Annual Reporting Measures (CAEP Component 5.4 | A.5.4)

 

 

The College of Education at the University of South Carolina (USC) is accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) Accreditation System, and approved by the South Carolina Department of Education, for a period of seven years, from 2017-2024. The next accreditation and state review is scheduled for Fall 2024. All teacher preparation programs offered at USC are recognized by their respective Specialized Professional Association or the South Carolina Department of Education.

Based upon the data reflected in our annual measures, the EPP at USC is producing highly qualified educators who have a positive impact on K-12 student learning and are prepared to meet the demands of the profession for which they have been prepared.  

 

Completer Effectiveness. (R4.1) 

Completer impact in contributing to P-12 student-learning growth

Teacher SLO Scores
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) requires one Student Learning Objective (SLO) be created annually as part of a teacher’s evaluation. The SLO serves to measure the impact of teaching performance on student growth, determined by the teacher’s ability to set appropriate goals for student learning and development, accurately measure and analyze student growth, and to plan, implement, and adjust instruction to ensure maximum student progress.

USC Completer scores are provided for AY 2021-2022, AY 2020-2021, and AY 2019-2020. Scores are provided by certification area and total number of Completers evaluated. Completers are evaluated on a 4-level scale from Exemplary to Unsatisfactory. Over the three-year reporting period, the majority of USC Completers were evaluated as either Exemplary or Proficient on their SLO. In a few instances, Completers were evaluated as Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory. In AY 2019-2020, many USC Completers received an SLO score of N/A due to Covid-19 interruptions in their evaluation cycle.

Read the Three-Year SLO Report

 

Completer Effectiveness in Applying Professional Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

The South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0 (SCTS 4.0) rubric is based on sets of performance standards designed and validated by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) and establishes the expectations for what classroom-based teachers are to know, be able to do, and carry out as an integral part of their practice. These expectations, called the SCTS Indicators, are the foundation for good teaching and are designed to grow classroom- based teachers throughout their career continuum, beginning with teacher preparation and continuing through induction, high-stakes performance evaluations, and ongoing professional growth and development. Teachers are evaluated on a four-point rubric from Exemplary (4 points) to Unsatisfactory (1 point). A classroom-based teacher’s proficiency in each of the standards is expected to occur developmentally and to increase continuously throughout the entirety of the teaching career.

Aggregate USC Completer scores on the SCTS 4.0 evaluation are provided for AY 2021-2022, AY 2020-2021, and AY 2019-2020. Statewide performance scores are provided for comparison purposes. Across all three years, USC Completers performed on par with or better than other teachers evaluated during the same academic year. Further, on average, Completers were evaluated as Proficient or higher on most of the performance indicators.

View Three-Year Expanded ADEPT District Scores

 

Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholder Involvement

Initial Programs 

Employers/school leadership were sent a survey where they reported their satisfaction with the preparedness of USC initial program graduates. Conclusions regarding USC initial graduates include:

• 94% of respondents felt that USC graduates were either prepared or very well prepared to collaborate with school-based colleagues and staff, align their teaching with state standards, and possessed strong instructional and pedagogical content knowledge
• 95% of respondents felt that USC graduates were prepared or very well prepared as a classroom teacher
• 92% of respondents felt that USC graduates were either prepared or very well prepared to perform at the same or better levels than graduates from other institutions
• 100% of respondents said they would hire another USC graduate as an employee based on their experiences with recent USC graduates

View the Initial Employer Survey

 

Advanced Programs

Employers/district leadership were sent a survey where they reported their satisfaction with the preparedness of USC advanced program graduates. Conclusions regarding USC advanced graduates include:

• 100% of respondents felts that USC graduates were either prepared or very well prepared to:
  • Act in an open and transparent manner
  • Lead change efforts to promote school improvement
  • Use school or district data to promote school improvement
  • Manage school resources effectively and efficiently to support school vision
  • Promote effectiveness in serving all students well
  • Work with staff to solve school or department problems
  • Promote trusting relationships
  • Effectively communicate and engage with families and caregivers
• 100% of respondents felts that USC graduates were either prepared to very well prepared to:
  • Collaboratively design a school mission and vision attentive to values and priorities that include data, technology, values, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community
  • Develop and formulate a school-level ethical leadership platform
  • Use research and data to design and cultivate a supportive, nurturing, and inclusive school culture
  • Propose designs and implementation strategies for improving the impact of academic and non-academic practices, resources, and services that support student learning
  • Cultivate collaboration among staff and families in support of student learning and success
  • Use data ethically and equitably to develop a multi-year school resourcing plan aligned to the school’s goals and priorities
  • Develop a comprehensive plan for providing school community members with a healthy and positive school building environment
  • Observe teaching in a variety of classrooms and provide teaching staff with actionable feedback to support improvement
• 91% of respondents felt that USC graduates were more effective or significantly more effective in their job performance in comparison to graduates from other institutions
• 100% of respondents felt that USC graduates were prepared or very well prepared as school/district leaders
• 100% of respondents said they would hire another USC graduate based on their experience with recent USC graduates

