CAEP Accreditation

Connecticut legislation explicitly prohibits the linking of any state student-testing database with state educator databases, thereby precluding the use of value-added methodologies for the evaluation of teacher performance based on student achievement.

The  Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) employs alternative, evidence-based approaches to assess the effectiveness and impact of its program completers.

The EPP maintains active partnerships with local school districts and regional education service centers to gather meaningful evidence regarding completer preparedness, professional effectiveness, and impact on P–12 students. Through these collaborations, the EPP collects qualitative data that provides insight into completers’ instructional practice, professionalism, and contributions to student learning environments.

In January 2024, the EPP made a strategic shift from utilizing traditional survey instruments to structured  focus group methodology for collecting feedback from our program completers and their employers.  This new approach was designed to elicit more in-depth, contextualized, and actionable feedback. 

Focus groups allow participants to reflect on their experiences more fully, discuss strengths and areas for growth, and provide concrete examples of program impact that are not easily captured through survey data alone. As part of a comprehensive five-year assessment plan, the EPP engages a representative sample of its program completers in focus group sessions.  Parallel focus groups are conducted with school administrators and instructional leaders, to ensure multiple perspectives on completers’ effectiveness and impact.

Findings from completer and employer focus groups are systematically analyzed and shared with program faculty and stakeholders. These data inform program review discussions, curriculum revisions, clinical experience enhancements, and targeted professional development. Through this intentional use of evidence, the EPP is able to identify trends in completer performance, determine areas of strength, and develop action plans for continuous improvement.

Summary of the work completed in recent years 

Methodology: Each year, the EPP contacts completers for whom personal email addresses are available and invite them to complete a general survey regarding their employment status and professional experiences. Data collected from this annual survey are considered self-reported and are used to completement the employment data set reported for CAEP measure 4. Completers who have already completed the survey once are not included in subsequent invitations.

Within the same survey, completers are invited to participate in focus groups designed to gather in-depth qualitative feedback on program effectiveness and preparation. The EPP’s goal is to conduct these focus groups annually, targeting completers from the previous seven years, who have at least one year of professional experience in the field. This approach ensures participants have sufficient classroom experience to reflect meaningfully on their preparation and impact.

Results: As of August 2025,  the EPP  has conducted eight focus group sessions  with completers of its Initial Preparation programs. Participants represented both undergraduate and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program completers. Participants were provided with a list of questions ahead of the session.  At the beginning of the session, participants were individually polled on these questions to capture their personal perspectives before engaging in group discussion. This process ensured that both individual and collective insights were documented. A summary of participant responses is presented in the table below.

Limitations: Outreach for surveys and focus groups is limited to completers who have provided the EPP with their personal email addresses, which restricts the size of the potential participant pool. Additionally, several completers who expressed interest in participating in the focus groups were unable to attend the scheduled sessions due to scheduling conflicts.

While the focus group methodology has yielded valuable and meaningful feedback, the sample size at this early stage remains relatively small. To address this limitation, the EPP plans to aggregate focus group data collected over the next five years into a comprehensive longitudinal report. This approach will strengthen the representativeness and robustness of the findings. 

The  Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) is committed to systematically gathering valuable feedback from employers through strong partnerships with local school districts and regional education service centers. 

In January 2024, the EPP made a strategic shift from relying on traditional surveys to employing focus group methodology for gathering feedback from district partners. This approach allows for richer dialogue and more nuanced data, strengthening our understanding of employer perspectives. 

As part of a five-year plan, the EPP will engage its advisory board district partners in focus group sessions to ensure meaningful employer input. This ongoing feedback will inform continuous improvement efforts and help ensure that program completers are well prepared to meet the needs of schools and the communities they serve. 

Focus Group - Summary 

Members of the EPP  advisory board selected the academic term that best aligned with their district calendar to participate in the focus group process. For each participating district, the first step  involved verification of employment data for SCSU program completers. The EPP provided districts with a list of completers compiled through our tracking efforts and self-reported data. District representatives were asked to confirm the accuracy of employment information, verify retention status, report any awards or recognitions received by completers, and identify any additional completers who may not have been included on the initial list.

