Accreditation - Advanced Level Programs

The advanced level programs reviewed by CAEP include Academically Gifted, Educational Diagnostician, and Educational Leadership have received full accreditation status through the Council for The Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP is nationally recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

The School of Education offers advanced level licensure in the following degree programs:

  • Academically Gifted
  • Educational Diagnostician
  • Educational Leadership

CAEP Accountability Measures 

Employer Satisfaction:

Academically Gifted
Candidates graduating with the MEd in Gifted Education have employment opportunities that are the result of vacancies in school systems. Employers in the area need to fill more than 30 vacancies a year for regional gifted programs. The statement below was provided by the largest employer of academically gifted teachers in the area and is representative of other district.

"The preparation experienced by LSU graduate students who have completed their work for Gifted Certification is both theoretical and practical in a real-world context. Gifted certified teachers are well prepared to work with gifted students and address their needs and promote their growth - academic, social, emotional, and creative. The depth of knowledge gained in graduate level classes, observation of gifted classes, and in working gifted students expands and enhances graduate level student understanding of the neurological, socioeconomic, and psychological underpinning of the gifted brain. This is overlaid with a working knowledge of the factors that impact learning and behavior that include levels and cultural idiosyncrasies specific to diverse ethnicities. Age-appropriate pedagogy is coupled with an awareness of the ways human physiological and developmental growth and changes influence children and their learning. Gifted certified teacher retention is very high. These teachers frequently become 'key' personnel for administrators by becoming teacher leaders, gifted sit coordinators, assistant principals, and principals."

Educational Diagnostician
The LSU Master of Education in Special Education degree, which leads to state certification as an Educational Diagnostician (ED), continues to be a low-enrollment program. In the present cycle (2020-21), there were no completers.

Educational Leadership
Candidates graduating with a MEd in Educational Leadership from the LSU School of Education have employment opportunities that are the result of administrative vacancies in central and campus administration in school systems across the country. As per our summative survey/questionnaire, approximately 80% of our graduates actively pursued employment after degree completion. Fifty percent of the respondents were able to attain administrative positions (Principal, Assistant Principal, Coordinator, and Director). The remaining are currently classroom teachers but are actively pursuing administrative positions.

Candidate Competency:

Academically Gifted
The Gifted Education program has multiple checks for quality assurance and candidate competency. The Praxis Exam in Gifted Education uses analyses of candidate scores and sub scores to check for consistency of content knowledge for all completer passing rates between and among candidates. There are measures of classroom ability to teacher and achieve success by using lesson plans, a case study, unit plan, research project. These measure the candidate's ability to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom. These courses meet the Louisiana standards for certification. 

The candidates' results on the Praxis Exam are reviewed by a committee of three graduate faculty upon the completion of the program. The three-year average is a minimum of an 80% accuracy rate on the 120-question standardized test. A review of time-to-degree is completed for each candidate in determining if they have completed the MEd degree in a five-year period of enrollment. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that no change was needed. 

Educational Diagnostician
The LSU Master of Education in Special Education degree, which leads to state certification as an Educational Diagnostician (ED), continues to be a low-enrollment program. In the present cycle (2020-21), there were no completers.

Educational Leadership 
Educational Leadership has multiple checks for quality assurance and student competency. The School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) uses analyses of candidate scores and sub scores to check for consistency of content knowledge for all completer passing rates between and among candidates. In addition, a comprehensive 3-course internship is used to gauge student competencies in all PSEL/NELP standards where candidates participate in three, seven-week modules of field experience by enrolling in two courses and earning a total of 9 credit hours. The first course, ELRC 7404, is taken during the fall and spring modules. The second course, ELRC 7900, is taken during the summer modules. Cumulatively, each candidate/mentor documents a minimum of 120 hours of internship experience. These courses meet the CAEP standards for certification and are offered at predictable times on a schedule throughout the year so that time-to-degree is efficient in meeting candidate needs. 

The use of a national exam developed by the Education Testing Service provides reliable, valid, and verifiable results assuring that a quality assurance system is in place meeting CAEP standards that are representative, cumulative, and actionable measures. The candidates’ results on the national based The School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) are reviewed by the Educational Leadership department upon completion of the program.  

 

Employment Rate:

Academically Gifted
All candidates completing the MEd in Gifted Education in Spring 2021 were working as academically gifted teachers in Louisiana.

Educational Diagnostician
The LSU Master of Education in Special Education degree, which leads to state certification as an Educational Diagnostician (ED), continues to be a low-enrollment program. In the present cycle (2020-21), there were no completers.

Educational Leadership
Student completion data for Educational Leadership suggests that 100% of students completing the program are eligible to receive Louisiana and other state comparable administrative certification upon completion of the MEd.