Western Governors University

The standards for admission into either the institution or its teacher preparation program should be sufficiently selective to ensure that teacher candidates come from only the top half of the college-going population. In order to ensure that any test used as a screen is able to provide sufficient selectivity, it must be normed to the college-going population.

The program does not meet the standard because it does not exploit the potential for admission requirements (grade point averages, standardized tests commonly used for graduate admission and/or auditions) to provide assurance that teacher candidates have the requisite academic talent.

A diverse teacher workforce benefits all students, particularly students of color. While there has been real progress over the last twenty years in diversifying the teacher workforce,¹ these gains have not kept pace with a rapidly diversifying student population. To accelerate progress, strategic recruitment efforts by teacher preparation programs are essential.

• Teacher prep enrollment: 21 percent candidates of color²
• Utah teacher workforce: 7 percent teachers of color³
• Local demographics: 27 percent persons of color⁴

Programs earning a C do not sufficiently contribute to the diversification of the teacher workforce. Programs earn this grade under one of three conditions: 1. The percentage of enrolled candidates of color is up to 5 percentage points lower than the diversity of the state teacher workforce and local population; 2. The percentage of enrolled candidates of color meets or exceeds the diversity of the state teacher workforce, but is more than 5 percentage points lower than the proportion of persons of color in the local population; or, 3. The percentage of enrolled candidates of color meets or exceeds the diversity of the local population, but is more than 5 percentage points lower than the proportion of teachers of color in the state workforce.

Western Governors University is found to be 14.3 percentage points more diverse than the Utah teacher workforce and 6.0 percentage points less diverse than the local population.

Detailed course-level findings

All elementary teacher candidates should learn scientifically based reading instruction, the research-based content and methods to effectively teach all children to read. This content should be clearly evident in a teacher preparation program’s course materials, including class session topics, assignments, practice opportunities, and background materials. The five core components of scientifically based reading instruction evaluated under this standard are: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension.

A review of EDUC 5318 D164, EDUC 6207 C910, and EDUC 6380 C380 finds the program earns an F for not providing adequate coverage for any components.

To meet coverage requirements for a component, a program must earn at least 8 out of 12 points based on addressing the component through four instructional approaches: instructional hours, background materials (e.g., textbooks, readings, and other resources), objective measures of knowledge (e.g., tests or written assignments), and practice/application. A program can earn up to three points for each instructional approach.

Analysis found there was not adequate coverage of the following component(s):

• Phonemic Awareness: 3 of 12 points
• Phonics: 3.23 of 12 points
• Fluency: 3 of 12 points
• Vocabulary: 6.81 of 12 points
• Comprehension: 6.21 of 12 points

Evidence of Content Contrary to Research-Based Practices

Analysis identified evidence of one practice that runs contrary to research. Specifically, the program was found to provide coverage of:

• Balanced literacy

For additional information on how programs are scored, please review the technical report. The link below provides a more detailed program summary, including course-level analysis based on the material provided.

Download the detailed course-level findings




Support for Range of Learners
(Ungraded: Findings did not contribute your grade)

All elementary teacher candidates should be prepared to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students. To elevate the importance of instruction on how to support a range of learners, including struggling readers, English language learners, and students who speak language varieties other than mainstream English (e.g. speakers of African American English or Appalachian English), this analysis looks for evidence in the teacher preparation program’s course materials including class session topics, assignments, practice opportunities, and background materials.

To provide feedback on how institutions address instruction, a program can earn up to a total of eight points for each population over four instructional approaches: instructional hours, background materials (e.g. textbooks, readings, and other resources), objective measures of knowledge (e.g. tests and written assignments), and practice/application. A program can earn up to two points for each instructional approach.

Analysis found the following coverage for supporting a range of learners:

• Struggling Readers: 1.62 of 8 points, placing this program at the 24th percentile among evaluated programs.
• English Language Learners: 2.62 of 8 points, placing this program at the 48th percentile among evaluated programs.
• Students who speak language varieties other than mainstream English: 0 of 8 points, placing this program at the 1st percentile among evaluated programs. Note that programs' attention to this group of students is nascent, and few programs had evidence of any attention in this area.

Download the detailed course-level findings

Students cannot excel in mathematics without skillful instruction in the earliest years of school. Teacher candidates generally require three semesters of coursework, complemented by adequate field practice, to progress from a procedural to a conceptual understanding of the essential mathematics topics taught in the elementary grades.

