Accreditation
Educator Preparation Programs
The initial and advanced educator preparation programs at West Chester University are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), are recognized by their respective Specialized Professional Association (SPA), and are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In 2013, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) became the sole specialized accreditor for educator preparation providers. This accreditation does not include individual education courses offered to PK-12 educators for professional development, relicensure, or other purposes.
CAEP Accreditation Timeline
The timeline provided below outlines dates, which may change, for activities related to the CAEP accreditation process for West Chester University's educator preparation programs.
| Accreditation Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission of Self-Study Report | August 7, 2021 |
| Call for Public Comments on Self-Study Report Announced | December 3, 2021 |
| Receive CAEP Formative Feedback Report | December 2021 |
| Submit Self-Study Report Addendum | February/March 2022 |
| CAEP Site Review |
April 3-5, 2022 |
| Receive CAEP Site Review Report (1 month after site review) | May 2022 |
| Submit Rejoinder (within 30 days after receipt of site review report) | June 29, 2022 |
| CAEP Accreditation Council Meeting & Notification of Accreditation Decision | Fall 2022 |
Call for Public Comments
The College of Education & Social Work at West Chester University of Pennsylvania is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on April 3-5, 2022. Interested parties are invited to submit public comments to the evaluation team. Please note, comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party's relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).
We invite you to submit written testimony to:
CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org
Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:
- In CAEP's performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
- A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
- Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent's relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review. No anonymous testimony will be considered.
Please submit your written testimony to CAEP by close of business on Monday, February 28, 2022. This allows the provider adequate time to receive and respond to any written testimony prior to the scheduled site review.
NCATE Accredited Programs
The initial and advanced educator preparation programs at West Chester University are accredited by NCATE. The University first earned NCATE accreditation in 1954. The most recent accreditation visit occured in Spring 2014 and resulted in continued accreditation for our programs .
The College's first on-site review by CAEP for continued accreditation is scheduled for Spring 2022. The following NCATE accredited programs are included in the review and are within CAEP's Scope of Accreditation.
| Program | CAEP Level | Degree Level |
|---|---|---|
|
Early Grades Preparation, PK-4 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Foreign/World Language Education, PK-12 (Elective Certification) |
Initial |
Baccalaureate (All Languages) |
|
Health and Physical Education, PK-12 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Literacy Education |
Advanced |
Master's |
|
Middle Grades Preparation, 4-8 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Music Education, PK-12 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Secondary Education: English, 7-12 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Secondary Education: Mathematics, 7-12 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Secondary Education: Science, 7-12 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Secondary Education: Social Studies, 7-12 (Elective Certification) |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Special Education, PK-8 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Special Education, 7-12 |
Initial |
Baccalaureate |
|
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages |
Advanced |
Endorsement Only |
SPA Recognized Programs
A SPA is a national organization representing teachers, professional education faculty, and other school personnel who teach a specific subject matter (e.g., mathematics or social studies), teach students at a specific developmental level (i.e., early childhood, elementary, middle level, or secondary), teach students with specific needs (e.g., bilingual education or special education), administer schools (e.g., principals or superintendents), or provide services to students (e.g., school counselors or school psychologists). Standards developed by SPAs describe what professionals in the field should know and be able to do.
Programs at West Chester University are either accredited or nationally recognized by their respective SPA.
1Housed in The College of Arts & Humanities
2Housed in The College of Education & Social Work
3Housed in The College of Health Sciences
PDE Approved Programs
The undergraduate and post-baccalaureate certification programs at West Chester University are required to complete a Major Program Review by the PDE every seven years. According to the PDE, "The overarching purpose of the Major Review is to provide all stakeholders in the Commonwealth with assurance of program quality and professional educator competency." The most recent review occured in 2015 and resulted in continued approval.
CAEP Accountability Measures
Our educator preparation programs are accredited by NCATE and are currently seeking reaccreditation through CAEP. As part of this process, we are required to publicly display data on our programs. We encourage future and current students, faculty, staff, community partners, and other stakeholders to review our data and analyses in each of the following areas.
