Pittsburg State University, MS, Reading (Off-site)
OFF-SITE DELIVERY OF AN EXISTING PROGRAM FORM
Sponsoring Institution (s): Pittsburg State University
Program Title: Master of Science with a Major in Reading
Degree/Certificate: Master of Science
Institution Granting Degree: Pittsburg State University
Delivery Site(s): Southwest Center for Educational Excellence • 528 Ellis • Webb City, MO 64870
Mode of Program Delivery: Face-to-Face, traditional classroom
Geographic Location of Student Access: Southwest Missouri, Northeast Oklahoma
CIP Classification: 131202
Implementation Date: Spring 2008
Cooperative Partners: None
AUTHORIZATION
On File - Dr. Tom W. Bryant, President
On File - Dr. Steven A. Scott, Provost
Dr. Peggy J. Snyder, Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies 620/235-4179
2. Need:
A. Student Demand:
1. Estimated enrollment each year for the first five years for full-time and part-time students.
Form SE
STUDENT ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS
| Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Full Time |
|
|
|
|
|
Part Time |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
18 |
Total |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
18 |
2. Will enrollment be capped in the future? Enrollment will not be capped in the future. Additional sections will be added if enrollment exceeds expectations.
B. Market Demand:
1. Currently 20 students from Missouri are in our Missouri program. Because of the requests from teachers and school districts, PSU responded with a program initially in Nevada.
C. Societal Need:
1. General needs that are not directly related to employment.
Many teachers in Southwest Missouri obtained their undergraduate teaching degree at Pittsburg State University. These teachers are happy with their undergraduate experience and want to continue with the same institution for their graduate degree. Pittsburg State University also has a reputation for offering a quality experience in Missouri for many years.
D. Methodology used to determine "B" and "C" above.
Current enrollment and anecdotal evidence was used.
3. Duplication and Collaboration:
If similar programs currently exist in Missouri, what makes the proposed program necessary and/or distinct from the others at public institutions, area vocational technical schools, and private career schools? In searching the Missouri Board of Education, no other program could be found in southwest Missouri
Does delivery of the program involve a collaborative effort with any external institution or organization? If yes, please complete Form CL. No
4. Financial Projections (Form FP) (deleted)
5. Program Characteristics and Performance Goals:
Form PG
PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE GOALS
Institution Name: Pittsburg State University
Program Name: Master of Science in Reading
Date: July 1, 2008
Student Preparation
- Any special admissions procedures or student qualifications required for this program which exceed regular university admissions, standards, e.g., ACT score, completion of core curriculum, portfolio, personal interview, etc. Please note if no special preparation will be required.
To be admitted to the program, students are required to submit: a copy of a current teaching license for Missouri, Oklahoma, or Kansas, two letters of reference, and complete a writing sample.
- Characteristics of a specific population to be served, if applicable.
The majority of the applicants will be current K-12 teachers in southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma.
Faculty Characteristics
- Any special requirements (degree status, training, etc.) for assignment of teaching for this degree/certificate.
The majority of faculty assigned to teach in this program, will be already assigned to teach in this program on campus as a full time tenured or tenure earning faculty member. Tenured faculty at PSU teaching in this program have an earned doctorate in reading as well as work experience as a reading coach or reading program director in the K-6 classroom. Adjunct or temporary faculty who would be assigned to teach a course in this program off-campus must meet the same requirements for teaching on-campus. The minimum qualifications would be an earned graduate degree in reading education and at least 3-5 years as a reading coach or reading program director in the K-6 classroom. Additionally the Graduate Reading Program Coordinator serves as a program reviewer for the International Reading Association/NCATE reading Specialist/Literacy Coach programs submitted to NCATE.
- Estimated percentage of credit hours that will be assigned to full time faculty. Please use the term "full time faculty" (and not FTE) in your descriptions here.
Full time faculty members are assigned a work-load of 9-12 hours of classroom teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level each semester.
- Expectations for professional activities, special student contact, teaching/learning innovation.
Faculty in consultation with the Department Chairperson, assigns each of
the following areas a score, the sum of which adds to 100: Service 10 – 30, Teaching 50 – 70, Scholarly Activity/ Creative Endeavors 20 – 40.
Faculty members are advisors to undergraduate and graduate level students, serve on department/college/university level committees, and are active in professional organizations by making presentations on best teaching practices.
Enrollment Projections
This degree program is offered as a part-time program on a six-semester rotation with a new cohort of students beginning every other fall semester. New students may enter the program during any semester. Not all of the courses are offered at the site. Some courses will require attendance at the home campus of PSU during the summer semester.
- Student FTE majoring in program by the end of five years.
At the end of five years, two full cohorts will have finished the program and a third cohort will be fifty percent completed. Graduate student FTE at the end of five years is expected to be approximately 220.0.
- Percent of full time and part time enrollment by the end of five years.
