III. Evidence of Meeting Each Standard

Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Since 1996 NCATE continuing accreditation visit, educator programs offered by the College have been redesigned to meet a state-mandated transition from educator certification to educator licensure (Teacher Education and Licensure Standards). Beginning in 1998, all new students were admitted to licensure programs, and the College began the process of “sunsetting” all certification programs. After September 2002, Ohio will provisionally license the Wright State University program completers listed on pages 7–10 of this report.

The state is currently in the process of modifying state standards to directly align with the standards developed by NCATE, INTASC, and the learned societies. In addition to successful completion of approved programs of study, the State requires all candidates to pass The Educational Testing Service (ETS) Praxis II assessments as evidence that candidates possess the content and pedagogical knowledge necessary to be effective educators. After 2002, first-year teacher mentoring programs will also be required in all public schools followed by a first-year Praxis III on-site evaluation of teaching in order to convert a provisional license to a professional license. The Praxis III Southwest Regional Office is housed in the College of Education and Human Services on the fourth floor of Allyn Hall.

In redesigning our programs of study to meet the new state licensure requirements and ensure quality preparation programs for educators, faculty have aligned program requirements with the Unit’s Conceptual Framework (within the context of the Twenty Goodlad Postulates) and the appropriate learned society standards (Program Matrices). All programs of study have been approved by the Ohio Department of Education (Unit Programs of Study). Beginning in September 2000, programs have been submitted for review to the appropriate NCATE-recognized learned societies (Program Reviews). Currently, the Middle Childhood, Social Studies, and the Language Arts programs have been approved, and all others are under active review. A complete summary of program reviews by the learned societies will be available for the on-site visit on November 3–7, 2001.

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other professional school personnel are required to demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Successful completion of the required program of study serves as the primary indicator that the candidate knows and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified by professional, state, and institutional standards. Multiple performance-based assessments are interwoven throughout the programs to provide evidence of success (Program Assessment Matrices). Candidates prepare a professional portfolio aligned with INTASC /Praxis standards to document their growth and professional development according to each of the standards. The portfolio allows candidates to provide representative samples of their work demonstrating inquiry, reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis of central concepts (Program Assessment Plans).

Required content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge must be demonstrated by candidates on the appropriate Praxis II content and pedagogy exams. Ohio’s cut scores are among the highest in the nation and represent solid grounding in the material tested (Praxis II: CEHS Office of Student Services). The 1999-2000 aggregated institutional pass rate on Praxis II exams was 93 percent; which exceeded national averages in almost all areas of assessment (HEA: Title II).

Candidates who fail to pass the Praxis II exams receive individual and group advising in the Office of Student Services and by faculty to identify interventions and possible experiences or additional coursework the students can complete to fill-in the gaps in their knowledge and successfully pass the exams (Office of Student Services Praxis Workshops).

Element A: Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

Content knowledge is a strand in our Conceptual Framework as well as an area of emphasis in professional and state standards. Candidates follow approved programs of study designed to develop in-depth knowledge of the subject matter they plan to teach. These programs were designed to enable candidates to demonstrate the full range of educational objectives in Bloom’s Taxonomy, including inquiry, analysis, and synthesis of the subject.

Undergraduate teacher candidates seeking initial licensure in Early Childhood or Multi-Age fields are required to have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.5 and to pass the Praxis I general knowledge tests for admission into the College. Candidates must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and successfully complete all general education course requirements and specifically identified content courses during their four-year programs of study. They must also pass the appropriate Praxis II content test prior to receiving a provisional license to teach.

Candidate success provides additional evidence of in-depth content knowledge. Since 1996, for example, CEHS undergraduates have maintained the highest grade-point average in the University (3.197). In-depth content knowledge is also demonstrated by the 100 percent institutional pass rates for the early childhood and elementary school academic content areas on the 1999–2000 Praxis II assessment (HEA: Title II).

Wright State education graduates continue to excel in their content areas. In the past seven years, three CEHS graduates have been named Ohio Teacher of the Year. Additional examples include the 2000 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, and Disney’s American Teacher Award.

Teacher candidates at the graduate level are required to have a cumulative 2.7 GPA and a bachelor’s degree for admission into the College of Graduate Studies. Candidates seeking initial licensure in Middle Childhood, Adolescent-Young Adult, and Multi-age teaching fields must have taken identified content courses or their equivalents in a licensed content area and pass the Praxis II content test prior to beginning the intensive fifth year (15 month) graduate-level teacher preparation program (Office of Student Services: “Content” Course Requirements).

As part of this initial graduate-level program, candidates prepare a professional portfolio to document their growth and development in the ten INTASC principles and four Praxis domains. For example, in ED 621, Human Development and Learning Theories, candidates are required to map this content area as one piece of evidence for their portfolio. Successful completion of this task requires deep understandings about the interconnectedness of the concepts, principles, tools of inquiry, and structures of the content area.

