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STANDARD 1. CANDIDATE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITIONS

 

1.1.a

 

Langston University School of Education (SoEBS) offers nine initial level programs. The programs offered include Early Childhood Education (ECE), Elementary Education (ELE), Special Education (SPED), Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, English/Language Arts Education (ELA), Health and Physical Recreation (HPER), Mathematics Education, and Science Education (Biology/Chemistry). The Instrumental & Vocal Music programs, without a national SPA, will submit program reviews at the state level in spring 2016 (Evidence: Program Review Reports 9.24.15, Instr PR, Instr Rpt, Vocal PR, Vocal Rpt).

 

There is one advanced level program, Masters of Education (M.Ed.), with five options. Only one option, Educational Leadership, leads to certification. Langston had a voluntary moratorium for this program beginning in 2013. Since submission of the IR, the Educational Leadership program has received National Recognition (Evidence: Program Review & Report). The other four options available through the M.Ed. are Bilingual/Multicultural, Elementary Education, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Urban Education (Evidence: University Catalog). The four options are available on the Langston-OKC campus. Only the Urban Education option is available on the Langston-Tulsa campus. Candidates from the Langston campus may receive the entire Urban Education option via ITV and Adobe Connect. With the close proximity of Langston to the Langston-OKC campus, candidates interested in pursuing the other M.Ed. options may commute to LU-OKC.

 

To assess initial candidate’s content knowledge, Langston uses state examinations, content area grades, and clinical teaching summative evaluations. Initial candidate’s content knowledge is assessed at state level using the Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET) and the Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT). Data for advanced candidates in the educational leadership program include an understanding of knowledge by completing two Oklahoma subject area tests (OSAT).

 

The 2013-14 Title II Report indicated that 86 percent of the unit’s initial candidates passed state examinations for licensure. Over the last three years (2012-2015), unit completers at the initial level had an OSAT pass rate of 97 percent (Evidence: 2012-2015 OSAT Aggregated & Disaggregated). To ensure initial candidates possess the content knowledge necessary to be effective during clinical practice, beginning fall 2013 candidates were required to successfully complete the OSAT prior to clinical practice. This policy assisted in and eliminated candidates graduating without having met OSAT requirements.

 

Because the four options available at the advanced level through the M.Ed. program do NOT lead to teacher certification, data for content knowledge was not provided.

 

The Teacher Education Unit has three transition points for initial candidates that require mastery of content knowledge demonstrated by candidates. This mastery of content knowledge is demonstrated by earning a grade of ‘C’ or higher in all special and professional education courses and maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or higher for admission and retention in Teacher Education. Advanced candidates in the Educational Leadership program have four transition points that require mastery of content knowledge by earning a ‘C’ or higher in all courses and maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher for admission and retention. The indicators for advanced content knowledge for Educational Leadership were the Principal Specialty Area Test and the Principal Common Core Test. The indicator for advanced content knowledge for the options that do NOT lead to teacher certification is the Comprehensive Examination given in the last semester of program. The specific key assessments that correlate to the number of transition points regarding both the initial and advanced programs is outlined in the Comprehensive Unit Assessment Plan and Initial Level Master List (Evidence: Unit Assessment Plan & Initial Level Master List).

 

Initial candidates understand the relationship of content and content-specific pedagogy. In each program, candidates engage in lesson planning incorporating a variety of instructional and assessment strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners. Initial candidates' pedagogical content knowledge is demonstrated and assessed using the OSAT and professional teaching exam (OPTE), competencies on the CT Summative Evaluation, SPA-specific CT evaluations, and follow-up surveys of First Year Teachers (FYT) and Administrator surveys. Initial candidates demonstrate abilities to present content in clear and meaningful ways through the competencies in the Summative Generalized and SPA-specific evaluations. Competencies from the Summative Evaluation and SPA-specific evaluation used by university supervisors and cooperating teachers in observations of clinical teachers are aligned with standards that draw upon content and pedagogical knowledge and skills specific to instructional strategies, helping students learn, and the integration of technology. FYT and Administrator/Employer Feedback Surveys are administered annually. In 2012-13 and 2013-14, four participants completed the FYT survey. No one completed the Administrator/Employer Feedback Survey in 2012-2013 and two completed the 2013-2014 survey. The unit has identified the low return rate on these surveys as a priority to be addressed through the Assessment & Curriculum Committee’s focus on Continuous Improvement (Evidence: Unit Assessment Plan, page 4).

 

No data were provided for advanced programs related to pedagogical knowledge due to the Educational Leadership program being on moratorium and the fact that the other four options do NOT lead to teacher certification.

 

Internal assessments used to assess initial candidates' understanding of the knowledge expected in their field, abilities to use data and current research to inform practices, use of technology, and abilities to support student learning include course GPA, Portfolio, and Comprehensive Exam. OSP candidates are required to earn a grade of C or higher in all coursework, and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher for retention in the program.

 

In fall 2014, a Disposition Evaluation was created and approved by the Teacher Education Council for candidates at the initial level. The candidate, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor use this Disposition Evaluation form in field placements, select courses, and clinical practice. Prior to the implementation of the Disposition Evaluation, dispositions were evaluated using select criteria from the Clinical Teaching Evaluations and Portfolio rubric (Exhibit 1.4f).

