Beyond Compliance: Using EPiC™ Key Assessments to Drive Real Improvement

Assessment data is only valuable when it leads to action. Landmark reports such as Informing Improvement: Recommendations for Enhancing Accreditor Data-Use to Promote Student Success and Equity emphasize the critical role that data plays in continuous improvement efforts and organizational effectiveness (Arnold et al., 2019). 

For educator preparation programs, the challenge is not simply collecting candidate performance data but using that information to make meaningful program decisions that strengthen candidate outcomes and demonstrate program effectiveness. 

Accreditors increasingly expect programs to show how assessment results inform decisions, guide improvements, and contribute to stronger outcomes over time. This process, often referred to as "closing the loop," moves beyond collecting data and focuses on using evidence to drive continuous improvement.

The EPiC™ Key Assessment and Support Dashboard provides educator preparation programs with the tools needed to connect assessment results to meaningful action. Through its Evidence-First™ scoring methodology, the EPiC Key Assessment grounds candidate performance in specific, observable evidence rather than in broad, subjective judgments. This gives faculty greater confidence that the trends they identify reflect actual candidate strengths and areas for growth.

Using Data to Identify Opportunities for Growth

Continuous improvement begins by identifying meaningful patterns in candidate performance. Because EPiC scoring is based on evidence markers aligned to each rubric, faculty can examine not only overall performance trends but also the specific instructional practices contributing to those results.

EPiC Key Assessment results help programs move beyond individual candidate scores to examine trends across cohorts, certification pathways, and program components. These trends can reveal areas of strength as well as opportunities for improvement.

Using the Advanced Analytics in the EPiC Support Dashboard, a program may discover that candidates consistently perform well in planning standards-based instruction but struggle to provide targeted feedback to students. Rather than relying on assumptions, faculty can use assessment data to identify specific areas that warrant additional support.

Connecting Multiple Measures for a Complete Picture

Meaningful program improvement often requires looking beyond a single assessment.

The EPiC Support Dashboard allows programs to examine data using multiple measures, including:

• EPiC Key Assessment results

• Candidate Observation Tool data

• LoTi Digital Age Survey results

• Lesson Plan Review data

• Practice Module participation

• PD Bytes™ professional learning

Together, these tools provide a broader understanding of candidate development and program effectiveness.

For example, Evidence-First marker data may reveal that candidates consistently struggle to provide differentiated learning opportunities. Lesson Plan Review data can help determine whether candidates are planning for diverse learners, while observation data can reveal how effectively those plans are implemented during instruction. Practice Modules and PD Bytes™ can then provide targeted support in identified areas. Future assessment results can help determine whether those interventions are making a measurable difference.

This process creates a clear connection between assessment findings, program decisions, and candidate growth.

Engaging Faculty and Partners in Data-Informed Conversations

Continuous improvement is most effective when faculty, supervisors, mentors, and program leaders work from the same evidence.

The EPiC Support Dashboard makes it easier to share results, explore trends, and focus discussions on candidate performance rather than isolated observations. These conversations often lead to stronger collaboration and more intentional support for teacher candidates.

When faculty and partners are reviewing the same evidence, it becomes easier to identify priorities, build consensus, and make informed decisions about program improvements.

From Evidence to Improvement

The ultimate goal of assessment is not simply to collect data. It is to use evidence to strengthen candidate preparation and improve program outcomes.

When educator preparation programs identify trends, engage stakeholders, implement targeted support, and monitor results over time, assessment becomes a powerful driver of continuous improvement. The EPiC™ Key Assessment and Support Dashboard helps programs connect evidence, action, and outcomes, making it easier to demonstrate meaningful growth and the ongoing improvement processes that accreditors expect to see.

References

Arnold, N., Voight, M., Morales, J., Dancy, K., & Coleman, A. L. (2019). Informing improvement: Recommendations for enhancing accreditor data-use to promote student success and equity. Institute for Higher Education Policy and Education Counsel. Retrieved from https://www.ihep.org/publication/informing-improvement-recommendations-for-enhancing-accreditor-data-use-to-promote-student-success-and-equity/