Undergraduate DivisionAccreditation

The calculation for Completer Impact and Effectiveness comes from the annual data for educational effectiveness ratings provided by the Registry of Education Personnel (REP): Highly Effective (HE), Effective (E), Minimally Effective (ME), and Ineffective (I). Eligible teachers include those who received initial certification within the last five years, have no more than 3 years of teaching, and have an effectiveness rating in the most recent academic year. Completers are rated at mid-year and at the end of the year based on principals’ observations and completers’ impact on P-12 learning and growth based on state testing. When statewide testing data is unavailable, individual completer’s assessments of their students are evaluated based on MDE state standards.  

Based on the Educator Preparation Institution (EPI) EPI Report 2023 provided annually by the MDE, CU completers earned an efficacy score of 100% in the indicator, Impact on P-12 Learning, which means the majority of completers were rated Effective or Highly Effective in their first three years of teaching. Since 40% of the ratings are based on student impact data from state testing or district approved assessments of student learning outcomes, these ratings demonstrate that CU completers have a positive impact on P-12 students’ learning and development. The 2023 Data Methodology Report Manual describes how each component in the 2023 Educator Preparation Institution (EPI) performance score is calculated. 

The following table shows effectiveness ratings of CU graduates over the last three years. 

Table 1 

Graduate Effectiveness Ratings (Initial) 

An Administrator Survey, distributed to head administrators, included questions about the performance of new hires, which provides further evidence for completer effectiveness. Michigan certified teachers that appeared in the Registry of Educational Personnel (REP) 2021 data collection, for the first time, were included. Compared with the state averages, administrators gave high efficacy scores to Cornerstone University graduates on their instructional strategies for assessment (89.5%) and use of technology (100%). Meeting students’ needs was identified as an area of continued growth. Cornerstone University graduates earned a score of 80% versus the state average of 86.7%. More specifically, administrators indicated that graduates did not perform as well as other new teachers instructing English learners and low-performing students. Changes made to the CU Teacher Education program that reflect the new state certification structure address these areas of needed growth. The Administrative Survey data is used as an element to determine the EPI performance score (EPI Report 2023). 

(Initial) Employer satisfaction can be measured by CU graduates’ effectiveness ratings since 60% of the rating is based on the principals’ observation of candidates’ teaching and learning. Based on the Educator Preparation Institution (EPI) EPI Report 2023 provided annually by the MDE, CU completers earned an efficacy score of 100% in the indicator, Impact on P-12 Learning, which means the majority of completers were rated Effective or Highly Effective in their first three years of teaching. According to Table 1, 98% of graduates earned either an Effective or Highly Effective rating, which indicates employers are satisfied with CU’s completers.   

Table 1 

Graduate Effectiveness Ratings (Initial) 

An Administrator Survey distributed to head administrators included questions about the performance of new hires. Compared with the state averages, administrators gave high efficacy scores to Cornerstone University graduates on their instructional strategies to support each student’s socioemotional (e.g., social, emotional, psychological) development (100%) and making accommodations based on a student’s IEP or Section 504 plan (100%). Use of technology was identified as an area of growth. Cornerstone University graduates earned a score of 85.7% versus the state average of 95%. More specifically, administrators indicated that graduates outperformed other new teachers instructing English learners with a score of 100% versus the state average of 84%. Administrators indicated that graduates did not perform as well as other new teachers instructing low-performing and high-performing students. Changes made

to the CU Teacher Education program that reflect the new state certification structure address these areas of needed growth.

(Initial) The following list includes the P-12 districts with which CU has affiliation agreements: 

In 2019, the CU Teacher Education Division formed a Steering Committee consisting of alumni, candidates, and P-12 teachers and administrators from seven area districts. The purpose of the committee is to build and grow mutually beneficial partnerships between CU and districts, and between districts. Steering Committee meetings occur each semester and held on the CU campus or on the premises of one of the partnership districts. Topics of discussion over the last four years have included mental health, clinical experiences, certification structure changes, legislative updates, teacher shortages, areas of specific support for new teachers, impact of the pandemic on students and teachers, and virtual learning and technology. These partnerships have benefited both CU and the district partners. Not only has CU built stronger partnerships with area districts, the districts have developed partnerships with each other. Both candidates and P-12 students have benefited as well. The variety of clinical experiences allow candidates to get rich experiences in diverse settings where they positively impact P-12 students’ learning and growth.  

Steering Committee Agenda 11.15.19 

Steering Committee Agenda 2.25.21

Steering Committee Agenda 10.18.21

Steering Committee Agenda 2.14.22

Steering Committee Agenda 2.13.23

Steering Committee Agenda 11.8.23

MDE issues an EPI Report 2023 to each Educator Preparation Program based on the following categories: 1. Candidate Selection and Completion, 2. Knowledge & Skills for Teaching, 3. Performance as Classroom Teachers, and 4. Robust Clinical Experiences. The score is based on the following data: candidate survey suite, school demographics, Educator Effectiveness Ratings, Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) pass rates, and an administrator survey. CU’s most recent overall EPI Performance Score is 86.3% with 82 out of 95 points, which is a Satisfactory rating. The minimum score to receive Satisfactory is 77% or 73 points. The 2023 Data Methodology Report Manual describes how each component in the 2023 Educator Preparation Institution (EPI) performance score is calculated. 

