Student Outcomes – Lessons Learned on Employed and Satisfied EAB Approved Schools Conference November 9, 2006 Patrick J. Sweeney, School Administration Consultant Educational Approval Board

EABs 2-year Focus on Student Outcomes EABs Process for Analyzing Employed Narratives Employed Assumptions and Best Practice Components School Groupings Explained Overall Findings by Group Given Findings, EABs Actions and Requirements for Next Year Questions / Discussion Session Overview

Regional Meeting I: Focus, Definitions, Electronic Definitions: Last Years Conference Met with Accreditors (DETC, ACICS, ACCSCT, and ACCET) about Student Outcomes and Lessons Learned Regional Meeting II: Electronic, Definitions, Survey, Modernization School Renewal Process: Employed Narratives History of Student Outcomes Focus

Looked for Best Practices: Placement EAB Admin Rule on Placement Settled on Best Practice Components in Placement Grouped Schools for Analysis Reviewed Narratives with Best Practice Components Summarized Overall Findings by Groups of Schools Analyzing Employed Narratives

Adults enroll in EAB approved schools to start careers and/or enhance existing careers. The employer of the schools graduates is the schools ultimate customer. Schools need to have verifiable data from employers about graduates to ensure the schools program is up to date and the school is an effective institution. Placement of graduates must be part of the schools mission and placement activities start at interview and orientation. Placement Assumptions A well-designed graduate placement process produces good student outcomes and usable program and institutional information. Some basic assumptions must be built into the schools gradate placement process:

Placement: Best Practice Placement is part of the schools mission and purpose. The admissions interview and orientation process will include all functions identified in the schools Graduate Placement Contract. Throughout the schools program, all students will be trained how to execute a professional job search. The program is likely to include an internship/ externship/job shadowing component so students are in real career/occupational settings. The school will hold a formal exit interview for all graduates. A well-designed placement process will have these components:

School conducts a formal exit interview of all graduates. The school will conduct systematic graduate follow up for all graduates including a survey of all graduates about employment at three months, six months, and one year; a verification of employers reported by graduates; and an evaluation by employers of the graduates skills and abilities. The school will have an active Program Advisory Committee to evaluate the schools program based on employer feedback and curriculum review. The school will have an institutional process to evaluate student outcomes data and employer feedback so the school and its program(s) can be improved. Placement: Best Practice (Continued)

8 Groupings of Schools –Proprietary Non-degree –Truck Driving and Heavy Equipment –Massage Therapy –Teacher / Administrator Education –Non-profit Institutions –Proprietary Degree –Nationally Accredited –Regionally Accredited Findings by Groups of Schools School Groupings and Findings

Largest grouping with 71 schools: 64 in-state and 7 out-of-state. Generally, these schools education and training programs are short- term and focused on entry-level employment. Historically, these schools represent EABs core business and reason for being. Most schools are small, are an owner/operators dream, and have few instructors and staff. A few schools are large, multi-state operations which offer non-degree and associates degrees, and are nationally accredited. Massage therapy and truck driving and heavy equipment are part of this grouping but were separated for analysis purposes. If these two groupings were included, the totals would be: 101 schools with 90 in because of numbers of schools with specific focus: 101 school with 90 in-state and 11 out-of-state. Proprietary Non-Degree

Truck Driving and Heavy Equipment Schools 9 truck driving schools: 2 heavy equipment schools, 10 in-state and 1 out of state. 5 associated with truck firms: –Midwest Driver Development –Millis Training Institute –Roehl Driver Training Center –Schneider Training Academy –Wolding CDL School Other 4 have their own niche. –Diesel Truck Driver Training Schools –Dairyland Diesel Driving School –Midwest Truck Driving School –Professional CDL Training Institute Diesel is accredited by ACCSCT – Elise Scanlons group Associated Training Services Corporation – affiliated with Diesel Truck Driver Training Schools North Country Heavy Equipment School is out-of state.