 

Advanced program faculty assess candidate dispositions utilizing the Graduate Disposition Monitoring System (Exhibit 1.4e). Data for dispositions for advanced candidates are provided as currently collected (Evidence: Advanced Level NCATE Data). Advanced candidate dispositions have been identified as a priority for the Assessment & Curriculum Committee. The committee will be looking at necessary updates and revisions to ensure alignment with the Conceptual Framework (2014). It is anticipated that the assessment and collection of advanced candidate dispositions will mirror the initial level process. The projected date of implementation for the updated advanced candidate disposition process is spring 2016.

 

To impact student learning, candidates are assessed on elements of the clinical teaching evaluation. As outlined in program reviews, the unit is aware that the clinical teaching evaluations lack differentiation among scoring levels, do not provide objective criteria, and do not lend themselves to good evidence (Evidence: Program Review Reports 9.24.15). The rubrics used to evaluate clinical teaching are under revision with a projected implementation date of spring 2016. The elements of the current clinical teaching evaluations assess initial candidates’ impact on student learning based on select criteria (Evidence: Summative Evaluation Criteria for Impact on Student Learning). Candidate performance for the past years, utilizing the select criteria, demonstrates candidates’ abilities to positively impact student learning through the use of a variety of instructional strategies, the integration of technology, and the use monitoring and assessments to modify instruction (Evidence: Summative Evaluation Data for Impact on Student Learning). Less than 50 percent of the Clinical Teaching General Summative Evaluations were returned over the three-year period of 2012-2015. This poor return rate was addressed in summer 2015. Two actions were taken. A modification was made to the number of evaluations required for each placement, decreasing from ten per placement to eight per placement. Beginning fall 2015 candidates were required to upload their completed evaluations to PASS-PORT prior to submitting them to the Director of Teacher Education, Certification, and Field Experiences to be placed in their cumulative files (Evidence: Master List 2015-2016).

 

No evidence of student learning in the advanced programs was provided due to the Educational Leadership program being on moratorium and the fact that the other four options do NOT lead to teacher certification.

 

1.1.b

 

Langston University (LU) School of Education & Behavioral Sciences (SoEBS) offers initial teacher certification programs in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Elementary Education (ELE), Special Education (SPED), Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, English/Language Arts Education (ELA), Health & Physical Education (HPER), Mathematics Education, & Science Education (Biology/Chemistry). Educational Leadership was offered at the advanced level prior to its voluntary moratorium beginning spring 2013. Teacher candidates know the content they plan to teach & can explain important principles & concepts delineated in professional, state, & institutional standards as demonstrated by seven of the nine initial programs & the advanced program being reviewed by their respective Specialty Professional Association (SPA) spring 2013 - spring 2015. The Instrumental & Vocal Music programs, without a national SPA, will submit program reviews at the state level in spring 2016. Of the seven programs submitted for national review, ECE, ELE, SPED, & Science Education (Biology/Chemistry) were fully recognized; HPER and Math Education were recognized with conditions; ELA was recognized with probation.

 

HPER, Math Education, and Educational Leadership submitted Program Reviews in response to conditions and ELA submitted a new Program Review in spring 2015. The Program Review status of these programs following the spring 2015 submission of the IR is as follows:

 

 

Trends reveal that the unit must continue to analyze data from new PASS-PORT system annually within the Program Quality Internal Review (PQIR) process and make needed changes within the programs (Evidence: PQIR Draft).

 

1.2.b

 

Upon item analysis of candidate performance on the CEOE, the unit revised plans of study. These plans of study were submitted for approval in spring 2014, approved in spring of 2015, and were implemented fall 2015. These plans addressed courses and reassigned field experiences. Documentation of the process leading to these revisions will be available during the on-site visit.

 

The unit also adopted a continuous improvement process that allowed for on-going review and if necessary, revision of unit process and procedures. A new data management system (PASS-PORT) is now being used to house all data. During the spring of 2016, an annual Program Quality Internal Review (PQIR) will be conducted to analyze data. Any issues or problems identified during this process can come forward in this annual review.

 

1.4 Areas of concern related to continuing to meet the standard

 

The unit does not provide data that indicate that initial and advanced candidates are able to impact student learning.

 

Rationale: Although the unit states it uses clinical teaching evaluations to assess student learning, there is limited data for initial program and no data for advanced programs.

 

Evidence:       University Catalog 

                        Summative Evaluation Criteria for Impact on Student Learning

                        Summative Evaluation Data for Impact on Student Learning

 

1.5

 

Pass rate for OSAT for the last three years available in Evidence: 2012-2015 OSAT Aggregated & Disaggregated.

 

Agendas and minutes will be provided on-site from the TEC, Leadership Council, Advisory Council, and departmental and committee meetings to show changes made in the unit and individual programs due to data collected.

 

The Human Ecology program is the former name of the current Family and Consumer Sciences program. The name of the program was changed in fall 2010 to remain in alignment with the accrediting agency, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Evidence: OSRHE Letter of Approval).

 

 

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