Educación

The Arecibo Teacher Education Preparation of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico is pleased to present to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, focusing on the Compliance with Measure 1: Completer Effectiveness. This report emphasizes the analysis of data derived from the Puerto Rico Teacher Certification Assessment Test (PCMAS) to evaluate the effectiveness of our teacher preparation programs.

The PCMAS was developed to systematize the criteria for selecting prospective educators and elevate the overall quality of education in Puerto Rico. Recognizing the diversity of teacher preparation programs across the country, the PCMAS serves as an independent instrument that uniformly measures the competence of teacher candidates. Beyond certification, the PCMAS contributes to the professional recognition of the teaching career and provides educational institutions with valuable insights to assess the effectiveness of their programs and objectives.

CONTENT AND PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE

The following data demonstrate students content and pedagogical knowledge considering results from an assessment rubric created and used by faculty (2021-2022).

The EPP also analyzed student’s opinion of their mastery content and pedagogical knowledge considering PCMAS results (2022).

The results of the data analysis for Measure 1, Completer Effectiveness, indicate a strong effectiveness performance by our EPP considering content and pedagogical knowledge. Across all measures, the majority of respondents reported levels of Very Adequate and Adequate, demonstrating the effectiveness of our faculty in preparing student teachers. Particularly noteworthy is the high level of mastery of teaching professional competencies related to areas of specialization.

The data affirms the commitment of the Arecibo Teacher Education Preparation to providing a high-quality teacher preparation experience. These results will serve as a foundation for continuous improvement and refinement of our programs to meet the evolving needs of our candidates and the education landscape in Puerto Rico.

In this section of the report, we focus on Measure 2: Employers and Stakeholders, specifically addressing employer satisfaction with student teacher performance in school clinical practices. The evaluation is centered on key indicators, including the mastery of teaching and learning process skills, professional attitudes, and the recruitment of teachers from the Arecibo campus Educator Preparation Program (EPP).

The data analysis for Measure 2 indicates a high level of employer satisfaction with student teacher performance in school clinical practices. Notably, a significant majority of employers reported very adequate mastery of teaching and learning process skills, reflecting the effectiveness of our teacher preparation program. Additionally, the positive feedback on professional attitudes affirms our candidates’ commitment to maintaining a high standard of professionalism.

Furthermore, the overwhelmingly strong agreement from employers on recruiting teachers from the Arecibo campus Educator Preparation Program (EPP) reflects the program’s positive reputation and the perceived quality of its graduates. These results demonstrate the Arecibo Teacher Education Preparation’s Program dedication to producing well-prepared and professional educators. This feedback will guide our ongoing efforts to enhance and refine our programs, ensuring they continue to meet and exceed the expectations of both students and employers.

The Arecibo campus Educator Preparation Program (EPP) places a strong emphasis on Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Completion. This measure is assessed through the use of the Puerto Rico Teacher Assessment Test, known as PCMAS (Prueba para la Certificación de Maestros). The PCMAS is designed to evaluate teacher candidates from all higher education institutions in Puerto Rico, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of fundamental knowledge and professional competencies necessary for effective teaching.

Content of the PCMAS Test: General Knowledge and Professional Competencies

The PCMAS National Teacher Assessment Test is designed to be administered to candidates from all higher education institutions in the country. It goes beyond the skills and knowledge offered by a specific institution and does not require individuals to have been exposed to this material in a particular course. The test considers the content of basic university courses offered across various institutions. It incorporates professional competencies that teachers in the system have deemed necessary for a novice teacher to perform efficiently in their roles, irrespective of the school level and specialization.

The PCMAS General consists of multiple-choice items with a duration of two hours and twenty minutes and a pedagogical situation with open-ended discussion questions to be answered in thirty-five minutes. The test is divided into the following sections:

1. Fundamental Knowledge:
• Exercises focused on the areas of humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, Spanish, and English.
2. Professional Pedagogy Competencies:
• Exercises focused on the areas of education foundations (human development, educational psychology, educational sociology, and educational philosophy), methodology, teaching strategies and techniques, and evaluation and research.
3. Pedagogical Situation:
• Requires candidates to analyze and answer various discussion exercises. It is essential to respond to the pedagogical situation; otherwise, the entire test is invalidated.

The following tables describe EPP students’ performance for Academic Years 2016-2017 to 2021-2022.

Aggregate-Assessment Level Pass Rate Date

Regular Teacher Preparation Program

Academic Year: 2016-2017-Testing Period: 7/16-6/17

Aggregate-Assessment Level Pass Rate Date

Regular Teacher Preparation Program

Academic Year: 2017-2018-Testing Period: 7/17-6/18

Aggregate-Assessment Level Pass Rate Date

Regular Teacher Preparation Program

Academic Year: 2018-2019-Testing Period: 7/18-6/19

Aggregate-Assessment Level Pass Rate Date

Regular Teacher Preparation Program

Academic Year: 2019-2020-Testing Period: 7/19-6/20

Teacher Certification Test were not administered due to COVID – 19.

Aggregate-Assessment Level Pass Rate Date

Regular Teacher Preparation Program

Academic Year: 2020-2021-Testing Period: 7/20-6/21

Aggregate-Assessment Level Pass Rate Date

Regular Teacher Preparation Program

Academic Year: 2021-2022-Testing Period: 7/21-6/22

For Measure 4, the EPP used data results of a survey administered by College Board PCMAS tests. The Puerto Rico Department of Education does not provide a list of the Inter American program completers who have been hired in Puerto Rico. Also, it is important to mention, that our program completers choose to seek teaching positions in Puerto Rico and in other states outside Puerto Rico.

The following table compares percentages (%) of students hired in public or private schools at the moment to complete the Puerto Rico Assessment Candidacy Test administered by College Board PCMAS.