The mission and goal are captured in the following theme: Teachers as learners, collaborators, and leaders facilitating student success.

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1 Overview of Beliefs and Expectations for Teacher Education Candidates Teacher Education Program School of Education, College of Applied Human Sciences Colorado State University The mission and goal of the Colorado State University Teacher Licensure Program are to teach and model best educational practices to prepare emerging teachers as learners, collaborators, and leaders. The mission and goal are captured in the following theme: Teachers as learners, collaborators, and leaders facilitating student success. The Colorado State University Teacher Education Program is designed and delivered as a developmental progression of coursework and field experiences that lead candidates carefully through the initial process of learning to teach and culminating in the final recommendation for teacher licensure. The program is delivered in four discrete phases of study and is reinforced throughout by a consistent philosophical and programmatic core of learning based on standards (both national, state, and institutional), by extensive and intensive partnerships between and within the university and with local school communities, and by maximizing the experiential learning opportunities for candidates.

2 Vision and Theme Through a collaborative effort over time, the vision of the Colorado State University teacher education program was conceived and is embodied in the following theme: Beliefs Teachers as learners, collaborators, and leaders facilitating student success. The model of teacher education is based on a series of beliefs for teachers that provide the rationale for the existence of coursework, experiences, outcomes, and assessments that occur throughout. These beliefs represent a commitment by university and local school community to ensure the quality preparation of new teaching professionals. Belief Statement 1: Pedagogy. The promotes the use of a variety of classroom and instructional strategies, including effective modeling, to encourage students development of critical thinking, problem solving, active inquiry, cooperative collaboration, and appropriate interaction in the classroom. Belief Statement 2: Subject matter knowledge. The promotes his/her knowledge of the subject matter and academic discipline, linked with effective skills in technology, to guide and enhance learning in a standards-based curriculum. Belief Statement 3: Literacy and numeracy. numeracy. The teacher is competent in promoting student literacy and Belief Statement 4: Environments and collaborative partnerships. The promotes positive environments and uses effective communication tools and practices to foster relationships with school colleagues, parents, and the community. Belief Statement 5: Diverse learners. The teacher utilizes an understanding of how students differ to ensure educational practices appropriate for all learners. Belief Statement 6: Child development. The teacher understands how children learn and develop to create a learning environment that encourages and supports their intellectual, social, and personal development. Belief Statement 7: Assessment. The promotes multidimensional assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner for the improvement of instruction. Belief Statement 8: Reflection, inquiry, research, and theory. The teacher is a reflective practitioner and understands that professional educational practice is informed by inquiry, research, and theory. Belief Statement 9: Moral character, commitment, and nurturance. The promotes professional educational practice as a moral endeavor that requires exemplary creativity, intellect, commitment, nurturance, character, and individuality. Belief Statement 10: Democratic ideals. The teacher knows and understands that a primary purpose of educational practice is to develop productive citizens who promote democratic ideals. Belief Statement 11: Field Experiences. The teacher integrates theory and practice through strong instructor/mentor modeling, close supervision, and developmentally appropriate and sequenced learning opportunities within the field site. Belief Statement 12: Technology. The teacher utilizes a variety of technologies to support the design of materials, communication of knowledge, and the storage and retrieval of information.

3 Alignment of Multiple Standards and Beliefs The purposes and goals of the Teacher Education Program are guided by a series of standards and principles from different state and national organizations. In 1999, the State of Colorado adopted eight performance-based teacher education standards, with 45 separate standard elements, developed by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). All teacher education programs in Colorado were held to the successful implementation of these standards by June 30, These standards addressed what every teacher should know, be like, and be able to do rather than listing courses that teachers should take in order to be awarded a license. All teacher education programs in Colorado were also subsequently held to a series of performance indicators created and enforced by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE). These state standards, combined with the state content (i.e. subject matter or discipline) standards, which define the knowledge required to teach each subject, created the current framework of standards in Colorado. In 2000, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) adopted six standards that guide the knowledge and skills of candidates, as well as the overall operations of the Teacher Education Program. In order to be as specific as possible about the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed by all teachers, NCATE also adopted the INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) principles. The INTASC principles were used in this process for the initial teacher education program, while the advanced programs followed a similar process utilizing, however, those promulgated by the NBPTS (National Board for Professional Teacher Standards). The standards of national specialty professional associations (called Specialty Professional Associations- SPA s) (e.g. National Council of Social Studies [NCSS], National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], National Science Teachers Association) [NTSA], etc.) comprise the national standards that define the knowledge and skills needed by teachers within the specific discipline areas (e.g. social studies, English, science, etc.). The content (discipline) standards of the Colorado Department of Education for Colorado teachers define the specific subject matter knowledge that Colorado teachers within specific disciplines are required to have (e.g. what science teachers need to know and do in science, what agriculture teachers need to know and do in agriculture, what English teachers need to know and do in English, etc.). Faculty and teacher candidates in the Teacher Education Program have addressed strategies for the alignment and mediation of these multiple standards, and have resolutely agreed that the process of alignment would be based FIRST on a series of professional belief statements that would characterize the fundamental vision of teachers and teacher education in the School of Education. These belief statements are described previously. Ultimately these were aligned with other standards and principles for the initial teacher preparation program and are depicted in the table below. This process created a suitable foundation on which to base coursework and field experiences for all candidates in the Colorado State University Teacher Education Program. Coursework and field experience expectations, content, assignments, and evaluations; individual candidate performance and assessment; and program evaluation are all tied to this complex alignment in order to ensure the very best in candidate preparation.

