Commission on Teacher Credentialing February 2015 Update Douglas M. Gephart ACSA Liaison to CTC

Transcription

1 HOT TOPIC: Update to Strengthen and Streamline the Commission s Accreditation System The Commission has established a series of Task Groups to assist the Commission on work to strengthen and streamline the Commission s Accreditation system that monitors educator preparation in California. Aggressive work has already begun to address the breadth and depth of the charges to the Advisory Panel and six Task Groups. A summary of the work completed to date is provided as an overview of the enormous challenge of addressing the Task Group charges in a relatively short period of time. Accreditation Advisory Panel The Accreditation Advisory Panel consists of the chairs of each task group and representatives from key stakeholder organizations. Stakeholder representatives rotate through the work of the six Task Groups and work with co chairs and staff to synthesize emerging recommendations and monitor the overall progress of the work. This group was oriented to its purpose and work scope during the December 2014 meeting and took an active role in the January 2015 meeting. Induction Standards, Policies and Regulations Charge: Review the policy direction adopted by the Commission and has focused their energy on clarifying the purpose, role and outcomes of the Induction experience for candidates. Initial consensus includes the following: 1. Mentoring is the basis of the Induction program and with a focus of addressing the candidate s immediate needs and support their long-term growth through reflection and work with the coach. 2. The Induction program standards should be aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). 3. The five-year window of time a teacher can serve on a Preliminary credential should not begin until the individual is employed as a teacher. 4. The candidate must be employed in an assignment authorized by the Preliminary credential to be eligible for Induction. 5. Individualized Learning Plans should be developed that includes a cycle of inquiry guided by the candidate s current assignment, career aspirations, and local and state initiatives.

2 Commission s Accreditation System-Continued Performance Assessments Teacher and Administrator Charge: Provide guidance regarding teacher and administrator performance assessments, including standards governing the development and implementation of performance assessments. Key purposes and functions for Teacher Performance Assessment: a. Statutory requirements as specified in Education Code The TPA must measure competence and performance of candidates The TPA must be aligned with CSTP and K 12 academic content standards TPA data is one source of data as to the quality and effectiveness of preparation programs Assessment has to provide formative information (assessment for learning) as well as summative outcomes information The results are to serve as one basis for the recommendation for the credential Results of the TPA should be used to inform induction plan b. Measure some of the performance expectations but not all performance expectations in the assessment. Some of these performance expectations are best assessed through a Teaching Performance Assessment while others are more appropriately assessed in the context of coursework, clinical practice, or local program assessment. c. Candidate performance data collected from performance assessments can provide important insights to guide continuous program improvement. d. Performance assessments provide a means to document both performance and quality in teacher preparation and as well as the candidates who are recommended for a Preliminary credential. e. Linkage between Teacher Performance Assessment design standards and their applicability to performance assessment for administrators. Future Task Group Work Standards for administrator performance assessments and for program implementation of these assessments. Design elements for the next generation of the Commission s TPA model. Accreditation Policy Procedures Charge: Recommend needed changes in accreditation policy and procedures based on new standards, assessments, and outcomes data.

3 Commission s Accreditation System-Continued Outcomes and Survey Data Charge: Review and redesign surveys based on changes in standards; make recommendations regarding useful reporting practices and formats; and standardize the use of this information in accreditation. Emerging agreement within the group includes the following: 1. The group has agreed that the format of the surveys should be consistent where appropriate and has agreed upon a format. 2. The group has agreed that the surveys must be a reasonable length to encourage program completers to complete the survey. a. Two surveys have been reviewed, pared down and are ready to use in Spring 2015 Preliminary Multiple Subject and Single Subject b. The Preliminary Administrative Services survey will be reviewed and finalized between the January and March meetings c. The Task Group needs to gather some input on what types of questions that should be included on the Preliminary Education Specialist survey Public Access and Data Dashboards Charge: Recommend ways to improve transparency to and expanded public access to information regarding preparation programs and institutions. Emerging agreement within the group includes the following: 1. The Public Access Data Dashboard should provide a single portal to access information about institutions, teacher preparation programs, credentials, permits and authorizations issued. 2. The system should provide a data warehouse that will provide access to data dashboards (all data would be centrally located and accessible as needed for information requests). 3. Distinct profiles should be developed for programs, institutions and the State. 4. Profiles should provide quick overviews of data highlights as well as the capacity to drill down and gain access to more detailed data. 5. There should be public access to data mandated for reporting by the State or Federal government such as Title II, the Teacher Supply, and Assignment Monitoring.

4 Commission s Accreditation System-Continued Public Access and Data Dashboards 6. The system should be able to display longitudinal data across a minimum of five years. 7. The system should be able to aggregate and disaggregate data 8. The system should have categories for the data and support an individual to filter or search for specific data 9. The system should include a glossary and the ability for definitions to pop up when hovering over a data term 10. The system should include video tutorials and written instructions for public use of the dashboards. 11. Accreditation data should be available from at the state level so individual institution websites would not have to be accessed. Performance Assessments Charge: Review the draft Design Standards for the Teaching Performance Assessment, which were adopted by the Commission in December 2014.