Joint faculty appointments in mathematics, science, and language arts provide content courses specifically designed to address constructivist principles and understandings. The joint appointments have also facilitated the process of aligning course content in science and mathematics with expectations expressed in our Conceptual Framework and current state and professional standards. As an example, three members of the CEHS faculty collaborated with faculty in the College of Science and Mathematics to develop a process for aligning NCATE standards and Praxis III criteria with content courses in science and mathematics. Following their presentation at the March 2001 AACTE Annual Conference, the Wright State faculty were invited to present a summary of their research and the collaborative model at the Standards-based Teacher Education Project (STEP) Summer Conference in June 2001.

Element B: Content Knowledge for Other Professional School Personnel

Content knowledge is a strand in our conceptual framework, as well as an area of emphasis in professional and state standards. Candidates follow programs of study designed to reflect these standards (CEHS Statement on Graduate Credit). Graduate coursework requires candidates to demonstrate the full range of educational objectives in Bloom’s Taxonomy with a focus on inquiry, analysis and synthesis of the subject matter.

For admission to the School of Graduate Studies, candidates for the advanced graduate-level programs are required to have a cumulative 2.7 GPA on previous college coursework (or a cumulative 2.5 GPA with a 3.0 GPA on the last 90 hours of coursework) with either a Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score of at least 30 or a Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score of 800. Requirements for admission to the School Counseling Program include a minimum MAT score of 45 and a GRE of 900.

Candidates in Teacher Education and Educational Leadership programs demonstrate a thorough understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of their fields through reflective documents in their professional portfolio, passing scores on appropriate Praxis II exams, “Pass” or “B” grades in courses and practica experiences, and successful completion of theses or capstone projects (Field Experience Assessments). Candidates in the School Counselor and School Nurse programs must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 and pass written comprehensive exams to document mastery of program content.

Element C: Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

Pedagogical Content Knowledge is a strand in our Conceptual Framework as well as an area of emphasis in state and professional standards. Teacher candidates at the initial undergraduate and graduate levels begin taking pedagogical content courses following admission to the College. These courses introduce the fundamentals of educational history, philosophy, and psychology that serve as the foundation for the teaching profession.

The pedagogical content courses are paired with classroom experiences in local partnership schools to help candidates reflect upon the relationship between theory and practice. The pairing of course content and classroom experiences highlights the critical relationships between students’ backgrounds and abilities, multiple appropriate teaching strategies, teachers’ backgrounds, compelling content, and meaningful learning. Each program of study offers specific courses to address developmentally appropriate and content specific pedagogical knowledge and skills.

Courses in classroom management, teaching with technology, and teaching methods are also paired with classroom experiences to provide candidates with multiple opportunities to apply the principles and theories presented. Through these course pairings, candidates have multiple teaching opportunities before they encounter their actual student/lead teaching experience.

Coursework and classroom experiences are evaluated to provide candidates with continuous feedback for developing and honing their pedagogical content knowledge and skills. Candidates document this growth in their professional portfolio as they select representative samples for evidence of development in the ten INTASC principles and four Praxis domains. Candidates must pass the appropriate Praxis II Professional Knowledge exam to receive a provisional license to teach. The 1999–2000 aggregated professional knowledge pass rate for WSU was 97 percent, which exceeded state and national averages (HEA: Title II).

Technology applications for the classroom are a high priority for our College, as described in the CEHS Technology Plan and evidenced by the investment in renovating Allyn Hall to provide tech-ready classrooms and computer labs (Allyn Hall Project Costs and Technology Expenditures). Our administration and faculty recognize the critical role that modeling effective teaching strategies plays in the preparation of teachers. On occasion, candidates will find the lack of available technology in public schools a deterrent to teaching with technology. In these instances, the CEHS Educational Resource Center (ERC) offers an equipment loan program to assist candidates with the selection and use of appropriate technology in their lesson plans.

An emphasis on the professional’s use of technology permeates our programs at the initial and the advanced levels. Candidates are prepared to meet the following standards from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

1. Candidates demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts.

2. Candidates plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology.

3.Candidates implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning.

4.Candidates apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies

5. Candidates use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice.

6.Candidates understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in P–12 schools and apply that understanding in practice.

All methods courses and the education courses EDT 280 (Classroom Application of Computer-Based Technology), ED 327 (Teaching Skills), and ED 622 (Technological Instruction and Integrated Methods) include teaching with technology and the appropriate selection and use of instructional software and materials. Projects and assignments demonstrating the integration of technology in teaching and learning are included in candidates’ professional portfolios (National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-ISTE Matrix for Technology in Education: Professional Preparation). The College is also working with cooperating teachers and University supervisors in correlating NETS Student Teaching/Internship Standards with actual practice by our candidates as part of their internships and field experiences.

