform comparably across most measures, demonstrating equitable preparation.
• Small gaps in areas like adaptive instruction and reflection are being addressed through targeted program improvements.

Continuous Improvement

NDSU uses completion data to strengthen preparation by:

• Enhancing instruction in assessment practices and adaptive teaching strategies
• Providing targeted support for content areas with lower licensure pass rates
• Aligning coursework and clinical expectations to ensure skill development across the program

Transition to Teaching surveys are administered to graduates (completers) during their first year(s) of employment. According to a survey administered in the spring 2026, 95% of 2023-25 program completers applied for teaching positions mainly in North Dakota and Minnesota; in suburban and rural areas. Of those, 83% accepted teaching positions. The majority (88%) of the completers are employed full-time in an educational setting; 6% are employed part-time in an educational setting; and 6% are employed in a field other than education.

Of those employed in an educational setting, 87% are employed in a traditional public-school setting and 13% are employed in a non-public school. 40% intend to teach 11 or more years. 13% are employed in an elementary school (K-5), 53% in a middle school (6-8) and 53% in a high school (9-12). Note: Some respondents may work at more than one grade level (e.g., a teacher in a K–8 or 6–12 school)

In Spring 2025, the School of Education collected feedback from employers through a Supervisor Survey focused on graduates of advanced programs. This survey asked school leaders to evaluate how well completers are performing in their professional roles, using standards aligned with national leadership expectations. Employers value the program’s graduates and view them as effective, ethical, and well-prepared educational leaders, with a clear commitment from the program to continuously improve based on employer feedback.

What Employers Are Saying

Overall, employers report strong satisfaction with program completers. Supervisors—primarily principals and superintendents—consistently indicated that graduates are:

• Well-prepared for leadership responsibilities
• Strong in ethical decision-making and professional conduct
• Effective in school improvement and strategic planning
• Capable in operations, management, and policy implementation

Across all evaluated areas, ratings were high (averaging between 3.78 and 4.00 on a 4-point scale), reflecting confidence in completers’ readiness to lead and succeed in schools.

Areas for Continued Growth

While feedback is overwhelmingly positive, employers identified opportunities to further strengthen preparation in:

• Equity and cultural responsiveness
• Community and external leadership

These insights are being used to enhance coursework and clinical experiences, ensuring graduates are prepared to meet the needs of diverse school communities.

Continuous Improvement Efforts

The program views this data as an important starting point and is committed to ongoing improvement. Current efforts include:

• Strengthening curriculum in identified growth areas
• Monitoring trends over time to guide program enhancements

The School of Education ensures that all program completers demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and leadership capacity required for success as school leaders. Program completers demonstrate strong competency at completion, supported by multiple measures and evaluators. The program not only ensures candidates meet expectations but also uses data to continuously refine preparation and support every candidate’s success as a school leader.

How Competency Is Measured

Candidate competency is evaluated during a supervised practicum experience (110+ hours), where performance is assessed using the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards and CAEP professional skills.

To ensure accuracy and reliability, the program uses a triangulated evaluation model, incorporating feedback from:

• The candidate (self-assessment)
• A principal mentor (employer perspective)
• A faculty supervisor (program perspective)

This multi-rater approach provides a well-rounded picture of each candidate’s readiness for leadership.

Strong Evidence of Candidate Readiness

Across three data cycles, results show that candidates consistently demonstrate high levels of competency at completion:

• Candidates rated themselves 84–98% proficient
• Principal mentors rated candidates 96–100% proficient
• Faculty rated candidates 71–96% proficient

In many areas, 100% of candidates met or exceeded proficiency expectations, indicating that completers are well-prepared to lead schools effectively.

Targeted Areas for Growth

While overall performance is strong, the program uses detailed data analysis to continuously improve. Findings show:

• Only 1 of 22 leadership components did not meet full proficiency across all data cycles
• Additional areas for refinement were identified through differences in evaluator ratings, particularly in:
  • Community leadership
  • Ethical and professional practices
  • Policy and advocacy (NELP Standard 7)

These insights guide program improvements and ensure candidates are prepared across all leadership domains.

Continuous Improvement Actions

To further strengthen consistency and candidate success, the program is:

• Clarifying expectations for proficiency in all leadership standards
• Improving assessment consistency through rater training and guidance
• Enhancing the practicum experience with clearer documentation and structured feedback cycles
• Strengthening coursework alignment in key growth areas (Standards 2, 5, and 7)

NDSU uses a web-based Exit Survey to assess satisfaction among completers of its advanced programs. In Spring 2025, completers— all of whom were employed in traditional public schools at the time—responded to the Satisfaction of Completers survey. Respondents were evenly split between elementary and secondary M.Ed. programs.

Results indicate that completers report high levels of satisfaction with their preparation and feel well-equipped for leadership roles. Notably, a majority (64.3%) are actively pursuing or planning to pursue leadership positions, suggesting the program is effectively supporting candidates in achieving their career advancement goals.