Advanced Licensure Assessments
Measure 1: Completer Effectiveness
The CAEP Technical Report does not require the reporting of Advanced Program Data for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholder Involvement (Advanced)
Stakeholder Involvement
Coastal Carolina University involves both internal and external stakeholders in program design, evaluation, and continuous improvement processes. The involvement from stakeholders comes in a variety of formats, including participation in our Leadership Advisory Committee, our Teacher Education Advisory Committee, and through the regular review of our Memorandums of Understanding with partnering districts.
Leadership Advisory Committee (Advanced Programs)
The Leadership Advisory Council (LAC) is comprised of local teachers, administrators, community members, educational leadership students, and faculty/staff. The committee provides counsel to the Educational Leadership Department regarding recruitment, program classes, resources, guest speakers, internships, and other related areas. In addition, they offer insight and perspective regarding leadership needs and policies impacting the context of leadership development and serve as a networking opportunity for various CCU stakeholders.
In 2022-2023, the new faculty in the Educational Leadership program paused the meeting of LAC to meet stakeholders from across the partnering districts. Through their efforts, the faculty expanded the membership on the LAC from ten members to fifteen, who began meeting in Fall 2022 to work on continuous improvement for the Educational Leadership program.
Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)
Each year, Coastal Carolina University works with partner districts to review and renew MOUs. These MOUs allow both the EPP and the partnering district to ensure that their needs are met; for CCU, this includes (but is not limited to) opportunities for both initial and advanced candidates to participate in field experiences and for the university to gather data on candidate and completer performance. For partnering districts, this includes, but is not limited to, the opportunity to engage in professional development, to ask for support/modifications to programs to meet district needs, and to take graduate coursework at a discounted tuition rate. MOUS are available upon request.
Measure 3. Candidate Competency at Completion
R3.4
Progression Level Thresholds/Criteria for Success at Completion
At CCU, candidates in the M.Ed. Educational Leadership program progress through their respective programs by progressing through three “portals”: Portal 1: Admission to the Program; Portal 2: Admission to Internship; Portal 3: Program Completion. At each portal, candidates are required to complete a series of action items before they may move into the next phase of the program, including passing Praxis II exams, maintaining the required G.P.A., and meeting required scores on program-specific assessments.
Information on the Portal requirements are in the 2021-2022 Graduate Catalog: https://catalog.coastal.edu/index.php?catoid=21
College-Wide (EPP-Wide) Assessments
Coastal Carolina University utilizes both EPP-created and proprietary (third-party) assessments to measure advanced candidates’ professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the Master of Educational Leadership program. Candidates must earn required mean scores on each assessment to complete their programs. The key assessments are implemented once yearly and are as follows:
Praxis II
The Praxis II is a proprietary, computer-based assessment created by Educational Testing Services that is aligned to InTASC Standards 1-10. Candidates are required to earn specific scores on their Praxis II as directed by the South Carolina Department of Education: https://www.ets.org/praxis/sc/test-takers/plan-your-test/licensure/requirements.html. Twenty-four candidates completed Praxis #5412 during the 2022-2023 assessment cycle and all 24 candidates passed on the first attempt with a mean score of 166, well above the qualifying score of 146. Candidate scores ranged from 146-187. Candidates demonstrated strength in the Strategic Leadership (NELP Standards 1, 6) section of the exam, earning an average of 75% of available points. Candidates also demonstrated strength on the Climate and Cultural Leadership subsection of the exam (NELP Standard 3), earning an average of 72.2% of available points. Candidates earned a lower score for Organizational Leadership (NELP Standards 6, 7) and Community Engagement Leadership (NELP Standard 5) (69.2% of available points for both) and Instructional Leadership (NELP Standard 4; 69.6% of available points).
Coastal Carolina University’s goal is for at least 80% of all candidates to pass the Praxis II on their first attempt. The college has established baseline measures to work towards a target first-time pass rate of 80% in each respective program by 2024. As noted in Table 2, 100% of program completers passed on the first attempt in 2022-2023, with a mean score (166) that was significantly higher than the required qualifying score (146).