Students in advanced programs have the opportunity to explore and develop technology-focused strategies and skills. Real-world connections, primary source material, and data-gathering and analysis tools are a few of the resources that will assist practitioners in helping their students solve problems and apply appropriate tools for communication, learning, and collaboration.

Element D: Professional and Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills for Teacher Candidates

Professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills are developed by undergraduate and graduate initial licensure candidates as they progress through the three phases of our teacher preparation programs. Each phase of coursework is linked with practica experiences in two or more school settings. Every candidate experiences school life in an urban and suburban or rural district to help them develop a broad repertoire of pedagogical and professional skills for teaching all students in a variety of settings.

Students are required to maintain at least a 2.5 GPA at the undergraduate level (a 3.0 at the graduate level), and document their pedagogical growth through a professional portfolio and/or comprehensive exams. Candidates who have difficulties with coursework or practica participation during any phase of preparation are counseled by faculty in a Concern Conference designed to provide specific feedback and remediation strategies for problem areas. Concern Conference problems must be remedied within the specified time period and cleared by the Office of Student Services before the candidate can proceed to the next phase of preparation.

Initial licensure programs in Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, Adolescent-Young Adult, Vocational, and Multi-age fields are organized in a three-phase model. Each phase includes specific coursework and types of field experiences designed to build upon the previous phase of coursework and field experiences.

Phase I serves as the foundational phase, introducing candidates to the philosophies and theories of the profession. Phase I coursework includes knowledge in educational history, schooling in a pluralistic society, human development, learning theories, and using technology in teaching.

Phase I practica experiences are designed to familiarize candidates with school life, provide opportunities to connect theories with classroom practice, permit observation of model teachers, and participate in tutoring or teaching students under the guidance of strong mentors. Successful completion of these courses and positive evaluations of field participation serve as the foundation and threshold to Phase II coursework.

Phase II is the skill development phase of the teacher preparation sequence. In Phase II coursework candidates focus on studying content-specific curriculum modules, developing lesson plans and teaching skills, developing classroom management skills, exploring assessment strategies, and using technology for instruction and assessment. Each candidate’s skill development is evaluated through coursework and practica participation. Practica evaluations are based upon the four Praxis domains cross-referenced with the ten INTASC principles and reflect participation expectations that include planning, teaching, and assessing students.

Successful completion of Phase II is required before any candidate is permitted to register for Phase III and Student/Lead-Teaching. Following completion of Phase II coursework and field experiences, candidates register to take the appropriate state-required Praxis II Professional Content Knowledge exam to receive licensure in the state of Ohio. Cut scores for the assessment, determined by the state, are among the highest in the nation. In 1999–2000, the aggregated CEHS pass rate in Professional Knowledge was 97 percent (HEA: Title II). Candidates who do not pass the exam receive appropriate intervention recommendations from advisors in the Office of Student Services and their faculty advisors (Office of Student Services Praxis Workshops).

Phase III is the culminating experience in the initial licensure preparation programs. Candidates take on all the responsibilities of a classroom teacher for one full quarter—planning, teaching, assessing, conferencing with parents, and engaging in the life of the school and community. Candidates are expected to demonstrate the knowledge and skills of a reflective, intentional teacher by planning and adapting instruction and assessment to meet all learners’ needs. Candidates are continuously evaluated by their cooperating teachers and University supervisors using Praxis/Pathwise criteria. Their evaluations provide specific feedback regarding strengths and weaknesses in pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills, and prepare candidates for their first year Praxis III evaluation by the state. Successful completion of Phase III can occur at the low, medium or high level, and provides guidance to candidates regarding possible professional development targets for their first year of teaching.

Continuing development of professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills in advanced programs is provided through a variety of programs. While not a licensing degree, the Teacher Leader Program offers certified/licensed teachers who wish to remain in the classroom the opportunity to further develop their skills and knowledge. The Teacher Leader degree in Educational Leadership has the largest enrollment of any graduate program on campus and averages 450 plus students a year. The College is a clear leader in graduate level productivity: from July 1, 1999, to June 30, 2000, the unit awarded 45 percent of the University’s Master’s degrees, or a total of 414—the highest in the University.

Other advanced graduate programs under the heading “Classroom Teacher” permit credentialed teachers to build upon and extend their knowledge and experiences to improve their own teaching and student learning. Advanced learning occurs in courses dealing with curriculum planning, technology, instruction, assessment, and content-specific pedagogy. Some of these programs also lead to additional licensure in areas such as library media specialist, reading, and physical education.

Element E: Professional Knowledge and Skills for Other School Professionals

Candidates in programs for administrative and pupil services licenses follow programs of study aligned with professional, state, and institutional standards. Professional knowledge and skill requirements for administrative licensure programs are guided by ISLLC (Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium) Standards for School Leaders and the appropriate EDLEA Advanced Program Standards. The School Counseling program is aligned with state requirements and CACREP (Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs) standards.