Courses reviewed: MATH 5010 C682, and EDUC 6202 C381

Through a review of the coursework noted above, the program was found to require too few SCHs of content-focused coursework for teacher candidates to develop a comprehensive understanding of elementary mathematics.

Next Steps
To improve under this standard, require teacher candidates to complete at least four SCH of coursework focused on developing their conceptual understanding of numbers & operations, algebra, geometry, and data analysis & probability.

Because they cannot teach what they do not know, teacher candidates need to have content knowledge in English/language arts, social studies, and science. Graduate programs should make sure that their elementary candidates know the subjects they will teach, either by reviewing their transcripts, requiring that they pass rigorous standardized assessments, or requiring that they complete content courses by graduation. If candidates are admitted with deficiencies in content preparation, the program should clearly delineate necessary remediation.

The program meets this standard because of commendably specific requirements for content preparation that must be satisfied in a review of applicants' transcripts. These requirements will ensure that prospective candidates have the content preparation that will best serve them in the classroom in

• Literature and Composition
• History and Geography
• Science

Student teaching serves a critical role in preparing teacher candidates to take the reins of their own classroom. This apprenticeship allows candidates to build on coursework by learning directly from an established teacher, and practice and refine essential instructional and management skills.

Student teaching should be at least 10 weeks long in order to offer opportunities for repeated cycles of practice and growth. It should be full- or nearly-full-time, and include several weeks during which the candidate has primary responsibility for teaching the whole class for full days, so that the candidate can experience the full demands of being a teacher.

• Our review finds that the program includes at least 10 weeks of full- or nearly-full-time student teaching, but does not require candidates to take primary responsibility for a classroom for at least three weeks.

In addition, there are two essential steps that programs should take to safeguard the value of the experience:

1. Supply student teachers with sufficient feedback by requiring supervisors to provide student teachers with at least four instances of written feedback based on observations.

• A review of program policy finds that supervisors are required to provide a minimum of 6 instances of written feedback based on observations.

2. Establish a structured process for selecting strong cooperating teachers that includes the collection of sufficient information to confirm that cooperating teachers have relevant skills, including ability as a mentor and instructional effectiveness as measured by student learning.

• Analysis finds that this program collects information on cooperating teachers' skills in both areas.

Based on the findings above, the program meets this standard.

Next Steps

• Ensure that the student teaching experience includes at least three weeks when the candidate takes primary responsibility for planning and presenting instruction for full days.
• Clear requirements for cooperating teachers can help to guide the cooperating teacher selection process. At a minimum, cooperating teachers should be both strong mentors of adults and highly effective instructors. Our review finds that program requirements include that cooperating teachers must be strong mentors, but do not address teacher effectiveness as defined by student learning.

New teachers and their principals consistently report that classroom management is one of their greatest challenges. Teachers will be better prepared to establish a positive classroom environment if, during their preparation programs, they practice and receive feedback on the five classroom management strategies shown by conclusive research to be useful for all students. These strategies are:

1. Rules and Routines – Establishing classroom rules and routines that set expectations for behavior;
2. Learning Time – Maximizing the time that students are engaged in learning by pacing lessons appropriately, managing class materials and the physical setup of the classroom, and teaching interesting lessons;
3. Praise – Using meaningful praise and other forms of positive reinforcement to encourage appropriate behavior;
4. Low-profile Redirection – Using unobtrusive means that do not interrupt instruction to prevent and manage minimally disruptive behavior; and
5. Consequences – Addressing more serious misbehavior with consistent, appropriate consequences.

Student teaching and residency are crucial times for the development and refinement of classroom management skills. The first few months of school are just as critical for candidates in alternative programs who have full responsibility for a classroom of children. Evaluation and observation forms used during these experiences can shape the feedback that participants receive on key classroom management strategies.

A review of program evaluation and/or observation instruments finds that they provide feedback on student teachers' use of the following classroom management strategies:

• Rules and Routines
• Learning Time
• Praise
• Low-profile Redirection
• Consequences

The program meets the standard because the feedback provided to student teachers addresses all of the critical classroom management strategies.

Next Steps
Repeated feedback on the same or similar indicators can provide program participants invaluable guidance as they strengthen their classroom management skills. Consider examining all observation and evaluation forms used by program supervisors, cooperating teachers, and any other individuals who evaluate program participants to check that they provide repeated, consistent feedback on classroom management, and modifying them if necessary.