IHE Bachelor Performance Report. UNC-Charlotte

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1 IHE Bachelor Performance Report UNC-Charlotte Overview of the Institution As the fourth largest of the 16 campuses of the University of North Carolina, UNC Charlotte has approximately 20,000 students enrolled at the bachelors, post-baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. UNC Charlotte is a doctoral, research-intensive institution. Energetic, responsive, fast-growing, diverse, and effective, the University is dedicated to excellence in teaching, practical research, and expert public service. The primary commitment of UNC Charlotte is to extend educational opportunities to ensure success for qualified students of diverse backgrounds through informed programs offered through colleges of Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Health and Human Services, and Information Technology, and through programs and services designed to support students' intellectual and personal development. In the SACS continuing accreditation visit in 2002, UNC Charlotte received a commendation in institutional effectiveness. UNC Charlotte focuses interdisciplinary resources to address seven broad areas of concern to the region comprising the ten North Carolina and three South Carolina counties that surround Charlotte: Liberal Education; Business and Finance; Urban and Regional Development; Children, Families, and Schools; Health Care and Health Policy; International Understanding and Involvement; and Applied Sciences and Technologies. While in its early years, UNC Charlotte served a largely non-traditional, adult, commuting student population, there has been a remarkable transformation in recent years. Although non-traditional, diverse students continue to be an important part of the UNC Charlotte student body, undergraduate students now more closely mirror traditional undergraduates in age, full-time status, and residential status. The University is developing strong programs, including Freshman Learning Communities, to respond to this population. With the passage of the University bonds in 2002, UNC Charlotte, one of the fastest growing campuses in the UNC system, embarked on an ambitious building program to construct seven new academic buildings, including a new College of Education building which opened in December Special Characteristics The location of UNC Charlotte in the State's largest metropolitan region of 1.5 million residents confers upon this institution distinctive responsibilities within the University of North Carolina. One of our most important functions is to serve as a regional resource for helping address the challenges in urban schools. Our diverse student body reflects the diversity of the regions, with American minority students comprising 22.6% of the student population and over 700 international students enrolled in University programs. The College has a strong partnership with the 13 school districts which make up the Southwest Education Alliance (SWEA); the headquarters of the SWEA is located in the College of Education. UNC Charlotte is located within the bounds of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the nation's 23rd largest school system 1

2 with an enrollment of more than 116,000 pupils, and is contiguous to Union County, identified as the fastest growing county in the state. Teacher shortages and teacher retention challenges are particular concerns in this region of the state, and the College provides a leadership role in teacher recruitment and retention initiatives. The themes of responding to diverse learner needs, cultural competence, and urban education are infused in our professional preparation programs. The College enrolls approximately 3000 students in undergraduate and graduate licensure and non-licensure programs. The College hosts vibrant Teaching Fellows and Principal Fellows programs and is home to one of six math and science education centers in the state. Our professional preparation programs are NCATE accredited and DPI-approved; the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Counseling are CACREP accredited. The faculty are especially sensitive to the teacher shortage crisis, having responded with the development of fast-track initial licensure programs, the Master of Arts in Teaching (designed for the "A" and then the "M" licenses), distance education programs, 2+2 initiatives with community colleges, partnerships with 14 high school Teacher Cadet programs, and collaboration with the Regional Alternative Licensure Center to enroll alternative-route students in courses for lateral entry teachers (including the creation of additional sections and rolling starts to respond to enrollment demand). A major outreach effort to serve lateral entry teachers is a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College that delivers UNC Charlotte s graduate-level routes to licensure in middle/secondary education and special education to convenient community college sites for a summer Lateral Entry Teacher Initiative, offered at low cost to teachers, and enrolling over 400 candidates each summer. The College has embarked on a new partnership with TeachforAmerica to prepare corps members for the teaching license. Four doctoral programs are offered in the College: Ed.D. in Educational Leadership; Ph.D. in Counseling; Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction; and Ph.D. in Special Education. Program Areas and Levels Offered Undergraduate majors in the College of Education include Child and Family Development (including a track for Birth-Kindergarten licensure); Elementary Education; Middle Grades Education (with concentrations in language arts/communication skills, mathematics, science, social studies); and Special Education (general or adapted curriculum). Additionally, students at UNC Charlotte may prepare for careers in secondary and K-12 education fields by majoring in programs in the College of Arts and Sciences and completing professional education requirements in the College of Education. Secondary education programs include English, History, Comprehensive Social Studies, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics, and Comprehensive Science. Candidates in the K-12 programs of art education, dance education, music education, theatre arts education, and foreign language education (French, German, Spanish) major in the appropriate discipline in the College of Arts and Sciences and complete professional education requirements in their programs and in the College of Education. Graduate programs are as follows: M.Ed. in Child and Family Studies: Early Education; M.Ed. in Elementary Education; M.Ed. in Middle/Secondary Education; M.A. in English Education; M.A. in Mathematics Education; M.Ed. in Special Education (with specializations in adapted or general curriculum, mental disabilities, behavioral-emotional disabilities, severe-profound disabilities, cross-categorical disabilities, and academically gifted); M.Ed. in Reading Education; M.Ed. in Teaching English as a Second Language; M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Technology; M.A. in Counseling; M.Ed. in Curriculum and Supervision; and M.S.A. in School 2

3 Administration. The new Master of Arts in Teaching, designed as a graduate-level route to teacher licensure for second career professionals, offers teacher preparation in the following fields: elementary education, middle grades education (math, English/ language arts, science, or social studies), secondary education (comprehensive science, biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, math, English, History/comprehensive social studies), special education (general and adapted curriculum), art education, and teaching English as a second language. The MAT proposals in dance education, music education, theatre education, and second language education (French, German) are nearing final stages of development. The College now offers four doctoral programs: Ed.D. in Educational Leadership; Ph.D. in Counseling; Ph.D. in Special Education, and the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. I. SCHOOL/COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INITIATIVES A. Identify the LEAs and/or individual schools with which you have collaborative activities/partnerships. Provide a brief summary of these activities/ partnerships. List of Schools with whom the Institution has collaborative activities. UNC Charlotte is headquarters for the Southwest Education Alliance, a professional development collaborative, and works intensely with the following school systems in the SWEA: Cabarrus County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Cleveland County, Gaston County, Iredell-Statesville, Kannapolis City, Lincoln County, Mooresville City, Newton-Conover City, Rowan-Salisbury, Scotland County, Stanly County, and Union County. Professional Development Schools, which are centers for preservice and inservice education and collaborative research and professional development are these: Central Cabarrus High School (Cabarrus County); E.E. Waddell High School (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools); Randolph Middle (CMS); Concord Middle (Cabarrus); David Cox Road Elementary (CMS), Thomasboro Elementary (CMS);University Meadows Elementary (CMS); and Shady Brook Elementary (Kannapolis City). With funding from the National Science Foundation, UNC Charlotte is in partnership with the Philip O. Berry Technology Academy in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to provide intensive professional development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for teachers/students. Faculty are conducting research to prevent reading and behavior problems in K-2 settings through a major federal grant Behavior and Reading Improvement Center at the following six Charlotte- Mecklenburg elementary schools: Idlewild; Montclaire; Piney Grove; Thomasboro; Albemarle Road; and Druid Hills. Graduate classes for M.Ed. degrees were delivered to cohorts at the following Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools sites: Garinger High School and First Ward Elementary. The M.Ed. in Elementary Education is delivered to a cohort of teachers at Shady Brook Elementary (Kannapolis) and the M.Ed. in Reading is delivered to a cohort of teachers in Lincoln County. Formal collaborative agreements with the following school systems led to the placement of over 230 student teachers and yearlong interns in these school systems: Cabarrus, Cleveland, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Gaston, Iredell-Statesville, Kannapolis City, Lincoln, Mooresville City, Rowan-Salisbury, Stanly, and Union. 3

4 Brief Summary of Activities UNC Charlotte has five intentional structures to link public schools and the University: the Office of Educational Outreach; the Southwest Education Alliance; the Professional Development Schools Partnership; the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education; and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools/ UNC Charlotte Leadership Collaborative. UNC Charlotte employs a Director of Educational Outreach to implement collaborative activities; major projects included the Child and Family Development Conference (500 participants); the Special Education Conference (80 participants); the School Counselors Conference; Future Teachers Conference (150 participants) and Diversity Seminars to explore issues of importance in equitable educational opportunity (200 participants). UNC Charlotte is headquarters for the Southwest Education Alliance (a RESA for 13 school districts in the region) and sponsors professional development activities and teacher recruitment for the LEAs in the Alliance. Job-alike groups (e.g., Superintendents of Schools, Human Resources Directors) are convened monthly on campus. Teacher education efforts are highly influenced by our Professional Development School Partnerships, with formal PDS agreements with Thomasboro, University Meadows, David Cox Road, and Shady Brook elementary schools; Randolph and Concord middle schools; and E.E. Waddell and Central Cabarrus high schools. Over $40,000 was awarded in stipends to 206 cooperating teachers/ clinical instructors who supervised students' field experiences in public schools. Public school professionals served on search committees and curriculum committees. The Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education sponsored the Summer Ventures program for talented high school students, the Precollege Program to stimulate interest in science/ math careers for middle/ high school students, and offered Advanced Placement Institutes in multiple fields for high school teachers in collaboration with the College Board. CMSTE also provided professional development courses to over 200 middle and high school math teachers in algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics. Fourteen summer camps for K-12 students were held on campus, including Math CAMMP for hands-on learning in mathematics. The UNC Charlotte/ Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Leadership Collaborative met systematically on issues of mutual concern: this year we focused on curriculum alignment in mathematics. A powerful new collaborative was established in 2004 with Central Piedmont Community College to provide UNC Charlotte licensure coursework to lateral entry teachers at CPCC sites. A great new partnership has been established with Teacher Cadet programs in 14 high schools in the region, with faculty liaisons assigned to each school and financial support from the Greater Charlotte Alliance of Black School Educators. B. Brief Summary of faculty service to the public schools. UNC Charlotte faculty documented to date 29,970 hours of service to public schools in , serving 549,029 students and 19,230 educators. The numbers of educators served by category are as follows: beginning teachers, 4,514; lateral entry teachers, 1,181; career teachers, 7,882; administrators, 1,920; and others (e.g., counselors, social workers), 3,733. Eighty-five faculty and staff members provided documentation of service to schools. Some examples of specific service activities, demonstrating depth and breadth, are offered. A faculty member conducted a regional National History Day competition for over 1600 high school students. A school law professor provided briefings on the Leandro rulings to superintendents of 14 school districts. Faculty developed and researched effective early reading strategies for over 700 K-2 children. 4

5 Two faculty implemented a school-wide math reform initiative that contributed to substantial increases in mathematics achievement. Four faculty researched and developed a K-2 curriculum for a new public charter school that integrates Greek language and culture, the Socratic Method, and character education with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Five faculty members conducted workshops on generational poverty for three high risk schools. Two faculty members designed and delivered professional development programs focusing on science note-booking to over 100 elementary teachers. Two faculty members provided workshops on the concept of language immersion to the faculty at a new language immersion magnet school. Faculty members from mathematics and educational leadership implemented science, math, and technology instructional support for a low-performing high school, with the support of a National Science Foundation GK12 grant. Additionally, those faculty guided reform in 9th grade algebra instruction at the high risk high school. Four faculty provided leadership for ArtsTeach, a community organization affiliated with the Arts & Sciences Council, which provides grants to schools for arts integration activities. One faculty member advised Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Character Education initiatives. Four faculty members contributed to IBM s ReinventingEducation3 initiative by supporting public schools in North Carolina and South Carolina in using web-based tools for instructional design. One faculty member, a liaison to a UNC Charlotte Professional Development School, recruited faculty and university student volunteers to serve as tutors for the growing English as a Second Language population at the elementary school. A faculty member worked at a Professional Development School to conduct an action research project, in collaboration with 40 school faculty, on Write... from the Beginning, a K-5 writing program. Two faculty members wrote an emergent literacy curriculum for students with moderate and sever cognitive disabilities and implemented the program in three schools. The Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education offered Summer Workshops in Mathematics (SWIM) to over 200 teachers of algebra and geometry in the region. The Center also held quarterly AP (Advanced Placement) Science Alliance meeting to support AP teachers throughout the academic year. C. Brief description of unit/institutional programs designed to support beginning teachers. Support for beginning teachers is a high priority for UNC Charlotte, with 3931 beginning teacher contacts reported this year. Through a generous gift from the George and Page Bradham Foundation, we awarded for the second time the UNC Charlotte Beginning Teacher Award (with a $1000 honorarium.) This year s recipient was Ms. Katharina Denny, 2nd grade teacher at Smith Languages Academy. Twenty-four other outstanding beginning teachers in their first three years of service were recognized with a special gift from the College of Education. The UNC Charlotte Office of Alumni Affairs conducts Project APPLE (Alumni Peer Project for Lifetime Educators) which pairs UNC Charlotte alumni from diverse fields with UNC Charlotte alumni who are teachers in their first three years of service. The alumni volunteers commit to spending at least one day a month as volunteer in the beginning teachers classrooms. All alumni pairs were honored at a special dinner party at the end of the year. The teachers expressed tremendous gratitude for this continuing support from their University; the non-teaching alumni (who all volunteered in excess of their once-a-month commitment) expressed admiration and appreciation for the work of the beginning teachers. Two faculty conducted beginning teacher induction support groups for new teachers in UNC Charlotte Professional Development Schools. Faculty 5

6 members provided extensive mentoring with individual first year teachers on issues such as discipline, INTASC standards, classroom management, literacy strategies, and the culture of the school. The UNC Charlotte Office of Educational Outreach planned and delivered a number of professional development workshops with a particular focus on beginning teachers in special education and in child and family development (B-K.) Faculty offered Praxis II preparation workshops in a variety of fields for beginning and lateral entry teachers who have not yet passed the required examinations. A faculty member developed an online resource on English as a Second Language strategies for beginning teachers. Our partnership with the IBM ReinventingEducation3 initiative has a focus on beginning teachers; workshops were provided for beginning teachers by UNC Charlotte faculty on the design, development and maintenance of class web pages, using IBM s Learning Village software. D. Brief description of unit/institutional efforts to serve lateral entry teachers. UNC Charlotte provides academic coursework leading to teacher licensure for 25% of all lateral entry teachers in North Carolina who are pursuing programs of study. UNC Charlotte, in collaboration with Central Piedmont Community College and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, offers a Lateral Entry Teacher Summer Institute through which licensure coursework in special education and middle/ secondary education is delivered at convenient community college sites, with 500 enrollments in Summer 04 and Summer 05. All participants in the 04 Institute were surveyed about their experience; 100% agreed that the courses prepared them to be better teachers and over 70% agreed that the courses inspired them to seek advanced licensure. This outreach to lateral entry teachers is built upon UNC Charlotte s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree which is designed to prepare college graduates for the teaching profession through a graduate level route to initial licensure ( fast track ) and advanced licensure upon degree completion and completion of two years of successful teaching. The MAT provides a supervised internship and substantial follow-up and support in the lateral entry teachers classrooms. As evidence of impact, the Praxis II pass rate of lateral entry teachers who have completed licensure programs at UNC Charlotte has been tracked; 319 submitted Praxis II scores, with a pass rate of 99.37%. Through our multiple initiatives to support lateral entry teachers, UNC Charlotte currently serves over 1200 lateral entry teachers. A Lateral Entry Teacher Advisor provides specific guidance for current and prospective students. Fast-track coursework for the initial license, scheduled in the evenings, weekends and online, is offered in elementary education, special education, middle grades education, secondary academic fields (e.g., English, mathematics, history and social studies, comprehensive science, biology, chemistry, physics), fine and performing arts, and foreign languages. We added the field of Teaching English as a Second Language to these offerings in The College works collaboratively with the Regional Alternative Licensing Center to provide accessible coursework. Special initiatives this year include: Online coursework leading to the A license in middle/secondary fields; Licensure in special education offered regionally through distance education (interactive video) initiatives; On-site coursework for 103 Charlotte-Mecklenburg prekindergarten teachers for the Birth-Kindergarten license; Summer Math Institute, Project SWIM, for 160 lateral entry teachers of mathematics in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to improve algebra, geometry, and pedagogy skills; Middle Grades Lateral Entry Teacher Support Group through our Professional Development School partnership; Praxis II Preparation Workshops for lateral entry teachers in elementary education, special education, social studies, and English 6

7 provided by UNC Charlotte faculty; and online resources for lateral entry ESL teachers. The Dean of the College of Education served on the Lateral Entry Select Committee to advise the State Board of Education on lateral entry licensure and professional preparation policies. E. Brief description of unit/institutional programs designed to support career teachers career teachers participated in professional development opportunities designed and delivered by UNC Charlotte faculty. As evidence of impact, 341 UNC Charlotte alumni have achieved National Board Certification, one of the highest totals in the nation (this figure is from 2002, the last year for which a count was provided). This strong showing is linked to efforts to support National Board Certification in partnership with the Southwest Education Alliance. One of UNC Charlotte s Professional Development Schools, Waddell High School, has generated the collaborative goal of using National Board Certified Teachers as the keystone for the professional development efforts of the school. Our Professional Development Schools served as centers for collaborative professional development between University and school faculties. PDS projects this year include study of generational poverty issues in teaching and learning; lesson study groups; K-5 writing instruction; and increasing capacity for effective ESL instruction and support. Each PDS presents impact data of these professional development activities annually. UNC Charlotte has one of the largest Advanced Placement (AP) Institute programs in the nation; this year AP Institutes were provided in Biology, Chemistry, Calculus, Environmental Science, Statistics, Computer Science, English Language and Composition, English Literature, World History, Human Geography, Psychology, U.S. History, and U.S. Government, serving over 200 teachers. The Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education offers professional development workshops such as Weather for K-2 teachers, Forensic Science, several mathematics workshops for all levels of teachers, and workshops for AP Calculus and Statistics teachers and students. Our National Science Foundation GK-12 grant partners the University with Charlotte-Mecklenburg School s Philip O. Berry Academy of Technology and pairs university graduate students in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering with 10 classroom teachers and their students to explore cutting-edge curriculum opportunities in these fields. Cooperating teachers (236) received stipends for supervising student teachers and yearlong interns. A robust Distance Education program makes graduate education accessible to career teachers: Academically/ Intellectually Gifted Add-on Licensure (100% online) and faceto-face (Cabarrus County ;) M.Ed. in Middle Grades (Cabarrus County ;) M.Ed. in Elementary (Kannapolis City ;) M.Ed. in Reading (Lincoln County ;) and three master s degrees programs at Charlotte-Mecklenburg sites for teachers in high need ( Focus ) schools. Extensive professional development support for career teachers in schools include ArtsTeach projects which infuse arts education into the general curriculum; character education projects; positive behavior supports; and intensive literacy efforts with students with significant cognitive disabilities. On-campus efforts include Diversity Seminars; Child & Family Development Conference; and Special Education Conference for career teachers. 7

8 F. Brief description of unit/institutional efforts to assist low-performing, at-risk, and/or priority schools. UNC Charlotte is actively engaged with Charlotte-Mecklenburg s Focus Schools, (formerly known as Equity+2 Schools, these schools are identified through a high need index.). In order to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers to the Focus schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools developed a contract with UNC Charlotte to pay tuition for teachers in those schools to earn their master s degree; current cohort programs are in Curriculum & Supervision and Reading. Additionally, Project ISAIL supports the professional development of principals and assistant principals in Focus Schools in the recruitment, support, and retention of teachers. Thomasboro Elementary, which had a state assistance team five years ago and is a high minority, low wealth school is one of UNC Charlotte s eight Professional Development Schools. All sections of the junior-level Elementary School Child course, required of elementary education majors, are taught at Thomasboro so that our candidates have the opportunity to apply immediately what they ve learned in lectures to classroom situations, through observations, interviews, and tutoring at the Thomasboro site. A school wide math reform initiative was developed by two faculty members at Thomasboro Elementary. Subsequent to the implementation of this initiative (Math CAMMP), that school moved from "at risk" to "exemplary growth" status. One high school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has been identified as low performing: Philip O. Berry Academy. That school is the site of UNC Charlotte s major National Science Foundation GK12 grant which places UNC Charlotte graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into Berry Academy classrooms to strengthen content area instruction and to encourage high school students to pursue advanced studies in science and mathematics. As part of this GK12 initiative, UNC Charlotte faculty have been working with Berry Academy faculty to identify and implement algebra curriculum reforms to support the development of 9th grade algebra students. A faculty member serves on the Leadership Committee of Charlotte Reads, a community-wide initiative, led by the Charlotte Chamber, to promote the literacy proficiency of children, families, and the workforce. Two additional faculty are engaged in leadership positions with the Duke Endowment-funded Family Literacy Initiative which expands opportunities for preservice teacher education candidates to promote literacy development for parents as well as for children. UNC Charlotte students work at the Family Literacy Center at Idlewild Elementary. A faculty member has provided multiple workshops for school personnel throughout the state on the implications of the Leandro case for public education. Two faculty have been engaged with evaluation efforts for Crossroads Charter High School which is struggling with achievement and discipline issues. Five faculty members conducted a series of generational poverty workshops to three high-need schools in the region. G. Brief description of unit/institutional efforts to promote SBE priorities. (1) High Student Performance: The Behavior and Reading Improvement Center, funded by the US Department of Education, fosters improved reading achievement in Grades K-2 at six elementary schools and generates research findings that will inform professional practice nationally. Over 700 children participated in targeted reading interventions. The percentage of children who demonstrated reduced risk factors for reading failure after intervention are as follows: kindergarten (43%); first grade (46%); and second grade (16%). The largest Advanced 8

9 Placement Institute program in the United States is held at UNC Charlotte, preparing over 200 teachers each summer to offer Advanced Placement classes in high schools throughout the region. The School Counseling program links school counselor preparation to access to higher level courses, following the model of academic access established by the Education Trust. Special education faculty are conducting statewide research and training in alternative assessments for students with severe disabilities and are investigating instructional approaches in literacy for students with severe cognitive disabilities; (2) Safe, Orderly, and Caring Schools: The Behavior and Reading Improvement Center develops Unified Discipline Plans to prevent and ameliorate behavior problems. UNC Charlotte held school counseling and special education conferences to promote appropriate responses to diverse learner needs. Faculty conduct professional development sessions on Responsible Classroom Management; (3) Quality Teachers, Administrators, and Staff: Project ISAIL (Improving Student Achievement through Instructional Leadership) provides intensive professional development for 15 principal-assistant principal teams to promote student achievement. The College conducts thriving Principal Fellows and Teaching Fellows programs, and works on Teacher Keeper initiatives in West Charlotte. The implementation of the new Master of Arts in Teaching is leading to a more highly qualified teaching force; (4) Strong Family, Community, and Business Support: Faculty serve on the Board of Directors of the Exceptional Children s Assistance Center; the NC Developmental Disabilities Council; LifeSpan, Inc; Seigle Avenue Preschool; ArtsTeach; Council for Children; and the Charlotte Chamber s Partners for Education Reform. Through Project APPLE, UNC Charlotte alumni, faculty, and staff are providing direct volunteer support in the classrooms of beginning teachers; (5) Closing the Achievement Gap: A faculty member serves on North Carolina s Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Commission. A faculty member is serving on a taskforce to reduce the achievement gap in math and science for African American high school students. The Dean offered testimony to the Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Commission on diversity efforts in teacher education. (6) Assisting Low-Performing Schools: UNC Charlotte has teacher education partnerships with a number of public schools at risk for low performing designation, including Thomasboro Elementary and Philip O. Berry Technology Academy. Initiatives include curriculum reform and teacher/ leader mentoring and support. H. Special Emphasis for the Year of Record (which of the above [if any] did you put special emphasis on from the preceding year). Quality Teachers, Administrators and Staff was the State Board of Education priority that received special emphasis at UNC Charlotte again this year. The College responded to the intense teacher shortage by a delivering a highly effective, highly response graduate-level licensure preparation program for lateral entry teachers through the Lateral Entry Teacher Initiative, in collaboration with Central Piedmont Community College. Fast track courses for licensure in special education and middle/ secondary education are being delivered in a special summer term at convenient CPCC sites, with reduced costs to teachers since on-campus fees can be waived. The fast track licensure courses can count toward the Master of Arts in Teaching; thus, lateral entry teachers are not only earning their professional license but are being encouraged to pursue the master s degree. Master s degrees are correlated with teacher retention and student achievement so this initiative is contributing substantially to North Carolina s need for quality teachers. There were 500 enrollments in the Lateral Entry Teacher Initiative in Summer 04, with a similar number in 05. As evidence of impact, Praxis II pass rates for 9

10 candidates in our fast track programs are at 99.37%. Surveys of summer institute participants found that 100% indicate that the courses made them better teachers and over 70% are inspired to pursue the master s degree. We have accelerated efforts to recruit traditional college-age students into teacher education through a Teacher Education Learning Community for university freshmen and sophomores and by partnering with Teacher Cadet programs in 14 area high schools to encourage high school students to prepare for teaching careers with a particular emphasis on minority candidates. We held a Future Teachers Conference, with over 250 attendees, to encourage high school students and undecided freshmen and sophomores to explore teaching careers. We are offering the 2+2 baccalaureate completion program in elementary education at Stanly Community College. To encourage and support excellent beginning teachers, we present the UNC Charlotte Beginning Teacher Award. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our professional education programs and to ensure the quality of our graduates, we conduct a Comprehensive Candidate Assessment Plan for all undergraduate programs, with systematic feedback not only to the individual teacher candidate but to the program faculty as well. Our graduate program in school counseling, through collaborative efforts with the Education Trust, has developed a new focus on increasing academic access and success for students at educational risk and has implemented a Post-Graduate Certificate in School Counseling for professional counselors from other fields (e.g., community counseling) who wish to prepare for school counseling licensure. Our Educational Leadership faculty is offering intensive professional development for early career principals and assistant principals through Project ISAIL, Increasing Student Achievement through Instructional Leadership, and is emphasizing the principals role in teacher retention and support. Supplemental Information (Optional) I. Brief description of unit/institutional special efforts to improve NTE/Praxis scores. In , UNC Charlotte engaged in numerous initiatives that improved the performance of students on the Praxis I and Praxis II examinations. To assist with the Praxis II examinations, incoming faculty at UNC Charlotte in both the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences were given the opportunity to take Praxis II Specialty Area examinations in their licensure areas at no personal expense. The purpose of this initiative was to ensure the familiarity of teacher education faculty members with the Praxis testing requirements in their areas of expertise. A second initiative involved faculty members planning and conducting Praxis II examination preparation workshops for pre- and in-service teachers. A total of 263 students participated in 19 workshops designed to prepare students for their respective Praxis II tests. Students evaluations of the workshops suggested that the workshops improved significantly the students ability and confidence to take and pass the examinations. Participants by content area were as follows: middle grades math (30); elementary education (124); English (27); special education (42); social studies (40.) To assist with the Praxis I examinations, four weeks of Praxis I tutorials were provided to students seeking admission to a teacher education program. Participants registered for content area workshops in mathematics, reading, or both. Registration priority was given to students who had previously failed the Praxis I examination and to first time examination takers. The tutorials were taught by a professor of reading and professor of mathematics. There were 27 participants; 80% showed improvement in Praxis scores following 10

11 the workshop. These intense workshops provided support beyond the Plato computer-assisted tutorials which are also available to UNC Charlotte students. A UNC Charlotte booklet, Orientation to the Praxis I Requirements, was created and distributed to all students in EDUC 2100: Introduction to Education. J. Brief description of unit/institutional special efforts to recruit students into professional education programs leading to licensure. We are actively and enthusiastically engaged in recruiting more students into education professions. As evidence of impact of recruiting efforts, we are pleased to note that enrollment in traditional undergraduate student teaching has increased 7% over the year and enrollment in graduate-level initial licensure internships (non-existent two years ago) has now reached 128 candidates for Spring 05. Twenty-five teacher education faculty members in the College of Education volunteer with high school Teacher Cadet programs to mentor Cadet students. Fourteen high schools are engaged in this partnership which is supported by the Greater Charlotte Chapter of the Black Educators of America, Inc. In collaboration with Central Piedmont Community College, the College of Education hosted the second annual Future Teachers Conference in November 2004, with learning opportunities about the teaching profession for high school students and undecided freshmen and sophomore university students. A special focus of this conference was an information session for Hispanic professionals who are interested in pursuing the teaching license. UNC Charlotte has a bilateral agreement with Central Piedmont Community College to promote seamless college transfer for teacher education candidates in elementary education, middle grades education, and special education. Multiple agreements between community colleges in the region and UNC Charlotte have been signed to promote seamless transfer for Child & Family Development/ Birth-Kindergarten licensure candidates. We are offering a baccalaureate completion program in elementary education for a cohort of students at Stanly Community College. We have completed the first two years of a major undergraduate initiative: the Teacher Education Learning Community, a special housing/learning opportunity for first and second year university students who have expressed an interest in teaching. A special section of an upscale residence hall is reserved for this community. Service-learning, cohort enrollment in general education class sections, targeted advising, and a special course on diversity in schools are hallmarks of this first year experience. Evaluation data finds that the average GPA of candidates who complete the Learning Community experience is 3.0, and their retention in the major is over 60% (compared to 40% of comparison students who have not had the Learning Community experience.) UNC Charlotte Teaching Fellows made visits to middle and high schools to share information about careers in teaching. Three advisors from the Teacher Education Advising and Licensure Office made high school visits and presented information sessions for prospective teacher education candidates through ExploreUNCCharlotte and Student Orientation and Advising events. Our Lateral Entry Teacher Initiative welcomes second career professionals to a rigorous teacher education program and provides personalized advising and support. Our lateral entry programs were advertised widely and a Lateral Entry website is a major recruitment and communication tool: uncc.edu/lateralentry 11

12 K. Brief description of unit/institutional special efforts to encourage minority students to pursue teacher licensure. The College addresses the NCATE standard that candidates interact and work with candidates with exceptionalities and from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, language, socioeconomic, and religious groups in professional education with energy, commitment and care. This year the College s Diversity Committee completed faculty and student recruitment plans. Our minority faculty presence has increased this year from 11% to 16%, thus providing more role models for underrepresented groups. Additionally, the College participated actively in the revision of the University s Minority Presence Plan, with enhanced emphasis on minority student retention and success. The College of Education participates actively in University efforts to promote minority recruitment, including participation on the University s Minority Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee, the Committee for Instructional Success, the University Transition Opportunities Program (UTOP), and TRACE: Transferring Resources for Advancing the College Experience. The UNC Charlotte NC Teaching Fellows are implementing a five-year recruitment plan that tracks a number of target middle/high school students who express interest in teaching and a number of high school seniors who are male and minority who identify UNC Charlotte as one of their top five choices on the Teaching Fellows application. The College s efforts to support high school Teacher Cadet programs have a targeted focus on high schools with a high minority presence, and these partnership efforts are supported by the Greater Charlotte Alliance of Black School Educators, working this year with 16 high schools and 163 teacher cadet students. The Second Annual Future Teachers Conference was held during Fall 2004 with more than 150 prospective teachers from regional high schools attending. In this conference, three initiatives were developed to recruit persons from underrepresented groups to the teaching profession: scholarship support for students in the MSEN Pre-College Program (minority students interested in math and science); panel presentation: Real Men Teach; and Latino Professional Information Session. Normally the Future Teachers Conference is targeted at high school students; however, due to high interest from adults with professional training but whose first language was Spanish, conference planners offered a special session for adults regarding NC teacher licensing procedures. UNC Charlotte has formed a Task Force for Recruiting Latino Professionals into Teacher Education, as a result of the strong interest from Latino participants in the Future Teachers Conference. L. Other (if applicable): Brief description of new initiatives (if any) not detailed previously in the narrative section. As part of the College s ongoing commitment to prepare excellent professionals who are effective and responsive to issues of equity and diversity, the College, under the leadership of the Office of Educational Outreach, focused this year on understanding poverty as it relates to teaching and learning. A simulation workshop on Understanding Poverty was presented to over 200 faculty and students. The Haberman Foundation offered an Urban Education Workshop for school administrators on recruiting STAR teachers for children of poverty. We held an Educators Forum on Effective Strategies to Close the Achievement Gap, with a focus on the overrepresentation of African American males in special education, and a faculty panel presented their research to a community audience on issues of generational poverty. To continue our commitment to preparing educators to respond effectively to diverse learner needs, a team of 12

13 four representatives from the College participated this May in a study tour of Mexico, sponsored by the Center for International Understanding, to develop understanding of teaching and learning issues in Hispanic cultures. Curriculum development and revision occurred in a number of important areas: the College revised all special education curricula to reflect the new licensure requirements in General Curriculum and Adaptive Curriculum. The Master of Arts in Teaching degree, designed for college graduates from other fields who wish to prepare for the teaching profession, has submitted to NCDPI a proposed track in Teaching English as a Second Language in response to a high level of demand from regional schools. A Post-Graduate Certificate in School Counseling was developed to offer the opportunity for licensed counselors from other fields (e.g., community counseling) to qualify for the school counseling license. A landmark event for the College of Education this year was our move into the new College of Education Building, a 126, 431 sq. ft structure, built at a cost of $16.1M and financed by a statewide bond issue approved by North Carolina voters in Four of the building s five stories are dedicated to the College of Education, the first focused space the College has had since it was organized in Sixty-two percent of the building s space is devoted to state-of-the-art classrooms, and the new facility provides a very welcome home to College of Education faculty, staff, and students. 13

