Page 1 Tulane University Teacher Preparation and Certification Program TEAC Accreditation August 9, 2010 Prepared by Katie Busby, Margaret Dermody, Deborah Fordham, Monique Hodges, James MacLaren, Linda McKee, and Carol Whelan Approved by M. Dermody, D. Fordham, M. Hodges, L. McKee, and C. Whelan All members of the program staff and faculty worked on the preparation of the. Members reviewed drafts of each appendix and report during weekly meetings. Members of the Teacher Preparation and Certification Program Advisory Council have reviewed the Brief. All members gave their approval of the as presented on April 19, 2010.
Page 2 Table of Contents Program Overview... Page 3 Claims and Rationale... Page 13 Methods of Assessment... Page 20 Results... Page 28 Discussion and Plan... Page 46 References... Page 53 Appendix A: Quality Control System and Internal Audit... Page 59 Appendix B: Program Capacity... Page 72 Appendix C: Faculty Qualifications... Page 100 Appendix D: Program Requirements... Page 107 Appendix E: Inventory of Evidence... Page 142 Appendix F: Compendium of Instruments... Page 147
Page 3 SECTION 1 PROGRAM OVERVIEW Brief History of Tulane University Founded in 1834, Tulane is a highly regarded and selective independent research university. Tulane University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, master s, doctorate, and professional degrees in the liberal arts, science and engineering, architecture, business, law, social work, medicine, and public health and tropical medicine. Research in many disciplines has flourished at Tulane through the establishment of centers such as the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute, the Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies, the Middle American Research Institute, the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research, the Murphy Institute, the Tulane Cancer Center, the Tulane Center for Gene Therapy, and the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women. The university is dedicated to attracting and retaining high quality faculty, staff, and students. The Tulane undergraduate experience is marked by close student faculty interaction, a variety of campus programs, and a diverse student body representing all 50 states and more than 40 different countries. Tulane s commitment to providing students with a wealth of program choices has fostered a community of interdisciplinary educators who continuously work to enrich the capacity of individuals, organizations, and communities. In addition, Tulane undergraduates benefit from having full time faculty teach them right from the start of their university studies. The Teacher Preparation and Certification Program (TPCP) is administratively located in the Newcomb Tulane College, the academic home for all of Tulane's full time undergraduate students; some TPCP students are enrolled in the School of Liberal Arts, while others are enrolled in the School of Science and Engineering, or in the School of Continuing Studies. The following departments and programs fall under the purview of the office of the Newcomb Tulane College dean, James MacLaren: Co curricular and First Year Programs; Academic Advising Center, Tulane Career Center, Tutoring Center; Center for Global Education; the Honors Program; Teacher Preparation and Certification Program; and Air Force, Army, and Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). All of the schools, including Newcomb Tulane College, report to the senior vice president of academic affairs and provost (http://tulane.edu/provost/schools and units.cfm), the university s chief academic officer. The upper level academic administration for Tulane University is provided in the following organizational chart: http://tulane.edu/provost/upload/chartorganization070110.pdf. Tulane strives to connect its values and mission to the needs of the city of New Orleans, the state, and the nation. Community involvement is now more important than ever as the university participates in the rebirth of New Orleans. Faculty and staff lend their expertise to rebuilding efforts, and students gain real world experience while putting their skills to use in the community. Tulane s dedication to New Orleans s public schools is the top priority in its partnership with the community. President Scott Cowen and the entire Tulane community clearly understand the interdependence of the university and the public schools. The TPCP has benefited from institutional support in an atmosphere characterized by a university wide focus on improving public school education. As evidenced by the public school based service learning and internships offered through the Center for Public Service, the ongoing research and outreach programming of faculty at the School of Science and Engineering, the field work
Page 4 supported by the faculty and staff of the TPCP, and the twenty year history of the Center for Bioenvironmental Research in working with schools to promote creative thinking on health and environmental issues, Tulane is clearly committed to the public schools of New Orleans. In addition, the Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives (Cowen Institute), a university based think tank established to transform public education, was established in 2007. Given the depth and breadth of university programming, research, and outreach in the public schools, the Cowen Institute is an invaluable asset in funneling university and external resources for the promotion of a comprehensive, systematic approach to school reform. Tulane University s Mission Statement Tulane's purpose is to create, communicate, and conserve knowledge in order to enrich the capacity of individuals, organizations, and communities to think, to learn, and to act and lead with integrity and wisdom. Tulane pursues this mission by cultivating an environment that focuses on learning and the generation of new knowledge; by expecting and rewarding teaching and research of extraordinarily high quality and impact; and by fostering community building initiatives as well as scientific, cultural, and social understanding that integrate with and strengthen learning and research. This mission is pursued in the context of the unique qualities of our location in New Orleans and our continual aspiration to be a truly distinctive international university. Tulane s mission statement is published on the university website at: http://tulane.edu/about/mission.cfm. Tulane University TPCP History In 2001, the Teacher Preparation Certification Program was established as a partnership in secondary education/certification with Loyola University. Tulane students completed courses at both universities and were admitted to Loyola s Secondary Certification Program (Undergraduate or Alternate Certification Program). This model was particularly appealing because at that time, Loyola and Tulane secondary students majored in a content field and completed education coursework for certification. Tulane students expressed interest in an Early Childhood Program and the Tulane community decided to initiate action to seek approval for the Dance (K 12), Secondary (6 12), and Early Childhood (PreK 3) Programs. These actions were based upon numerous meetings and discussions including: one on one meetings between the departmental chairs/designees of Tulane s former School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and the TPCP office; planning meetings between the LAS dean and the TPCP director; Early Childhood Committee planning meetings; discussions at the Newcomb Children s Center Advisory Board meetings; discussions/meetings with the Office of Service Learning regarding field experience placements; discussions/meetings with teachers and administrators from public schools in New Orleans (e.g., Lusher Elementary School, Woodson Middle School, Eleanor McMain High School, New Orleans Charter Middle School); faculty meetings to discuss state and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation requirements; department meetings to discuss certification requirements; TPCP staff and TPCP Advisory Council meetings; and Teacher Preparation and Certification Program Campus Wide Strategic Planning Retreats.
Page 5 The unit s conceptual framework, based on the state s requirement that programs follow the NCATE accreditation model, was originally drafted by the TPCP Advisory Council at a half day planning retreat in December 2003. The focus on identifying outcomes emphasized in the original conceptual framework has been the driving force for program/course development since that time. In November of 2004, with the guidance of external facilitators, the advisory council began the process of drafting a three to five year strategic plan based on the conceptual framework s main goals. The process was continued in March 2005 when the council met to continue the integration of the framework into the program and to review the strategic plan s alignment with Tulane s five year Strategic Action Plan (http://tulane.edu/strategicplanning/ action_plan.cfm ). The TPCP, which was then located within Tulane University s School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), defined its purpose as parallel to the university s. The broad goals of the TPCP are 1) to recruit diverse classes of enthusiastic teacher candidates; 2) to apply principles of modeling, practice, reflection, and educational research to help candidates create for themselves an ever expanding toolbox of skills to serve diverse learners; 3) to assist candidates in understanding and adapting their skills to ensure that all learners have the opportunity to be successful; and 4) to provide constant and substantial opportunity for candidates to learn, practice, reflect, and grow in both college and field settings. In 2004, the undergraduate certification program at Tulane, as developed by the TPCP Advisory Council, was denied approval by the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). The evaluation from the Louisiana Department of Education requested that the unit develop assessment systems for the program and students, program handbooks, and a full operating budget, which would include information on positions, costs, and revenue projections. Subsequently, the acting director and the dean of LAS decided to rescind the submission documents that had been sent to BESE and the Louisiana Board of Regents in August 2004. In the fall of 2004, TPCP turned a new corner. A newly appointed acting director prioritized efforts to comply with program approval requirements and submit a successful request. During the following year, the director, with the assistance of an experienced program specialist and a newly hired assessment coordinator, developed an assessment system, office files, budget files, related student audit forms and documents, three handbooks, and a program brochure. The team also updated the course curriculum and designed a Scope and Sequence Matrix to identify the alignment of courses with the program s core principles as well as state, national, and international standards. As part of the new assessment system, the TPCP also designed and implemented internal rubrics and an electronic portfolio system. With all necessary supporting systems and documents in place, the TPCP submitted another version of the Non Master s/certification Only Program in February 2005. In the summer of 2005, funds for teacher preparation became available through an endowment. One fifth of the funds were designated as start up funding and used to furnish new staff and faculty offices with technology and furniture. However, per the university s budgetary recovery plan, the remaining start up funds were frozen following Hurricane Katrina and remain frozen through the spring of 2010. During recent years, grant funding has supplied the program with new office and technology equipment.
Page 6 In August of 2005, TPCP at Tulane University received state approval for the unit s 13 Non Master s Alternate Certification Programs. The program is a hybrid which allows undergraduates to take courses which become eligible for transfer into the post baccalaureate program after graduation. They cannot complete the student teaching semester or year long internship without completing a degree first. Students who hold a minimum of a bachelor s degree may enter the program upon meeting the admission requirements. Thirteen days after the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved Tulane s alternate certification programs, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the university closed for the Fall 2005 semester. The number of our potential teacher candidates dropped from fifteen to only three completers. Some of the students who had begun with the education courses in 2004 and in Spring 2005 returned; many did not. The staff was faced with the task of rebuilding a fledgling program in an extremely difficult environment. As a model of support to the community and its employees, the university continued paying salaries for fulltime employees during the Katrina semester in which the university was closed. On our return to campus in January 2006, the university offered a concentrated lagniappe (a Cajun phrase used to express a little something extra ) term so that affected students could stay on track with their degree program pacing. The instructional staff and visiting professor taught all of the courses required for the TPCP students to progress through the program. In the fall of 2006, the TPCP hired a reading specialist who could also work as assistant director, a full time staff position. The reading specialist/assistant director completed one year in this position and then transferred to a full time professor of the practice position, a non tenured, clinical professor position. By this time, in 2007, the visiting professor s contract had reached its end, and she too was transferred into the position of professor of the practice. Although the TPCP s course and program enrollment rapidly increased during 2007and 2008, this growth was not reflected in the program s hiring of new full time faculty, due to the financial exigencies faced by the university after Hurricane Katrina. All courses were taught by the program s two full time faculty members, two instructional staff members, and the adjuncts approved for each semester. The TPCP s budget requests received a more favorable response in fiscal year 2008 2009. Although the requested full time faculty and instructional staff positions were not approved, the TPCP did receive approval for a program specialist position to assist with marketing, budget requirements, and student files beginning in January 2009. The program also received approval for the hiring of additional adjuncts to assist one professor of the practice with an enrollment overload and to assist with the early childhood methods and secondary content specific methods courses. In the fiscal year 2009 2010, the program s approval for the hire of additional adjunct lecturers was renewed. The institutions commitment to the program has been demonstrated through funding for additional adjuncts and designation of space for technology labs, required classrooms, and offices. Since Hurricane Katrina, the university has provided one full time professor of practice, one program specialist, and 5 8 adjunct lecturers each year to ensure the availability of courses for the program candidates. Course development
Page 7 Since 2004, we have realigned the certification only programs to feature 33 credit hours in Early Childhood (PreK 3 grades) and Dance (K 12 grades) and 29 credit hours in Secondary education (6 12 th grades) to reflect the elements required for a certification only program in Louisiana. Our faculty and staff update the program s Scope and Sequence Matrix annually to align courses with our core principles as well as national and international standards. The TPCP made many revisions to the program courses in 2004 2005. This included the following actions: rearranging the sequence of the courses; delineating courses specific to the state requirements; decreasing the hours required for a service learning/field experience overload for students in individual courses; updating research based support for each course; and deleting superfluous one credit courses. In 2006 the TPCP also added a one credit course, EDUC 3250, Focused Field Experience, to meet state requirements for the formal admission of postgraduates into the program. In 2009 the program offered a summer course, Classroom Management/Instructional Design and Assessment. Twenty six students enrolled in this course; many of them were already teaching in their own classrooms and benefited significantly from this detailed instruction. In addition, multiple sections of some courses were opened to address the demand for seats. The sections for EDLA 2000, Education in a Diverse Society, were more directly affected than others because they were cross listed with the School of Liberal Arts, thereby expanding their market across campus. In Spring of 2010, the TPCP added a second section of the second course sequenced in the program, EDUC 3400, Classroom Management, Instructional Design, and Assessment, and hired an adjunct lecturer. Throughout the entire course development process, the TPCP acted in accordance with a decision to integrate both technology and diversity into the program. As evidence that every course exhibits this integration, the professors model differentiation and effective use of technology in their class presentations. In addition, the annually updated Scope and Sequence Matrix established technology and differentiation as key guiding course components. Very early in the program design, the TPCP determined that field experiences are extremely meaningful and that they should serve as active learning for the pre service undergraduates. Consequently, almost every course has a field experience or practicum requirement and the students must be involved in the teaching and learning process of the PreK 12 classroom. During the past five years, the program s faculty and staff have experienced the implementation of many new documents or policies, significant revisions to the program s supporting documentation, and an increase in institutional program support. With faculty collaboration, the assessment coordinator developed our assessment system in alignment with Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and Louisiana Components for Effective Teaching (LCET) standards. The TPCP developed almost 30 different rubrics which were shared across the programs courses, inter relating all assessments. The program continually evaluates the reliability and validity of these assessment rubrics. In addition, the TPCP produced and distributed three handbooks: Program Handbook, Student Teaching Handbook, and Internship Handbook (available at [http://teacher.tulane.edu/handbook_files). The TPCP also designed student program forms to track student data in our Access database.
Page 8 Tulane University TPCP Mission Statement and Core Principles As developed by the advisory council, the mission of the TPCP at Tulane University is to produce graduates who: are dedicated to a lifelong professional commitment as educational leaders; apply a rigorous academic foundation using informed practice, information technology, and the ability to think creatively and reflectively; and are compassionate educators who demonstrate multicultural sensitivity such that high levels of achievement can be a reality for all learners. This mission statement forms the basis for the core principles or tenets of the Tulane TPCP model and led to the development of five core assessable objectives. These measurable outcomes were used to create/revise the curriculum, to begin development of an assessment for improvement plan, and to guide continuing strategic planning for the program. The core principles of the Tulane TPCP model are: Core principle 1 Professional Leadership Assessable Objective 1: Candidates possess a professional commitment to learning and demonstrate it appropriately through modeling enthusiasm and care in education contexts as well as demonstrating and developing leadership skills. Core principle 2 Rigorous Academic Foundation Assessable Objective 2: Candidates possess a rich and deep mastery of content and subject specific pedagogy. Core principle 3 Informed Reflective Practice Assessable Objective 3: Candidates use methods based on research and data, understand how to model and re model their informed practice, use student achievement data to continuously improve their pedagogical content knowledge, and demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills. Core principle 4 Technological Literacy Assessable Objective 4: Candidates demonstrate skill in using digital technology to support the academic achievement of students as well as their own development in reflective and critical thinking and instructional skill. Core principle 5 Multicultural Literacy Assessable Objective 5: Candidates demonstrate a powerful sensitivity to learner variety and cultural differences, using this knowledge to raise the self esteem and achievement of all learners, regardless of their backgrounds and characteristics. The goal of this program is to produce beginning teachers who are enthusiastic consumers and creators of knowledge and are able to instill in students a love of learning through their own examples as classroom teachers. A strong commitment to learning is a necessary foundation for self evaluation and continuous professional development, two of the hallmarks of educational leaders. Rather than being instruments of the mechanistic installation of knowledge, Tulane candidates are expected to be catalysts for change, directly impacting the lives of PreK 12 students in a variety of ways, both in and out of the classroom.
Page 9 Table 1.1 Programs Approved by the Louisiana Department of Education Category Types of Degree Programs Credit Hours (Initial) Non Degree Alternative Certifications: 29 Secondary (6 12) Biology 29 Table 1.1 (continued) Secondary (6 12) Chemistry 29 Secondary (6 12) English 29 Secondary (6 12) French 29 Secondary (6 12) Italian 29 Secondary (6 12) Math 29 Secondary (6 12) Physics 29 Category Types of Degree Programs Credit Hours Secondary (6 12) Social Studies 29 Secondary (6 12) Spanish 29 PreK 12 Dance 33 Early Childhood Education (PK 3) 33 Program Demographics The TPC program is a hybrid which features two different student groups engaged in completing the coursework. One group consists of Tulane undergraduates; these students can take most of the education courses within their baccalaureate degree, but they cannot complete the licensure program until they are formally admitted into the TPCP after graduation. The second group consists of post baccalaureate students who may have Tulane degrees or undergraduate degrees from other institutions (e.g., Harvard, Rice, Brown, Dartmouth, etc.) who attend as part time students through the School of Continuing Studies. These postgraduate students take all courses required through the Tulane TPCP and complete their certification, usually within three years. Within this post graduate group are those teaching under the Louisiana practitioner s license: these full time teachers in training attend the same classes and complete projects which are differentiated for their needs and teaching responsibilities.. The TPCP works to recruit students of all ethnicities into the program. The following tables show the ethnicity data for our currently enrolled students and completers (Spring 2010). Although the numbers continue to reflect predominantly Caucasian and female participants, our diversity is growing as our program itself grows. As Tables 1.2 and 1.3 show, our January 2010 enrollment is split nearly evenly between the undergraduates taking our courses and the postgraduates who are formally enrolled in the program. The predominance of the Caucasian population in the program s ethnicity numbers shows a slight correlation with the ethnicity breakdown of the university s undergraduate enrollment. Our total completers number is still low, but it will rise substantially with the increased enrollment we ve experienced in recent semesters. We expect approximately 20 potential completers in 2010 2011. Some will finish the program with our student teaching or internship courses, while a few others have the necessary classroom experience (from teaching as non certified teachers) to apply for a waiver of those credits from the BESE. Tables 1.4 and 1.5 summarize the data for the completers from Summer of 2006 through January of 2010. Table 1.2 ECE Enrollment Table Spring 2010 Current ECE Enrollment Counts TPCP Percentage Tulane Percentage
Page 10 Undergraduate 56 55.45% Postgraduate 45 44.55% Total enrollment 101 Ethnicity American Indian 0 0 1.78% Table 1.2 (continued) Current ECE Enrollment Counts TPCP Percentage Tulane Percentage Ethnicity Asian 2 1.98% 4.47% African American 11 10.89% 10.68% Caucasian 81 80.19% 72.54% Hispanic 5 4.95% 4.31% Unknown 2 1.98% 6.22% Current ECE Enrollment Counts TPCP Percentage Tulane Percentage Gender Female 95 94.06% 55.40% Male 6 5.94% 44.60% Table 1.3 SEC Enrollment Table Spring 2010 Current SEC Enrollment Counts Percentage Tulane Percentage Undergraduate 52 42.28% Postgraduate 71 57.72% Total enrollment 123 Ethnicity American Indian 0 0 1.78% Asian 1.81% 4.47% African American 13 10.57% 10.68% Caucasian 97 78.86% 72.54% Hispanic 3 2.44% 4.31% Unknown 9 7.32% 6.22% Gender Female 79 64.22% 55.40% Male 44 35.77% 44.60% Content Area English 32 26.02% Math 16 13.01% Social Studies 40 35.52% Science 15 12.19% Foreign Languages 17 13.82% Unknown 3 2.44% Table 1.4 ECE Completer Table (Summer 2006 January 2010)
Page 11 Completers Counts TPCP Percentage Tulane Percentage Ethnicity American Indian 0 0 1.78% Asian 2 16.66% 4.47% African American 1 8.33% 10.68% Table 1.4 ECE Completer Table (Summer 2006 January 2010) (continued) Caucasian 9 75% 72.54% Hispanic 0 0 4.31% Unknown 0 0 6.22% Gender Female 12 100% 55.40% Male 0 0 44.60% Table 1.5 SEC Completer Table (Summer 2006 January 2010) Completers Counts TPCP Percentage Tulane Percentage Ethnicity American Indian 1 7.14% 1.78% Asian 0 0 4.47% African American 0 0 10.68% Caucasian 12 85.71% 72.54% Hispanic 1 7.14% 4.31% Unknown 0 0 6.22% Gender Female 11 78.57% 55.40% Male 3 21.42% 44.60% Content Area English 3 21.42% Math 2 14.26% Social Studies 9 64.26% Science 0 0 Foreign Languages 0 0 The Unit Faculty and Instructional Staff Currently, TPCP has two full time, non tenured clinical faculty members, professors of the practice, teaching a minimum of two courses per semester and completing student teaching observations and evaluations. Two instructional staff members with full time administrative responsibilities also teach a minimum of one course per semester. One instructional staff person also has direct responsibility for student teachers and interns. All faculty and instructional staff share the responsibilities of program development, student advising, and teaching. Adjunct lecturers assume the teaching responsibilities for our other courses; our adjuncts generally hail from positions in PreK 12 classrooms or the state s department of education, or are former school and
Page 12 district administrators. We depend on integrating the adjunct lecturers into our program decision making processes for our course sequencing to work. The presence of so many adjunct lecturers benefits the program by providing TPCP faculty and staff with in the field knowledge. However, the program must also provide an in depth mentoring and support system to sustain their presence; the director and the assessment/accreditation coordinator have had to assume these responsibilities. All full time faculty members are female; there are a few male adjuncts. Although TPCP has a higher proportion of Caucasian women, we work diligently to achieve a demographically balanced faculty. Appendix C identifies the full time faculty and instructional staff members highlights and strengths Distinguishing Characteristics of the Tulane University Teacher Preparation and Certification Program 1. Tulane University identifies teacher education as the responsibility of the entire campus. Our presence in the Newcomb Tulane College, the academic home of all of the university s full time undergraduate students, is evidence of the importance of the program to students of all disciplines. The Tulane Preparation and Certification Program Advisory Council has been an integral part of its development and is composed of staff and faculty from departments across the entire campus, parents of alumni, completers of the program, enrolled students, and educators from surrounding schools, districts, and non profits. 2. The TPCP emphasizes real world application in PreK 12 classrooms. The undergraduates in the Tulane TPCP courses typically complete a minimum of 200 hours of field experience, which also count toward their 60 hours of service learning required for graduation by the university. Undergraduates and post graduates must teach their first lesson in a PreK 12 classroom as soon as they undertake their first course and must continue to teach lessons, do one on one tutoring, small group tutoring, and even teach entire units during their PreK 12 field experiences. Postgraduate practitioners complete the same course sequence as the undergraduates and non teaching postgraduates, but their field experience assignments take place in the classrooms where they are the teachers of record. These practitioners have a university professor assisting them to fine tune their teaching methods, at times co teaching or co developing lessons. 3. The Teacher Preparation and Certification Program at Tulane was developed using the concepts of differentiated instruction, backwards assessments through the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2006), and the integration of technology throughout all of the program s courses. Professors model in the post secondary classroom what they expect to observe in the PreK 12 classroom. All faculty and instructional staff members developed a Scope and Sequence Matrix to ensure the integration and sequencing of the course material and supporting documents throughout the program. In recognition of the internationalization of teacher education and the need to respect all cultures internal and external to our country, TPCP has an agreement with Educators Abroad, an organization that cultivates and maintains a worldwide network of education professionals, to offer Global Student Teaching to our students. Many of our students are from backgrounds that do not reflect the same cultural diversity as the schools where they complete their field experience or hope to teach. Traveling to other countries and teaching in other environments help them open their minds to the greater possibilities in education. This opportunity also supports the students who want a semester abroad, but cannot undertake a more traditional version of this experience due to an overload of coursework as undergraduates who may be
Page 13 completing one or more majors plus TPCP coursework, or existing professional commitments for those postbaccalaureate TPCP students who are already teaching full time.
Page 14 SECTION 2 CLAIMS AND RATIONALE The TPCP was developed in accordance with both the Louisiana and the INTASC standards and the rationale for the program s structure and assessments can be best explained through them. The primary goal was to produce rigorous certification programs that balance interdisciplinary content knowledge with the teaching skills and dispositions needed to apply that content knowledge in diverse educational settings. The program incorporates the rigor of a content major within a bachelor s degree with educational theory and methods coursework based on the best available research on teaching and learning. Both individual courses and the program as a whole are anchored in various principles set forth in professional standards documents (e.g., the National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards [NBPTS], the Teacher Education Accreditation Council [TEAC], the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers [NETS*T] created by the International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE] and various content specific organizations, such as the National Council for the Teachers of English [NCTE]). As identified in our mission statement, the TPCP at Tulane University identifies broad outcomes that we expect our completers to achieve. We have conceptualized these broad goals into five measurable outcomes or objectives which we refer to as our core principles. These five core principles align with the TEAC quality principles in a variety of ways. Core Principle 1: Claim 1: Professional Leadership: Candidates possess a professional commitment to learning and demonstrate it appropriately through modeling enthusiasm and care in education contexts as well as developing and demonstrating leadership skills. (TEAC Quality Principle 1.3, caring teaching skill, and Cross Cutting Theme 1.4.1, learning how to learn). Core Principle 2: Claim 2: Rigorous Academic Foundation: Candidates possess a rich and deep mastery of content and subject specific pedagogy. (TEAC Quality Principle 1.1, subject matter knowledge, and 1.2, pedagogical knowledge). Core Principle 3: Claim 3: Informed Reflective practice: Candidates use methods based on research and data, understand how to model and remodel their informed practice, use student achievement data to continuously improve their pedagogical knowledge, and demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills. (TEAC Quality Principles 1.2, pedagogical knowledge; 1.3, caring teaching skill; and Cross Cutting Theme 1.4.1, learning how to learn). Core Principle 4: Claim 4: Technology for Teaching & Learning: Candidates use digital technology to support the academic achievement of students as well as their own development in instructional skills and reflective and critical thinking. (TEAC Cross Cutting Themes 1.4.3, technology, and 1.4.1, learning how to learn). Core Principle 5: Claim 5: Sensitivity to Diversity: Candidates demonstrate a powerful sensitivity to learner variety and cultural differences, using this knowledge to raise the self esteem and achievement of all learners, regardless of their background and characteristics. (TEAC Quality Principle 1.3, caring teaching skill, and Cross Cutting Theme 1.4.2, multicultural perspectives and accuracy).
Page 15 The evidence we use to support our claims comes from two types of sources: evidence internal to our program (such as candidates work samples in their electronic portfolios, education grade point averages (GPA s), and ratings given by university supervisors) and evidence external to our program (such as ratings given by mentor teachers in PreK 12 settings, cumulative undergraduate GPA, and scores earned by candidates on the Praxis licensing tests). We have designed an assessment for improvement plan that rests on several principles of practical program evaluation ; for example, we used design matrices in the construction of the evaluation rubrics and careful wording on expert observer evaluation forms to increase the reliability and validity of our instruments (Wholey et. al, 2004). We believe that the validity of our evidence is strengthened by this balanced approach as well as by the way in which the evaluation instruments and procedures were designed. The alignment of TPCP claims, TEAC quality principles and crosscutting themes, INTASC skills, and evidence of completers achievement of outcomes is summarized in Table 2.1. Table 2.1 Alignment of TPCP Claims, TEAC Quality Principles, INTASC Skills, LCET skills, and Evidence TPCP Claims Claim 1: Commitment to Professional Leadership TEAC Quality Points and Cross Cutting Themes QP 1.3, CCT 1.4.1 INTASC Skills LCET Skills 9, 10 IV B V A V B Evidence of Completers Achievement of Outcomes Completers Evaluation of Program Survey Level 4 Exit Interview Evaluation Mentor teacher ratings of INTASC skills College supervisor ratings of INTASC skills Candidate Self evaluation of INTASC skills Alumni Survey Pilot Completer s Professional Accomplishments Claim 2: Rigorous Academic Foundation QP 1.1, QP 1.2 1,2,4,7, 8 I A II B III D Education GPA Cumulative GPA PRAXIS I scores Praxis II Content & PLT scores Completers Evaluation of Program Survey Mentor teacher ratings of INTASC skills College supervisor ratings of INTASC skills Candidate Self evaluation of INTASC skills Level 4 Unit Plan Evaluation Level 4 Exit Interview Evaluation Alumni Survey pilot Claim 3: Informed Reflective Practice QP 1.2 QP 1.3, CCT 1.4.1 2, 5, 6,8 I A II A II B II C III A III C III D Education GPA Praxis II PLT score Completers Evaluation of Program Survey Mentor teacher ratings of INTASC skills College supervisor ratings of INTASC skills Candidate Self evaluation of INTASC skills Level 4 Unit Plan Evaluation Level 4 Exit Interview Evaluation Alumni Survey pilot Claim 4: Technology for CCT 1.4.3 I A III A Level 4 Exit Interview Evaluation Level 4 Unit Plan Evaluation
