AAQEP National Accreditation 2019

Founded in 1905 as Missouri's Fifth District Normal School, Northwest Missouri State University’s primary mission has long been the preparation of teachers. Over a century ago, our earliest mission was preparing teachers for the schools of our nineteen-county region -- which covers almost 10,000 square miles, an area slightly larger than the state of Vermont, and then home then to nearly 6,000. Today, that area is home to more than 580,000, and we prepare teachers that teach far beyond those early boundaries; many of our candidates go on to work in Iowa and Nebraska as well, in and around Omaha, Lincoln, and Des Moines, as well as into other parts of Missouri, particularly Kansas City and St. Joseph. Northwest has long been lauded in the field of education; amongst numerous other awards, Northwest has twice been honored with the prestigious Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education, first in 2006 and then again in 2018, just the third institution in the nation to earn the award two times. Here at Northwest, we take pride in our long heritage, the quality of our programs and teachers and school leaders that graduate from our programs, and their reach in the region and beyond.

Our main residential campus – located in Maryville, Missouri, a city of 12,972, which has been ranked the past three years as one of the safest college towns in the United States – is designated the Missouri State Arboretum (and recently ranked as one of the finest in the nation) and near campus lies the 448-acre University Farm and 315-acre Mozingo Outdoor Education and Recreation Area (MOERA). Northwest serves the community and region economically through the state-of-the-art Center for Innovation  – a mixed-use business incubator and an academic facility that fuels high-tech enterprise and job creation. We are also proud of our most recent addition to campus, the Hughes Fieldhouse, a 137,000-square-foot recreation and multipurpose facility which opened in 2018. We also proudly opened our award-winning Northwest Kansas City campus in Gladstone in 2016; the campus supports students enrolled in completion programs in business management, marketing, communication, psychology, as well as elementary education.

Northwest is a co-educational, primarily residential four-year state university which enrolls 6,857 students from 44 states: 5,654 undergraduate and 1,197 graduate/specialist (as of Fall 2018). Of these, approximately 1,500 are enrolled in our education programs. The University touts achievements that include a graduation rate in the 89th percentile of its national peer group. Northwest also owns state-leading career placement rates of 97.4 percent for undergraduates and 99.8 percent for graduate students. As part of the University’s retention strategy focused on affordability, Northwest includes textbooks and a laptop in its tuition, which saves students an estimated $7,300 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program.

Though the rural nineteen-county Northwest Missouri area lacks significant racial and ethnic diversity, the university prides itself, nonetheless, fostering an increasingly racially and ethnic diverse student body: 1,316 students, or 19 percent of the student population, identify with underrepresented groups or hail from countries outside the United States. The university established its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in spring 2016 to promote racial harmony, campus diversity, and physical and educational accessibility to give all students opportunities for success. Northwest’s 219 underrepresented domestic first-time students in the fall of 2018 represented the third-largest total in the University’s history and a fourteen percent increase from the previous fall. Northwest’s total minority enrollment in the fall of 2018 was 879 students, which was up more than six percent from the previous fall and represents almost thirteen percent of the student body. The university’s enrollment includes 437 international students, who represent six percent of Northwest’s student body. They hail from 37 different countries, the majority from India, Nepal, South Korea and Nigeria. Northwest also pride itself on being an LGBT-ally campus where students of all sexual orientations and gender identities feel at home.

Northwest further prides itself on our two laboratory schools and the opportunities they afford our teacher candidates. Our Horace Mann Laboratory School opened in 1906, just a year after the university, and today serves approximately 85 children in four K-6 classrooms. The Phyllis and Richard Leet Center serves approximately 70 additional children from three to five years of age in three classrooms. Horace Mann proudly offers tuition assistance for families demonstrating need; currently, eighteen children benefit from the tuition assistance program. All children benefit from ninety minutes of instruction each week in physical education, art, and music. Band instruction begins in fifth grade and all K-6 children have the opportunity to participate in after-school programming. The Horace Mann Laboratory School employs twelve master-level instructors, a resource teacher, two associate teachers, one part-time nurse, one full-time office manager, ten assistant teachers (formerly graduate assistants), and 36 student workers. Faculty members visit classrooms to teach, observe, conduct research and work with children and instructors. Northwest early childhood and elementary teacher candidates gain hands-on experience in these classrooms, completing field experience and coursework requirements through observation, internships, and practicum courses.

