Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education

Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholder Involvement

I. Satisfaction of Employers

Initial Licensure

The University of Toledo’s Educator Preparation Program (EPP) collects employer and stakeholder feedback through the Perceptions of the EPP Survey, a statewide instrument coordinated with Ohio assessment and accreditation partners. This survey gathers input from PK–12 employers, principals, superintendents, and recruiters regarding the preparedness, professional skills, and effectiveness of recent UToledo graduates.

Results from the AY 2024-2025 baseline administration indicate that many employers agree or strongly agree that UToledo graduates are well prepared across key areas, including professionalism, ethical conduct, communication, collaboration, and maintaining supportive learning environments.

76% of employer and stakeholder respondents would recommend UToledo to future candidates (AY 2024–2025 baseline).

This feedback provides an initial measure of employer and stakeholder perceptions and is being used to inform continuous improvement efforts at the initial licensure level.

Advanced Licensure

In September 2025, the EPP conducted a structured focus group with external education leaders, including school principals and superintendents, to gather employer and stakeholder feedback on the relevance and effectiveness of its Educational Administration and Supervision (EDAS) advanced programs. Participants reviewed program materials in advance, including syllabi, curriculum maps, and CAEP Advanced Standards, and provided feedback related to workforce alignment, leadership preparation, and practical applicability.

Findings from the focus group are being used to inform program redesign discussions, strengthen alignment to leadership standards, and increase responsiveness to regional school leadership needs.

II. Stakeholder Involvement

Meaningful and intentional collaboration with internal and external stakeholders is centered on our approach to continuous improvement. Stakeholder input is used to inform staffing structures, field placement processes, licensure operations, and program planning to ensure our EPP remains responsive to workforce needs and partner expectations.

Strengthening Structures for Stakeholder Engagement

During Spring 2025, UToledo’s EPP created a Licensure Manager position to address emerging compliance and operational needs related to both initial and advanced licensure.

In Fall 2025, EPP leadership used historical employment data and input from key internal stakeholders to redesign and elevate the field role to Manager of School Relations and Field Experience. This redesign was intended to strengthen PK–12 partnerships, improve recruitment and placement coordination, and support more consistent and sustainable stakeholder engagement.

Together, the Licensure Manager, Manager of School Relations and Field Experience, and Accreditation and Assessment Manager form a triangulated structural foundation for stakeholder involvement. This structure enables intentional engagement and coordinated implementation of stakeholder input across licensure and state requirements, PK–12 schools and field partners, and college‑level faculty, accreditation, and assessment systems.

Collaborative Continuous Improvement through “Team Tuesday”

UToledo’s EPP integrated a cross‑functional continuous improvement structure known as “Team Tuesday”. Beginning in summer 2025, regular Team Tuesday meetings brought together accreditation, licensure, field leadership, college administration, educational technology support, advising, and department leadership to collaboratively address CAEP expectations, program quality priorities, and operational alignment.

This structure was intentionally designed to create shared ownership of improvement efforts informed by stakeholder needs and system data. Through Team Tuesday collaboration, the EPP implemented several EPP‑wide improvements, such as revised and aligned field observation and conference forms. These improvements strengthened communication, clarified expectations, and enhanced engagement among internal and external stakeholders involved in educator preparation.

Systematic Stakeholder Feedback Informing Field Experience Improvement

Complementing these structural and collaborative efforts, our EPP hosted over 50 structured feedback sessions with mentor teachers and field supervisors. Stakeholders were asked what was going well, where improvement was needed, and had the option to provide additional open‑ended feedback. This approach intentionally centered stakeholder voice and practice‑based perspectives.

Feedback gathered through these sessions was used directly to inform the development of four redesigned field experience surveys, tailored for mentor teachers, field supervisors, teacher candidates, and building administrators.

The revised surveys were administered in Fall 2025, yielding strong response rates across stakeholder groups (76% candidates, 61% mentors, 90% field supervisors, and 30% administrators). Spring 2026 surveys have been distributed, and results will be analyzed, disaggregated, and shared with appropriate stakeholders in early Fall 2026 to inform continuous improvement efforts for the full 2026–2027 academic year.

clinical partnerships and practices

PreK-12 School Partnerships: Partner schools are located within a 35-mile radius from The University of Toledo's main campus in Lucas, Wood, Fulton, Henry, and Ottawa counties in Ohio, and Lenawee and Monroe counties in Michigan.

Field Placement Selection - Our EPP follows a strategic selection process to ensure the best match for each candidate, following the state of Ohio and university accreditation guidelines.