Page 16 Teaching and Learning Completers Evaluation of Program Survey Alumni Survey pilot Table 2.1 Alignment of TPCP Claims, TEAC Quality Principles, INTASC Skills, LCET skills, and Evidence (continued) TEAC Quality TPCP Claims Points and Cross Cutting Themes INTASC Skills LCET Skills Evidence of Completers Achievement of Outcomes Claim 5: Diversity Rationale for Assessments CCT 1.4.2 2,3,6 I A II C III A III C III D V B Level 4 Exit Interview Evaluation Level 4 Unit Plan Evaluation Mentor teacher ratings of INTASC skills College supervisor ratings of INTASC Skills Candidate Self evaluation of INTASC skills Completers Evaluation of Program Survey Alumni Survey pilot As previously mentioned, our local evaluation instruments were specifically designed to align with the INTASC skills for beginning teachers and to contain items/components that addressed our five program outcome claims. Using several sources of evidence to document each candidate s achievement of our core outcomes increases our confidence in the validity of the results. Additionally, several of these evaluation rubrics are used several times before the final clinical experience; candidates have had multiple experiences with standards based assessment prior to these final evaluations. The minimum standard we have for all of our evaluations is effective ; however, we coach our students to aim for the exemplary level. The descriptors we use to designate these performance levels are included within the analytic trait rubrics we have designed as evaluation tools. (See Appendix F for copies of all TPCP evaluation tools and surveys.) Final Evaluation of INTASC Skills This evaluation rubric was designed with close alignment to the INTASC Standards for Beginning Teachers and addresses candidates knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions relative to each of those ten quality standards. Each of the ten INTASC standards is further delineated by seven sub skills; candidates receive a score for each of the sub skills as well as an overall category score. The INTASC standards are widely published within our program; in addition, this INTASC evaluation process itself is iterative. Both the rubric and corresponding process guidelines are disseminated to our candidates in advance of the final clinical. The candidate, mentor teacher, and university faculty member meet at the beginning of the clinical experience to discuss the rubric and the identified performance standards. Level descriptors are included with the rubric to provide guidelines for scoring. The alignment of the ten INTASC standards with our program claims is demonstrated in Table 2.1. At the midterm of the clinical experience, candidates are given a formative INTASC evaluation and provided with specific coaching to correct any deficiencies. Candidates must earn a minimum score of 2 effective by the end of the clinical. We use various components of this evaluation tool to provide evidence for Claims 1 (professional leadership), 2 (rigorous academic foundation), 3 (informed reflective practice), and 5 (sensitivity to diversity). There is no INTASC standard that directly addresses use of technology.
Page 17 Level 4 Exit Interview Evaluation At the end of the final clinical experience, candidates participate in an interview with two of the TPCP professors in their certification program. The questions are provided to the students well in advance and candidates are encouraged to review the questions and prepare their responses before the interview occurs. Candidates know that they must achieve final criterion scores of effective or above to successfully complete this requirement. Any candidate who does not meet the effective standard set for this interview is given feedback and coaching and allowed one additional opportunity to meet the established expectations. The questions used for this interview address the key issues embedded in each of the TPCP s core principles and are grouped within the interview protocol into criterion categories linked to each of our five program claims. As such, they provide a valuable comparison with other assessment results In addition to the professional knowledge exhibited through the candidates answers, candidates are evaluated on communication skills, clarity and specificity of responses, and evidence of professional reflection. The raw scores from the interview protocol are aggregated and entered into the summary form. In addition to the final scores on the exit interview, we also examined the first attempt success rates of candidates undertaking this evaluation. (See Appendix F for copies of both of these tools.) Level 4 Unit Plan Evaluation Our program uses the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2006) which emphasizes the concept of backwards design for planning and teaching. In addition to the implementation of UbD principles, the final Level 4 showcase unit plan is assessed for proficiency in the use of technology, interdisciplinary connections, and differentiated instruction. This level 4 unit plan is the fourth unit plan produced by our completers and is evaluated according to the same rubric used on all preceding plans. Completers receive feedback on these earlier units from at least two other university professors before they submit this final showcase unit plan in the Level 4 E folio. As with our other methods, the quality standards addressed in this evaluation are well known to our candidates and are aligned with both our program claims and the INTASC standards. Any candidate who does not earn a minimum score of 30/40 on this level 4 unit is given coaching and feedback and allowed one additional opportunity to correct deficiencies. We use the results from this evaluation as evidence for Claims 2, 3, 4, and 5. Completer Evaluation of Program Survey TPCP candidates submit feedback on our program curriculum, the learning experiences provided, program procedures and faculty practices, and their perceived competency in relevant areas via the Completer Evaluation of Program Survey. When the program evaluation survey was first piloted in the spring of 2007, we could guarantee confidentiality because responses were only viewed by one person and the aggregated data had no identifiers. However, the survey is now completed as a form within the Level 4 E folio and all faculty members may access the survey data submitted by individual students. Because we realized that we could not maintain candidates anonymity with this evaluation process, during the pilot of the Level 4 TaskStream E folio in the spring of 2008, we informally asked the completers cohort of the time about the relevance of anonymity in the program evaluation process. Their overwhelming response was that they could give us honest feedback even without the anonymity.