Massage Therapy Schools 21 massage therapy schools: 17 in-state and 4 out-of-state Within state-required 600 hours program great diversity in program focus and school size: –Program: Eastern to therapeutic to spa/beauty/relaxation –Size: Small, owner-operated to COMTA-accredited with multiple locations Blue Sky (3) and Lakeside (2) 8 massage therapy schools are accredited: –Blue Sky and Lakeside: COMTA –Minneapolis School of Massage, Sister Roselind Gefre, and High Tech: ACCSCT –Institute of Beauty Wellness, Martins College of Cosmetology, and Professional Hair Design Academy: NACCAS Wisconsins massage therapy law is title protection not practice protection. Since Wisconsins massage therapy certification is voluntary, schools have limited leverage in ensuring graduates take the National Exam and become Wisconsin certified. Voluntary Certification affects employed/placement focus & data gathering. Massage therapy is most often self-employed and part time, also affecting employed.

17 out-of state institutions offer advanced degree and licensure programs to more than 2,500 Wisconsin educators. 13 institutions are non-profit; 4 are for-profit, 16 are regionally accredited. Most institutions offer a masters degree for teachers. Some offer degree programs leading to teacher and/or administrator licensure. A number of institutions offer doctoral degrees. Traditionally delivered programs are often cohort model in evenings and weekends. Eight institutions offer distance learning / online programs. These regionally-accredited, degree-granting institutions served employed educators; therefore, the focus has been on degree / licensure completion and not on what happens to graduates after degree / licensure completion. Regional accreditation does not have the focus on graduate placement / follow-up as does national accreditation. Teacher / Administrator Education

EAB approves 22 non-profit institutions: 19 out-of-state and 3 in-state. 21 of the non-profit institutions are degree granting: 10 focus on education degrees and the others focus on degrees for working adults. 21 of the non-profit institutions are accredited: 19 regionally and 2 nationally. Most EAB-approved, non-profits offering degrees operate in multiple states. Some programs with business focus do graduate follow-up and have strong advisory committees. These regionally-accredited institutions seem to have evolving processes to follow-up graduates but do not have the defined processes of nationally accredited institutions. Non-Profit Institutions

18 proprietary degree-granting institutions: 9 in-state and 9 out-of- state. Greater focus on associate degrees with 15 institutions offering at least an associate degree and 6 offering a degree beyond associate. 14 proprietary degree-granting institutions are nationally accredited and 6 institutions are regionally accredited. 17 proprietary degree-granting institutions operate in multiple states. The proprietary degree institutions which are nationally accredited are likely to incorporate best practice components of placement. The regionally-accredited, proprietary degree institutions which were first nationally accredited and/or maintain duel accreditation tend to incorporate best practice components of placement. Proprietary Degree-Granting

31 nationally accredited institutions: 16 in-state and 15 out-of-state. Great diversity in focus of programs. National accrediting agency and number of institutions: –Accrediting Bureau for Health Education Schools 2 –Accrediting Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine 1 –Accrediting Council for Continuing Education 1 –Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology 13 –Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools 6 –Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation 2 –Distance Education and Training Council 2 –National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences 3 –National Center for Construction Education and Research 1 National Accreditation has job placement as part of schools mission, requires active advisory committees, tracks placement through graduate and employer follow-up, encourages schools to have placement departments, and requires schools to evaluate placement data. Nationally Accredited Institutions

EAB approves 26 regionally accredited institutions: 1 is headquartered in Wisconsin and 25 are headquartered out-of-state. 19 Institutions are non-profits and 7 are for-profits. All 26 regionally accredited institutions offer a variety of degree level programs with 10 institutions focusing on education degrees and the other institutions on degrees for working adults in business, health care, management, etc. Regional accreditation lacks a focus on having member institutions evaluate what happens to graduates after they obtain a degree. Most regionally accredited institutions have follow-up processes focused on alumni. Regionally accredited institutions do regular end-of-course surveys and often have program advisory committees, but lack the graduate and employer follow-up processes of nationally accredited institutions. Regionally Accredited Institutions

EABs Actions and Requirements for Next Year Next Years Renewal Process Focus on Graduate Follow-up, Advisory Committees, and Schools using data for evaluation EAB Sponsored Workshops for Categories of Schools on Best Practices for Placement Satisfaction Category will have EAB-specified Questions, Audience, and Timing EAB School Visits Focus on Employed Process.

QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION