Augustana College
Education Department
Teacher Education Program
Overview:
The development of the Unit Assessment Plan has been based upon the following:
1.The unit's conceptual framework, the Circle of Courage ,
clearly defines what we value;
2.Learning is multidimensional consisting of core knowledge, integrative
knowledge, and dispositional knowledge;
3.Assessment contributes to the ongoing spirit of inquiry and growth;
4.Assessment works best when purposes are explicit;
5.Assessment must focus on outcomes and experiences that lead to those
outcomes;
6.Assessment is longitudinal and ongoing;
7.Assessment fosters more improvement when all members of the unit are
involved;
8.Assessment should focus on “what matters”; and
9.Assessment should be a systematic component of the unit’s decision-making
process.
The Unit Assessment Plan incorporates continuous assessment with systematically
administered procedures. Both internal and external data sources are used.
The resulting data are used to modify programs and procedures as
warranted. The plan is comprehensive, effective, and efficient. It
has a visible operational component in terms of tools and timelines. In
addition, the plan is comprehensive in that it addresses and is inclusive of
all unit mechanisms.
The goal of assessment is to maintain the quality of programs through ongoing
systematic data collection and through the use of this data to continually
review and improve the professional education programs at
The unit's conceptual framework, the Circle of Courage ,
describes how Augustana College’s Teacher Education Program has been influenced
and informed by current and historical research in education, by current best
practice and reform research and by the changes called for by NCATE and other learned societies.
Additionally, the conceptual framework articulates the Teacher Education Program’s
beliefs and provides justification and rationale for its existence and
purpose. It is meant to be a vehicle through which the unit shares with
the professional community its way of seeing, thinking, and being.
The Circle of Courage
is based on a model of youth empowerment supported by contemporary research,
the heritage of early youth work pioneers and Native American philosophies of
childcare. The model is encompassed in four core values: belonging,
mastery, independence, and generosity. The central theme of this model is
that a set of shared values must exist in any community of learners, including
public education and teacher-training institutions, to create environments that
ultimately benefit society.
The curriculum of the Teacher Education
Program is structured to blend the Circle of Courage
values into a model for professional behavior. A set of professional
competencies, based upon INTASC
(Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium) principles, has
been identified to guide course content and practicum experiences and both the
initial and advanced level.
PROGRAM COMPETENCIES AT THE INITIAL LEVEL
#1 KNOWLEDGE BASE: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of
inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create
learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for
students.
#2 KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
#3 ADAPTING INSTRUCTION FOR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS: The teacher understands how
students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional
opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
#4 MULTIPLE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: The teacher understands and uses a
variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of
critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
#5 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
#6 COMMUNICATION SKILLS: The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal,
nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry,
collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
#7 INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING SKILLS: The teacher plans instruction based upon
knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
#8 ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING: The teacher understands and uses formal and
informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous
intellectual, social and physical development of the learner.
#9 PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT
#10 PARTNERSHIPS: The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues,
parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and
well-being.
PROGRAM COMPETENCIES AT THE ADVANCED LEVEL
1. Exhibit in-depth knowledge of core content, literature, and
theoretical base
2. Display detailed knowledge of learners, learning theory,
and pedagogy
3. Utilize knowledge of learned society standards and best
practices
4. Demonstrate application of instructional strategies
5. Incorporate global and multicultural strategies in all aspects
of profession
6. Demonstrate accommodations for diverse learners
7. Exhibit a variety of assessment procedures for documentation of
student growth and curricular effectiveness
8. Demonstrate skill in classroom environments and operations
9. Utilize and apply technology
10. Actively participate in school change process via field experience
11. Be involved in the community beyond the classroom
12. Participate in advanced application of quantitative and qualitative
research with ongoing contributions to the knowledge base and practice
13. Model the role of a leader
14. Demonstrate advanced skills in spoken and written language and
critical thinking
The Unit Assessment Plan is designed to:
--determine whether program graduates have acquired program competencies,
--determine if the unit has achieved its aim,
--enable the unit to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and
--determine areas in need of modification.
Information is collected that enables the unit to examine whether or not
faculty and instruction reflect the values advocated by the unit's conceptual
framework. It also substantiates the preparation and continuous
development of faculty for being able to develop competencies in teacher
candidates.
