The New Jersey Department of Education released the first Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) Annual Report on May 13. The report provides a snapshot of performance data, including information on teacher certification area and employment, placement, retention, and evaluation outcomes for EPP graduates.
About the Report
The report was developed in close collaboration with New Jersey’s colleges and universities and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. It includes data on candidates who were prepared at a particular New Jersey institution, obtained a New Jersey teacher certification endorsement between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2012, and are working in a New Jersey public school during the 2013-2014 academic year. The reports are intended to:
- Empower institutes of higher education with information to promote continuous improvement;
- Supply hiring entities with data about providers and their graduates;
- Equip prospective teachers with empirical information about their choices for preparation;
- Shed light on programs which are preparing strong educators; and
- Promote ongoing efforts to professionalize teaching and teacher preparation.
The Department now maintains a database on newly certified teachers’ certification and hiring, placement, classroom assignment, demographics, educational background, and Praxis II testing results. The report is not intended for purposes of accountability.
Data is culled from a variety of sources, including: NJ SMART, SURE, TCIS, and USED’s Title II reports. Specific data elements include:
- Certification and Licensure: Number of completers receiving NJ certification/licensure, plus subject areas of endorsement
- Hiring: Number of NJ-certified completers employed by NJ school districts
- School Placement and Classroom Assignment: Districts/subject areas of hired NJ-certified completers
- Post-Secondary Education : Highest level of education, undergraduate GPA, major, and transfer history
In future versions, the Department expects to include additional elements such as candidates hired out of state or in private and parochial schools, survey results from those completing programs, and median student growth and evaluation data to provide a richer picture of teaching colleges and universities.
Stakeholders across the state, including the New Jersey Higher Education Task Force, have called for data on teaching colleges and universities and candidate outcomes since as far back as 2007. In early 2013 the NJDOE began work with leaders and representatives of teaching programs in developing the Annual Reports and preparing the first version for public release. In particular, the New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NJACTE) collaborated closely with the Department.
Resources
Source: NJDOE