STANDARD 3. FIELD EXPERIENCES AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

 

3.1

 

The unit provides teacher candidates with multiple opportunities for field experiences and clinical practice as well as service learning experiences. Many of these opportunities are embedded in courses that are taken well before the clinical practice. Beginning fall 2015, updated Plans of Study were implemented for eight of the Techer Education programs. The updated plans allowed for the distribution of field experiences throughout a candidate’s matriculation in the program (Evidence: Navigating Teacher Education, Appendix 1 and Appendix 2). There is evidence of a partnership among the unit, school partners, and other members of the professional community. There is one advanced level program, Masters of Education (M.Ed.), with five options. Only one option, Educational Leadership, leads to certification. A one-semester field experience under the supervision of a building administrator and university faculty member is required for the Educational Leadership program. Langston had a voluntary moratorium for this program option beginning in 2013. 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). These four options available at the advanced level through the M.Ed. program do NOT lead to teacher certification, do NOT prepare candidates for state certification exams, and do NOT require clinical practice. Evidence of content knowledge at all advanced levels is collected through Comprehensive Examinations and PASS-PORT (Evidence: Unit Assessment Plan, Advanced Final Level: 2012-2015).

 

The clinical practice evaluation for initial teacher candidates includes SPA specific assessments. Placements for candidates include opportunities to work with learners from various ethnicities and cultural groups, children living with exceptionalities, and schools representing a range of socioeconomic statuses, rural, and urban populations. Opportunities are also provided for candidates to work with students who are English-language learners and are documented by the Director of Teacher Education, Certification, and Field Experiences at the initial level and by the Director of Graduate Programs at the advanced level. A table was added to the D2L TEU site (available on site) in fall 2015 to allow for transparency in placement and for the documentation of all experiences in P-12 settings (i.e. service projects), including and beyond placements coordinated by the Director of Teacher Education, Certification, and Field Experiences at the initial level and by the Director of Graduate Programs. The undergraduate handbook (Evidence: Navigating Teacher Education page 21) explains that all candidates are required to have experience in a variety of settings, with diverse learners.

 

The Teacher Education Council (TEC) oversees policy and procedures for field experiences and clinical practice. The TEC includes faculty from the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. The TEC implemented a constitution and bylaws in August 2015 (Evidence: TEC Constitution & Bylaws, TEC agendas and minutes available on site). Members of partnership schools and alumni are not members of the TEC but provide input through the Teacher Education Advisory Council, established spring 2015. The Advisory Council is charged with advising the Dean of the SoEBS, Director of Teacher Education, Certification, & Field Experiences, Director of Unit Assessment & Accreditation, and other appropriate administrators. This Council:

 

• Provides a forum for the exchange of information, suggestions and perspectives about professional education practices and programs;

 

• Reviews unit programs that lead to educator certification in meeting institutional, state, and national standards;

 

• Reviews unit data and makes recommendations for continuous improvement specific to the assessment system and candidate performance. (Evidence: Advisory Council Membership, Advisory Council Constitution, agendas & minutes available on site).

 

Assessments for clinical practice are currently being updated with planned implementation in spring 2016. The formative, summative, and SPA specific clinical practice rubrics currently being used are available in the original IR submission, exhibits 1.4 c and 3.4f. Assessments are developed, updated, and revised by the Assessment and Curriculum Committee, reviewed by the Director of Teacher Education, Certification, and Field Experiences and Dean, and submitted to the TEC for approval (agendas and minutes available on site). Previously, Teacher Education faculty and cooperating teachers were trained to use the assessment instruments via one-on-one assistance from the Director of Teacher Education, Certification, and Field Experiences. Prerecorded trainings for PASS-PORT, Adobe Connect, and the use of the updated Teacher Education/Clinical Practice interview rubric have been made available and used with candidates and faculty (videos, agendas, and minutes available on site). Discussions surrounding the use of prerecorded trainings and virtual meetings via Adobe Connect to support cooperating teachers are underway. The criteria for selection of cooperating teachers are available in Clinical Teaching Handbook located in the original IR exhibit 3.4e page 8. Suggested activities for incorporating technology in initial level field experiences are outlined in the Navigating Teacher Education handbook (Evidence: Navigating Teacher Education page 96-97).

 

3.2.b

 

Many assessments are currently under review. The admission interviews, field experiences, and clinical teaching instruments are being reviewed to identify consistency of scales, ensure criteria is aligned with current standards, review verbiage to ensure criteria are observable and measureable, and ensure consistent formatting. They will be ready for implementation fall 2015 or spring 2016 and will be reviewed annually by the Assessment and Curriculum Committee and Advisory Council. Revised Plans of Study were implemented fall 2015.

 

The Memoranda of Understanding with two school districts have been revised and signed; another is awaiting final approval by the district’s superintendent. A Teacher Work Sample is required during clinical teaching, and the use of PASS-PORT to document field and clinical experiences for initial and advanced candidates is being explored. Beginning fall 2015, clinical teachers are required to record a lesson during the second clinical practice placement. The video is required to allow clinical teachers the opportunity to analyze their impact on student learning (directions available on site).

 

3.4 Areas of concern related to continuing to meet the standard

 

The unit does not ensure that all initial and advanced candidates have the opportunity to work with English-language learners.

 

Rationale: No data was provided for initial or advanced candidates’ ability to work with English-language learners.

 

Initial candidates are exposed to content related to diversity, including working with English language learners, in ED 2213 Introduction to Education and SPED 3143 Survey of Exceptional Children. Introduction to Education has a 15-hour field experience and in 2015, with the implementation of the revised Plans of Study, a 15-hour field experience was added to SPED 3143. These field experiences provide candidates the opportunity to observe and participate in settings that include diverse student populations related to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, ability, and language diversity. 

 

As part of the Core Courses, required of all options in the M.Ed. program, advanced candidates complete at least one of the following courses: EDU 5033 Foundations of Educational Psychology, EDU 5043 Educational Sociology, or EDU 5053 Philosophy of Teaching. These courses address diversity in teaching and learning contexts including working with children are learning English as a second language.

 

The evidence concerning how the unit has worked with school partners in the past was not provided.

 

Rationale: While it is stated that revisions relating to processes, assessments and partnerships with P-12 educators and schools are currently under review or have just been initiated, there is no evidence provided concerning past or current procedures. Additionally, it is not clear what data was used to determine that revisions needed to be made.

 

The TEU has relationships with local districts. In 2015, the Dean began updating and establishing formal partnerships through the use of Memoranda of Understanding and to date has had two MOUs signed and is awaiting final approval for another (Evidence: MOU Tulsa Public Schools, MOU Stillwater Public Schools, MOU for Guthrie Public Schools). To ensure collaboration on processes and assessments and to strengthen P-12 partnerships, the Teacher Education Advisory Council was established in 2015 and is comprised of public school representatives and community stakeholders,

 

3.5

 

Each option in the M.Ed. program includes a practicum (e.g., BE 5283 Practicum in Bilingual/Multicultural Education, ESL 5283 Practicum in English as a Second Language, UE 5283 Practicum in the Urban Environment). Advanced candidates are required to prepare written reports of their experiences in the practicum. Advanced candidates are assessed utilizing the attached rubric Practicum and Other Field Based Experiences Scoring Rubric (Evidence).

 

The membership of the Teacher Education Council and the membership of the Teacher Education Advisory Board are available (Evidence: TEC/Advisory Council Membership).