Content Area Program Review Training

Step 2: Program Contents and Review Process

Program Contents

As part of the accreditation and program approval process, institutions offering educator preparation programs must submit a program review document prior to their accreditation visit or for program approval by the EPSB. A program review document is a concise description of each of the institution's educator preparation programs and includes the following:

Unit's Conceptual Framework - the rationale and organizing principles that guide the development of the curriculum for professional education;

Program's Conceptual Framework - a statement demonstrating the program's relationship to the unit's conceptual framework, showing how the program flows from this framework;

Program Experiences - the relationship among the program's courses and experiences, national learned society standards, state performance standards, and KERA initiatives;

Themes - areas of emphasis that must be included in all programs. These themes are diversity, assessment, literacy/reading, and closing the achievement gap.

Continuous Assessment - explanation how the program ensures quality and candidate competency in academic content and state performance standards prior to candidates' exit from the program;

Faculty - a list of educators responsible for and involved with the delivery of a specific program. It identifies the educators' highest degree field and university; assignment; faculty rank; scholarship, leadership in professional associations, and service and responsibilities in the program; and

Curriculum Guidesheet/Curriculum Contract - the coursework, elective hours, admission criteria and assessments required of candidates prior to exit from the program.

Review Process

In advance of a scheduled on-site accreditation visit or when the college/university, school district, or private agency wishes to offer a new certification program, the entity's educator preparation unit prepares and submits to the EPSB the program review documents for each program for which the institution is seeking approval.

Upon receipt of the program review documents, EPSB staff assigns appropriate Content Area Reviewers to evaluate the program content. Written comments submitted by the Content Area Reviewers are included in information sent to the Reading Committee via the Content Area Review Committee Worksheet. The Continuous Assessment Review Committee (CARC) reviews the continuous assessment plan and shares its review with the Reading Committee. The Reading Committee review the programs and the evaluations of CARC and the Content Area Reviewers to determine whether or not the program is in compliance with the state guidelines. There are four distinct sets of guidelines which outline the requirements. These sets of guidelines are the Program Guidelines, the Administrator Program Guidelines, the Program Guidelines for Rank change only Programs, and the Endorsement Guidelines. If the program is found to be in compliance, the Reading Committee makes a recommendation for approval to the EPSB. If the program is found not in compliance, the Reading Committee notifies the submitting entity of the concerns. The college/university, school district, or private agency has an opportunity to respond to the concerns until each has been removed.

There are approximately six members on each of the Content Area Review Committees. If you accept the invitation to participate on a committee, you should expect to receive two to three programs twice a year for review and comment. On the average, committee members are given approximately three weeks to review programs sent to them.

Summary of Review Process

• Step 1: Program Review Document is submitted to the EPSB's Division of Educator Preparation (DEP).
• Step 2: Program Review Document is assigned and sent to Content Area Reviewers by DEP staff; DEP staff completes Staff Review, and CARC reviews Continuous Assessment Plan.
• Step 3: Content Area Reviewers submit Content Area Review Worksheet to DEP staff.
• Step 4: CARC and Content Area Reviewers' comments and Program Review Document sent to Reading Committee.
• Step 5: Reading Committee reviews Program Review Document and makes decision on program recommendation.
• Step 6: Any concerns regarding the Program Review Document are shared with the submitting institution via Program Review Update.
• Step 7: Submitting institution works with DEP staff to address all concerns.
• Step 8: Once all concerns are cleared, Program Review Document is recommended to EPSB for approval (if the program has not previously been approved) or
• Step 8: For an institution submitting all its certification programs in anticipation of an accreditation visit, DEP staff sends a Program Review Update that identifies the status of each certification program at the institution to the institution's Dean/Chair.