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Measure 1: Completer Effectiveness (Initial Licensure): 1) completer impact in contributing to PreK-12 student learning growth AND 2) completer effectiveness in applying professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions. CAEP Standard R4.1.

Because Virginia does not provide teacher or student performance data to education preparation programs (EPP), Virginia schools and universities of education have collaborated on coordinated data collection from program completers to fill this gap. The Virginia Education Assessment Collaborative (VEAC) was developed to develop instrumentation and coordinate data collection across participating EPPS. The initial licensure completer and employer surveys were developed in alignment with both the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) core teaching standards and the Virginia Uniform Performance Standards (VUPS). The surveys use the same 15 items to permit comparison of completer self-report and employer ratings. This survey provides valuable data about the perceptions of completers about their preparation experience and their ability to apply the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions taught in their preparation programs.

Our response rates have been low, but steadily increasing (2020-21: 10%, 2021-22: 8%, 2022-23: 12%, 2023-24: 15%). This is in part reflects challenges with access to updated completer contact information, which became more challenging with the departure of a key VDOE employee responsible for providing EPPs with data about where in VA our completers are working. Because our response rate is lower than that of our peers, we have reviewed our practices and developed new strategies for increasing response rates. We have created an online portal linked to our licensure verification form that will enable us to collect completer emails and current employment information (including those outside of Virginia). This better enables us to remain connected to our completers as they enter the workforce. In addition, we continue to communicate the value of completer feedback in guiding our ongoing improvement efforts.�� These efforts should be reflected in a higher response rate for the 2024-25 data cycle to be reported in next year’s report.

Completer Impact

Although student-level performance data are not currently available, Item G on the completer and employer satisfaction surveys: “Work results in acceptable, measurable, and appropriate student academic progress” informs the question of completer impact on PreK-12 student learning growth. As summarized below, our completer and employer ratings are comparable to those of the other participating Virginia EPPs. Our completer self-assessed average rating of 3.32 is only slightly lower than the average statewide rating of 3.33. Similarly, our employer rating of our completer impact (3.25) is comparable to the statewide employer rating of 3.26. Although the low n limits extrapolation to completers overall, the high ratings by both completers and their employers indicates that our completers are engaging in practices that are yielding positive, measurable impacts on student learning. We will continue to evaluate these data to monitor trends and identify areas for improvement. By collecting division-level teacher effectiveness data in future cycles we anticipate being able to provide more granular data to inform completer impact.

Teacher Educator Completer & Employer Survey: Completer Impact

Item G: Engaging in practices that result in acceptable, measurable, and appropriate student academic progress. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

Completer Effectiveness

Completer effectiveness reflects the extent to which the completer has transferred the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions from their preparation experience into their work in the classroom. The VEAC completer and employer surveys described previously reports on aspects of completer performance aligned with InTASC standards and the Virginia Uniform Performance Standards (VUPS). Completers reported high levels of preparedness across all items A-N, with means for all ratings between 3.25-3.42. Their employers also rated completer effectiveness at proficient levels (3.15-3.37). Their ratings were generally consistent with completer ratings, with the exception of Items D (use of data) and N (reflection on impact of teaching), which were slightly lower than completer ratings. Completers rated highest levels of effectiveness/preparedness in engaging students with a variety of instructional strategies (3.31) and using assessment to inform practice (3.42). Employers reported completers as consistently effective in most areas (average rating ranging from 3.26-3.37), with the exception of the two areas noted above.

Teacher Educator Completer & Employer Survey: Completer Effectiveness

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Item A: Demonstrating teacher understanding of the curriculum, subject content, and the developmental needs of students by providing relevant learning experiences. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item B: Planning using state standards, the school’s curriculum, engaging and research-based strategies and resources, and data to meet the needs of all students. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item C: Effectively engaging students in learning by using a variety of research-based instructional strategies in order to meet individual learning needs. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item D: Systematically gathering, analyzing, and using all relevant data to measure student academic progress, guide instructional content and delivery methods, and provide timely feedback to students, parents, caregivers, and other educators.�� Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item E: Using resources, routines, and procedures to provide a respectful, positive, safe, student-centered environment that is conducive to learning. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item F: Maintaining a commitment to professional ethics, collaborating and communicating effectively, and taking responsibility for and participating in professional growth that results in enhanced student learning. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item H: Uses content-aligned and developmentally appropriate instructional technology to enhance student learning. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item J: Demonstrating a commitment to equity by providing instructional practices and classroom strategies that result in culturally inclusive and responsive learning environments and academic achievement for all students. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item L: Collaborating with the learning community (e.g., school personnel, caregivers, and volunteers) to meet the needs of all learners and contribute to a supportive culture. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item M: Using assessment results to inform and adjust practice. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

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Item N: Engaging in reflection on the impact of teaching practice and adapts to meet the needs of each learner. Ratings range from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (exemplary)

Employer satisfaction with program completers and stakeholder involvement. CAEP Standards R4.2, RA4.1, R5.3, and RA5.3

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Initial Licensure

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As demonstrated in the rating of completer effectiveness reported in Measure 1, ���ϲ�����’s initial licensure employers have rated completers working in their schools at the proficient level across all items. In addition, employers were asked to respond to the following prompt: “based on your experience with this teacher, what best describes the extent to which they were ready to meet the needs of your students in your school?” Employers have rated ���ϲ����� completers highly, with a mean of 4.38 (mostly ready (able to successfully meet the needs of most students). This rating is slightly lower than but comparable to the statewide average employer rating (4.42).

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VEAC Employer Survey: Satisfaction

Ratings range from 1 (not ready: unable to meet the needs of students even with additional supports) to 5 (fully ready: able to have an immediate impact on student learning)

Advanced Licensure

���ϲ����� has four advanced licensure programs (school leadership, math specialist, reading specialist, and school counseling). Due to changes in state legislation regarding accreditation of advanced licensure programs already accredited by other CHEA or U.S. Department of Education approved accreditors, school counseling is no longer required to be CAEP-accredited as it is fully accredited by CACREP. Beginning with academic year 2024-25, the advanced programs began participating in the VEAC survey for advanced-level programs. We anticipate our first cycle of data from that instrument in Summer 2025, which will provide valuable feedback from our advanced completers, as well as benchmark comparison data from our peer Virginia institutions.

Our advanced programs meet regularly with their school and district stakeholders, including with members of the program advisory boards. These conversations provide generative information about completer and employer satisfaction with completers’ preparation for their advanced licensure roles.

Reading Specialist

The reading specialist program has established an advisory board to expand its professional network with practitioners, including completers, employers, and a representative from the Virginia Department of Education. Feedback from this group highlighted the Commonwealth’s focus on the Science of Reading and the important role the reading specialist program could play in supporting ���ϲ�����”s elementary and secondary licensure programs. In addition, the board made recommendations for how the reading specialist program, in conjunction with other teacher preparation programs, might structure the reading block, with focus on flexible grouping for instruction to better accommodate diverse learning needs. Finally, the board noted that many middle school English teachers lack formal training in reading instruction, recommending that the reading specialist program might provide targeted professional development to help equip English teachers with the necessary skills to promote student literacy.

Math Specialist

The program is cohort-based in partnership with several school districts. The program has established an advisory board with representation from partner school districts, completers, and the Council of Great City Schools. At their most recent meeting they discussed strategies for promoting teacher engagement with curriculum effectively for learning and math understanding. They also suggested that the program maintain a hybrid structure (synchronous and asynchronous components) to be responsive to student preference while maintaining accountability. The partners report high rates of satisfaction with the math specialist program, noting the quality of the instructional preparation. They further note the readiness of completers to enter the workforce.

