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

Student Outcomes – Lessons Learned on

“Employed” and “Satisfied”

EAB Approved Schools Conference November 9, 2006

Patrick J. Sweeney, School Administration Consultant

Educational Approval Board

• EAB’s 2-year Focus on Student Outcomes

• EAB’s Process for Analyzing “Employed” Narratives

• Employed Assumptions and Best Practice Components

• School Groupings Explained

• Overall Findings by Group

• Given Findings, EAB’s Actions and Requirements for Next Year

• Questions / Discussion

Session Overview

• Regional Meeting I: Focus, Definitions, Electronic

• Definitions: Last Year’s 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 school’s graduates is the school’s ultimate customer.

• Schools need to have verifiable data from employers about graduates to ensure the school’s program is up to date and the school is an effective institution.

• Placement of graduates must be part of the school’s mission and placement activities start at interview and orientation.

Placement AssumptionsA well-designed graduate placement process produces good student outcomes and usable program and institutional information.

Some basic assumptions must be built into the school’s gradate placement process:

Placement: Best Practice

• Placement is part of the school’s mission and purpose.

• The admissions interview and orientation process will include all functions identified in the school’s Graduate Placement Contract.

• Throughout the school’s 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 school’s 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 EAB’s core business and reason for being.

• Most schools are “small”, are an owner/operator’s 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

PROPRIETARY NON-DEGREE

Adelman Travel Academy Alignment Yoga Allied Healthcareer Institute American Home Inspectors Training Institute, Ltd. American Institute for Paralegal Studies, Inc. American Institute of Taxidermy Art Instruction Schools, Inc. Associated Training Services Corporation At-Home Professions Badger State Repair School Bar School (The) (new) Barbizon School of Modeling Bartending Academy Bartending College Becker Professional Review Body Integration Bryant & Stratton College Dan Rinehart Taxidermy School Extra Bold Portfolio School (new) Feel Your Best Yoga Teacher Training School Fox World Travel School H & R Block Healing Oasis Wellness Center (The) High-Tech Institute Hondros College

Horizon School of Veterinary Assisting Howard Academy for the Metal Arts HVAC Training Center Hypnosis & Wellness Training Center Inacom Information Systems Institute of Equine Therasage Insurance Agent Prelicensing School (The) IT Centers, LLC John Casablancas Modeling and Acting Center John Robert Powers Kanyakumari Ayurveda Education & Retreat Center Kaplan College Kaplan Financial (formerly Dearborn) Lincoln Technical Institute Loomis Institute of Enzyme Nutrition Madison English as a Second Language School, LLC Midwest Power Yoga School Milwaukee Career College Moses Training Institute, Inc. Motorcycle & Marine Mechanics Institute NASCAR Technical Institute Neo-Sculpt School of Neon

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers New World School of Violin Making (The) Neway Directions, Inc. North Country Heavy Equipment School, LLC NTEC - National Teachers & Educators College PC Pro Schools, Inc. Professional Institute of Dental Assisting, Inc. Professional Scuba Training Institute Radio1 Broadcast School Robbins & Lloyd Career Training Institute Sanford Brown College - Milwaukee Securities Training Corporation St. Croix Culinary Institute Summit Schools, Inc. Synvent University TechSkills Universal Technical Institute Weekend Dental Assistant School Wegner's School of Taxidermy WESLI, LLC- Wisconsin English Second Language Institute Wick Insurance Services Wisconsin School of Chainsaw Carving Wisconsin School of Professional Pet Grooming WyoTech

FINDINGS

Many proprietary non-degree schools are small enough to know their students on a somewhat personal level. They generally keep in touch informally after graduation, and know whether graduates get jobs, and where.

The larger proprietary non-degree schools often survey graduates about their employment status. In some cases, schools contact employers to learn whether they have hired any of the graduates.

Beyond these activities, most of these schools do not incorporate most of the best-practice components. Few have advisory committees.

Some have a process in place (class evaluations, graduate surveys, employer contacts), and use the information to improve programs. Others do not yet have a process.

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 Scanlon’s group

• Associated Training Services Corporation – affiliated with Diesel Truck Driver Training Schools

• North Country Heavy Equipment School is out-of state.

TRUCK DRIVING AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT Associated Training Services Corporation Dairyland Diesel Driving School Diesel Truck Driver Training School, Inc. Midwest Driver Development

Midwest Truck Driving School, Inc. Millis Training Institute North Country Heavy Equipment School

Professional CDL Training Institute, Inc. Roehl Driver Training Center Schneider Training Academy Inc. Wolding CDL School

FINDINGS

Short training programs with immediate employment the goal; therefore, placement inherent in training programs.

Most truck driving schools have students pre-hired at trucking firms before completion

of programs. Schools have graduate follow-up processes because of students working for

company’s fleets.

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, Martin’s College of Cosmetology, and Professional Hair Design Academy: NACCAS

• Wisconsin’s massage therapy law is title protection not practice protection. Since Wisconsin’s 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”.

MASSAGE THERAPY SCHOOLS Blue Sky School of Professional Massage and Therapeutic Bodywork CenterPoint East-West Healing Arts Institute, Inc. Fox Valley School of Massage Healing Arts Center Health Touch Spa School of Massage High Tech Institute

Institute of Beauty and Wellness (The) Institute of Natural Therapies Lakeside School of Massage Therapy Martin's College of Cosmetology Milwaukee School of Massage Minneapolis School of Massage and Bodywork, Inc. Professional Hair Design Academy

Saint Croix Center for the Healing Arts Sister Rosalind Gefre School of Professional Massage Therapeutic Bodyworks Institute TIBIA Massage School WI Institute of Natural Wellness Windemere Institute of Healing Arts Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy

FINDINGS The purpose of massage therapy schools is to prepare individuals for careers/employment as state-

certified massage therapists so placement is inherent in the program's mission and design.

Since six massage therapy schools are nationally accredited, they incorporate most of the best-practice components of placement.

A school-sponsored, student clinic experience is required by state law for all massage therapy programs.

Many small massage therapy programs have close relationships with graduates and know the employment status of all graduates, but the schools often do not have defined graduate follow-up processes and do not have advisory committees.

• 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 master’s 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

TEACHER / ADMINISTRATOR EDUCATION Aurora University - Lake Geneva Campus Capella University College of St. Scholastica (The) Fielding Graduate University Graceland University Lesley University

Loyola University Chicago National-Louis University NTEC Nova Southeastern University Olivet Nazarene University Rockford College

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Saint Xavier University University of Phoenix University of Saint Thomas Walden University, Inc.

FINDINGS Since teacher/administrator education programs provide advanced degrees to already employed

education professionals, graduates of these advanced degree programs are by definition "employed".

End-of-course surveys are used extensively to gather student feedback.

Teacher and administrator education programs are very successful in having enrollees obtain advanced degrees, but few have defined processes to gather graduate data on program effectiveness for such questions as:

1. Is the graduate a better teacher/administrator? 2. Do Students of graduates learn better? 3. Do graduates make more money/have more opportunities? 4. Do supervisors of graduates see improved professional practice?

Teacher / administrator education programs under-utilize advisory committees for program improvement.

• 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

NON-PROFIT INSTITUTIONS

Aurora University - Lake Geneva Campus Blue Sky School of Professional Massage and Therapeutic Bodywork College of St. Scholastica (The) Fielding Graduate University Franklin University Graceland University Lakeside School of Massage Therapy

Lesley University Loyola University Chicago National-Louis University Nova Southeastern University Olivet Nazarene University Ottawa University Robert Welch University Rockford College

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Saint Xavier University Southern New Hampshire University - VT Programs - PCMH Springfield College University of Saint Francis University of Saint Thomas Upper Iowa University

FINDINGS Those non-profits which are nationally accredited tend to incorporate the best-practice components

of placement. Those non-profits which are regionally accredited tend to focus on degree completion and not

incorporate the best-practice components of placement. See more detailed description under "regionally accredited" grouping.

• 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

PROPRIETARY DEGREE-GRANTING

Brown College Bryant & Stratton College Capella University DeVry University Herzing College High Tech Institute

ITT Technical Institute - Green Bay ITT Technical Institute - Greenfield ITT Technical Institute - Indianapolis Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Madison Media Institute Midwest College of Oriental Medicine

Minneapolis Business College Nashville Auto-Diesel College Rasmussen College University of Phoenix Walden University, Inc. WyoTech

FINDINGS Of the proprietary degree schools, those that are nationally accredited (ACCSCT, ACICS, ACCET,

etc.), are likely to incorporate best-practice components of placement. The regionally accredited (NCA, Middle States) proprietary degree schools, with few exceptions,

tend not to incorporate best-practice components of placement.

• 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

NATIONALLY ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS

Art Instruction Schools, Inc. American Institute for Paralegal Studies, Inc. Associated Training Services Corporation At-Home Professions Blue Sky School of Professional Massage and Therapeutic Bodywork Brown College Diesel Truck Driver Training School, Inc. High-Tech Institute Hondros College Institute of Beauty & Wellness

ITT Technical Institute - Green Bay ITT Technical Institute - Greenfield ITT Technical Institute - Indianapolis Kaplan College Lakeside School of Massage Therapy Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Lincoln Technical Institute Madison Media Institute Martin's College of Cosmetology Midwest College of Oriental Medicine Milwaukee Career College Minneapolis Business College

Minneapolis School of Massage and Bodywork, Inc. Motorcycle and Marine Mechanics Institute NASCAR Technical Institute Nashville Auto-Diesel College Professional Hair Design Academy Sanford Brown College - Milwaukee Sister Rosalind Gefre School of Professional Massage Universal Technical Institute WyoTech

FINDINGS The nationally accredited institutions see job placement as part of their mission.

A majority of the schools have job placement staff that work with students to prepare resumes, work on interview skills and offer career centered courses.

Most of these schools have exit interviews in conjunction with the career centered courses.

A majority of schools engage in graduate follow-up activities, with phone and paper surveys the norm.

Schools do have program specific advisory committees.

Programs are evaluated by staff using student, graduate and employer input for program improvement.

• 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

REGIONALLY ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS

Aurora University - Lake Geneva Campus Bryant & Stratton College Capella University College of St. Scholastica (The) DeVry University Fielding Graduate University Franklin University Graceland University Herzing College

Lesley University Loyola University Chicago National-Louis University Nova Southeastern University Olivet Nazarene University Ottawa University Rasmussen College Rockford College Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Saint Xavier University

Southern New Hampshire University VT Programs - PCMH Springfield College University of Phoenix University of Saint Francis University of Saint Thomas Upper Iowa University Walden University, Inc.

FINDINGS The regionally-accredited institutions which were previously nationally accredited like Bryant

Stratton College and Herzing College tend to incorporate the best-practice components of placement.

Regionally-accredited institutions tend to see degree completion as their focus and have few graduate follow up processes to track employment and career enhancement/advancement of graduates.

All regionally-accredited institutions use extensive end of course evaluations, but exit interviews of graduates by program are not used frequently.

Some regionally-accredited institutions are designing graduate follow-up processes other than alumni surveys.

Some regionally accredited institutions use advisory committees to update and improve degree programs.

EAB’s Actions and Requirements for Next Year

Next Year’s 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