Burton College of Education > Assessment and Accreditation

Assessment and Accreditation

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EMPOWER. INVEST. IMPACT.

McNeese State University offers nationally accredited initial-certification baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate programs. As a member of the US PREP Coalition III, the Burton College of Education designed a collective system of expert support for teacher candidates around the vision of building effective teacher candidate competencies to meet the needs of all P-12 students. At the advanced level, the Burton College of Education offers a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction providing each candidate with mentor teacher training, a concentration area add-on, and clock hours applying to the Educational Leader Level 1 (EDL 1) Certificate: Alternate Pathway 2.

The McNeese State University Burton College of Education’s mission aligns with the University’s desire to change lives by creating exemplary educational experiences that empower our candidates, invest in our communities, and impact the world. We are committed to developing graduates fully prepared for their careers and who positively influence the communities in which they serve by supporting the success, health, and well-being for all.

The Burton College of Education positively promotes the education profession to P-12 students, current P-12 teachers, and adults looking for a second-career opportunity. Intentional efforts have been initiated to recruit candidates from all backgrounds and interests through Educators Rising partnerships with regional high schools, annual Unlock Education Regional Conferences, annual MPACT on Education Conferences, annual Explore Tours, and social media campaigns.

The Burton College of Education also strives to continue to strengthen its partnership with local districts by hosting shared governance meetings, collaborating to fill workforce needs, supporting residency candidates with certified mentor teachers and site supervisors, and continuously working together to make data-driven improvements to our programs.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

2023-2024 Prep Program Summary

2022-2023 Prep Program Summary

Explore MSU’s Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Programs’ Performance Profiles!

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

McNeese State University’s educator initial-licensure preparation programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). In the spring 2017 semester, the McNeese State University (MSU) Burton College of Education’s initial-licensure programs were approved for full accreditation from April 30, 2018, through June 30, 2025. In fall 2024, the Burton College of Education participated in a Reaccreditation virtual site visit and anticipate a final decision from CAEP in May 2025.

The following programs offered in the 2025-2026 Academic Catalog lead to recommendations for P-12 professional state licensure, certification, and/or endorsement and fall within the scope of CAEP accreditation.

Initial Certification Baccalaureate Programs

Initial Certification Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs

As of the 2025-2026 Academic Catalog, the Burton College of Education will no longer accept new enrollment in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. The following MAT programs are linked to the 2024-2025 catalog and are currently being taught out to currently enrolled candidates.

McNeese State University’s advanced level programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In the spring 2011 semester, the advanced level programs were approved for full accreditation. The Accreditation Council of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) met in October 2023 and the Burton College of Education at McNeese State University was granted accreditation at the advanced level. In fall 2024, the Burton College of Education participated in their Reaccreditation virtual site visit and anticipate a final decision from CAEP in May 2025.

The following Master of Education programs were reviewed during the CAEP Reaccreditation visit in fall 2024 and are currently offered in the 2025-2026 Academic Catalog.

Current List of Programs

Please view our McNeese State University 2025-2026 Inventory of Degree and Certificate Programs for a current list of program offerings.

Visit the USDE Title 2 website to locate information about individual teacher preparation programs pertaining to program types, number of enrolled candidates, race and gender of enrolled candidates, number of completers, GPA of completers, Praxis passage rates, and other relevant information.

CAEP Annual Accreditation Reporting Measures

CAEP implements four accountability measures to provide information to stakeholders and the public about program impacts and outcomes.

The CAEP Accountability Measures include:

  • Measure 1: Completer effectiveness and impact on P-12 learning and development
  • Measure 2: Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement
  • Measure 3: Candidate competency at program completion
  • Measure 4: Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they have prepared

Measure 1: Completer effectiveness and Impact on P-12 learning and development

(CAEP Component R4.1)

The links provided below are to the most current Louisiana Teacher Preparation Data Dashboards and Fact Books prepared by the Louisiana Board of Regents as evidence for indicators of completer effectiveness and impact on P-12 learning and development.