An important component of the laboratory approach is commitment to quality, research and the dissemination of information. The Leet Center has earned the distinction of accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The Horace Mann Laboratory School actively seeks the opportunity to present at professional conferences, such as, International Association of Laboratory Schools, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the annual Conference on the Young Years. Additionally, the Horace Mann Laboratory School and Leet center host visiting schools interested in learning about hands-on learning in carefully cultivated spaces designed to invite learning through inquiry.

Northwest offers several undergraduate certification programs in early childhood (B-3), elementary (1-6), middle (5-9), secondary (9-12), and K-12. Middle and secondary programs cover a diverse range of content areas, which support area school districts’ needs for high-quality teachers: agriculture, art, biology, business, chemistry, English, health, math, music (vocal and instrumental), science, social studies, Spanish, and speech and theatre. Undergraduate programs are delivered at Northwest's main campus in Maryville, MO; many include online components through the Canvas course management system.

Northwest additionally offers numerous graduate-level certification programs; these include programs in educational leadership, school counseling, reading, elementary mathematics specialist, special education, and initial, post-baccalaureate certification programs in middle, secondary & K-12 content areas. The same academic content areas are available for post-baccalaureate certification. Coursework for some graduate programs is delivered in Maryville and Gladstone and follow a combination of blended, in-person, web conferencing and online formats. Four graduate programs (Educational Leadership, Reading, Curriculum and Instruction, and Special Education) utilize an asynchronous online delivery model using our Canvas course management system. Every graduate program requires a comprehensive assessment and a research component to measure students’ competencies at graduation and program level effectiveness. Below, please see the number of enrolled students and completers by degree type and program, followed by a comprehensive list of Northwest Educator Preparation Programs under consideration by AAQEP for national accreditation.

B.S.Ed.

M.S.Ed.

Ed.S.

B.M.E.

Minor

Certification

Alternative Certification Program for Initial Certification

• AGRICULTURE EDUCATION, GRADES 9-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• ART, GRADES K-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• BIOLOGY, GRADES 9-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• BUSINESS EDUCATION, GRADES 9-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• CHEMISTRY, GRADES 9-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• MILD/MODERATE CROSS-CATEGORICAL DISABILITIES, GRADES K-12 – ALTERNATIVE/POST-BACCALAUREATE
• ENGLISH, GRADES 9-12 - Alternative
• MARKETING, GRADES 9-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• MATHEMATICS, GRADES 9-12 - Alternative
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION AGRICULTURE, GRADES 5-9 - ALTERNATIVE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION BUSINESS, GRADES 5-9 - ALTERNATIVE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5-9 - ALTERNATIVE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION MATHEMATICS, GRADES 5-9 ALTERNATIVE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION SCIENCE, GRADES 5-9 - ALTERNATIVE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION SOCIAL SCIENCE, GRADES 5-9 - ALTERNATIVE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION SPEECH AND THEATRE, GRADES 5-9 - ALTERNATIVE
• INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, GRADES K-12 Alternative
• VOCAL MUSIC, GRADES K-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• PHYSICAL EDUCATION, GRADES K-12 ALTERNATIVE
• PHYSICS, GRADES 9-12 - Alternative
• SOCIAL SCIENCE, GRADES 9-12 ALTERNATIVE
• SPANISH, GRADES K-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• SPEECH AND THEATRE, GRADES 9-12 - ALTERNATIVE
• UNIFIED SCIENCE: BIOLOGY, GRADES 9-12 Alternative Certification
• UNIFIED SCIENCE: CHEMISTRY, GRADES 9-12 Alternative Certification
• UNIFIED SCIENCE: EARTH SCIENCE, GRADES 9-12 Alternative Certification

