The University of Mount Union is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Our School of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and will host the next site visit in the Spring of 2024. The University's licensure programs are approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE).
CAEP Accountability Measures
CAEP has four accountability measures, and they are used to provide information to the public on program outcomes and impact. The following is the list of CAEP measures with links to documents that provide supporting evidence for each measure.
Measure 1: Completer Impact and Effectiveness
Completer Impact on P-12 Learning and Development
According to ODHE, “Ohio's value-added data system provides information on student academic gains. As a vital component of Ohio's accountability system, districts and educators have access to an extensive array of diagnostic data through the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS). Schools can demonstrate through value-added data that many of their students are achieving significant progress. Student growth measures also provide students and parents with evidence of the impact of their efforts. Educators and schools further use value-added data to inform instructional practices.”
Completer Effectiveness
According to ODHE, “Ohio's system for evaluating teachers (Ohio's Teacher Evaluation System),” in addition to the system for evaluating principals (Ohio’s Principal Evaluation System), “provides educators with a detailed view of their performance, with a focus on specific strengths and opportunities for improvement. The system is research-based and designed to be transparent, fair, and adaptable to the specific contexts of Ohio's school districts. Furthermore, it builds on what educators know about the importance of ongoing assessment and feedback as a powerful vehicle to support improved practice. Teacher performance and student academic growth are the two key components of Ohio's evaluation system.”
Ohio teachers complete a mandatory four-year Resident Educator licensure program. The following persistence rate reports indicate that our completers move successfully through the four-year program.
Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholder Involvement
Satisfaction of Employers
Mount Union seeks feedback from a variety of individuals to determine satisfaction with our programs. The survey instrument was developed by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and we receive survey results annually. The Employer and Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey includes results from 2020-2023, is disaggregated by role, and features input from employers, mentor teachers, alumni, and university supervisors.
Stakeholder Involvement
In addition to the above Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey that includes feedback from employers, mentor teachers, alumni, and university supervisors, our School of Education involves stakeholders in a number of ways. Our Partner Advisory Council (PAC) consists of inservice principals, superintendents, central office administrators, Educational Service Center administrators, alumni, and more, and this group helps us make decisions about assessments, curriculum, etc. We typically meet at least twice each semester. This link will direct you to the minutes from our September 30, 2022 meeting.
Further, after analyzing data during our CAEP Data Days in May of 2021, our School of Education noted that our candidates needed more content related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, so in collaboration with our Partner Advisory Council, we hosted a DEIB Symposium in September of 2022. The 2022 National Teacher of the Year, Kurt Russell, served as our keynote speaker. Our conference, Building Belonging: DEIB Education Symposium, was well received by candidates, faculty, and presenters, and a group of faculty are involved in a research project with the pre- and post-conference surveys.
Finally, after brainstorming sessions related to candidate dispositions in the field, we sought the assistance of our Partner Advisory Council members to help us deliver a workshop to our candidates related to field experiences: 2023 Practicum Expectations. Rather than candidates learning about field expectations from faculty, they learned about them from inservice administrators who regularly hire Mount Union graduates.
Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Program Completion
Mount Union candidates regularly pass the Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) licensure exam prior to completing an initial licensure program or our advanced principal licensure program. Results of these licensure exams can be found here.
Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions for Which They Have Been Prepared
Mount Union completers regularly get hired in education positions for which they were prepared, as demonstrated in our Employment Data from 2019-2022.
Accreditation Status and Reviewed Programs
Initial Programs at Mount Union that were accredited by CAEP after our site visit in the Fall of 2016 include the following:
- Early Childhood Education (P-3, now Primary Education P-5)
- Middle Childhood Education (4-9)
- Adolescence to Young Adult Education (7-12):
- Integrated Language Arts
- Integrated Mathematics
- Integrated Social Studies
- Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science: Chemistry, Physical Science: Physics, Physical Science: Chemistry and Physics
- Multiage Education (P-12):
- Health Education
- Music Education
- Physical Education
- Visual Arts
- World Languages (French, German, Japanese, and Spanish)
- Intervention Specialist:
- Mild/Moderate Educational Needs (K-12)
- Early Childhood Intervention Specialist (P-3, now P-5 Primary Education Intervention Specialist)
Mount Union’s Advanced Program in Ohio Principal Licensure was not reviewed by CAEP in the Fall of 2016 during the site visit, as CAEP didn’t have Advanced Standards in place at the time. However, the HLC and ODHE fully approved the Ohio Principal Licensure program prior to its launch in 2012, and this Advanced Program will be reviewed by CAEP for the first time during the Spring of 2024 site visit.
Call for Public Comment
All educator preparation providers (EPPs) are required to solicit third-party comment on the quality of the EPP’s programs as part of the accreditation review process. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, full-time and adjunct faculty, staff, candidates, mentor teachers, completers/alumni, and employers.
The EPP is required to solicit third-party comments on its qualifications for accreditation as part of the accreditation review process. The EPP is required to provide evidence to CAEP within seven (7) days of such notice being posted. If an EPP does not provide evidence that it has sought third-party comment, CAEP reserves the right to reschedule the site review.
UMU’s School of Education Call for Public Comment Letter
Title II
Under Title II of the Higher Education Act, teacher preparation providers, including institutions of higher education (IHEs) that conduct teacher preparation programs must annually collect and submit information to their respective states. States, in turn, submit annual report cards on teacher preparation and credentialing to the U.S. Department of Education.
The Title II Report on the Quality of Teacher Education is prepared and submitted annually by the Education Department at the University of Mount Union. The information from the reports below provides essential data as the University continues to build upon its rich tradition of preparing new educator.
Educator Preparation Performance Report
The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) releases an annual comprehensive performance report for each ODHE-approved educator preparation program in the State of Ohio. The Educator Preparation Performance Report permits the public to view aggregate data for all graduates statewide and by institution and program area. School districts and charter schools can use the report to make informed decisions about hiring; students interested in pursuing educator preparation programs can use the report to make decisions regarding which program to attend; and institutions of higher education can use the report to inform continuous improvement efforts, program planning, and research. These data will also assist state and institutional leaders in identifying trends to guide the development of targeted improvements in educator preparation programs throughout Ohio. Below are the reports for the University of Mount Union, and these reports include data from both initial licensure and advanced licensure programs.