The School Nurse program is aligned with the standards of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and is an endorsement program for registered nurses. The Library/Media Specialist program uses the standards of the American Library Association (ALA), and the Computer/Technology Endorsement program is aligned with International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards.

In the state of Ohio, all professional licenses require candidates to have a teaching certificate/license with at least three years of teaching experience or a general professional credential (in the health fields) to qualify for licensure. Therefore, these professional programs actually build upon solidly formed professional knowledge and skills rather than beginning at the formational level. Coursework and practica experiences are designed to develop in-depth understandings, research practices, appropriate uses of technology, and reflective practices related to a particular specialization. Candidates are to demonstrate the acquisition of concepts and information, the integration of concepts with practice, the use of knowledge in context, and the application of knowledge and skills in the workplace environment. Evidence of developing professional knowledge and skills is found in the candidates’ research projects, work samples, field evaluations, and professional portfolios or comprehensive exams.

Assessment of candidates includes data from multiple sources, including performance assessments, written exams, portfolios, essay tests, group projects, literature reviews, and papers. Candidates in administrative programs are evaluated in a series of practica placements documented in their professional portfolios according to the ISLLC standards. Faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership are also developing a new practica evaluation form, “Requisites of a Leader” (Requisites of a Leader), based upon a composite of ISLLC and EDLEA standards. This evaluation will provide candidates specific feedback from on-site and University supervisors and will also serve as a periodic guide for program evaluation.

Element F: Dispositions for All Candidates

Candidates in all programs of study are expected to develop and reflect the dispositions delineated in the professional, state, and institutional standards. Professionalism, Diversity, and Emotional Intelligence are strands in our Conceptual Framework and affirm our commitment to developing appropriate professional dispositions in all candidates. Coursework interweaves diversity issues with self-reflective practice and self-analysis in developing emotional intelligence appropriate for professional educators. Initial and advanced candidates work with students, families, and other professionals in the context of diverse communities during their various practica experiences.

Teacher candidates are required to attend curriculum meetings, school board meetings, and family/parent-teacher conferences, where they are expected to demonstrate the dispositions of professional educators. Cooperating educators and University supervisors evaluate and provide feedback to candidates about disposition strengths and needed adjustments. Candidates are required to reflect upon their own dispositions for the profession in their personal development journals and to make needed adjustments. Field Experience Assessments include a checklist of professional dispositions to facilitate this process. Candidates document participation and reflection in class assignments, journals, and portfolios.

Candidates experiencing difficulty developing the appropriate dispositions receive individual counseling through a Concern Conference, where faculty and candidate agree on a specific intervention plan that is to be completed before the candidate can continue with the next phase of preparation. Candidates unable to make the necessary adjustment in professional dispositions are referred to WSU’s Career Services for career counseling. Faculty may recommend candidates not continue and be dismissed from the program (CEHS Policy and Procedures Manual, Sections 5.1.7.1 and 5.1.7.2).

Element G: Student Learning for Teacher Candidates

Beginning with Phase I courses, initial and advanced licensure candidates engage in reflective activities that help them connect theories with actual classroom practice. Candidates are required to apply theories of development, learning, motivation, and effective learning environments to particular student cases to assess the student’s prior knowledge and diverse life experiences and design/evaluate instruction to provide meaningful learning experiences for that student.

Candidates are also asked to accurately draw upon theories to help them better understand students’ learning needs and to modify or adapt instruction to meet those specific needs. For example, the Phase I course, ED 621 (Human Growth and Development), explores the principles of intentional teaching that serve as the foundation for further analysis and adjustments in classroom management, teaching methods, and assessment strategies. During practica experiences in Phase II and III, candidates are required to design and teach lessons based upon the principles of intentional teaching. The reading sequence of courses, for example, requires students to observe student performance, analyze these observations, plan lessons based on the analysis, and to assess student learning. The Department of Teacher Education has established a general format for lesson planning that requires each of these steps in every content area (Lesson Plan Template). The candidate’s impact on student learning is documented by student work samples, in professional portfolios, and on practica assessments.

Element H: Student Learning for Other Professionals

Candidates for other professional educator roles engage in problem-based coursework to develop evaluation and reflection skills that enable them so see their work in the context of impacting students’ academic, socio-emotional, and career/vocational growth and performance. Coursework requires candidates to demonstrate the acquisition of concepts and information, integration of concepts with practice, use of knowledge in context, and the application of knowledge and skills in the workplace environment. Assignments include developing plans for school improvement, teacher supervision, and professional staff development.

Practica provide bridging experiences with opportunities to apply strategies for improving student learning, and to collect and analyze data related to the impact of those strategies on student learning. This work is documented in the professional portfolio and practica/internship evaluations (Field Experience Assessments).