The next component of the process was participation in the employer focus group sessions. Based on the  number and certification types of employed completers within each district,  multiple focus group sessions were conducted. These include sessions with principals, assistant principals, other supervisors or coaches for those evaluating and supervising teachers holding initial certification. Separate sessions were held with those supervising school counselors, school psychologists, and reading specialists; and a third set of sessions with assistant superintendents who supervise principals and other building administrators.
As of August 2025, the EPP has successfully completed this process with three partner districts. A total of 15 staff members participated in focus group sessions related to initial teacher preparation programs, and 10 staff members participated in focus group sessions related to advanced programs.

Results 

Prior to participation in the focus group sessions, each employer representative received the list of questions along with a list of SCSU completers currently employed in their district. Participants were asked to review this information and consider the performance of these completers when responding to each question. At the start of each focus group session, participants completed an individual polling activity aligned with the focus group discussion, strengthening the validity of the data collected. Following the polling activity, participants engaged in guided discussions to elaborate on their responses. Participants were asked to maintain individual completers’ anonymity during the discussion. Quantitative results from the individual polling activity were aggregated and a summary of employer responses is presented in the table below. 

Initial Teacher Preparation Programs

Advanced Programs

Limitations: While the focus group methodology continues to yield meaningful and actionable employer feedback, the EPP recognizes that the data set remains limited as implementation is still in the early stages of the five-year data collection cycle. As data collection continues, results from successive focus group cycles will be aggregated and analyzed collectively.  

Awards for Teachers, Counselors, and Principals of the Year

We are proud of the achievements and recognitions of completers. These awards serve as a testament to the dedication and excellence of our graduates, providing strong evidence of the quality of their preparation.

Retention Rate for Initial Programs (UG & MAT) 

Cohorts are defined as the total number of students admitted to the College of Education who started their program during a given academic year (Fall, Spring or Summer).

Retention Rate for Advanced Programs 

Cohorts consist of all students admitted to one of the College of Education’s graduate advanced programs who started their program during a given academic year (Fall, Spring or Summer).   

Licensure Exams Pass Rates – Initial Programs 

For the initial preparation program, we share the pass rates for program completers, as reported by Title 2. The full report is available on this link (hyperlink to Title 2 report 2026).

Licensure Exams Pass Rates – Advanced Programs

For the advanced programs, the State of Connecticut does not provide official reports for the required licensure exams. The pass rates below are calculated based on the scores of program completers that we collected and/ or received from ETS and Pearson.

Title II Reports 

• Report Card—Title II 2026
• Report Card—Title II 2025
• Report Card—Title II 2024
• Report Card—Title II 2023
• Report Card—Title II 2022

Our Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) recognizes the importance of tracking program completers to promote accountability and drive continuous improvement. To monitor the career trajectories of completers, the EPP uses a combination of informal and formal methods, including alumni self-reporting and data from the public dashboard maintained by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).   

Employment Rate for Initial Programs 

To become eligible to work in Connecticut public schools, candidates must have taken and successfully completed all required licensure exams and earned Connecticut certification. To calculate the employment rate, the EPP tracks completers who are certified in Connecticut and eligible to work with their initial license area.

The table below presents the employment data for completers who earned their CT license no later than August 2025 and who are employed in Connecticut public schools no later than August 2025.

It is important to note that the employment data collected does not include positions in private schools within Connecticut, nor employment in other States.

Employment Rate for Advanced Programs 

Several advanced licensure programs require candidates to hold an active CT licensure and prior teaching experience. As a result, most completers hold one or more active CT certifications. Consequently, the EPP is unable to determine the specific certification under which completers are currently employed. 

As with the completers for initial programs, it is important to note that the employment data collected does not include positions in private schools within Connecticut, nor employment in other States.

Note: Some SCSU advanced programs are accredited by agencies other than CAEP and are therefore not reflected in this table. For a complete list of advanced programs reviewed under CAEP, please refer to the list provided on this webpage.