14 II. CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS A. Headcount of students formally admitted to and enrolled in programs leading to licensure. Undergraduate Licensure-Only Undergraduate Licensure-Only Full Time Male Female American Indian/Alaskan Native 0 American Indian/Alaskan Native 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 5 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 5 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 50 Hispanic 3 Hispanic 11 White, Not Hispanic Origin 79 White, Not Hispanic Origin 599 Other 4 Other 13 Total 91 Total 678 American Indian/Alaskan Native 0 American Indian/Alaskan Native 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 3 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 10 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 43 Hispanic 1 Hispanic 1 White, Not Hispanic Origin 35 White, Not Hispanic Origin 123 Other 5 Other 13 Total 51 Total 183 Part Time Male Female American Indian/Alaskan Native 0 American Indian/Alaskan Native 2 Asian/Pacific Islander 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 1 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 0 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 14 Hispanic 0 Hispanic 2 White, Not Hispanic Origin 11 White, Not Hispanic Origin 79 Other 1 Other 6 Total 12 Total 104 American Indian/Alaskan Native 0 American Indian/Alaskan Native 4 Asian/Pacific Islander 5 Asian/Pacific Islander 9 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 29 Black, Not Hispanic Origin 211 Hispanic 4 Hispanic 11 White, Not Hispanic Origin 188 White, Not Hispanic Origin 556 Other 18 Other 59 Total 244 Total

15 B. Lateral Entry/Provisionally Licensed Teachers Refers to individuals employed by public schools on lateral entry or provisional licenses. Program Area Number of Requesting Program of Study Leading to Licensure Number of Issued Program of Study Leading to Licensure Number Enrolled in One or More Courses Leading to Licensure Pre-Kindergarten (B-K) Elementary (K-6) Middle Grades (6-9) Secondary (9-12) Special Subject Areas (K-12) Exceptional Children (K-12) Vocational Education (7-12) Special Service Personnel (K-12) Other Total 1,159 1,116 1,331 Comment or Explanation Enrollment figures have fluctuated throughout the year as more RALC teachers enroll in specific courses rather than make an initial decision to apply to a teacher education program at UNC Charlotte. They are treated as equal members of the teacher education program and are encouraged to apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching to make best use of the graduate coursework in which they enroll. C. Quality of students admitted to programs during report year. Baccalaureate MEAN PPST-R 180 MEAN PPST-W 176 MEAN PPST-M 181 MEAN CBT-R NA MEAN CBT-W NA MEAN CBT-M NA MEAN GPA 3.17 Comment or Explanation 15

16 D. Program Completers (reported by IHE). Program Area N= #Completing NC=# Licensed in NC Baccalaureate Degree Undergraduate Licensure Only N NC N NC Pre-Kindergarten (B-K) Elementary (K-6) Middle Grades (6-9) Secondary (9-12) Special Subject Areas (K-12) Exceptional Children (K-12) Vocational Education (7-12) Special Service Personnel Total Comment or Explanation E. Scores of student teachers on professional and content area examinations Student Teacher Licensure Pass Rate Specialty Area/Professional Knowledge Number Taking Test Percent Passing Art 4 75 Biology (9-12) 2 * Elementary Education English French 2 * MG-Lang Arts MG-Math MG-Science MG-Social Studies Math (9-12) Music Social Studies (9-12) Spanish 1 * Spec Ed: Mentally Disabled School Summary * To protect confidentiality of student records, pass rates based on fewer than four test takers were not printed. 16

17 F. Time from admission into professional education program until program completion. 3 or fewer Full Time 4 5 Baccalaureate degree U Licensure Only Part Time 3 or fewer Baccalaureate degree U Licensure Only Comment or Explanation 8 8 G. Undergraduate program completers in NC Schools within one year of program completion Student Teachers Percent Licensed Percent Employed Bachelor State 3, H. Top10 LEAs employing teachers affiliated with this college/university. Population from which this data is drawn represents teachers employed in NC in LEA Number of Teachers Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 1,479 Cabarrus County Schools 509 Gaston County Schools 338 Union County Public Schools 319 Rowan-Salisbury Schools 249 Iredell-Statesville Schools 214 Cleveland County Schools 201 Stanly County Schools 173 Lincoln County Schools 164 Kannapolis City Schools 88 17

18 I. Satisfaction of program completers/employers with the program in general and with specific aspects of the program, as rated on a 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest) scale. Satisfaction with... Program Completers Employer Mentor quality of teacher education program preparation to effectively manage the classroom preparation to use technology to enhance learning preparation to address the needs of diverse learners preparation to deliver curriculum content through a variety of instructional approaches Number of Surveys Received Number of Surveys Mailed III. Teacher Education Faculty Appointed full-time in professional education Appointed part-time in professional education, fulltime in institution Appointed part-time in professional education, not otherwise employed by institution