Impact and Outcome Measures

The core missional aspects of the Houghton University Teacher Education Program are to develop competent scholars, reflective educators and caring servants who are equipped to make a transformational difference in the lives of P-12 students.

To that end, we are pleased to share the following impact and outcome measures that attest to the effectiveness of our candidates and program completers. (Note: All measures noted here reflect data collected during the 2016-2017 academic year, unless otherwise indicated. This information will be updated annually.)

Impact Measures

1. Impact on P-12 Learning

As part of a senior capstone portfolio, teacher candidates collect evidence of P-12 student learning and development as it relates to four areas:

  • Addressing the various needs of diverse learners.
  • Promote thinking and understanding.
  • Actively engaging students in integrating strategies and skills.
  • Integrating formal and informal assessment strategies.

2. Indicators of Teaching Effectiveness

Evaluation scores of student teachers by classroom and college mentors: Mean scores (and standard deviation) for annual year 2016-2017:

4 – exemplary, 3 – proficient, 2 – developing, 1 – minimally evident
0 – not evident		 classroom
mentor		 college
mentor
Demonstrates breadth and depth of content knowledge. 3.1 (0.7) 3.0 (0.6)
Implements resources appropriate to lessons. 3.3 (0.7) 3.2 (0.5)
Designs and delivers coherent instruction. 3.2 (0.6) 3.1 (0.4)
Demonstrates knowledge of students. 3.3 (0.8) 3.2 (0.5)
Communicates with students. 3.3 (0.7) 3.2 (0.4)
Uses effective questioning and discussion techniques. 3.0 (0.8) 3.1 (0.5)
Engages students in learning. 3.1 (0.8) 3.1 (0.6)
Demonstrates flexibility and responsiveness. 3.3 (0.7) 3.2 (0.5)
Creates an environment of respect and rapport. 3.5 (0.6) 3.3 (0.5)
Establishes a culture for learning. 3.3 (0.7) 3.3 (0.5)
Shows professionalism aligning with the mission of the school. 3.5 (0.6) 3.6 (0.5)
Engages collaboratively with other stakeholders. 3.3 (0.8) 3.4 (0.6)
Manages classroom procedures. 3.2 (0.7) 3.1 (0.6)
Manages student behavior. 3.0 (0.8) 3.1 (0.6)
Designs student assessment effectively. 3.1 (0.7) 3.1 (0.7)
Uses assessment in instruction. 3.1 (0.7) 3.0 (0.4)
Reflects on teaching. 3.3 (0.8) 3.0 (0.4)
Grows and develops professionally. 3.3 (0.7) 3.3 (0.6)
Handle routine clerical tasks. 3.2 (0.7) 3.1 (0.5)
Demonstrates professional dispositions. 3.3 (0.8) 3.4 (0.7)

3. Employer Satisfaction

The Houghton University Teacher Education Program collects annual survey data from employers of recent graduates. Building principals rated Houghton graduates as performing “well” or “very well” in all performance indicators. Comments from administrators regarding the Houghton University Teacher Education Program include:

  • "The Houghton University faculty are committed to helping the graduate get placed in a teaching job."
  • "The graduates display professionalism, work ethic, and a willingness to get involved."
  • "The program focuses on inclusion."

4. Teacher Graduate Satisfaction

Graduate surveys are disseminated annually to gauge the satisfaction of our program completers. Two and five years after completion, alumni of the Houghton University Teacher Education Program are asked to complete a survey rating their satisfaction of their undergraduate experience. The most recent survey (November 2017, N= 21) revealed that 90 percent of the completers were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the Houghton teacher education program in general. In addition, 94 percent believed that Houghton was either “effective” or “very effective” in equipping them for the profession in the field of education.

Outcome Measures

5. Graduation Rates

During the 2016-2017 academic year, there were 126 teacher education candidates admitted into the Houghton University Teacher Education Program. Of the 23 teacher education candidates who were in the senior cohort, 100 percent graduated and were successful program completers.

6. Teacher Certification Exam Pass Rates

The chart below indicates the percentage of teacher education candidates who successfully passed New York State teacher certification exams from the 2016-2017 cohort.

Educating All Students (EAS) Content Specialty Tests (CST) edTPA
Houghton University 94% pass rate 93% pass rate 82% pass rate
NY State Average 92% pass rate 91% pass rate 77% pass rate

7. Employment and Graduate School Rates for Program Completers

Of the 2016-2017 program completers, 96 percent reported that they were employed and/or were engaged in graduate studies (VOCA Office Survey Data).

Some of the graduates from this cohort include:

  • A preschool special education teacher in an urban setting.
  • A first-grade charter school teacher in Harlem.
  • A Spanish teacher at a college preparatory school.
  • A music teacher at a Christian school in an urban setting.
  • A TESOL teacher in a multicultural, multiethnic urban context.
  • An inclusive fourth-grade teacher in a rural school setting...among others!

8. Student Loan Default Rates

Students who complete their education at Houghton University are diligent in repaying their college loans. The most recent national default rate was published by the USDOE in 2014. At that time, the overall default rate on college loans was 11.5 percent nationally. Houghton University's default rate in 2014 was 2.7 percent, far less than the national average.