On July 1, 2023, the Louisiana Board of Regents (BOR) prepared the 2022 Board of Regents Teacher Preparation Report as an independent initiative. According to the BOR web site, the purpose was “to make Louisiana’s teacher preparation program outcomes available to the public”. The report provides information for both undergraduate and alternative certification teacher preparation programs including enrollment, completion, retention, licensure passage rates, and performance. Therefore the Board of Regents Teacher Preparation Report will now be referenced in place of the Data Dashboards and Fact Books.

Louisiana Board of Regents Teacher Preparation Reports

Louisiana Teacher Preparation Program Fact Books

Louisiana Teacher Preparation Data Dashboards- McNeese State University- Undergraduate Programs

Louisiana Teacher Preparation Data Dashboards- McNeese State University- Alternate Programs

1Due to COVID, the Louisiana Department of Education did not use COMPASS as a teacher evaluation tool and did not administer achievement tests to K-12 students during the 2019-20 academic year. Thus, COMPASS and value-added data are not available for the 2021 Teacher Preparation Data Dashboards.

2The following message was provided by the Louisiana Board of Regents concerning 2019 Teacher Preparation Data Dashboards and Fact Books: Due to discrepancies found in data used to calculate Growth in Student Learning Scores and Compass Teacher Evaluation Scores for new teachers completing individual teacher preparation programs, it was not possible to release 2019 Teacher Preparation Data Dashboards or create a 2019 Teacher Preparation Fact Book.  Please go to the USDE Title 2 website at https://Title2.ed.gov to locate information about teacher preparation programs pertaining to: listing of programs, number of enrolled candidates, race and gender of enrolled candidates, number of completers, GPA of completers, Praxis passage rates, and other relevant information.

According to the Louisiana Department of Education, Compass is Louisiana’s educator support and evaluation system. Every teacher in a Louisiana public school is evaluated annually based on the four-tiered rating system: Highly Effective, Effective Proficient, Effective: Emerging, and Ineffective. The evaluation system provides educators with regular, meaningful feedback on their performance. The Compass Student Outcome score is generated by the achievement of student learning targets. The Compass Professional Practice score is generated through observations by teachers’ supervisors. the two scores are combined to generate the Compass Final Evaluation Scores that range from 1.00 to 4.00. Compass scores are linked to the teacher preparation programs that prepared the new teachers.

The charts below identify first- and second-year teachers who obtained Compass Student Growth scores in each of the four effectiveness levels after completing a teacher education program at McNeese State University. This score is used to measure the teacher’s impact in contributing to P-12 student-learning growth. The years in the charts below indicate the Louisiana Teacher Preparation Fact Book or BOR Teacher Preparation Report from which the data was retrieved.

In five of the last six cycles of data reported by the Louisiana Board of Regents, MSU undergraduate completers have the highest mean scores in Student Growth of the Louisiana public and private university teacher preparation programs: 2023 (3.4), 2022 (3.3), 2020 (3.3), 2018 (3.4), 2017 (3.4) and 2018 (3.4).

Post-Baccalaureate completers have maintained overall mean scores in Student Growth ranging from 3.2 to 3.6. Over the last five reporting cycles, 0% of completers received an Ineffective rating.

Master of Arts in Teaching completers have remained consistent in performance with mean scores ranging from 3.3 to 3.6 for the years indicated. Over 68% of completers have scored Highly Effective in Student Growth each year for the last five years of reported data.

The charts below identify first- and second-year teachers who obtained Compass Professional Practice scores in each of the four effectiveness levels after completing an initial certification teacher education program at McNeese State University. This score is used to measure the teacher’s demonstrated effectiveness in professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

Trend data for MSU undergraduate program completers show an upward trend in the percentage scoring at the Effective Proficient and Highly Effective levels in Professional Practice. The percentage has increased each year from 92% in 2016 to 95% in 2023.

Post-Baccalaureate program completers have remained consistent from 2016 to 2022 on Compass Professional Practice scores with overall mean scores ranging from 3.3 to 3.4 and the total percentage of candidates scoring in the Effective Proficient and Highly Effective levels ranging from 95% to 98% in the previous five years and 100% in the 2023 data report.

Data trends for Master of Arts in Teaching completers in Compass Professional Practice scores show an upward trend in the number of Highly Effective scores received from 42% in 2016 to 68% in 2023. Combined Effective Proficient and Highly Proficient percentages have also shown a consistent increase from 92% to 98% in the previous five years and 100% in the 2023 data report. A notable increase in candidates scoring at the Highly Effective level can also be noted.

Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholder Involvement

(Component R4.2 | Component R5.3 | Component RA4.1)

Satisfaction of Employers

The McNeese State University Burton College of Education was a member of the University of School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP) Coalition III. As part of the partnership agreement, US PREP and BCOE created surveys administered to candidates completing a teacher education program, mentor teachers of residents, site coordinators, and school principals and district administrators of MSU program completers.

At the closing of each spring semester, a survey is administered to school principals and district administrators for input on teachers in their schools who are recent MSU graduates. Respondents rank effectiveness on a 4-point Likert scale from 1: Strongly Disagree to 4: Strongly Agree. Principal and district administrator results from 2023-2024 indicate overall satisfaction with the effectiveness of the completers with all components receiving mean scores meeting or exceeding the benchmark of 3.00 and ranging from 3.00 to 4.00.

The data is presented in the chart below for all questions rated. The highest four mean scores noted were in the following three areas: holding high expectations for all learners (μ=4.00), using knowledge about students (μ=4.00), and engaging in culturally responsive pedagogy (μ=4.00).

Principals and administrators, based on their experiences working with MSU alumni, indicated that they would recommend MSU graduates to other principals/assistant principals  (μ=3.67) and hire MSU graduates (μ=3.50).

Satisfaction of Employers (Advanced Level)

Of the five spring 2022 completers, four are working in their program areas. The following data is based on their employers’ survey responses. The Spring 2024 employer satisfaction surveys for ratings of Spring 2022 graduates had a 100% return rate, (n=4).

Employers (n=4) overall rating of graduates resulted in a mean score of 3.75-4.00 for the CAEP RA.1.1 Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Development. Data for each CAEP RA.1.1 skill measured at 4.00, highly effective, other than Collaborative Activities which earned a mean score of 3.75.

Employers (n=4) overall rating of graduates resulted in a mean score of 3.50-4.00 for the CAEP RA.1.2 Specialized Content Standards.

Academically Gifted Employers (n=2) rated their graduates above benchmark (3.00) at 4.00 on each of the CAEP RA1.2 Specialized Content Standards.

Content Literacy in K-12 Education Employers (n=2) rated their graduates at or above benchmark (3.00) at 4.00 on ILA standards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7. Graduates received a mean score of 3.50 for ILA standards 2 and 6.

Stakeholder Involvement

Stakeholder involvement, as defined by CAEP, involves both internal and external stakeholders in program design, evaluation, and continuous improvement processes. The relationship with public and charter school personnel at every level is valuable to program improvement and teacher retention. MSU and district representatives meet in shared spaces for Louisiana Department of Education webinars, regional personnel meetings, shared governance meetings, and content-specific meetings. Agendas and information are shared with faculty and used for continuous program improvement.

2023-2024 US PREP survey results indicate principals and district administrators who employ MSU teacher education program alumni and host teacher residents feel very positive about the partnership. Survey results indicate the following means on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1: Strongly Disagree to 4: Strongly Agree.

District personnel and principals are being heard, acknowledged, and their feedback is being implemented to drive program improvement. The Burton College of Education values its partnerships with local school districts.

Shared Governance meetings and Learning Walks provide a space for data discussions concerning current residents and first time teachers in the field provoking conversations about the development of knowledge and skills of candidates. Data share-outs with mentor teachers, site coordinators, district personnel and other stakeholders have invoked critical conversations with stakeholders about programming, assessments, evaluation tools, and candidate dispositions. We believe that our partnerships with local districts are fruitful and collaborative and strive to continue that path.

The Office of Clinical Practice and School Partnerships (CPSP) works closely with district personnel to inform programs and practices. Representatives regularly attend/host meetings with district/charter/school personnel to foster relationships with partners for collaboration around curriculum, clinical practices, and policies. EPP faculty meet with leadership from three local charter schools to discuss initiatives and collaborative opportunities to address needs through professional development and training. Recent curriculum meetings have centered on the co-construction of literacy coursework, SPED coursework, ELL student support, dyslexia training, classroom management, as well as the implementation of high leverage practices within the charter schools.

The EPP values transparency within residency to make purposeful programmatic changes. During the Learning Walks, the EPP faculty and district personnel observe classroom walk-throughs, implementation of coaching and support through co-teaching of a high-quality mentor teacher, and residency impact on P-12 student learning. Ultimately, these Learning Walks help the EPP and district
partners refine collective practices within the year-long residency.

The EPP also partners with CPSB to provide residents with technology integration training intending to lessen the gap between theory and application by providing the opportunity for teacher residents to implement technology within the classroom to impact P-12 learning. This endeavor, E3 Training, is rooted in the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, Common Core State Standards Initiative, and
National Board of Professional Teaching Standards’ Five Core Propositions, as well as the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards and the Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP).

At the end of each semester, resident focus groups are held to capture feedback on programmatic and residency experiences to enhance the educational experiences of future candidates. Information gained is reviewed by both the EPP and district personnel and is used in placement conversations with district HR to support residency placement requests. The EPP plans to incorporate the use of candidate
responses on the Mentor Teacher survey in these conversations as an added support for assigning the most effective mentors.

Input for advanced level programs is also gathered from stakeholders annually. During annual summer curriculum work, a review of M.Ed. program data, course content, clinical experiences, and assessments occurs. This annual curriculum review meeting is where we have critical conversations to develop strategies for improving our programming, candidates’ performance, and recruitment with data analyses and information gathers from graduates, employers, candidates, Site Mentors, and outside stakeholders.

Summer is also our opportunity to reach out to district personnel concerning specific clinical practice opportunities that would more strongly support our candidates’ mastery of the CAEP RA.1.1 elements and RA.1.2 standards. Our collective conversation in Summer 2023 focused heavily on Special Education Mild/Moderate programming. This specific content was chosen to realign expectations of clinical
practice application of content learning to ensure current federal and state laws and policies are being covered.

Critical input for program improvement is gathered through Stakeholder Focus Groups during the MPACT on Education Conference held annually since 2022. These conversations among program graduates, school administrators, and district-level personnel give an in-depth context to program alignment. Impact on Education Conference participants provide ideas from all stakeholder perspectives related to concepts such as content learning, clinical practices, opportunities for current practice, and general ideas for program improvement.

The above partnerships have led to a collective vision to ensure the progression of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and professional dispositions are strategically and purposefully scaffolded throughout the program. Course reviews and redesigns are often completed by district employees and the EPP hires several district administrators to redesign, update, and teach coursework within the education preparation programs related to their area of expertise. This is another collaborative opportunity that keeps coursework within the program current.

Measure 3: Candidate competency at program completion

Component R3.3

Multiple major assessments are collected throughout programs to assess candidate competency to positively impact diverse P-12 student learning and development through the application of content knowledge, foundational pedagogical skills, and technology integration in the field where certification is sought. Major assessments include Praxis exams, lesson plans, teaching cycles, performance portfolios, and field experience evaluations.

Praxis Content Exam First-Time Pass Rates

First-time pass rates on the content exams provide insight into the curriculum content for each program. During the redesign of the undergraduate baccalaureate programs, content coursework was chosen based on Praxis content and relevant P-12 standards. In the 2022-2023 academic year, program faculty again reviewed coursework to ensure alignment to both Louisiana Student Standards and Praxis content topics. This process involved both Burton College of Education faculty and faculty from content colleges across campus.

The 5001 series for Early Childhood (ECHD) and ELEM majors is displayed by sub-test. Due to traditionally lower first time pass rates on Praxis exams #5004: Social Studies and #5005: Science, current Early Childhood and Elementary Education baccalaureate programs implemented programmatic changes to better prepare candidates for required Praxis examinations.

The alignment of Praxis content topics to secondary and K-12 content coursework resulted in Spring 2024 secondary and K-12 completers showing the highest first time pass rate of the past four semesters. Supplemental resources are also offered to candidates to assist in exam preparation.

Danielson’s Framework for Teaching Observation Rubric Data at Completion of Program

The observation data reported below is on candidates in residency 1 and residency 2 semesters of an undergraduate initial certification program. The data below is from spring 2023, fall 2023, and spring 2024 completers.

Highlighted cells indicating means below benchmark (3.00) are all within Residency I semesters. Candidates show growth from Residency I to Residency II semester as a result of coaching and support from Site Coordinators and mentors.

Major Assessment Data from Residency I and Residency II

Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 completers (BACH, PBC, and MAT) met benchmark (3.00) for all InTASC standards aligned to Residency I and Residency II assessments at least 75% of the time.

Combined Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 completer data for all programs indicates candidates met benchmark (3.00) at or above 90% of the time for InTASC Standards 1, 5, 7, 9, and 10. InTASC Standard 8 seemed to be the most challenging for candidates as the benchmark (3.00) was met only 80% of the time.

Post-Baccalaureate and Master of Arts in Teaching Spring 2024 completers met benchmark (3.00) on 8 of the 10 InTASC Standards at a higher percentage than baccalaureate candidates. Baccalaureate candidates met benchmark 93% of the time for InTASC Standard 9, while PBC and MAT Completers were each at 79%.

Advanced Level Program Competencies

The EPP’s most compelling story around program strength and candidate competency is demonstrated through the triangulation of major assessment data, stakeholder feedback, and continuing development of our Master of Education program.

Major assessment data consistently shows candidates scoring at or above benchmark (3.00) on Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Development and Specialized Content Standards. Highlights include the following:

  • Core Research and Policy Coursework
    • EDUC 608: Policy, Law, and Ethics in P-12 Education: When combining three cycles of MEd data for generic skills #2 and #6, data indicate that 98% of completers (n=6) scored at or above benchmark (3.00) with a mean score of 3.67 on the Case Study assignment.
    • EDUC 601: Research I: Three cycles of MEd data show that 100% of completers scored aat benchmark (3.00) or above for mean scores on the Literature Review (Chapters 1-2) specialized content standards.
  • MEd Mentor Teacher Training Coursework
    • EDUC 504: Mentor Teacher I: Three cycles of MEd data show that 100% of completers scored at or above benchmark (3.00) for mean scores for #3 Employment of data analysis as evidence to develop supportive and inclusive school environments for Mentoring for Classroom Management submissions.
  • MEd Concentration Coursework
    • Academically Gifted: EDUC 687: Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted: Completers (n=5) scored above benchmark (3.00), earning a mean score of 4.00 on #5 Supporting appropriate applications of technology for their field of specialization.
    • Content Literacy in K-12 Education: EDUC 690: Practicum in Curriculum and Instruction: Completers (n=2) exceeded benchmark (3.00) earning a mean score of 4.00 on #3 Employment of data analysis and evidence to develop supportive and inclusive school environments.
    • Transformational Teaching and Learning: EDTC 629: Professional Development for K-12 Technology Integration. Completers (n=2) exceeded benchmark (3.00) earning a mean score of 3.33 on #4: Leading and/or participating in collaborative activities with others such as peers, colleagues, teachers, administrators, community organization, and parents.
  • MEd Concentration Coursework
    • Academically Gifted: EDUC 686: Characteristics of Gifted Individuals: Spring 2024 completers scored above benchmark (3.00) earning a mean score of 4.00 on NAGC-CEC Standard 1: Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences.
    • Content Literacy in K-12 Education: EDUC 631: Reading Assessment, Diagnosis, and Intervention: Completers (n=2) exceeded benchmark (3.00) earning a mean score of 4.00 on ILA Standard 3: Assessment and Evaluation.
    • Transformational Teaching and Learning: EDTC 625: Technology Planning and Administration: Completers (n=2) exceeded benchmark (3.00) earning a mean score of 4.00 on ISTE Standard 3.1: Equity and Citizenship Advocate.

Continuing Development of MEd Program

Using the annual collection of stakeholder input, every two years a program deep dive occurs to ensure a collective and in-depth examination of the direct alignment of program content and learning to real-world application (2019, 2021, 2023).

While we acknowledge meeting benchmark (3.00) is vital to candidates’ matriculation, we also understand that to graduate effective completers, our programs must remain current with application research and state and national laws and policies, require coaching and mentoring to impact change, and build curriculum experts through content learning and real-world application. Therefore, after annual stakeholder discussions, data-dialogues, and re-examination of our programs in 2023, the following program improvements have been implemented: redesigned course sequences with content learning in year 1 and research and Mentor Teacher coursework in year 2, realigned the three-course research sequence, identified clinical practices directly aligned to major assessments, revised major assessments, and created additional opportunities for purposeful stakeholder feedback.

Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired

Completers Meeting Licensing Requirements and Hired to Teach

MSU teacher education program completers have a consistently high rate of receiving their state teaching licensures. Candidates are required to successfully pass all Praxis licensure exams before starting their first semester of teacher residency. Additionally, candidates must maintain the required grade point average once admitted into a teacher education program. The Office of Clinical Practices and School Partnerships ensures that all candidates in residency are placed in schools with credentialed mentor teachers and/or ensure waivers are completed for the mentors chosen. Therefore, all completers are qualified to acquire their Louisiana teacher licensure upon completion of the program.

Job placement within one year of completion is reported within the Louisiana Teacher Preparation Fact Book for completers who taught in public schools in Louisiana in the year following program completion of an MSU undergraduate or alternate certification initial teacher preparation program. Completers who taught in private schools in Louisiana or began teaching in other states in their first year are not included in the follow-up year teaching data reported by the Louisiana Board of Regents.

The table below displays licensure rates for undergraduate and alternate certification completers. Additionally, the following job placement data was determined through additional research completed by MSU BCOE and includes candidates who began teaching the following year after program completion in a public, private, or charter school within or outside of Louisiana.

Advanced level Curriculum and Instruction program completers have the opportunity to add the following to their teaching license: add-on within concentration area, mentor teacher credentials, and/or Educational Leadership.

There were a total of 8 completers from Spring 2022 and Spring 2023 within the Advanced Level Programs. Two of the completers work out of state, leaving six to add credentials to their Louisiana teaching licenses.

  • 3 (50%) concentration area add-on (Academically Gifted Education (n=2) and Content Literacy (n=1))
  • 2 (33%) Mentor Teacher (Content Literacy (n=1) and Transformational Teaching and Learning (n=1)
  • 0 Educational Leader

CAEP Annual Reports and Data Presentations

Deans for Impact

  • 2018-2019: MSU Reflection on Our Improvement Journey
    • There was a correlation between the changes in the mathematics coursework within the elementary education program resulting from the Deans for Impact work and the increase in first-time pass rates of elementary education candidates on the Praxis Elementary Mathematics content exam in 2022, which was 100%.