4 Table 1. Alignment of Unit Beliefs, Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Performance-Based Teacher Education Standards,,, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) Performance Indications for the Teacher Licensure Program, Colorado State University. Unit Belief Statement Pedagogy Belief Statement 1: The promotes the use of a variety of classroom and instructional strategies, including effective modeling, to encourage students development of critical thinking, problem solving, active inquiry, cooperative collaboration, and appropriate interaction in the classroom. Standard Five: The Classroom and Instructional Management Principle #4: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. Principle #5: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Standard 1: Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other professional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Assessments indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards. d) Each program will demonstrate that its coursework and fieldbased training integrates theory and practices and educates teacher candidates in methodologies, practices, and procedures of teaching standards-based education, specifically in teaching the content defined in the state model content standards. e) Each program will document the demonstrated mastery of skills required for licensure of each candidate prior to graduation. Subject matter knowledge Belief Statement 2: The promotes his/her knowledge of the subject matter and academic discipline, linked with effective skills in technology, to guide and enhance learning in a standards-based curriculum. Standard Four: The Content Standard Three: The Standards and Assessment Standard Seven: The Technology Principle #7: The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals. Principle #1: 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. Standard 1: Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other professional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Assessments indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

5 Literacy and numeracy Environments and collaborative partnerships Belief Statement 3: The teacher is competent in promoting student literacy and numeracy. Belief Statement 4: The promotes positive environments and uses effective communication tools and practices to foster relationships with school colleagues, parents, and the community. Standard One: The teacher shall be Literacy Standard Two: The Mathematics Standard Five: The Classroom and Instructional Management Principle #6: The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. Principle #10: The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and wellbeing. Diverse learners Belief Statement 5: The teacher utilizes an understanding of how students differ to ensure educational practices appropriate for all learners. Standard Six: The teacher shall be Individualization of Instruction Principle #3: The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. Standard 4: The unit designs, implements, and evaluates curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. These experiences include working with diverse higher education and school faculty, diverse candidates, and diverse students in the P-12 schools. The field experience of all candidates includes experiences to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. These experiences include working with diverse students in the K-12 system and diverse learning environment.

6 Child development Belief Statement 6: The teacher understands how children learn and develop to create a learning environment that encourages and supports their intellectual, social, and personal development. Standard Six: The teacher shall be Individualization of Instruction Principle #2: The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development. Principle #5: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

7 Assessment Reflection, inquiry, research, and theory Belief Statement 7: The promotes multidimensional assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner for the improvement of instruction. Belief Statement 8: The teacher is a reflective practitioner and understands that professional educational practice is informed by inquiry, research, and theory. Standard Three: The Standards and Assessment Principle #8: The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner. Principle #9: The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally. Standard 2: The unit has an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on the applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve the unit and its programs. b) (c) Each program will demonstrate that it has a comprehensive admissions system including screening and counseling for students considering becoming teacher candidates. c) Each program will demonstrate that it has an on-going screening and counseling of teacher candidates by practicing teachers or faculty members. f) Each program will provide ongoing comprehensive assessment including: evaluation of each teacher candidate s subject matter, evaluation of each candidate s professional knowledge, and ability to demonstrate skill in applying the professional knowledge base.

8 Moral character, commitment and nurturance Democratic ideals Experiential Learning Belief Statement 9: The promotes professional educational practice as a moral endeavor that requires exemplary creativity, intellect, commitment, nurturance, character, and individuality. Belief 10: The teacher knows and understands that a primary purpose of educational practice is to develop productive citizens who promote democratic ideals. Belief Statement 11: The teacher integrates theory and practice through strong instructor/mentor modeling, close supervision, and developmentally appropriate and sequenced learning opportunities within the field site. Standard Eight: The democracy, educational governance, and careers in Teaching. Standard 3: The unit and its school partners design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates and other school personnel develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. The curriculum of each program will ensure that each teacher education candidate completes a minimum of 800 hours of supervised field based experience that relates to predetermined learning standards. The field experience criteria include scope, frequency, and intensity.

9 Technology Belief Statement 11: The teacher utilizes a variety of technologies to support the design of materials, communication of knowledge, and the storage and retrieval of information. Standard Seven: The Technology Standard 6: The unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources, including information technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards. Standard 5: Faculty are qualified and model best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching, including the assessment of their own effectiveness as related to candidate performance. They also collaborate with colleagues in the disciplines and schools. The unit systematically evaluates faculty performance and facilitates professional development. Standard 6: The unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources, including information technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards. CCHE agrees to use the NCATE standard for this measure but apply it to arts and sciences faculty. CCHE agrees to use the NCATE standard for this measure. No modifications.