Program Review. MA in Special Education. Graduate School of Education and Professional Development. November MARSHALL UNIVERSITY Program Review

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1 Program Review MA in Special Education Graduate School of Education and Professional Development November 2012 MARSHALL UNIVERSITY Program Review

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4 4 Marshall University Program Review For purposes of program review, the academic year will begin in summer and end in spring. Program: _MA in Special Education College: GSEPD Date of Last Review: _October 2005 I. Accreditation Information 1. Name of Accrediting Organization The Special Education program is housed in the Marshall University Professional Education Unit (PEU). The Professional Education Unit is fully accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The most recent NCATE review occurred in October 2004 and resulted in the continuing accreditation of the unit. This was the maximum period for which accreditation could be received. At that time the PEU passed all six NCATE standards for advanced (graduate) programs. NCATE review is scheduled to occur again in October The Special Education Program has been reviewed and accredited by its respective national professional organization, the Council on Exceptional Children. Program specializations leading to licensure were reviewed and granted continuing approval by the West Virginia Department of Education. See Attachment A. WVDE State Recognition Report on Preparation of Special Educators. 2. Date of Most Recent Self-Study and Accreditation Visit NCATE 2012 West Virginia Department of Education Winter Accreditation Status: (regular, probationary, etc.) Full Continuing - NCATE State Recognized - West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) 4. Accrediting Organization s Report: (See Attachment A) In Winter 2012 the Special Education Program was State Recognized. No deficiencies were noted at the time of the review. II. CONSISTENCY WITH UNIVERSITY MISSION (Not required for accredited program)

5 5 III. Adequacy of the Program (#5 8 Not required for accredited program) 5. Curriculum: 6. Faculty: 7. Students: 8. Resources: 9. Assessment Information: NOTE: This section is a summary of your yearly assessment reports. a. Provide summary information on the following elements. Please include this information in Appendix V. The Marshall University Special Education Program values both program and candidate assessment. For special educators to be successful practitioners who meet the needs of diverse learners, both candidates and their preparation program must be assessed with sufficient and appropriate measures. The assessment model adopted for the advanced program in Special Education focuses on three broad areas; the program, the faculty and candidate performance. This assessment model includes three major components; data/information collection, forming judgments and making decisions. Based on these three components, assessment is operationally defined as a process in which data/information are collected, used as a consideration in forming judgments, and then become the basis for making decisions. These decisions involve actions related to the program, faculty and candidates. Please see Appendix V for summary information. Candidate and program performance is evaluated via six key assessments. A presentation of these assessments may be found in Attachment 1 which includes: a description of the assessment and its use in the program; a description of how each assessment is aligned with the professional (Council for Exceptional Children) standards; a summary and brief analysis of the data derived from each; an interpretation of how data provide evidence for meeting those standards. In addition to the six key candidate assessments, each year all programs are required by NCATE to assess the key candidate dispositions adopted by the Professional Education Unit. Complete copies of the data analyses are included in Attachment 2. The following narrative will synthesize the major findings for the assessments listed in Appendix V, the interpretation of those findings and the steps planned and/or taken to improve candidate skills and the program.

6 6 Actions Taken to Improve the Program Content Knowledge The Special Education faculty, based on Praxis overall pass rates, are comfortable with the level of content mastery by our candidates. Taken in combination, these measures clearly demonstrate a significant level of mastery regarding the role for which they are preparing. A review of the successful completion rate cited elsewhere in this report is further confirmation of this judgment. To the limited extent to which indepth analysis of the Praxis Quartile Reports is possible, the faculty feels that having a larger percentage of completers in the upper quartiles will be a goal for next year. Nevertheless, although the Praxis data indicate that the institutional averages correct for the subtest categories are generally at or above the state and national averages, the faculty believes that candidate performance can be improved. To that end, faculty have developed and will implement an ongoing process designed to ensure that master course syllabi are not only regularly updated to include all Core Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Knowledge/Skill-based competencies and current references, but that the teaching syllabi used by both full and part time faculty reflect the critical elements of each of the ten standards. Professional/Pedagogical Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions The faculty believes that the acquisition of Content Knowledge is useless if that knowledge is not converted into the meaningful planning and delivery of instruction. To that end, the program faculty has revised the clinical experience lesson planning format, reflection logs, and the scoring guides for each in order to strengthen those emphases. It is anticipated that this initiative will result in an increased level of quality in the lesson plans used in clinical experiences and will increase the level of documentation ensuring that graduate candidates have become more reflective practitioners. A review of the level of candidate growth occurring during clinical experiences revealed that improvements could be made in candidate performance with regard to their teaching proficiency. To this end the program faculty will place stronger emphasis on the collaborative relationships between the graduate candidates and their Cooperating Field-based Professional and College Supervisors. Central to this effort will be a revised process for documenting candidate performance with a new Weekly Progress Report and a section of the Practicum Handbook Competency Checklist which incorporates indicators related to professional and ethical practice, instructional and behavioral management, the use of effective communication and assistive technology and the linking of service providers, teaching professionals and families to better meet the needs of diverse learners. Effective evaluation of graduate candidates in clinical experiences is essential if a positive effect on student learning is to be ensured. Central to this effort is the use of the core portion of the Practicum Handbook Competency Checklist. Although this instrument has been used for some time, evaluation of candidates, coupled with feedback from College Supervisors in collaboration with Co-operating Field Based

7 7 Professionals, made it apparent to faculty that a more systematic method for developing the grade recommendation was necessary. To achieve this outcome, a new scoring guide was developed, piloted, and now contains a checklist used to assure that a rating of satisfactory had been earned by graduate candidates on all required clinical artifacts and activities. Student Learning Because the Multi-categorical special education teaching license is defined as including mild and moderate Behavior Disorders, Mental Impairment and Learning Disabilities, an additional form of candidate assessment was judged by the faculty as necessary to assure that candidates demonstrate competency with each of these exceptionalities. To accommodate this need, additional sections of the Practicum Handbook Competency Checklist were developed and are now incorporated within the clinical assessment to further demonstrate the impact of instruction. This additional set of competencies is referenced to specific elements of the CEC standards and describes the candidates ability to develop, select, adapt and create material appropriate to diverse groups of students with disabilities. The use of a new scoring guide allows the program to assure that candidates possess the skills necessary to provide differentiated instruction or behavior management for this population. A further refinement of existing clinical candidate assessment, related to the ability to demonstrate instructional impact, was the development and employment of a new detailed scoring guide for use in evaluating the Action Research Project required as part of the clinical experience. The Action Research Project, one of the six major assessments identified in Appendix B, will provide further evidence that candidates possess the ability to convert theory to best practices in a clinical setting. The special education faculty has found the Assessment of Candidate Dispositions, Professional and Ethical Practice to be of particular value in improving the knowledge and skills of candidates. This assessment assures that candidates possess the attributes identified within the Professional Education Unit s candidate evaluation system. Valuable lessons have been learned by reviewing the results of this assessment and a number of programming changes have resulted. For instance, these evaluation results indicated a need for additional candidate preparation in the use of technology-enhanced instruction for P-12 students and for providing more differentiated instruction in reading and mathematics to students with disabilities. To meet these needs, the Multi-Categorical program was revised to include a separate three-credit course in instructional technology, a six-credit block of Reading (Literacy) preparation and a three-credit course focusing on Math instruction for diverse student populations. Summary Taken in combination, the six candidate assessments used as the basis of this report have served to link program-specific candidate assessment to the broader and more general Professional Education Unit (PEU) assessment system. This has allowed the faculty to triangulate candidate-specific assessment data to other PEU assessments. The faculty then integrates these elements to further refine the program

8 8 and the six assessments. Such an ongoing and continuous process will ensure that candidates seeking special education licensure reflect the vision of the program to prepare experienced professionals as specialists. b. Other Learning and Service Activities: Provide a summary of learning and service activities not covered explicitly in Section a. A number of Special Education courses are provided as service classes to support other programs. Appendix IX lists these service courses and details enrollments. Two of these courses are also required courses in the Special Education program (CISP 520 Introduction to Exceptional Children or CISP 521 Children with Exceptionalities). Caution should be used in interpreting the data because the enrollments cannot be broken out for these two between those taking the classes as a service course or those taking them as required classes. Another service related activity provided by the Special Education program is the MU Summer K-12 Program. Designed to provide multidisciplinary training, the Marshall University Summer K-12 Program affords a unique learning opportunity for both candidates and children in grades K-12. This setting provides a clinical field-based experience site for candidates seeking certification or licensure in special education, school counseling, school psychology, or literacy education. Each year, in collaboration with the local school system, Kanawha County Schools, a school site is selected and planning occurs prior to the beginning of the Summer Program. Thus, the MU Director of Clinical and Field-Based Experiences and the building principal, work collaboratively to arrange to host the program. Collaboration between the Kanawha County Schools and Marshall University is also central to the recruitment of children attending the Summer K-12 Program. Typically K-12 children attend each summer. Every consideration is given to enroll children from diverse backgrounds. In terms of diversity noted in Appendix X (Pg.), data from indicated variability, relative to ethnicity, SES, and regular education versus special education was present. Data related to ethnicity indicated more than 30% of the students were from African American or other minority populations. Diversity was also evident in terms of the socioeconomic status of the children attending. Data from indicated, consistently over 65% of the students attending were from low SES backgrounds and qualified for free or reduced lunches. Classrooms contained multi-age, multi-ability students along with full inclusion of students with special needs. Data from indicated at least 29% or more of the students were classified as students with special needs. Instruction is activity based with emphasis placed on best practices. Children enrolled in the program have an opportunity to become actively involved in the learning process through numerous hands-on activities. Within the context of thematic units, the candidates design curriculum, behavioral management systems, and conduct program evaluation. The curriculum emerges from projects organized around a central theme.

9 9 Faculty and college supervisors provide observation, documentation of competency completion, and back-up throughout the program. College supervisors are certified practicing professionals who have demonstrated excellence and expertise as service providers in their respective disciplines. They model competencies and critique the performance of the graduate students in their assigned disciplines. c. Plans for Program Improvement: Based on assessment data, provide a detailed plan for program improvement. The plan must include a timeline. Program improvement is an ongoing endeavor with the Special Education program. Taken in combination, the six candidate assessments used as the basis of this report have served to link program-specific candidate assessment to the broader and more general Professional Education Unit (PEU) assessment system. Such an ongoing and continuous process ensures candidates seeking special education licensure reflect the vision of the program to prepare experienced professionals as specialists. As a part of this ongoing plan for improvement, the following activities will be implemented: Fall 2012 Semester. Huntington and South Charleston-based faculty function as a faculty of the whole and meet on a regular basis (at least twice each semester) to address program and other issues related to the candidate assessments. Data are aggregated and reviewed for each of the six assessments. Fall 2012 Semester. A PEU Candidate Dispositions common instrument developed in collaboration with other programs. Spring 2013 Semester. PEU Candidate Dispositions instrument administered to graduate students. d. Graduate Satisfaction: Provide evidence and results of follow-up studies to indicate graduate satisfaction with the effectiveness of the educational experience they received in your program. Indicate the number of individuals surveyed or contacted and the number of respondents. Beginning with the Fall 2012 Semester, a process has been developed to conduct follow-up studies. Thus, program graduates will be systematically surveyed to obtain information relative to their satisfaction with the effectiveness of their educational experience.

10 10 e. Attach the previous five years of evaluations of your assessment reports provided by the Office of Assessment. Copies of the Office of Assessment Summary Reports may be seen in Appendix IX. 10. Previous Reviews: State the last program review action by the Marshall University Board of Governors. At its meeting of April 13, 2006, the Marshall University Board of Governors recommended that the MA in Special Education continue at its current level of activity. 11. Identify weaknesses and deficiencies noted in the last program review and provide information regarding the status of improvements implemented or accomplished. In its review, submitted in academic year , the MA in Special Education reported the following weakness: Non-competitive faculty salaries, exacerbated by a shortage in doctoral level faculty in the field of Special Education. Entry level salaries for advertised positions in special education continue to not be competitive. Although qualified applicants have applied for job openings, the initial salary offered remains an obstacle in the hiring process. A national shortage of doctoral level degrees conferred in Special Education complicates this issue even further. 12. Current Strengths/Weaknesses: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Describe program plans for removing the weaknesses. No weaknesses were identified for any of the specializations reviewed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) for the last NCATE visit in For the review in the Winter of 2012 the Special Education program received WVDE State Recognition. Nevertheless, program faculty continue to assess program effectiveness and to target areas for improvement. Finally, entry level salaries for advertised positions are not competitive in the market for this specialization and have resulted in very serious difficulties in attracting a qualified applicant pool. A national shortage of doctoral level degrees conferred in Special Education complicates this issue even further. IV. Viability of the Program: Provide a narrative summary in each of the following sections in addition to the appendices.

11 11 1. Articulation Agreements: (Not required for accredited program) 2. Off-Campus Classes: (Not required for accredited program) 3. Online Courses: (Not required for accredited program) 4. Service Courses: (Not required for accredited program) 5. Program Course Enrollment: (Not required for accredited program) 6. Program Enrollment: Summarize data indicating the number of new students admitted, number of principal majors enrolled from your college, number of second majors, the number of students enrolled as majors from other colleges (i.e., College of Education specialization majors), the number of minors, and the number of graduates for the program for each of the past five years. The Special Education programs admit candidates to either Professional Development status (those seeking teacher certification) or to Masters Degree status (those seeking both teacher certification and the Masters Degree) Both classifications of admission status result in the development of a Plan of Study, assignment of advisors, etc. Because many of these candidates already have earned the Masters Degree but are required to obtain multiple teaching certifications for their job assignments in public schools, they often change specializations (and therefore admission status) as they complete multiple tracks. Nevertheless, for each of the past five years the number of graduates of the Special Education program has remained strong, averaging 75 per year. In fact, during the year the trend for the Special Education program overall has been toward increasing enrollment. During the past five years, overall program enrollment has averaged 310 students per year. Because of the trend toward Multi-Categorical certification, rather than single category specific certification, this specialization has witnessed an increase in enrollment. For the past 25 years, there has been a national shortage of fully trained Special Education teachers. West Virginia continues to employ around 30% of its special education teaching force on emergency teaching licenses. During the same period, the percentage of K-12 students identified as qualifying for these services has grown to approximately 20% of public school enrollments. In addition, the state has a rapidly graying teaching force with large numbers of K- 12 educators expected to retire in the next five years. For these reasons, it is anticipated that enrollments in the Special Education program will remain stable or increase over the next five years.

12 12 7. The Office of Assessment will provide trend lines for total number of students enrolled in the program and number of graduates (Figure 1) for the period of the review. Figure 1 (Pg. 23) summarizes the total number of students enrolled in the program and number of graduates. 8. Enrollment Projections: Identify trends that will influence enrollment over the next five years. Provide enrollment projections. This information should be supported by evidence. IV. Necessity of the Program: (#1 Not required for accredited program) 1. Advisory Committee: 2. Graduates: Almost without exception, graduates of the Special Education program were parttime students and were already fully employed by public school systems while matriculating. Employing school districts include every county school system in West Virginia, quite a number of school districts in other states whose boundaries are contiguous to the state, as well as by systems in more distant states. The typical salary for a newly graduated Masters Degree candidate with only a few years of experience is roughly $34,500. The state continues to be challenged in retaining inservice teachers and recent graduates because of more lucrative salaries in other states. All Special Education graduates have immediate in-state employment opportunities if not already employed. Program graduates are routinely recommended by faculty for other/new employment opportunities and for admission to advanced graduate programs. Specific information in Appendix VIII is not currently available. Beginning with the Fall 2012 Semester, a process has been developed to conduct follow-up studies with employers. Thus, program graduates will be systematically surveyed to obtain places of employment, starting salary ranges, number employed in field of specialization, and/or acceptance into graduate programs. 3. Job Placement: If the job placement rate reported above is low, can a course of action be identified that would improve this situation? Provide a summary of procedures utilized by the institution to help place program graduates in jobs or additional educational programs. Include activities supported by both the student s academic department as well as the institution s placement office. This summary should include the institution s procedures and program organization for continuing contact and follow-up with graduates. The typical Special Education graduate student is an employed professional who is a part-time student seeking to upgrade or acquire new skills.

13 13 Although the traditional array of job placement services is available through the Huntington campus, Special Education graduate students tend to have little need for these services. Information regarding available employment opportunities is routinely made available through local school system job postings and, statewide, through the West Virginia Department of Education. V. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Not applicable)

14 14 APPENDICES Appendix I-Required/Elective Course Work-Not required for accredited programs Appendix II-Faculty Data Sheets-Not required for accredited programs Appendix IIa-Teaching Assistant Data Sheet-Not required for accredited programs Appendix VI-Program Course Enrollment: MA in Special Education-Not required in accredited program Appendix III Entrance Abilities of Past Five Years of Graduates: MA in Special Education Year N Mean Undergraduate GPA Mean GRE Verbal Mean GRE Quantitative Miller Analogies Mean (n = 28) (n = 28) (n = 17); (new, n = 36) (n = 26) (n = 26) (n = 17); (new, n = 36) (n = 36) (n = 36) (n = 7); (new, n = 29) (n = 20) (n = 20) (n = 3); (new, n = 38) (n = 44) (n = 44) (n = 1); (new, n = 29)

15 15 Appendix IV Exit Abilities of Past Five Years of Graduates: MA in Special Education Year N Mean GPA Licensure Exam Results Certification Test Results Other Standardized Exam Results N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

16 16 Appendix V Assessment Summary Marshall University Assessment of the Program s Student Learning Outcomes 5 year summary Component Area/Program/Discipline: MA in Special Education Program Level Program s Student Learning Outcomes CEC Standard 1. Foundations CEC Standard 2. Characteristics CEC Standard 3. Learning Differences CEC Standard 4. Instructional Strategies CEC Standard 7. Instructional Planning CEC Standard 5. Learning Environments CEC Standard 6. Language CEC Standard 8. Assessment CEC Standard 10. Collaboration CEC Standard 6. Language CEC Standard 8. Assessment CEC Standard 10. Collaboration CEC Standard 9. Ethical Practice Assessment Measures (Tools) Praxis II Core Content Knowledge Praxis II Mild to Moderate Disabilities Lesson Planning Weekly Progress Reports Competency Checklist Action Research Project Self-Assessment Survey Standards/Benchmark WV s Passing Score-146 WV s Passing Score-153 Candidates must successfully complete each of the components Candidates must receive an overall rating of 3 (satisfactory) Candidates must be judged as satisfactorily meeting 100% of the competencies Candidates must satisfactorily complete each of the components Candidates must rate and provide evidence of their performance on 8 essential dispositions upon entry and completion of the program. Results/Analysis From scores ranged from a pass rate of %, with a mean rate of 98%. From scores ranged from a pass rate of %, with a mean rate of 99%. 100% of Candidates successfully completed each component 100% of Candidates received an overall rating of at least % of Candidates judged satisfactorily meeting each of the competencies 100% of Candidates rated as satisfactorily completing each of the components Candidates gained confidence in their ability to meet the 8 elements of Standard 9 Action Taken to improve the program Data from assessment were reviewed each semester by faculty. Data from assessment were reviewed each semester by faculty. Scoring rubric was refined and incorporated into the assessment tool. Scoring rubric was refined and incorporated into the assessment tool. Competencies reviewed for alignment with CEC standards. Scoring rubric was refined and incorporated into the assessment tool. Data were aggregated and reviewed each semester by faculty.

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18 18 Students MA in Special Education No Area of Emphasis MA in Special Education Behavioral Disorders/Excluding Autism MA in Special Education Behavioral Disorders/Including Autism MA in Special Education Gifted MA in Special Education Specific Learning Disabilities MA in Special Education Mentally Impaired MA in Special Education Preschool Special Education MA in Special Education Visually Impaired MA in Special Education Deaf and Hard of Hearing MA in Special Education Multi-Categorical Special Education MA in Special Education Autism Appendix VII Program Enrollment: MA in Special Education Year Year Year Year Year Second Majors Enrolled* Third Majors Enrolled:** Grand Total of Students Enrolled in the Program Graduates of the program

19 19 Figure 1. Trend Line for Total Enrollment and Program Graduates: MA in Special Education Graduates Total Enrollment

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25 25 Course Number Appendix IX Services Courses Course Name Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year Su Fa Sp Su Fa Sp Su Fa Sp Su Fa Sp Su Fa Sp CISP 510 Intro. Instr. Practices CISP 520 CISP 521 CISP 535 Intro. Excep. Children Children With Exceptionalities Gen. Sp. Ed. Programming

26 26 Appendix X MU Summer K-12 Program Diversity 5 Year Summary

27 27 Attachment A WVDE STATE RECOGNITION REPORT

28 WVDE STATE RECOGNITION Preparation of Special Educators Name of institution Marshall University Date of review Winter, 2012 REPORT ON This report is in response to a(n): o Initial Review [8] Revised Report o Responseto Condition Program(s) Review: Covered by this Grade Level: K-6, 5-Adult Licensure category: Initial teacher license in field Program Type: Award or Degree Level(s): Multi-Categorical Special Education ;_-L Initial o Baccalaureate o Postbaccalaureate X Master's PART A-RECOGNITION DECISION (see Part G for specifics on decision) A.1-WVDE decision on recognition of the program(s): [8]State recognized _, I t,epu. l o State recognized with conditions o Not state recognized I ; A.2-Test Results (from information supplied in Assessment #1, if applicable) The program meets or exceeds an 80 0 /0 pass rate on state licensure exams: [8] Yes DNo D Not applicable 0 Not able to determine Comments: I A.3-Summary of Strengths: WVOE State Recognition Report Rev

29 PART 8-STATUS OF MEETING SPA STANDARDS M = Met NM = Not Met Designation CEC Standards I M = Met NM = Not Met Field Experiences and Clinical Practice Standard. Special education candidates progress through a series of developmentally sequenced field experiences for the full range of ages, types and levels of abilities, and collaborative opportunities that are appropriate to the license or roles for which they are preparing. These field and clinical experiences are supervised by qualified professionals. I MET CONTENT STANDARDS Standard 1. Foundations. Special educators understand the field I MET as an evolving and changing discipline based on philosophies, evidence-based principles and theories, relevant laws and policies, diverse and historical points of view, and human issues that have historically influenced and continue to influence the field of special education and the education and treatment of individuals with exceptional needs both in school and society. Special educators understand how these influence professional practice, including assessment, instructional planning, implementation, and program evaluation. Special educators understand how issues of human diversity can impact families, cultures, and schools, and how these complex human issues can interact with issues in the delivery of special education services. They understand the relationships of organizations of special education to the organizations and functions of schools, school systems, and other agencies. Special educators use this knowledge as a ground upon which to construct their own personal understandings and philosophies of special education. Comment: Standard 1 is addressed throughout the program in coursework including CISP 520, CISP 626, CISP 645, CISP 553, and CISP 647. Assessment 1, PRAXIS II, Core Content Knowledge, is used to validate the mastery ofthe Foundations Standard. Data from Assessment 1 indicate this standard is met. Standard 2. Development and Characteristics of Learners. I MET Special educators know and demonstrate respect for their students first as unique human beings. Special educators understand the similarities and differences in human development and the characteristics between and among individuals with and without exceptional learning needs (ELN)li. Moreover, special educators understand how exceptional conditions can interact with the 0 domains of human development and they use this knowledge to respond to the varying abilities and behaviors of individual's with ELN. Special educators understand how the experiences of individuals with ELN can impact families, as well as the individual's ability to learn, interact socially, and live as fulfilled contributing members of the community. Comment: Coursework in CISP 520, CISP 645, CISP 553, CISP 647, and CISP 655 address the development and characteristics of learners identified in Standard 2. Assessments 1 and 2 are cited as validation of candidate mastery of Standard 2. Based on data presented, candidates easily meet these criteria. 2 WVDE State Recognition Report Rev. 2010

30 ,,:.'./. CEC Standards Designation M = Met NM = Not Met Standard 3. Individual Learning Differences. Special educators MET understand the effects that an exceptional conditiorr" can have on an individual's learning in school and throughout life. Special educators understand that the beliefs, traditions, and values across and within cultures can affect relationships among and between students, their families, and the school community. Moreover, special educators are active and resourceful in seeking to understand how primary language, culture, and familial backgrounds interact with the individual's exceptional condition to impact the individual's academic and social abilities, attitudes, values, interests, and career options. The understanding of these learning differences and their possible interactions provides the foundation upon which special educators individualize instruction to provide meaningful and challenging learning for individuals with ELN. Comment: Again, PRAXIS II, Core Content Knowledge, and PRAXIS II, Mild to Moderate Disabilities, Assessments 1 and 2 support mastery of this standard. Standard 4. Instructional Strategies. Special educators posses a MET repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to individualize instruction for individuals with ELN. Special educators select, adapt, and use these instructional strategies to promote positive learning results in general and special curricula and to appropriately modify learning environments for individuals with ELN. They enhance the learning of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills of individuals with ELN, and increase their selfawareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and selfesteem. Moreover, special educators emphasize the development, maintenance, and generalization of knowledge and skills across environments, settings, and the lifespan. Comment:The formative checklist is aligned to CEC standards and is used formatively throughout the placements. The final placement evaluation also documents instructional strategies to some extent. Standard 5. Learning Environments and Social Interactions. I MET Special educators actively create learning environments for individuals with ELN that foster cultural understanding, safety and emotional well-being, positive social interactions, and active engagement of individuals with ELN. In ~ddition, special ed~~~tors foster environments in which diversity is valued and individuals are taught to live harmoniously and productively in a culturally diverse world. Special educators shape environments to encourage the independence, self-motivation, self-direction, personal empowerment, and self-advocacy of individuals with ELN. Special educators help their general education colleagues integrate individuals with ELN in regular environments and engage them in meaningful learning activities and interactions. Special educators use direct motivational and instructional interventions with individuals with ELN to teach them to respond effectively to r current expectations. When necessary, special educators can safely intervene with individuals with ELN in crisis. Special educators coordinate all these efforts and provide guidance and direction to paraeducators and others, such as classroom volunteers and tutors. Comment:Again, the formative checklist and sumrnative evaluation provide consistent checks of candidates' abilities to enhance the learning environment and social interaction of individuals with disabilities. Also, the performance on the Praxis 2 tests indicates that the candidates have sufficient theoretical knowledge of these topics. WVDE State Recognition Report Rev

31 ~':~,~ - eee Standards Designation M = Met NM = Not Met Standard 6. Language. Special educators understand typical and I MET atypical language development and the ways in which exceptional conditions can interact with an individual's experience with and use oflanguage. Special educators use individualized strategies to enhance language development and teach communication skills to individuals with ELN. Special educators are familiar with augmentative, alternative, and assistive technologies to support and enhance communication of individuals with exceptional needs. Special educators match their communication methods to an individual's language proficiency and cultural and linguistic differences. Special educators provide effective language models and they use communication strategies and resources to facilitate understanding of subject matter for individuals with ELN whose primary language is not English. Comment: The evidence here is a bit more implied than explicit. The checklists and summative forms mentioned above provide some evidence of candidate's abilities in the area of language and language development, but it is largely. dependent on the student characteristics in the classroom of the placement as to the extent of the experience in this area. Standard 7. Instructional Planning. Individualized decision- I MET making and instruction is at the center of special education practice. Special educators develop long-range individualized instructional plans anchored in both general and special curricula. In addition, special educators systematically translate these individualized plans into carefully selected shorter-range goals and objectives taking into consideration an individual's abilities and needs, the learning environment, and a myriad of cultural and linguistic factors. Individualized instructional plans emphasize explicit modeling and efficient guided practice to assure acquisition and fluency through maintenance and generalization. Understanding ofthese factors as well as the implications of an individual's exceptional condition, guides the special educator's selection, adaptation, and creation of materials, and the use of powerful instructional variables. Instructional plans are modified based on ongoing analysis of the individual's learning progress. Moreover, special educators facilitate this instructio nal planning in a collaborative context including the individuals with exceptionalities, families, professional colleagues, and personnel from other agencies as appropriate. Special educators also develop a variety of individualized transition plans, such as transitions from preschool to elementary school and from secondary settings to a variety of postsecondary work and learning contexts. Special educators are comfortable using appropriate technologies to support instructional planning and individualized instruction. Comment: Again, the formative checklist and summative evaluation provide consistent checks of candidates' abilities to enhance the learning environment and social interaction of individuals with disabilities. Also, the performance on the Praxis 2 tests indicates that the candidates have sufficient theoretical knowledge of these topics. Standard 8. Assessment. Assessment is integra! to the decision- I MET making and teaching of special educ ators and special educators use multiple types of assessment information for a variety of educational decisions. Special educators use the results of assessments to help identify exceptional learning needs and to develop and implement individualized instructional programs, as well as to adjust instruction in response to ongoing learning 4 WVDE State Recognition Report Rev. 2010

32 CEC Standards Designation M = Met NM = Not Met progress. Special educators understand the legal policies and ethical principles of measurement and assessment related to referral, eligibility, program planning, instruction, and placement for individuals with ELN, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Special educators understand measurement theory and practices for addressing issues of validity, reliability, norms, bias,and interpretation of assessment results. In addition, special educators understand theappropriateuse and limitations of various types of assessments. Special educators collaborate with families and other colleagues to assure non-biased, meaningful assessments and decision-making. Special educators conduct formal and informal assessments of behavior, learning, achievement, and environments to design learning experiences that support the growth and development of individuals with ELN. Special educators use assessment information to identify supports and adaptations required for individuals with ELN to access the general curriculum and to participate in school, system, and statewide assessment programs. Special educators regularly monitor the progress of individuals with ELN in general and special curricula. Special educators use appropriate technologies to support their assessments. Comment: As redesigned the description ofthe action research project supports evidence of this standard being met more clearly and should provide data to truly assess impact on student learning. The addition of clearer definitions of each rubric are present and differentiate clearly between each rating selection of "Satisfactory", "Needs Improvement", "Unsatisfactory" or "Not Observed". These changes may insure inter rater reliability and add consistency.and fairness in evaluation. Standard 9. Professional and Ethical Practice. Special educators are guided by the profession's ethical and professional practice standards. Special educators practice in multiple roles and complex situations across wide age and developmental ranges. Their practice requires ongoing attention to legal matters along with serious professional and ethical considerations. Special educators engage in professional activities and participate in learning communities that benefit individuals with ELN, their families, colleagues, and their own professional growth. Special educators view themselves as lifelong learners and regularly reflect on and.adjusttheir practice. Special educators are aware of how their own and others attitudes, behaviors, and ways of communicating can influence their practice. Special educators understand that culture and language can interact with exceptionalities, and are sensitive to the many aspects of diversity of individuals with ELN and their families. Special educators actively plan and engage in activities that foster their professional growth and keep them current with evidence-based best practices. Special educators know their own limits of practice and practice within them. Comment:.,',-",.,-.., -- ; The additional qualitative data collected from Assessment #6 seems an important key to meeting the faculty goal of meeting the needs 0 fthe candidates, students, and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Knowledge/Skill-based competencies and current references. WVOE State Recognition Report Rev '''I, '1l l

33 CEC Standards Designation M = Met NM = Not Met Standard 10. Collaboration. Special educators routinely and I MET effectively collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways. This collaboration assures that the needs of individuals with ELN are addressed throughout schooling. Moreover, special educators embrace their special role as advocate for individuals with ELN. Special educators promote and advocate the learning and well being of individuals with ELN across a wide range of settings and a range of different learning experiences. Special educators are viewed as specialists by a myriad of people who actively seek their collaboration to effectively include and teach individuals with ELN. Special educators are a resource to their colleagues in understanding the laws and po licies relevant to Individuals with ELN. Special educators use collaboration to facilitate the successful transitions of individuals with ELN across settings and services. Comment: Assessment 5, with revised descriptors of ratings now clearly sets criteria. The Practicum Handbook Competency Checklist, now clearly defines performance expectations at each level of the Likert scale. 11.1_...'\."'-,...,'_'-:'. i ~.L fi-l~ 1)r":!... ~. ). 6 WVDE State Recognition Report Rev. 2010

34 PART C-EV ALUATION OF PROGRAM REPORT EVIDENCE C. l-candidates' knowledge of content. CEC performance-based standards addressed in this entry could include (but are not limited to) Standards 1-3. Information from Assessments #1 and #2 should provide primary evidence in this area. (Assessments #6-#8 may also focus on content knowledge.) PRAXIS Scores documented from both the Core Content and Mild to Moderate Disabilities reflect excellent performance by the candidates. C.2-Candidates' ability to understand and apply pedagogical and professional content knowledge, skills, and dispositions. CEC standards that could be addressed in this assessment include but are not limited to Standards Information from Assessments #3 and #4 should provide primary evidence in this area. (Assessments #6-#8 may also focus on pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions). The revised descriptors used in.~~~~~rn~m~ l~~;an~ tt-4 are more clear and allow for a much clearer understanding of the purpose and design. Specifically, assessment #3(the Lesson Plan Evaluation) has been refined to denote a "Satisfactory" or "Unsatisfactory" score, with progress identified as "Met" for satisfactory progress and "Unmet" for unsatisfactory. The new format indicates that each component of the lesson plan must be satisfactory with a "met" rating. Students, if needed, are given "successive opportunities" to achieve a "Met" score. Therefore, students are expected to demonstrate competency for each component of the lesson plan. Assessment #4(the Weekly Progress Report),the degrees of competency for Likert scale used to determine competence have been more clearly defined and included date for both regular track candidates and those in the alternative track. The department is recommended to ensure inter-rater reliability and to frequently reviewing the data to determine ifthe descriptors are impacting assessment by different raters. C.3-Candidate effects on P-12 student learning. CEC standards that could be addressed in this assessment include but are not limited to Standards 4-8. Information from Assessment #5 should provide primary evidence in this area. (Assessments #6-#8 may also focus on student learning.) Assessment 5, the Practicum Handbook Competency Checklist, now clearly defines performance expectations at each level of the Likert scale. The revised description of the Action Plan shows additional support of impact on student learning, but is still not directly assessed. Again, the institution is encouraged to review results to see if the tool is truly serving the intended purpose. Assessment 5B, the Action Research Project has been redesigned to evaluate candidate's effect on P-12 learning. As redesigned, it should provide data to truly assess impact on student learning...'..r: "in ni~': WVDE State Recognition Report Rev ;... ll!: -i ( (H.Hr : ~'\' ( t~....

35 PART D-EVALUATION OF THE USE OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS Evidence that assessment results are evaluated and applied to the improvement of candidate performance and strengthening of the programtas discussed in Section V of the program report.) Although there is extensive evidence of data evaluation, and there is some evidence that data has driven curricular changes. The faculty is clearly in tune with the program review and NCA TE review procedures. PART E-AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Noted areas for improvement have been addressed. PART F-ADDITIONAL COMMENTS F.I-Comments on context and other topics not covered in sections B-D: Checklists and Observation Ratingscales'now have'scoring rubrics with clearly defined expectations which reflect levels of competencies and allow for objective evaluation of candidate performance. Assessment 5B, the Action Research Project has been redesigned to evaluate candidate's effect on P-12 learning. As redesigned, it should provide data to truly assess impact on student learning. F.2-Concerns for possible follow up by the WVDE:,~i L... lit 1\. i ~~ 8 WVDE State Recognition Report Rev. 2010

36 ~ PART G: TERMS AND SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS FOR DECISIONS i IBlProgram is state recognized. The program is recognized through the semester and year of the institution's next accreditation visit in 5-7 years. To retain recognition, another program report must be submitted before that review. The program will be listed as state recognized through the semester of the next accreditation review on websites and/or other publications. The institution may designateits program as state recognized by WVDE, through the semester ofthe next accreditation review, in its published materials. Subsequent action by the institution: None. State recognized programs may not file revised reports addressing any unmet standards or areas for improvement. o Program is state recognized with conditions. The program is recognized through [date to be filled in by WVDEJ. The program will be listed as state recognized on websites and/or other publications. The institution may designate its program as state recognized by WVDE, through the time period specified above, in its published materials. Subsequent action by the institution: To retain accreditation, a report addressing the conditions to recognition must be submitted within 18 months of the date of this report, no later than [date to be filled in by WVDEJ. The report must address the conditions specified in the box below. Failure to submit a report by the date specified above will result in loss of state recognition. o Program is not state recognized. Programs that retain recognition from a prior review will lose recognition at the end of the semester in which the accreditation visit is held, unless a revised program report is submitted in or before that semester. Subsequent action by the institution: A revised report, addressing unmet standards, may be submitted within 18 months ofthe date of this report, no later than [date to be filled in by WVDEJ. The institution may submit a new program report at any time. A program report must be submitted before the next accreditation visit..,,i, , For further information on due dates or req uirements, contact The Office of Proftssional Preparation at the WVDE ( ) rhagerma@access.k12.wv. us, Ihedrick@access.k12.wv.us. o State recognition with conditions: The following conditions must be addressed within 18 months (see above for specific date): j I"...!.," " ~,..,,:. I., I,. i If the decision is "recognized with conditions," the box at the bottom of Section G must specify the conditions or issues to be addressed in the follow-up report from the institution. WVDE State Recognition Report Rev