Post-Baccalaureate Programs for Initial Certification

• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION AGRICULTURE, GRADES 5-9 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• AGRICULTURE EDUCATION, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• ART, GRADES K-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• BIOLOGY, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION BUSINESS, GRADES 5-9 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• BUSINESS EDUCATION, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• CHEMISTRY, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• ENGLISH, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5-9 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• MARKETING, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION MATHEMATICS, GRADES 5-9 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• MATHEMATICS, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, GRADES K-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• VOCAL MUSIC, GRADES K-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• PHYSICAL EDUCATION, GRADES K-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• PHYSICS, GRADES 9-12  - POST-BACCALAUREATE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION SCIENCE, GRADES 5-9 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• SOCIAL SCIENCE, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• SPANISH, GRADES K-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE
• MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION SPEECH AND THEATRE, GRADES 5-9 POST-BACCALAUREATE
• SPEECH AND THEATRE, GRADES 9-12 – POST-BACCALAUREATE

Graduate Programs (M.S.Ed or Ed.S.) including those leading to State Certification

• M.S.Ed., GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING (SECONDARY COUNSELOR, GRADES 7-12)
• M.S.Ed., GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING, (ELEMENTARY COUNSELOR, GRADES K-8 )
• M.S.Ed., ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS, (ELEMENTARY MATH SPECIALIST, GRADES 1-6)
• M.S.Ed., EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: K-12 (SECONDARY PRINCIPAL), GRADES 7-12
• M.S.Ed., EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: K-12 (ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL), GRADES K-8   
• *M.S.Ed., HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION: K-12
• Ed.S, SECONDARY PRINCIPAL, GRADES 7-12 (Specialist level)
• Ed.S ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL, GRADES K-8   (Specialist level)
• M.S.Ed., READING: SPECIAL READING, GRADES K-12
• SPECIAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR, GRADES K-12
• SUPERINTENDENT, GRADES K-12 (with Doctorate coursework)
• SUPERINTENDENT, GRADES K-12
• *CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
• *SPECIAL EDUCATION
• *EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
• *M.S.Ed. in TEACHING: SECONDARY (Agriculture; English; Social Science; Mathematics; Science)
• *Higher Education Leadership (not currently accepting applicants)
• *Graduate Programs NOT leading to state Certification

For a more in-depth quality assurance data and program information for both initial and advanced teacher, leader, and counselor preparation programs at Northwest, see Table 1: Northwest Teacher & Leader Preparation Programs Summary.

A Graduate Internship in Secondary Teaching (GIST) allows post-baccalaureate students to achieve initial certification in conjunction with the completion of an M.S.Ed. in Teaching degree. Post-baccalaureate students are not required to pursue the M.S.Ed. in order to gain initial licensure. The Alternate Certification Program is designed for those who have accepted a teaching position but are not certified; candidates in this program complete special classes that are delivered in an online format.

A doctoral program in educational leadership and policy analysis is provided in cooperation with the University of Missouri-Columbia and three other Missouri institutions. Nearly half of the coursework for this degree is offered on the Northwest campus; the degree, however, is awarded through University of Missouri-Columbia. This program is delivered through a combination of online, web conferencing, and face-to-face instruction.

Both undergraduate and graduate programs have defined admission requirements specific to qualifications ensuring all students accepted to the programs are capable of success. Each program has specific program outcomes tied to national standards as well as the university’s institutional learning outcomes.  These program outcomes are evaluated through identified assessments tied to specific assignments in coursework. This evaluation of program outcomes guide intentional instructional and program level changes to benefit every student. To match a strategic university outcome for professional based learning, a wide diversity of field experiences are incorporated at the initial, developing, and culminating stages of every program (to be described briefly in the following section and in more detail later in the report).

