CAEP Annual Reporting

The Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency Program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and is nationally recognized by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The next CAEP site review will be held in Fall 2025.

The American Museum of Natural History is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on November 17th-19th, 2025. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party’s relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).

We invite you to submit written testimony to:

CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: [email protected]

Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that: 

• In CAEP’s performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
• A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
• Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent’s relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review.

As a component of CAEP accreditation, every Education Preparation Provider (EPP) must report and prominently display data on its website relating to annual accountability measures established by CAEP. EPPs may select the data they present as long as it is appropriate to CAEP's measures.

Measure 1: Completer Impact and Effectiveness

The program has continued to partner with Dr. Meryle Weinstein from New York University to monitor program graduates’ impact on student learning and development. The most recent findings can be found in the report titled "MAT ESRP Impact Report" below.

Graduates continue to teach students who are disadvantaged and/or with high educational needs. Students of graduates are more likely to take the Earth Science Regents compared to other students enrolled in Earth Science courses in most years.

Measure 2: Satisfaction of employers and stakeholder involvement

In partnership with its external evaluator, Horizon Research, Inc, the program monitors the satisfaction of employers through a hiring principal survey. Details of the results of the most recent hiring principal survey can be found in "MAT ESRP Evaluation Report" linked below. In 29 of the 37 statements, at least 80 percent of employers rated Cohort 11 and 12 graduates as fairly or very well prepared .

The program maintains memoranda of understanding with its partner residency schools, which host candidates during their residencies. The program currently maintains partnerships with 6 high-needs schools across NYC and in Yonkers. The program meets with partner-school leaders formally twice a year and more frequently when necessary.

The program meets with its external advisory board every two years.

Feedback and input from stakeholders (candidates, partner residency school personnel, faculty, alumni, and hiring principals) to inform programmatic and operational quality is sought and acted upon through multiple channels. The most recent evaluation results can be found in "MAT ESRP Evaluation Report" below.

Measure 3: Candidate competency at program completion

The program maintains high standards throughout its 15-month duration, and candidates are regularly monitored to ensure they are meeting those standards. The monitoring of candidates’ progress throughout the program focuses on data that indicate whether candidates are growing in their abilities to teach to college- and career-ready standards and positively impact student learning. Twice a year, candidates are formally reviewed in an Academic Milestone Meeting, and, based on a combination of factors, determined to be a student in Good Standing or placed on Academic Probation (the latter of which could potentially lead to being dismissed from the program).

This review brings together multiple sources of evidence that the program regularly monitors, including GPA, Observation Rubric, ePortfolio Rubric, Dispositions Continuum for Teaching & Learning Tool, and qualitative feedback from the candidates’ senior specialists (supervising clinical faculty) and school-based mentors. Candidates also present aspects of their strengths and areas for improvement, using their ePortfolio entries as a framework. Candidates must satisfy a final formal review by the Co-Directors in August (the last month of their program) before they can graduate and are recommended for certification ensuring completer competency.

To date all but 1 graduate has satisfied New York State required licensure measures. Including passing the edTPA (while it was required and alternatively the Assessment of Teaching Skills - Written, during the pandemic), Educating All Students Exam, and the Earth Science Content Specialty Test.

As shown in the table below the program has an overall graduation rate of 93.15%.

Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions for Which They Have Been Prepared

For graduates that sought employment, 100% were hired into position for which they were prepared.

Supporting Documentation: