The first release of Annual Performance Reports for educator preparation programs (APR-EPPs) was presented at today’s State Board of Education meeting. The APR-EPPs are based on five years of reporting by educator preparation programs at Missouri colleges and universities. The report also gives the public, particularly parents and students, reliable information about each program’s performance.

The APR-EPP is divided into four performance levels:

• Tier 1 – 90 to 100 percent of the possible points
• Tier 2 – 70 to 89 percent of the possible points
• Tier 3 – 50 to 69 percent of the possible points
• Tier 4 – 49 percent or less of the possible points

Most educator preparation programs in Missouri scored in Tiers 1 or 2, a few scored in Tier 3, and none scored in Tier 4. The programs reported how many candidates passed the certification exam within two tries and the content area grade point average for teacher candidates. The APR-EPP results also include survey results from first-year teachers, new principals and the principals’ supervisors as to the preparation program’s effectiveness.

“High-quality educator preparation programs are crucial to helping Missouri meet its goal of placing effective teachers and leaders in every classroom and building,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “This accountability report is designed to provide the programs with feedback for continuous improvement.”

The individual APR-EPPs and the 2016 Comprehensive Guide to the Annual Performance Report for Educator Preparation Programs are available online.

Beginning in 2018, the APR-EPPs will be used by the State Board for making decisions on EPP accreditation.

The APR-EPPs are the culmination of five years of development by the Department’s Office of Educator Quality in collaboration with higher education institutions, professional education associations, and public schools. The Department received input from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), an organization that includes a focus on educator quality among its educational efforts and supports Missouri Transforming Educator Preparation (MoTEP), which is a group of various education stakeholders that collaborates with other states.

The APR-EPP was reviewed by several education groups, including Missouri Assessment Directors of Educators Preparation Programs, Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Missouri Council of Education Deans, and Missouri Professors of Educational Administration. 

Preparing, developing and supporting effective educators is one of the main goals of Missouri’s Top 10 by 20 campaign, which aims for student performance to rank among the top 10 states by 2020.