Page 18 We understand that this is a somewhat unconventional approach to this type of candidate feedback, but we view this process as a natural progression from the professional discussions in which we engage our students over the three or four years they spend with us. Despite the resulting lack of anonymity, we also believed that it was important to integrate the survey into our electronic portfolio system in order to maintain a 100 percent response level. In addition, the evaluation does not affect a candidate s grade in the final clinical evaluation, so survey responses should not be affected in any way by grade related concerns. Our candidates know we value their feedback and there are multiple opportunities for them to communicate their thoughts about the program. By the time candidates complete this program, we believe that they have internalized the disposition of enthusiastic lifelong learning and that we can trust the responses they provide on this evaluation survey. We are particularly interested in the results from section 5 of this survey which focus on the candidates evaluations of their professional competencies since section 5 contains items designed to address all of our five program claims. While there are no pass scores for students, we have set a program goal of obtaining a minimum mean of 3.5 (out of a 4 point scale) for section 5 items. Praxis Exams We use Praxis test scores as an external measure to support both Claim 2 (rigorous academic foundation) and Claim 3 (informed reflective practice). We view the analysis of Praxis II scores as one external indicator of our program s quality because these licensing tests are directly aligned with our certification program s curriculum and performance standards. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) directly aligns the Praxis II PLT tests with INTASC Standards 2 10, while INTASC Standard 1 is addressed in the various Praxis II content tests (ETS, 2004, 42 68). We examine first time pass rates, the corresponding percentage at or above national median scores, and the percentage of our completers earning the ETS Recognition of Excellence. In Louisiana, the minimum qualifying scores for several of these mandated Praxis tests have been set below the national median scores reported by the Educational Testing Service (ETS); some are within the national average performance range, but others are not. Because of this discrepancy, we do not rely on simple pass/fail indicators when analyzing our Praxis data. In Louisiana (and other states), many institutions report 100 percent pass rates on various Praxis licensing tests; typically, these rates do not include data on the number of attempts required to meet the cut off scores. TPCP candidates are allowed a maximum of two attempts to pass any required Praxis test, including both the Praxis I and Praxis II Content tests required for program admission. There is an exemption request process to allow for emergency contingencies; however, the majority of our candidates are successful on the first attempt. (See Tables 4.7 and 4.8.) Tulane draws from a national pool of students for its undergraduate population. Our certification program has attracted postgraduate candidates from a national pool as well, due in large part to the publicity being given to the innovation occurring in public education here in New Orleans. We use the frequency of the ETS Recognition of Excellence award earned by our completers as a national benchmark for our program. ETS began the Recognition of Excellence program in 2003 to recognize candidates who scored in the top fifteen percent nationally on eleven selected tests: eight Praxis II content tests and three Praxis II PLT tests. Four of the content tests taken by our candidates along with the (secondary) PLT: Grades 7 12 (0524) test are part of this recognition program. The Praxis PLT: Early Childhood (0521) test was only instituted in Louisiana in
Page 19 January 2008; we hope that this test will be added to the list of eligible tests considered in the Recognition of Excellence program as ETS collects more data. (See Table 4.8.) Cumulative Undergraduate Grade Point Average The TPCP uses candidates cumulative GPA s as one measure of general academic content knowledge. Grades which count towards this GPA measure performance across subjects, courses, professors, semesters, and often even across institutions. While approximately one half of the students currently enrolled in TPCP courses are Tulane undergraduates, the other half have earned their bachelor s degrees at other institutions. Louisiana mandates a minimum GPA of 2.2 for alternate certification only programs; our own minimum GPA for admission is higher at 2.5. This measure of academic content knowledge is supplemented with other evidence, including the scores obtained on the Praxis II content tests, to support Claim 2. Education Grade Point Average The TPCP requires candidates to maintain an overall 3.0 GPA in teacher education courses and to achieve no grade lower than a C for continuation in the program. The curriculum was carefully designed to provide multiple formative learning experiences and candidate performances in each of the five core areas. Course assignments and projects are directly linked to our Scope and Sequence Curriculum Matrix. Several of the candidate showcase work samples required in the level 4 E folio are the results of this iterative professional development process. This measure of pedagogical content knowledge is supplemented with other evidence, including the scores earned on the Praxis Principles of Learning & Teaching (PLT) test, to support Claims 2 and 3. Alumni Survey pilot Before TPCP even began to work on this, we had realized that we needed to collect follow up data from our completers in an organized fashion. We reviewed our Completer Evaluation of Program document and selected items designed to provide us with evidence of our alumni s views of the preparation they had received. By matching the items on the Alumni Survey to items on the completers survey, we will be able to accumulate long term data on the professional success of our completers. The items on the alumni survey are aligned with our program claims and with the Completers Evaluation of Program Survey. Upon the full implementation of this survey instrument in 2010 2011, we will have additional evidence on the continued professional development of our completers, which we can use to support all of our program claims. Other Evidence Graduate school admission/completion We do maintain informal contact with many of our completers after graduation. Former completers requests for letters of reference for graduate school admission and other correspondence provide anecdotal evidence that our completers are committed to continuing their professional education. Many Tulane teachers work in area schools, and we see them on a regular basis; several of our completers who have returned to their home states after graduation also maintain regular contact with the TPCP. In addition,
Page 20 several of our non completers have communicated with the TPCP to let us know what they are pursuing after their departure from the program and from New Orleans.