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State Board Grants Full Approval to Dordt University Educator Preparation Programs
Summary
The State Board of Education granted full reapproval to Dordt University's educator preparation programs after a program review found compliance with chapter 79 standards and identified only limited recommendations to refine rubrics and adjunct evaluation.
The State Board of Education voted to grant full approval to Dordt University's educator preparation programs at its Sept. 17 meeting, following a site review by the Department's educator quality team.
Why this matters: Approval confirms Dordt meets state standards for preparing teachers and administrators and allows its graduates to continue to seek Iowa licensure without interruption.
Review highlights and evidence: The department'led review team audited materials including 103 course syllabi, conducted 28 interviews and six classroom visits, and reviewed candidate files and surveys. The team praised the program's alignment with the science of reading, faculty engagement, clinical experiences for administrator candidates and strong assessment systems. Two concerns were identified (adjunct evaluation and supervision assignment alignment); Dordt provided corrective actions.
Dordt representatives highlighted program improvements: the university reported a 75% pass rate on the Foundations of Reading test for the first cohort taking that assessment, launched a new graduate reading endorsement and introduced a master'of'arts'in'teaching pathway to assist career changers.
Board action: Board Member Brooke moved for full approval of the educator preparation programs; the motion was seconded by Board Member Brian and carried on voice vote.