Educational Leadership

The program is largely cohort-based in partnership with Hampton Roads area school districts. Our district partners report high levels of satisfaction with the preparation program for educational leaders, with our cohorts returning year after year to start new cohorts. Program partners note the strong connection between their district priorities and the division-specific cohorts that better ensure effective transfer of learning from the program to the demands of district leadership roles.

Stakeholder Involvement

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Initial Licensure Programs

���ϲ����� actively engages our school and division partners in many aspects of our program design, evaluation, and innovation development. Some notable examples include:

• Paid Teacher Residencies: using funds from the Virginia Department of Education ���ϲ����� continues to partner with several school divisions in the Hampton Roads region (Southeast VA) to provide rigorous, year-long paid residencies to prepare special education and STEM teachers for high-need schools. In 2023-24 ���ϲ����� partnered with Hampton City, Newport News, and Norfolk Public Schools. This program, which uses a culturally responsive pedagogical framework, places talented aspiring teachers in a classroom where they are mentored and co-teach alongside trained, skilled mentor teachers. By funding tuition, licensure fees, and providing a $12,500 stipend, the program has been successful in recruiting, preparing, and retaining a diverse cadre of skilled teachers. ���ϲ����� works closely with division partners in selecting the teacher residents and placing them in schools, training and supporting mentor teachers, and collaborating across the division and university to ensure a close integration of theory and practice.
• Cohort-Based Programs: ���ϲ����� partners with seven divisions to prepare specialized cohorts of initial licensure candidates (special education general curriculum, STEM education) and advanced licensure candidates (educational leadership, math specialist, reading specialist). These cohorts are developed to meet the specific priorities and needs of each division context.
• National Science Foundation Noyce Grant: ���ϲ����� is the recipient of a $1.1 million NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant that is funding a partnership with Norfolk Public Schools to develop an innovative grow-your-own program for math and science teachers in high-need communities. This program is focused on identifying, recruiting, and support gifted math and science students to persist through high school and college to prepare to be STEM teachers.

Advanced Licensure Programs

All 3 advanced licensure programs rely actively on stakeholder engagement to inform ongoing improvement and support of their programs. The Reading Specialist program has established an Advisory Board to ensure that it can share program data and outcomes while seeking feedback from completers, employers, the VA Department of Education, and others to guide continuous improvement efforts. The Educational Leadership program is largely a district cohort-driven program, with longstanding partnerships with Hampton Roads region districts. These cohorts are developed in close collaboration with our school district partners, including engaging district leadership as adjunct faculty to ensure a strong connection between the needs and priorities of each district and the evidence-based practices of the field. Their engagement in��focus groups, advisory panels, and curriculum design teams��ensures that coursework remains��rigorous, practice-based, and directly applicable to the field. The Math Specialist program has been largely cohort-based, with strong partnerships with Virginia school districts.

Candidate competency at program completion. CAEP Standards R3.3, and RA3.4.

Initial Licensure Programs 2023-24:

• Number of completers in program leading to initial teacher licensure: 237
• Completer Licensure Test Pass Rates:
  • Praxis II subject exams: 100%
  • Virginia Communication & Literacy Assessment (VCLA): 100%

Advanced Licensure Programs 2023-24

• Number of completers in programs leading to advanced teacher licensure: 115
• Completer Licensure Test Pass Rates:
  • School Leadership Licensure Assessment (Educational Leadership): 100%
  • Reading for Virginia Educators (Reading Specialist): 100%

Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have been prepared.

���ϲ����� has historically tracked completer employment data by drawing on 3-year data provided by the Virginia Department of Education. With changes in staffing, those data have been less consistently available and complete over the past several years. This has significantly impacted our ability to track our initial and advanced completers from year-to-year. Further, limitations in state data management and tracking further constrain this analysis. We are currently tracking our completers to provide more granular data moving forward. In addition, we have built in a data tracking component to get more information from our completers as they are graduating so that we may maintain contact and stay apprised of where they are teaching.