Teacher education programs at Northwest are approved by Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). All Northwest programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and has been an Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) institution since 2005. Northwest's programs are further accredited by the Missouri State Board of Education.

Northwest prides itself on having formed more than fifty mutually-beneficial partnerships with school districts in four states (see Table 2: Northwest B-12 District Partnerships for a complete list of our school partnerships). The Northwest campus is situated in Maryville, the county seat of Nodaway County, and home of the Maryville R-II School District and its three public schools: Eugene Field Elementary, Maryville Middle School, and Maryville High School. St. Gregory’s Barbarigo Catholic Church supports an P-8 parochial school in Maryville. The university also has a footprint in the rural communities of Nodaway County, and Northwest’s Professional Education Unit (PEU) actively partners with the six school districts that call the county home: North Nodaway, West Nodaway, NE Nodaway, Nodaway Holt, South Nodaway, and Jefferson. Northwest educator preparation programs strive to meet state and jurisdictional needs through our clinical partnerships, aligning with AAQEP standard 4.5.

In addition to these, Northwest also maintains partnerships with more than fourteen additional rural school districts in Missouri and Iowa. Further, Northwest also has developed partnerships in urban and suburban districts in St. Joseph, MO; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE; Lincoln, NE and Des Moines, IA. We pride ourselves on both the work that our faculty and teacher candidates complete in serving these districts as well as the environments our partners foster that permit Northwest teacher candidates a space in which to grow and mature as professional educators. 

All teacher candidates complete multiple field experiences in multiple districts and in a variety of settings. These experiences begin in their first semester in the program, in 62-111 Ecology of Teaching, continue in each semester of their coursework, and culminate in a semester-long (middle and secondary) or year-long student teaching experience (elementary). (See Table 4: Northwest Teacher Candidate Field Experiences Crosswalk for a full list of field experiences). All teacher candidates observe and teach in both rural and urban settings, with diverse student populations, and in a number of grade and content settings, both within and outside their discipline area, as outlined in the Northwest Student Teaching Handbook. Though we recognize that teacher candidates sometimes return to teach in districts that demographically represent those they graduated from, Northwest prides itself nonetheless in preparing all teacher candidates with the skills and dispositions necessary for success in a variety of different districts and with the many diverse learners that make up Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and the many other schools Northwest teacher candidates eventually begin their careers.

The Northwest Professional Education Unit actively seeks to partner our candidates with teachers of remarkable skill and deep content knowledge. Our quality assurance system utilizes survey data to gauge the effectiveness and impact of practicum and clinical experience supervisors and cooperating teachers on our candidates' learning. We annually review our candidates' perceptions of their partnered teachers and our director of clinical experience works with teachers and administrators to ensure the best possible clinical practice setting for our candidates. This helps us maintain quality.

Dr. Tim Wall, Dean of the School of Education, serves as the leader of the Professional Education Unit (PEU). Dr. Sue Wood serves as Assistant Dean of the School of Education, and Dr. Joseph Haughey as the Assistant Director of Teacher Education. Clinical experiences are staffed and supervised by Dr. Greg Rich, with assistance from Mrs. Cathy Barr who serves as Assistant Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experience. Assessment and analysis of the quality assurance system is led by Dr. Michael McBride, Associate Director of Accreditation and Assessment, who formerly served as the Director of Assessment of the PEU from 2012-2018 before his promotion to a university-wide institutional research position. A small group of faculty make up the School of Education Leadership Team, with roles in state accreditation (Dr. Nissa Ingraham), curriculum (Dr. Sue Wood), communications and day-to-day operations (Dr. Sandy Seipel), and coordination of undergraduate and graduate program approval (Dr. David Kiene), along with Ms. Emily Mattson, office manager. Certification services, including licensure and credentialing, state-to-state certification, and compliance/reporting for Title II are provided by Ms. Kim Hullinger, our education compliance specialist and certification officer. Ms. Amy Wilson serves as the Coordinator of Teacher Education Student Services (TESS) office which supports admission to professional education, quality assurance, data warehousing and criminal background checks processing and reporting for initial clinical practice. The Horace Mann Laboratory School Principal is Mrs. Laura King. The Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families is led by Mrs. Cindy Rouner, with office managerial support from LaTessa Ruehter. This set of leaders and support staff provide oversight of the programs and clinical experiences that enable our candidates to be successful, and earn licensure. This robust team helps maintain capacity for quality, resources, and operational processes. This reflects a strong institutional commitment commensurate with AAQEP standard 3.6.

