A Follow-Up of Drake University College of Education Graduates (1965-1971)

Abstract

The problem. This study was to collect data from recent graduates in an attempt to determine how well their programs prepared them for their chosen vocation, and to provide input to the College of Education Departments for their consideration in program improvement. Procedure. A mail questionnaire was developed to answer the following questions: 1. Where are the graduates now working? 2. Have they earned any advanced degrees? (If so, where?) 3. What vertical or horizontal professional changes have they made? 4. What are their evaluations of the program(s) from which they graduated? The questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 984 Bachelor's degree graduates and to all 917 graduates of advanced degree programs, using a procedure of an initial mailing to the sample and two subsequent follow-up mailing three weeks apart to non-respondents. The returns were tabulated for each of the four program areas: Teacher Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Counselor Education, and Educational Administration. Findings. There was an average return of 74 percent of the questionnaires mailed. The lowest percent was in Teacher Education; the highest return was by Educational Specialists in Administration graduates. The evaluation items were rating of the College by rating preparation in defined program performance skills. The responses are broken into two-year graduation periods and presented in table form by percentages of positive responses. General conclusions are that the graduates: (1) liked their program of study, (2) thought it was effective, (3) would return to Drake for more coursework, (4) are employed consistent to their degree objectives, (5) are employed by local school districts, and (6) less than half have undertaken additional course work or earned advanced degrees.