Departmental Retreats are held in August prior to the beginning of the fall
semester, in December at the conclusion of the fall semester, and in May at the
conclusion of the spring semester for the purposes of facilitating program
evaluation.
Evaluation in the unit is systematic and provides a continuous opportunity to
examine the program. Program assessment is integrated with institutional
evaluation as well as state and national standards for program assessment.
The following served as a framework for the development of the plan:
1.The plan incorporates systematic accountability to facilitate continuous
evaluation
2.The plan is built upon standards
3.The plan incorporates multiple measures of evaluation and assessment
4.The plan utilizes rubrics that define levels of performance used to judge
candidate competence
5.The plan samples and summarizes candidate performance
6.The plan provides credible and useful data
7.The plan yields data used to modify programs and procedures to improve
candidate performance.
CANDIDATE TRANSITION POINTS
Teacher candidates at both the initial and advanced levels are assessed
throughout their program of study as outlined in the table(s) that follow:
INITIAL LEVEL PROGRAM
|
TRANSITION
POINT |
ASSESSMENT
MEASURES EMPLOYED |
|
Admission
to the program |
|
|
Acceptance
to student teaching |
|
|
Exit
from student teaching |
|
|
Upon
program completion |
|
Candidates at the initial level who experience difficulty at any of the
transition points may process through a staffing which is briefly outlined as
follows: The advisor and/or Base Program faculty, in consultation with
the candidate, should complete a Staffing Form. This is submitted to the
Chair who schedules a meeting with the candidate, advisor, and other pertinent
parties (Base Program faculty, student teaching supervisor, cooperating
teacher, etc.). The staffing is designed to define the problem, develop
an action plan for improvement, discuss ramifications, and arrange for follow
up. The completed form is to be filed in the candidate's academic advising
folder.
ADVANCED LEVEL PROGRAM
|
TRANSITION
POINT |
ASSESSMENT
MEASURES EMPLOYED |
|
Admission
to Program |
A student holding a baccalaureate degree and interested in
working toward a graduate degree first obtains, completes and files an official
application with the Office of Graduate Education. All applications must be
supported by:
|
|
Admission
to Candidacy |
-After
9 credits in graduate program, students must apply for candidacy in order to
be eligible to complete the degree (9 c.h.,
completion of one course in the area of concentration, GPA of 3.0, approved
plan of study on file, demonstrated potential to fulfill degree requirements,
graduate advisor recommendation) |
|
General
Graduate Degree Requirements |
-Minimum
of 32 credit hours (23 at Augustana College), cumulative GPA of 3.0,
demonstrated proficiency in written English, completion of all coursework
within a seven-year period, completion of the graduate paper, completion of
comprehensive and oral examinations |
MAJOR ASSESSMENTS TO BE USED
Multiple internal and external assessments that have
been aligned with institutional, state, & national standards are used to
facilitate candidate and program evaluation. The table that follows
outlines the major assessments used and articulates the time frame for each.
|
|
WHEN
GATHERED |
PERSON/OFFICE
RESPONSIBLE |
TO WHOM |
PURPOSE |
RESULTS/REPORT
|
|
GPA (I) |
-Program
Admission |
-Field
Placement Office |
-Unit
Faculty |
-Inform
program admission, acceptance to student teaching, and program exit |
-Cumulative
GPA's included in review of candidates at key transition points |
|
Advisor
Recommendation (I) |
-Program
Admission |
-Field
Placement Office |
-Advisors |
-Professional
judgment of candidate |
-Candidate
is recommended or denied admittance; staffing if warranted |
|
Cooperating
Teacher Feedback (I) |
-During
field placements |
-Field
Placement Office |
-Field
Placement Office |
-Inform
field placement process |
-
Results summary |
|
Field
Experience & Student Teaching Performance-Based Assessment Tools (I) |
-At end
of each field experience |
-Field
Placement Office |
-Field
Placement Office |
-To assess
candidate performance in field experiences |
-
Results summary |
|
Teacher
Education Portfolio (I) |
-Initial
Level Portfolio Review -Teacher
Impact Upon Student Learning Project Rubric |
-NCATE