The program will only be offered for students wanting to attend class part time, so 100% will be part time.
Student and Program Outcomes
- Number of graduates per annum at three and five years after implementation.
Approximately 90% of the cohort will graduate every other year. After three years, 18 students will have graduated and after five years, 36 students will have graduated.
- Special skills specific to the program. N/A
- Proportion of students who will achieve licensing, certification, or registration. Missouri teachers with the Initial Professional Certificate (IPC)can use these hours to obtain the Career Continuous Professional Certificate (CCPC). Teachers with the CCPC can use these hours to meet the professional development hours required each year. Additionally courses in this program are approved based on standards set by the International Reading Association and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students completing this program will be eligible for state licensure in reading.
- Performance on national and/or local assessments, e.g., percent of students scoring above the 50th percentile on normed tests; percent of students achieving minimal cut-scores on criterion-referenced tests. Include expected results on assessments of general education and on exit assessments in a particular discipline as well as the name of any nationally recognized assessments used. N/A
- Placement rates in related fields, in other fields, unemployed. Historically 99% of the students were currently enrolled as teachers in K-12 classrooms in Missouri or Oklahoma. With the completion of this degree, some of the teachers will move into positions as reading coaches.
- Transfer rates, continuous study. Over 90% of the students complete the degree to graduate.
Program Accreditation
- Institutional plans for accreditation, if applicable, including accrediting agency and timeline. If there are no plans to seek specialized accreditation, please provide reasons.
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (ten-year 2013) accredits Pittsburg State University and the State of Kansas Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) (seven-year 2010) accredit the College of Education.
Alumni and Employer Survey
- Expected satisfaction rates for alumni, including timing and method of surveys
Students are surveyed at graduation, one year after graduation and three years later. Questions on a five-point scale are expected to be in the 4 to 5 range.
- Expected satisfaction rates for employers, including timing and method of surveys
Surveys are mailed to school districts of graduates one year after hiring the student and again three years later. Informal surveys and discussions occur with area Missouri school district officials throughout the year. An example of this is a meeting that was held in the spring 2007 with Missouri superintendents who provided feedback on teacher preparation and graduate programs. Questions on a five-point scale are expected to be in the 4 to 5 range.
6. Quality Assurance for Off-Site Programs:
General Oversight: Describe the manner in which this program will be managed. How does the management of this program fit within the institution's academic administrative structure?
Degree programs and courses offered off-campus in Kansas or Missouri are all managed the same. The Office of Continuing and Graduate Studies (CGS) facilitates degree programs offered off-campus. CGS is responsible for working with the academic department chair to determine the budget, develop the marketing campaign, and insure the students are enrolled. The academic department determines the sequence of courses, the faculty teaching the courses, and assigns a faculty member to oversee the program and to act as the advisor to the students. The assigned faculty member is also assigned the time to visit with school districts to recruit students as well as to continue to confirm the school district’s needs and satisfaction with the degree program. The Dean of the Office of Continuing and Graduate Studies reports to Provost.
Faculty Qualifications: How do the qualifications of faculty at this site compare with those of faculty for this program at the main campus? Please also note the comparable data regarding the proportion of course-section coverage by full-time faculty at each site.
As stated earlier, the majority of faculty teaching at off-campus sites are full-time tenured or tenure earning faculty on the main campus. Any adjuncts hired to teach off-campus are qualified to teach courses on the main campus. Faculty on or off-campus have the same number of course sections assigned each semester. During the academic year, full-time faculty can be assigned an overload section resulting in additional salary and benefits.
Support Services: Describe how the institution will ensure that students at this site will be able to access services such as academic support, library, computing, and financial aid, as well as other administrative functions, at a level of quality comparable to that of on-campus programs.
Library resources are fully online within the PSU computing system 24 hours, seven days a week. Enrolled students or faculty members can access via the Internet, all Axe Library’s electronic resources. The library staff provides individual assistance using e-mail. Since University faculty teach the majority of the courses, these instructors will also assist with the delivery of some resources from Axe Library. The PSU library also partners with area community libraries so students can obtain books and materials through the library loan system. Because of the rural nature of this area, local K-12 school districts, community colleges and community libraries provide access for their community members to their resources including libraries and computer labs. This program is within easy driving distance to the main campus, which allows off-campus students the same access to computer labs and libraries, that on-campus students have available.
Any Other Relevant Information
In early 2007, Pittsburg State University met with Nevada school district official to discuss providing a degree program that was needed by their teachers. While awaiting permission to offer the degree from the Board of Education in Missouri, students traveled to PSU to begin taking courses. After receiving permission, the courses were offered in Nevada in the spring of 2008.
All of the off-campus programs maintain the same integrity and quality of our on-campus programs. This is made possible by having our tenured on-campus faculty teach the majority of the courses, using the same syllabi, textbook, and assessments as on-campus classes employ.
