DESE Releases Performance Evaluation
The School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is celebrating after release of a new performance report from the state agency that oversees Missouri’s public schools.
Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in March released its first-ever Annual Performance Reports for teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities in the state. Fourteen of UMKC’s certification programs received “Tier 1” rankings.
“We were extremely gratified to earn Tier 1 designations for all of our ranked programs,” said Justin Perry, Ph.D., dean of the UMKC School of Education. “This is a testament to the quality of instruction our faculty provides, and the talent and dedication of our students and alumni.”
According to DESE, the Annual Performance Reports are based on five years of reporting by educator preparation programs at Missouri colleges and universities. The programs reported how many candidates passed the certification exam within two tries and the content area grade point average for teacher candidates. The results also include survey results from first-year teachers, new principals and the principals’ supervisors as to the preparation program’s effectiveness.
In their presentation to the State Board, DESE articulated three purposes for the APR: “accredit the certification programs, provide annual data to guide continuous improvement of certification programs, and inform the public about quality.”