Coordinator |
-Candidate
|
-Review
performance by candidates |
-Initial,
Intermediate, and Final Portfolio Review rubrics -Teacher
Impact Upon Student Learning Project Rubric |
|
Synthesis
Portfolio (I) |
-Toward
end of program of study |
-Cohort
Coordinator |
-Candidate |
-Reviews
performance by candidate |
-Synthesis
Portfolio approval form |
|
Follow-Up
Survey of Program Graduates & their Employers (E) |
-January |
-Education
Department Chair |
-Unit
Faculty |
-Inform
program |
-
Results summary |
|
Summative
Faculty Evaluations by Students—College Initiated (I) |
-Institutional
schedule |
-Education
Department Chair |
-Academic
Affairs |
-Performance
Evaluation |
-
Results summary |
|
Formative
Faculty Evaluations—Self Initiated (I) |
-Every
course as desired |
-Course
Instructor |
-Faculty
member |
-Inform
course |
-
Results summary |
|
NCATE/SD
DOE/ |
-Every
5 years |
-NCATE
Coordinator |
-Unit
Faculty |
-Review
of programs |
-NCATE
Institutional Report |
|
Education
Department Advisory Body (I) |
-Twice
a year |
-Education
Department Chair |
-Education
Department Chair |
-Authentication |
-Record
of meeting minutes |
|
PRAXIS
II (E) |
-Prior
to program exit |
-Field
Placement Coordinator -Certification
Officer |
-Unit
Faculty |
-To
assess candidates' content and pedagogical knowledge and skills |
-PRAXIS
II Institutional Report |
|
Assessment
of Candidate Dispositions (I) |
-Prior
to Program Admission |
-Course
instructors |
-Unit
Faculty |
-To
assess candidate dispositions |
-Assessment
of Candidate Dispositions Forms -
Disposition Checklist Report Form |
TEACHER EDUCATION PORTFOLIO
|
Review
Cycle |
When |
Related
Course or Field Experience |
Tools |
Reviewers |
|
Initial |
During
enrollment in |
|
-Initial
Level Portfolio Review Rubric |
-Education
Department Faculty |
|
Students who do not meet expectations
for the Initial Level Portfolio Review will have their portfolio returned for
revision(s) and will need to resubmit their portfolio for a second
review. Students will NOT be able to enroll in upper level courses
until their portfolio has been resubmitted and found to meet expectations for
the Initial Level Portfolio Review. |
||||
|
INTERMEDIATE |
During
the semester of enrollment in the targeted major course |
ELED/BLOCK |
-Self
Evaluation |
-Base
Program Faculty |
|
Students who do not meet
expectations for the Intermediate Level Portfolio Review will have their
portfolio returned for revision(s) and will need to resubmit their portfolio
for a second review. Students will NOT be able to student teach until
their portfolio has been resubmitted and found to meet expectations for the
Intermediate Level Portfolio Review. |
||||
|
FINAL |
During the
semester of Student Teaching, Teacher Impact Upon Student Learning Project
poster presentation made on Education Symposium Day |
Student
Teaching Semester |
-Final
Level Portfolio Review Rubric |
-Education
Department Faculty |
|
Students who do not meet
expectations for the Final Level Portfolio Review will have their portfolio
returned for revision(s) and will need to resubmit their portfolio for a
second review. Students will NOT receive a satisfactory grade for
student teaching until their portfolio has been resubmitted and found to meet
expectations for the Final Level Portfolio Review. |
||||
Data are typically compiled at regular intervals (December and May Reading Day Retreats
and
1.Data are assembled from source by designated faculty/staff
2.Date are disseminated to appropriate stakeholders for review and analysis
3.Recommendations made
4.Recommendations forwarded to appropriate group for approval if applicable
5.Recommendations implemented
ASPECTS THAT ADDRESS
While candidate performance is a high priority for the unit, all mechanisms
within the unit are addressed as outlined in the table that follows:
|
Assessment Tool |
Program |
Timeline |
Conceptual |
CANDIDATES |
|
|
Unit
Accreditation Self-Study Process— |
I/A |
5 year
cycle |
X |
X |
X |
|
College
Curriculum Program Review |
I/A |
7 year
cycle |
|
X |
|
|
Commission
on Higher Education |
I/A |
10 year
cycle |
|
X |
|
|
Curriculum
Mapping |
I/A |
Ongoing |
|
X |
|
|
PRAXIS II
Data |
I |
As
available |
|
X |
|
|
GPA |
I/A |
Program
Admission & Acceptance to Student Teaching |
|
X |
|
|
Academic
Advisor Recommendation |
I |
Program
Admission & Acceptance to Student Teaching |
|
X |
|
|
Assessment
of Candidate Disposition |