View the Advanced Employer Survey

 

Candidate Competency at Completion (R3.3): Initial and Advanced

Over a three-year reporting period, USC Completers demonstrated an above 80% pass rate on all certification exams. USC results are similar to, if not higher than, statewide results across the three academic years reported. These results demonstrate that USC Completers are competent at program completion to meet the entry requirements of their selected area of teaching and/or leadership.

Ability of completers to meet licensing (certification) and any additional state requirements; Title II (initial programs)

Initial Licensure Programs	Number Taking Assessment - Institutional Results	Number Passing Assessment - Institutional Results	Institutional Pass Rate	Number Taking Assessment - Statewide Results	Number Passing Assessment - Statewide Results	Statewide Pass rate
All Program Completers, 2021-2022	238	208	87%	1,718	1,552	90%
All Program Completers, 2020-2021	289	276	96%	1,744	1,641	94%
All Program Completers, 2019-2022	155	148	95%	1,585	1,520	96%

 

Ability of completers to meet licensing (certification) and any additional state requirements; Title II (advanced programs)

Program Name	Number Taking Assessment - Institutional Results	Number Passing Assessment - Institutional Results	Institutional Pass Rate	Number Taking Assessment - Statewide Results	Number Passing Assessment - Statewide Results	Statewide Pass Rate
Ed Leadership: Administration & Supervision (5412) AY 2021-2021	51	51	100%	290	282	97%
Ed Leadership: Administration & Supervision (5412) AY 2020-2021	42	41	98%	279	264	94%
Ed Leadership: Administration & Supervision (5412) AY 2019-2020	30	30	100%	221	212	96%

 

View the three-year data for individual certification exams. 

 

Ability of Completers to be Hired: Initial and Advanced

Educators must be recommended for certification through their EPP to be eligible for positions within South Carolina schools. Educators must complete all program and certification requirements to be recommended for certification to the South Carolina Department of Education.

Completers and Recommendations for Certification

 

Initial Certificate Programs	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022
Enrolled Candidates	1053	990	1051
Completers	291	310	257
Completers Recommended for Certification	283	308	209
Percentage of Completers Recommended for Certification	97.2%	99.4%	81.3%

 

Initial Certificate Programs	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022
Fall Enrollment	138	177	184
Completers	72	80	67
Completers Recommended for Certification	70	78	66
Percentage of Completers Recommended for Certification	97.2%	97.5%	98.5%

 

Expanded ADEPT SCTS 4.0 and PADEPP Evaluation Results

 Data was obtained from the South Carolina Department of Education for AY 2019-2020, AY 2020-2021, and AY 2021-2022. This data reflects the ability of USC Completers to be employed in and meet qualifications of education positions for which they have been prepared. Completers of USC’s initial educator preparation programs that are employed in South Carolina public school districts are evaluated via Expanded ADEPT: SCTS 4.0. (South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0). Completers of USC’s advanced programs that are employed as administrators are evaluated via PADEPP (Program for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance). Evaluation data over the three-year period indicates that, largely, Completers of USC’s initial and advanced preparation programs are meeting the performance criteria for their area of certification.

 

Initial Programs

Program Result	2019-2020		2020-2021		2021-2022
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Met	208	96.7	222	27.8	254	95.1
Not Met	0	0.0	0	0.0	2	0.7
Incomplete	7	3.3	5	2.2	10	3.7
Unknown	0	0.0	0	0.0	1	0.4
Total	215	100.0	227	100.0	267	100.0

 

Advanced Programs

Program Result	2019-2020		2020-2021		2021-2022
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Exemplary	14	58.3	14	46.7	16	48.5
Proficient	10	41.7	16	53.3	16	48.5
Needs Improvement	0	0.0	0	0.0	1	3.0
Unsatisfactory	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0
Total	24	100.0	30	100.0	33	100.0

This information is publicly available on our website and reviewed and discussed annually by constituents within our quality assurance system. Publicly available data from our peer aspirant institutions and other EPPs in the state are reviewed and discussed for comparative purposes.