Unit Assessment Plan

1. Weber State University’sTeacher Preparation Program Unit Assessment Plan

2. Assessment Plan: Five Collection Points • Provisional Program Admission • Professional Core Levels • Formal Program Admission • Program Completion • Post-Graduation Follow-up

3. Provisional Program Admission • GPA: • 3.0 or higher in general ed/3.25 last 30 hours • CAAP test: • reading, writing, essay, mathematics • Faculty Interview: • 40 points from 3 faculty members • University Competencies: English, communication, computer literacy, quantitative literacy.

4. Professional Core Levels • Minimum GPA requirements: • 3.0 in college work • B- or above in professional core courses • Critical Performance Indicators (CPIs) based on INTASC Standards: • Program Disposition evaluation • Level defined performances • Portfolio evaluation

5. Program Dispositions • NCATE defines dispositions as the “values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities and affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth.” • There are nine dispositions adopted by the WSU Teacher Education Program. • Candidates are evaluated at the end of each level by the level faculty and in clinical practice by the university supervisor, content supervisor, and collaborating teacher.

6. Program Dispositions • Positive Attitude • Caring/Responsive • Ethical/Responsible • Inclusive • Flexible • Collegial • Reflective/Resourceful • Poised • Teachable

7. Critical Performance Indicators (CPIs) • Each of the program levels have defined critical performances based upon INTASC Standards that candidates should meet upon completion of the level. • These indicators look at candidates’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the level as a whole. • While the artifacts used for identifying student performance come from individual requirements for level course work, they do not replace grades in the level courses.

8. Level 1 CPIs: • Integrate and apply knowledge of students, learning theory, curriculum development, and K-12 content, in designing instruction • Demonstrate competence in using both informal and formal assessment strategies to inform instruction and promote student learning. • Recognize a variety of classroom management techniques. • Use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques.

9. Level 1 CPIs (con’t) • Reflect on professional practice • Initiate a portfolio system that provides evidence of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. • Demonstrate behavioral evidence of the nine program dispositions

10. Level 2 Elementary CPIs • Demonstrate competence in content knowledge (reading and social studies) with preparation of lessons designed in Teacher Work Sample format and taught in the fieldwork classroom. • Plan and implement instruction based on knowledge of students, learning theory, subject matter, objectives, and community contextual factors • Understand how elementary students differ in their development and approaches to learning, and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse students. • Use knowledge of effective communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration and interaction in the classroom.

11. Level 2 Elementary CPIs (con’t) • Demonstrate competence in using both informal and formal assessment strategies to inform instruction and promote student learning. • Establish and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with all in the learning community. Reflect on practice and continually evaluate the effects of decisions and actions on students and others in the learning community. • Continue portfolio system that provides evidence of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. • Demonstrate behavioral evidence of the nine program dispositions.

12. Level 2 Secondary CPIs • Demonstrate competence in content knowledge in major/minor areas of study for 6-12 grade students, with preparation of a Teacher Work Sample used in a field experience classroom. • Use a variety of differentiated instructional strategies to integrate and apply knowledge of students’ diverse needs and culture as they integrate core curriculum and content area standards. Demonstrate ability to cultivate a positive learning environment for all students. • Demonstrate competence in using both informal and formal assessment strategies to inform instruction and promote student learning.

13. Level 2 Secondary CPIs (con’t) • Demonstrate ability to use a variety of sources of feedback to reflect on individual performance and that of students in grades 6-12. • Continue portfolio system that provides evidence of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. • Demonstrate evidence of the nine program dispositions.

14. Level 3 Elementary CPIs • Apply content knowledge through preparing and teaching lessons in the elementary classroom. • Apply knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice to create a positive and engaging learning environment. • Use a variety of appropriate instructional strategies to encourage critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills in all students. • Plan and implement instruction based on knowledge of subject matter, learning theory, objectives, community contextual factors, and the needs of all students.

15. Level 3 Elementary CPIs (con’t) • Demonstrate competence in using both informal and formal assessment strategies and analysis to inform instruction and promote student learning. • Reflect on practice to guide professional growth. • Continue portfolio development that provides evidence of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. • Demonstrate behavioral evidence of the nine program dispositions.

16. Teacher Work Sample (TWS) • Enables teacher candidates to demonstrate teaching performances directly related to planning, implementing, assessing student learning and evaluating teaching and learning for a standards-based instructional unit. • Provides opportunity for candidates to develop, organize, implement, assess, and reflect upon instruction in their assigned subject and grade level. • Focuses on student achievement and competence in knowledge and skills and provides credible evidence of a candidate’s ability to facilitate learning of all students. 

17. Components of the Teacher Work Sample • Contextual Factors • Objectives/Learning Outcomes • Assessment Plan • Design for Instruction • Instructional Decision-Making • Analysis of Student Learning • Reflection and Self-Evaluation

18. Use of the Teacher Work Sample • In all levels the TWS, or its individual components, are used to evaluate candidates’ performance of level CPI’s. • Required components in each level are tied to course content and design of field experiences. • The teaching of at least one complete TWS is required during clinical practice.

19. Use of TWS (con’t) • Level 1 provides an introduction of TWS emphasizing the instructional design, assessment, and multi media components. • Level 2 elementary candidates complete and teach four (4) lessons using the TWS methodology. They also create a thematic unit based on hypothetical contextual factors using the first four (4) components • Level 2 secondary candidates design and teach a complete TWS guided by the state core and the field experience classroom.

20. Use of TWS (con’t) • Level 3 elementary candidates create and teach four (4) TWS based lesson plans in field experience. They also use the TWS methodology to complete an integrated unit focusing on the 4 content areas of level 3 (art/music, math, science, language arts).

21. Formal Program Admission • State defined content area Praxis tests(Required for USOE licensure). • Candidates in all disciplines must take Praxis II content test in both academic majors and minors prior to admission to clinical practice.

22. Program Completion • Clinical Practice Final Evaluations based on INTASC Standards • Development and teaching of at least one TWS in clinical practice classroom • INTASC Portfolio designed around the INTASC Standards • Program Exit Surveys

23. Post-Graduation Follow-up • Graduate survey • Based on the INTASC Standards assessed during clinical practice. • Mailed to graduates first three years after graduation from program.

24. Assessment Data Collection • COE has created an in-house database to collect and report all assessment data • Collect data from teacher education core and content areas (as develop) • Converting to Banner/Crystal Reports system and generating project reports for data needs • Eventually will utilize banner data to populate candidate information into COE database