In addition to the faculty of the School of Education, the PEU is comprised of faculty from all of the academic units on campus. These include: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Agricultural Sciences, the Melvin D & Valorie G Booth School of Business, the School of Communication and Mass Media, the School of Computer Science and Information Systems, and the School of Health Science and Wellness.

Governance and curricular oversight & authority is vested in the Council on Teacher Education (COTE). This policymaking body is comprised of four faculty from the School of Education, one faculty from Career and Technical Professional Education (Agriculture and Business), one faculty from School of Health Science and Wellness, four faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, a representative from the Horace Mann Laboratory School, the director and assistant director of teacher education, the unit assessment leader, the certification officer, Teacher Education Student Services coordinator, an undergraduate and graduate education student, a partner elementary teacher representative, a partner middle or high school teacher representative, and a partner school administrator or counselor.

COTE has responsibility for standardizing instruction in all initial and advanced teacher education programs including approval of curriculum, compliance with teacher certification requirements, admission to and retention in teacher education, and approval of teacher education student organizations. Proposals passed by COTE are reported to the Faculty Senate and the Graduate Council and are then forwarded to the chief academic officer for submission to the President for consideration by the Northwest Board of Regents.

Further, three standing COTE committees provide additional leadership to the PEU. The Teacher Education Admission Committee (TEAC) hears petitions regarding program admission; teacher candidates can petition in special circumstances either to enroll in blocked classes or for alternative program admission. TEAC ensures that the admissions process to the Professional Education Program is managed carefully and fairly. The primary focus of this team is to assure talented students have the support necessary to qualify for entry into the Professional Education Program and to hear cases of students who have not yet met these expectations. The Teacher Education Guidance Committee (TEGC) is responsible for issues affecting teacher candidates after admission to the School of Education, these may include curricular issues, dispositional issues and/or have deficiencies that are potentially so serious that the candidate’s success in the field of teaching would be in jeopardy and has the authority to remove candidates from their program. The Quality Assurance Team (QAT) consists of faculty and staff who meet twice per month during the fall and spring semesters and ensure that student and program assessment data is valid, reliable and used to make continuous improvement decisions.

Program policies are further outlined in the Northwest Professional Education Handbook.

According to our university mission and vision, Northwest will be THE university of choice for a comprehensive, exceptional student experience. The University values student success, scholarship and life-long learning, intercultural experience, collaboration, respect and integrity, strategic thinking, and excellence. The mission statements of both Northwest Missouri State University and its PEU reflect the AAQEP principles of fairness and a belief that all students can learn as borne out by Northwest's Mission: focusing on student success - every student, every day.

The PEU mission and vision expands upon the university mission, situating the university within the broader context of the schools we serve: "The Northwest Missouri State University Professional Education Unit will be a catalyst for education excellence by preparing P-12 professional educators who apply best practices to positively impact learning." The PEU prepares highly effective, ethical, professional educators who possess the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions in order to embrace the responsibility for the learning of all children in a diverse and dynamic society. Northwest broadly and its PEU specifically are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion: to creating a dynamic climate that fosters intellectual development, meaningful relationships, and cross-cultural understanding among students. Our goal is to cultivate and draw on the contributions and experiences of a variety of local, regional, and national entities to enhance student learning. This fosters creative inquiry, learning, and service, thereby producing professional educators who are caring, capable, and qualified to service schools and the community.