Initial-Level
Measure 1: Completer Impact & Effectiveness
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not provide educator preparation providers with a mechanism to track completers' effectiveness. However, as detailed in our Self-Study Transition Plan for CAEP Standard 4.1, we have outlined a plan to better track completer effectiveness and their application of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in P-12 classrooms.
Currently, performance reviews and supervisor observations of our program completers from principals or other supervisors have been analyzed. We held focus groups with a small sample of our program completers who were 1-2 years beyond the completion of their program and working in their field of preparation. As part of the focus groups, we asked them to share their performance reviews (the Danielson Framework for Teaching or similar review) and/or supervisor observations. Their reviews indicated each program completer was proficient or distinguished in the categories of planning and preparation, instruction, and professional responsibilities, and the majority were also rated as proficient or distinguished in the category of classroom environment. This suggests our program completers are demonstrating evidence of completer effectiveness.
Additionally, program completers provided observation rubrics containing descriptive language. This helps highlight how they provide instruction that impacts P-12 student learning. One example is the statement, "engaging students, using assessment to drive instruction, and using questioning during instruction to encourage discussion." Completers engaged students in a way principals/supervisors considered proficient or distinguished. Further, most completers were rated as proficient in using assessment to drive instruction and implementing sound pedagogical practices of questioning to promote discussion. The majority of this evidence suggests our completers are positively impacting their P-12 students. Lastly, some of the observation rubrics included specific categories related to a program completer's certification area. As an example, one program completer received a distinguish on their ability to "adapt [their] teaching for the benefit of students with special needs." In analyzing this data, it is important to note some of these assessments should be interpreted with caution because information was removed to ensure P-12 student confidentiality.
Source: West Chester University's CAEP Self-Study Report and Evidence (2021).
Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers & Stakeholder Involvement
Employer Survey: Skyfactor Benchworks Teacher Education Employer Assessment:
Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Completion
Title II Reports:
Please note: The PDE implemented a sliding-scale system, in which Candidates can pass certification tests with a qualifying grade point average at the end of their teacher education program. The PDE Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality Certifying Tests and Qualifying Scores were implemented on 01/01/2010. These pass rates are not included in Title II reporting.
Certification Test and Score Requirements (Located in the Requirements section as number 3 [Excel download])
Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired
Advanced-Level
Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers & Stakeholder Involvement
Employer Survey: Skyfactor Benchworks Teacher Education Employer Assessment:
Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Completion
MEd in Literacy and Reading Specialist Certification, PK-12
Test: Praxis Reading Specialist (5301)
Passing Score: 164
| Graduating Cohort | Number Taking Assessment | Number Passing Assessment | Pass Rate | Average Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 32 | 32 | 100% | 186 |
| 2019-2020 | 43 | 43 | 100% | 188 |
| 2018-2019 | 31 | 31 | 100% | 184 |
| 2017-2018 | 24 | 24 | 100% | 188.5 |
| 2016-2017 | 34 | 34 | 100% | 189 |
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, PK-12
Assessment: Pennsylvania Department of Education 430 Form (Teaching Evaluation)
Acceptable Minimum Rating: Satisfactory
| Term | Number of Students Evaluated | Percent of Students with a Satisfactory or Above Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2021 | 4 | 100% |
Assessment: Grade Point Average (GPA)
Acceptable Minimum GPA: 3.0
| Term | Number of Students | Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2021 | 4 | 3.95 |
Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired
Public Report Archive
Communication Sciences & Disorders Program
The M.A. degree program in Speech-Language Pathology in the College of Health Sciences is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Counselor Education Programs
The counselor education graduate programs in the College of Education and Social Work are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This accreditation was first earned for the Master of Education in School Counseling in 2009 and the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2018.
Music Education Programs
The music education programs in the Wells School of Music are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. This accreditation was first earned in 1958.
Social Work Programs
The undergraduate and graduate social work programs in the College of Education and Social Work are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This accreditation was first earned for the undergraduate program in 1974 and the graduate program in 2000.
