Grambling State University Standard Four Compendium 2

R4.2 Satisfaction of Employers

Survey: The Grambling State University survey data of employers as well as the follow-up Danielson Rubric data revealed many positive aspects about the readiness of the EPP's completers to enter the profession. Leading examples of positive employer ratings include effective demonstration of knowledge of content and pedagogy, excellent communication and listening skills, positive student interaction, efficient use of instructional time, purposeful planning and preparation skills using tier 1 curriculum, and incredible classroom management. Areas for growth include working on increasing opportunities for student-to-student discussions, increasing student engagement, aligning standards to instruction and following timelines. In 2018-2019, only one survey was returned and that was for an MAT completer in the area of Secondary EducationMathematics and Special Education. The employer was “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with the completer’s teaching abilities over all areas. Over the period from 2018 – 2022, there were only three times and three areas that an employer selected “Dissatisfied”. That rating appeared in 2019-2020 and was in the areas of “Family and community engagement,”

“Development of a safe learning environment,” and “An ability to utilize technology in the instructional process.” These ratings reflected an undergraduate Music Education completer. All other employer ratings using the survey across years and certification preparation types were either “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied”. We will have a third cycle of survey data by Fall 2023.

Evaluation using the Danielson Rubric: This evaluation tool was piloted using the completers from 2020-2021. The Danielson Rubric instrument is specific enough for the EPP to learn that employers are satisfied that the completers from the 2020-2021 programs are designing and modifying assessments to match learning objectives well and that completers are using formative and summative assessments to inform instructional practice. While there were areas of strength, the first-year teachers have more room for growth in different areas.  The EPP noted that none of the completers across programs were evaluated “Novice” or Level 1 in any area.

Overall initial program analysis. For the completers in the undergraduate program, their highest overall average scores were in Managing Classroom Procedures and Managing Student Behavior. They also demonstrated strong mean ratings in Domain 3: Instruction and Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities. Their lowest overall average scores were in Setting Instructional Outcomes and Designing Coherent Instruction. The MAT completers demonstrated overall ratings that were rated higher than the undergraduate completers. All three MAT completers were deemed “Highly Effective” in fourteen areas of the Danielson rubric. The weakest areas were Designing Student Assessments and Using Assessment in Instruction, yet the overall group mean was still greater than 3.0 on a 4-point scale.

Analysis by program

The completers in the Undergraduate Elementary Education (grades 1-5) program were evaluated with the highest overall average scores in Managing Student Behavior.

 In Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, they were evaluated most highly in the areas Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy, Demonstrating Knowledge of Students, and Designing Student Assessments. In these areas, 100% of the completers were rated as “Effective Proficient” to “Highly Effective”. The lowest evaluations were in the areas of Setting Instructional Objectives and Designing Coherent Instruction where 33% were evaluated as “Effective Emerging”

 In Domain 2: The Classroom Environment, they were evaluated highest in Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport and Managing Student Behavior with 100% scoring at least “Effective Proficient”. The lowest evaluation was in the area of Managing Classroom Procedures with 34% scoring “Effective Emerging”

 In Domain 3: Instruction, they were evaluated most highly in the areas Communicating with Students, Using Assessments in Instruction and Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness with all scoring at least at the “Effective Proficient” level. The lowest evaluations were in the areas of Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques and Engaging Students in Learning where 34% were rated as being “Effective Emerging”

 In Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities, they were evaluated highest in Showing Professionalism with all elementary completers rated as “Effective Proficient”. The lowest evaluations were in the areas of Communicating with Families, participating in a professional Community, and Growing and Developing Professionally, where two were evaluated as “Effective Proficient” and one as “Effective Emerging”.