An indicator that candidates are competent in their subject areas is the scores on the MTTC provided by MDE. The pass-rate information for the 2022-2023 MTTC (MTTC_CU_2022-23) provides further evidence that candidates demonstrate competence in their subject areas. The three-year summary of MTTC results (MTTC_CU_2019-22) is additional evidence. 

The Year Out Survey 2022 collects data from completers one year out and provides feedback on their professional preparation in the following categories: Program Preparation, Overall Preparation, Meeting Student Needs, Technology, Instructional Strategies and Assessment, Professionalism, and Clinical Experience and Program Preparation. The findings show that 2020-2021 CU completers’ scored higher than the state averages in Overall Preparation (92.3%), Technology (92.3%), and Professionalism (94.9%). Program Preparation (57.7%), Instructional Strategies and Assessment (65.8%), and Clinical Experience and Program Preparation were areas that fell below the state averages (73.0%). Meeting Student Needs (68.4%) was comparable to the state average (68.5%). When looking more closely at the data, completers felt most prepared in the areas of interview preparation, resume’ building, supporting students experiencing trauma, and being able to advocate for themselves as teachers in a professional and productive manner. The areas completers felt least prepared were searching for a job including job placement opportunities and networking with potential employers, applying instructional strategies for English Learners, and adapting instruction, curriculum, and assessments according to IEPs and 504 plans.  

The data collected in the 2022-2023 Candidate Suite Surveys also provide evidence that candidates’ demonstrate competency after completing the CU Teacher Education Program. For example, CU candidates earned a score of 100% in the Teaching Promise category indicating that candidates, university supervisors, and cooperating teachers believe that candidates are ready for the teaching profession (Table 3). More specifically, candidates survey results show similar themes with the findings from the Year Out Survey 2022 results. For example, candidates that graduated in 2021-2022 scored similarly high as the completers in Overall Preparation with 100% of respondents selecting “to a moderate extent” or “to a great extent” indicating all candidates felt ready to go into the teaching profession. 100% of respondents from both data sets selected “to a moderate extent” or “to a great extent” when asked about their ability to be reflective educators who utilize feedback to implement instructional improvements. Candidates scored similarly low with completers in the area of adapting instruction, curriculum, and assessments according to IEPs and 504 plans. 

Table 3 

Candidate Suite Surveys – Overall Scores 

The Teacher Education team reviews data and creates action steps every August. For example, based on data from previous years, the Teacher Education program includes more emphasis on preparing candidates to work with English Learners. Although still an area being developed, scores from the Year Out and Candidate Surveys demonstrate growth. Compared to the 2020-2021 completers’ score (38.5%), 75.9% of the current CU completers selected “to a moderate extent” or “to a great extent,” which indicates they can apply instructional strategies to support English Learners. This increase in score shows program development and increased growth in candidate competency. Another program change based on previous data, is CU Teacher Education Program’s commitment to increase diverse clinical experiences. The Steering Committee partnerships have contributed to providing candidates with clinical experiences in more diverse districts across the program. According to the current Candidate Suite Survey data, when answering the question “To what extent did your preparation program provide you with opportunities to work with students from a variety of backgrounds,” 86.2% respondents selected “to a moderate extent” or “to a great extent.” When answering the question “To what extent did your preparation program provide you with opportunities to work in a variety of school settings,” 89.7% respondents selected “to a moderate extent” or “to a great extent” compared with the state average of 81.5%. Additionally, the Teacher Education Program designed a clinical experience, EDU 365, Equitable & Inclusive Education Clinical Experience, that provides candidates with more hours in diverse settings. Data in the next four years will provide evidence to support increased efforts in providing candidates with experiences with students from diverse backgrounds in a variety of school settings. 

CU’s Teacher Education Program uses the Danielson Framework to assess candidates’ proficiency in the following categories during their student teaching internship: Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibility. The Danielson Summary and Analysis 2022 provides scores for three cycles of data including spring 2021, fall 2021, and spring 2022.  

A Disposition Assessment, created by CU, evaluates and monitors candidates’ dispositions throughout the Teacher Education Program. Nine dispositions based on InTASC standards are included: integrity, commitment to teaching, responsibility, flexibility, professionalism, teaching ability (evaluated when a student reaches professional status), stress management, academic ability, and communication. The Disposition Summary and Analysis 2022 provides scores for three cycles of data including spring 2021, fall 2021, and spring 2022. 

(Initial) 29 graduates completed the Cornerstone University Teacher Education program in 2021-2022. 93% of the graduates found jobs in education or continued their education in graduate school. Since the data on effectiveness ratings (Table 1 and Table 2) are provided by MDE for teachers in Michigan that must be employed in classrooms where they are certified in order to receive a rating, the ratings provide evidence that CU completers have the capacity to be hired in jobs for which they are qualified.