5 HOT TOPIC: Proposed Amendments to Adopted Criteria for a Variable Term Waiver of the Speech Language Pathology Services Credential The Speech Language Pathology (SLP) Services Credential allows an individual to provide services as a speech language pathologist in California public schools. Variable Term Waivers for a credential are an employment option available to local employing agencies when there is a shortage of credentialed personnel. Amendments Following an appeal through a letter from Jenny Teresi, Senior Manager of Credentials for San Bernardino County Office of Education and representing both Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the Commission approved two essential amendments to the Variable Term Waiver for Speech and Language Pathology credential holders. In brief, the Commission approved the following amendments: a) Accept enrollment and progress in an out of state American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) accredited graduate level SLP program not approved by the Commission as an additional option; b) Allow up to two additional issuances of the Speech Language Pathology Limited Term Waiver for individuals who have already received four or more issuances prior to the January 1, When the Commission established a total limit of five issuances for the Speech and Language Pathology Variable Term Waiver, individuals in specific circumstances were allowed two additional issuances for a total of seven. One other population that was not initially considered were those individuals already serving on a Speech and Language Pathology Variable Term Waiver who had already had four or more issuances when the new criteria took effect. c) The individual must verify enrollment and progress in either a Commission approved SLP Services Credential program or an out of state ASHA accredited graduate level SLP program.

6 Update on Governor s Proposed Budget for the Commission in Linda Darling Hammond has skillfully extended the progressive agenda of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing with support from the California Department of Education to implement essential elements of Greatness by Design and the Governor s office to support major funding for the development of major assessments and restructures the accreditation system for teacher preparation. While the Commission is responsible for generating the funds to operate, the finance department and the legislature must authorize the spending limits of the Commission that may not be exceeded even if the funds are available. The Governor s proposed budget for increases the spending authority of the Commission by $870,000 and establishes $7.5 million for development of major assessments and the purchase of a data system that will provide the public immediate access to Commission related information including data in the preparation of teachers and administrators. Should the Governor s budget proposal for the Commission be adopted, the funding will enable the Commission to undertake the following activities in : Strengthen Educator Performance Assessments The CalTPA will be updated to align with the Commission s revised Assessment Design Standards. Develop an Administrator Performance Assessment This would be redesigned assessment incorporating revised performance expectations and standards. Align Science Subject Matter Assessments with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) California s school districts are beginning to teach the NGSS and have an urgent and immediate need for teachers who are skilled at teaching the NGSS standards to all students. Streamline the Accreditation System The Commission s Accreditation System needs to be updated and streamlined to assure that it is focused on high leverage sources of qualitative and quantitative data about candidate and program outcomes. Once the funding is approved, the Commission will commence a two-year program to: 1) Develop and implement candidate, employer, and other surveys regarding preparation program effectiveness; 2) Develop reporting mechanisms so program sponsors can improve or expand existing practices; and 3) Develop data dashboards to inform decision-making, provide transparency, and provide reliable data for other public uses.

7 Initial Institutional Approval Commission on Teacher Credentialing Ceres Unified School District has been approved for a General Education (Multiple Subject/Single Subject) Induction program. Ceres Schools serve 12,641 students in a community impacted by a significant number of individuals who live close to the poverty level with 87% of Ceres students eligible for the federally funded Free and Reduced Lunch Program. The Ceres Induction Program vision is founded on research that retention of teachers in the education profession can be directly attributed to the support and professional learning they receive in their first years of teaching. To achieve this mission, a cadre of highly qualified, exceptional teachers dedicated to serving their diverse population of students is essential. In keeping with the Commission process for initial institutional approval, the Ceres Unified School District submitted its Preconditions document and a document responding to the Common Standards and has fulfilled all relevant standards and requirements.

8 Update on the Implementation of the Recommendations from the Greatness by Design (GbD) Report and the Teacher Preparation Advisory Panel (TAP) State Superintendent Tom Torlakson convened The Educator Excellence Task Force (EETF) in 2012 which was co-chaired by Linda Darling Hammond, Stanford University Professor and Chair of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Chris Steinhauser, Superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District. The EETF included two work groups that focused on topics that fall within the Commission s purview: Initial Entry into teaching and administration, and Induction to these Professions. The Greatness by Design recommendations addressed a wide range of education issues in California, focusing more broadly on recruitment, preparation, induction, professional learning, evaluation, and leadership. Greatness by Design chapters on Educator Preparation and Induction into the Profession most directly address these topics. The Teacher Preparation Advisory Panels recommendations, on the other hand, focused primarily on the preparation of teachers preliminary and induction programs. Many of the recommendations from the two groups were similar. The Commission s Teacher Preparation Advisory Panel presented 40 recommendations to the Commission in June 2013 with 12 implementation options; seven of which were adopted by the Commission.

9 Proposed Modifications to the Supplementary Authorization in Computer Concepts and Applications (CCA) Background Supplementary Authorizations allow the holder of a prerequisite general education teaching credential (e.g., Multiple and Single Subject Teaching Credential) to add one or more narrow departmentalized content area authorizations to their credential. California Education Code section specifies the types of supplementary authorizations that may be added to elementary and secondary teaching credentials, grade level limitations, and the units required so those specific elements remain the same as the current requirements. However, this section of statute also provides that the Commission, by regulation, may require evidence of additional competence as a condition for instruction in particular subjects. Coursework offered in Computer Science education in California public schools has evolved rapidly since these required Content Areas of Study were developed in The Content Areas of Study requirements for the Supplementary Authorization in CCA are now primarily encompassed within the preliminary preparation for all general and special education teachers in Program Standard 11: Using Technology in the Classroom. There are two types of Supplementary Authorizations Introductory and Specific with current content area of study varying for each course of study. Only teachers initially earning one of these authorizations in the future would be required to satisfy the revised Content Areas of Study and be issued the Supplementary Authorization in Computer Science. As specified in statute, all teachers who are currently authorized to teach the full range of courses in Computer Science education will remain authorized (e.g., holders of a Supplementary Authorization in CCA or a Single Subject teaching credential in Math, Business, or ITE) even after the Commission adopted the amendments.