Comprehensive Examination
The Comprehensive Exam was created by university faculty to assess candidates’ overall knowledge and skills at the culmination of their program. The rubric is implemented in the last year of internship and is aligned to the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards. Candidates must earn a mean score of 2.0 or higher for successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam. A copy of the rubric may be located here: Key Assessment 2 MEd Comprehensive Exam FA23.
In Fall 2022, 12 candidates passed the comprehensive exam with a mean score of 2.73, above the required score of 2.0 (Proficient). Candidates demonstrated strength on indicators related to NELP Standard 1 (2.81), Standard 2 (2.73), Standard 4 (2.77), and Standard 5 (2.71), although scores overall were lower than the Fall 2021 administration. Candidates earned lower mean scores for Standard 3 (2.67), Standard 6 (2.59) and Standard 7 (2.67). Across both testing administrations, candidates consistently earned higher mean scores on Standards 1 and 4, demonstrating an understanding of school vision/improvement and school operating procedures. Key Assessment 2 MEd Comprehensive Exam Data FA23
Observation and Conference Project
The Observation and Conference Project was created by university faculty to provide practical experience with the supervision of teachers to assess candidates’ content knowledge of instructional and supervision concepts contained in the NELP standards. The candidate’s overall performance on the Observation and Conference Project provides an assessment of each candidate’s proficiency relative to NELP Standards 3, 4, and 7. Candidates must earn a mean score of 3.0 or higher for successful completion of the Observation and Conference Project. A copy of the assignment and rubric may be located here: Key Assessment 3 Observation and Conference Project.
In Spring 2023, fourteen candidates completed the Observation and Conference Project and earned an overall mean score of 2.71. Candidates consistently earned higher mean scores for both indicators related to Standard 4, demonstrating their understanding of how to assess a teacher’s implementation of technology-rich curricular materials and equitable instructional practices. Candidates also demonstrated strength on two of three indicators related to Standard 7, demonstrating their abilities to collect and use observational data to assess a teacher and develop a professional growth plan. Although above the required mean score of 2.0, candidates earned lower mean scores for their questioning and collaborating with the teacher (NELP 3.3), and for their abilities to use multiple measures to assess teacher performance (NELP 7.4): Measure 3 Advanced Table 3.
Internship Project
The Internship Project was designed by faculty to assess the candidate’s knowledge and skills related to strategic leadership, ethical leadership, and management of school discipline policies and procedures. As a culminating internship project, this assignment aligns with NELP Standards 1, 2, 3, and 7. Candidates must earn a mean score of 2.0 or higher for successful completion of the Internship Project. A copy of the assignment and rubric may be located here: Key Assessment 4 Internship Project.
Fourteen candidates completed the internship project in Spring 2023, earning an overall mean score of 2.49. All candidates earned the required mean score of 2.0 or higher. Unlike Spring 2022, where candidates earned the lowest mean score for Standard 2, candidates earned the highest overall mean score (2.54) for indicators related to Standard 2 in Spring 2023. Candidates earned the lowest mean score for the indicator lined to Standard 7, indicating that candidates had some difficulty in documenting how they use distributed leadership and involved the school improvement team in building school and student success. Data for each indicator can be found in Table 4: Measure 3 Advanced Table 4.
School Improvement/Performance Plan
The School Improvement/Performance Plan was designed by faculty as an assessment of a candidate’s proficiency in NELP standards related to the area of teaching and learning. Candidates develop plans that engage in data-driven decision making and develop actions to support a process of continuous school improvement. This assignment aligns with ELCC Standards 3, 4, 6, and 7. Candidates must earn a mean score of 2.0 or higher for successful completion of the School Improvement/Performance Plan. A copy of the assignment and rubric may be located here: Assessment 5 School Improvement Plan.
Thirteen candidates completed the School Improvement Assessment in Fall 2022, earning an overall mean score of 2.74. All candidates met the required score of 2.0 or higher. As with the previous assessment cycle, candidates demonstrated strength on Part I of the assessment (NELP Standards 6 and 7), earning a mean score of 2.92 on this section. Candidates earned a higher mean score on indicators related to NELP Standard 6 on Part II, with an overall mean of 2.77. Like the previous assessment cycle, candidates earned the lowest mean score for Part III Section B (NELP Standards 4, 6, 7), a 2.62. They also earned a mean score of 2.62 for Part II’s indicators related to NELP Standard 4. Data for each indicator can be found in Table 5 :Measure 3 Advanced Table 5.
Guide to Home-School-Community Relationships Project
The Guide to Home-School-Community Relationships Project is an assignment designed to assess the candidate’s knowledge and skills related to school operations (NELP 6.1 and 6.2) and building and sustaining positive school relationships with families and community stakeholders, especially in using the community’s diverse resources, using technology, and projecting resource needs, and serving diverse community interests and needs (NELP 1.2, 5.1, 5.2). Candidates must earn a mean score of 2.0 or higher for successful completion of the Guide to Home-School-Community Relationships Project. A copy of the assignment and rubric may be located here: Key Assessment 6 (Guide to Home-School-Community Relationships).
Eleven candidates completed the assessment in Fall 2022, earning an overall mean score of 2.47, slightly lower than the Fall 2021 administration. Candidates earned a mean score of 2.27 for the indicator related to Standard 1, a 2.58 for the indicators related to Standard 5, and a 2.41 for the indicators related to Standard 6: Measure 3 Advanced Table 6.
Additional Measures of Candidate Competency
Assessment of Candidate Dispositions, Advanced Level
In addition to utilizing both EPP-created and proprietary instruments to measure candidate’s content and pedagogical knowledge, Coastal Carolina University also utilizes a program-created assessment instrument to assess candidate dispositions throughout the program. Dispositions are the commitments, values, and professional ethics that influence candidate behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities; they are the driving forces that affect candidate learning, motivation, and development toward continual professional growth. The dispositions are based on the InTASC Standards and reflect entry‐level licensure competencies. Evaluators rate each candidate on each professional disposition indicator. Scores that approach ‐2 are given to candidates who exhibit less than acceptable habits and practices. Scores that approach 2 are reserved for candidates who show especially positive behaviors. A score of 0, "No Evidence to Believe Otherwise," signifies that there have been no observations of behaviors that would suggest a disposition that is not acceptable.
In Fall 2022, dispositions were assessed for 32 Educational Leadership candidates, and all 32 candidates met the required mean score of 0 or higher for the dispositions. The Assessment of Candidate Dispositions rubric and scores are located here:Professional Dispositions, Advanced 22FA_MEd Educational Leadership.
Analysis of 2022-2023 Data
Overall, candidates in the Educational Leadership program demonstrated strength on each key assessment, with all candidates meeting both the required mean scores on EPP-created assessments as well as the required state score on the Praxis II exam. Candidates demonstrated strength in their scores as related to the NELP Standards, which were consistently above the required mean on each key assessment, thus indicating that candidates have a strong grasp of the content needed to enter their professional careers. The faculty will continue to monitor candidate performance on Standard 7, where candidates tended to earn lower (though still proficient) scores, to determine what further supports are needed for Educational Leadership candidates.
Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions for Which They Have Been Prepared
Twelve candidates completed the Educational Leadership program in Spring 2023. The EPP checked the South Carolina Department of Education records site, student records, and school district websites to locate the completers; in addition, completers were emailed to ask their current employment status.
The majority of the 12 completers (8; 66.7%) from the Educational Leadership program maintained their current teaching positions upon program completion; additionally, one was promoted to their school’s curriculum specialist role, one to school IB Coordinator, and one to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Opportunity Coordinator for the district. One completer could not be located. Given the demand for educators and administrators across the nation, finding employment after degree completion is not an issue for candidates. The EPP plans to examine further ways to better get feedback from completers regarding their choice to remain in the classroom upon graduation.