Clinical experiences for teachers and other school professionals
in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) are
designed and sequenced to offer candidates in the initial and
advanced programs challenging and rigorous opportunities to
develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions
of effective teachers and education professionals. These experiences
are designed to promote the development of behaviors that exemplify
the three main elements of the
conceptual framework. Candidates experience activities and
multiple assessments that are fully aligned with state and national
standards for educators. Clinical experiences have been designed
with broad input and are evaluated by various members of the
professional community.
All field experiences reflect the conceptual framework. The
unit chooses settings for placements in which candidates work
with diverse students (See Tables 3.3 and 3.4). Candidates
in various programs use inquiry, research, and reflection
in their field experiences to understand the dynamics of teaching
and learning in P-12 classrooms. Examples of assignments designed
to develop inquiry, research, and reflection skills include
written journal reflection assignments (in all programs) and
functional analyses of student behavior (special education programs).
Issues related to lifelong learning and professional
development are also introduced. Candidates attend professional
practice seminars that introduce them to standards and national
board certification information as well as licensure, continuing
education, and job search information. During clinical experiences,
candidates are expected to attend professional development activities
at their host schools. All candidates are encouraged to join
professional associations. Issues of licensing in other states
and continuing professional development are discussed during
professional practice seminars and in student teaching seminars.
Opportunities to use technology are ensured in all programs.
The implementation of a Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use
Technology (PT3) grant ensured that technology is modeled in
foundations and methods courses and required for completion
of assignments. All schools where students are placed have an
acceptable level of available technology. Additionally, the
college supports candidates’ use of technology in field and
clinical experiences. Licensure candidates in curriculum and
instruction have the option to check out equipment for use in
their classrooms. Candidates in the physical education and special
education programs are expected to identify and make use of
the technology available in the school. Licensure programs in
the department of work, community, and family education (WCFE)
all use placements in schools that are well-equipped with appropriate
technology.
Initial programs
Clinical experiences are designed through a series of hierarchical
processes and interactions between University and school personnel,
as well as the state. The Minnesota Board of Teaching (BOT)
identifies certain programmatic requirements for student teaching
experiences as part of the licensure program approval. The BOT
requires that:
- The teacher licensure programs incorporate a broad range
of on-going clinical and field experiences that provide
candidates opportunities to demonstrate the required skills
and knowledge under Minnesota rule
8710.2000.
- Candidates have experiences with diverse populations,
students with disabilities, and students of different ages
under the direction of teacher education faculty in collaboration
with school partners.
- Candidates work in the field and at the licensure level
for which they are to be recommended for licensure.
- Each program is developed and implemented through collaborative
school partnerships in which University faculty and school
personnel share responsibility for planning, supervising,
evaluating, and implementing the curriculum for candidates.
- School personnel hold valid Minnesota continuing licenses,
or the equivalent, in the fields of specialization, and
model good professional practice. (Based on
8700.7600 Subpart 5.c.)
The
Council on Teacher Education (CTE) establishes broad college-wide
policy on student teaching and other clinical experiences.
The clinical experiences coordinator, working at the direction
of the CTE, maintains
institutional agreements with multiple districts (151 at
the end of 2004-05). The individual licensure programs determine,
schedule, and negotiate placements. In each department where
programs are located, designated placement coordinators contact
the schools and districts to process the placements. These records
are all maintained in a centralized database that is managed
by the college’s clinical experiences coordinator.
Placements with cooperating teachers are made through a negotiation
with individual teachers and schools. Descriptive information
about student teachers is sent to cooperating teachers who have
expressed a willingness to accept a student teacher. These cooperating
teachers are selected through collegial relationships with program
faculty or on recommendation of other cooperating teachers.
Since the inception of the post-baccalaureate model of initial
teacher preparation (the college transitioned to a largely post-baccalaureate
system during the period from 1988 through 1995), the program
areas have developed cadres of cooperating teachers with whom
they work on a regular basis. In 2004-05, 65% of cooperating
teachers answering a
survey had supported two or more student teachers from the
CEHD. Candidates for the initial programs complete a
student teaching application when they are admitted to the
program. The materials are submitted to the designated coordinator
of placement in the department. In consultation with the program
faculty, the materials are sent to the school. After the descriptive
information has been sent to the school, the teacher and school
both return confirmation of the placement.
In keeping with the commitment to diversity articulated in
the unit’s mission and conceptual framework, the unit’s programs
serve needs across the state with an emphasis on the unique
needs of the urban community in which the institution is located.
Consequently, student teaching placements are made in schools
throughout the metropolitan area and state-wide.
Table 3.1 Distribution of student teaching placements
2004-05 school year
|
|
Number of placements
|
Number of schools
|
Number of districts
|
|
Minneapolis-St. Paul districts |
248
|
65
|
2
|
|
Metropolitan region: not Minneapolis or St. Paul |
355
|
145
|
42
|
|
Outside of Twin Cities metropolitan region |
23
|
16
|
15
|
There are several sources of input for on-going program improvement.
This includes feedback from committees at the unit’s partner
schools through formal and informal communication (e.g., Patrick
Henry and Roosevelt High Schools). The
CTE advisory board includes input from members of the professional
community. These members include cooperating teachers, recent
completers, school and district administrators, and faculty
from other higher education institutions. The advisory board
addresses a variety of broad issues related to teacher preparation,
including student teaching. Additionally, the unit uses recommendations
and suggestions from individual cooperating teachers to evaluate
the programs. A formal evaluation of University supervision
was introduced in 2004-05, and all cooperating teachers were
invited to complete an
online survey.
Another important component of the recently introduced evaluation
of supervision is an
online survey for candidates. In previous years, this information
was collected through discussions with student teachers in the
student teaching seminar. The two surveys, for candidates and
for cooperating teachers, provide information on the performance
of the basic duties of University supervisors as outlined in
the
Clinical Experiences Handbook for student teachers, cooperating
teachers, and University supervisors.
In 2004-05 the
CTE clinical experiences sub-committee launched a review
of the clinical experiences handbook. Experienced University
supervisors representing several licensure areas are participating
in reviewing the handbook. Current changes include the addition
of information about the revised conceptual framework and updated
information on the use of electronic portfolios. Further revisions
are expected as the review continues.
Specific departments have vehicles for input as well. For
example, the family and consumer sciences program routinely
hosts alumni meetings to get feedback on aspects of the program.
The communication arts and literature (CAL) program gets regular
feedback from the staff at Crosswinds Middle School where CAL
candidates do literacy practicums in the fall.
Advanced programs
The M.Ed. professional studies programs, for already licensed
teachers, do not have arranged clinical placements because the
candidates in these programs use their own classrooms as their
resource. The programs are designed for the teachers to conduct
action research, ethnographic observations, and other activities
to increase their understanding of diversity in their school
community and respond to that diversity with the new instructional
approaches they are developing.
The programs for other professional school personnel have
advisory boards that provide input about practicum experiences.
Candidates and supervisors provide feedback to the program regarding
the sites and the school professionals who work collaboratively
with the faculty in the programs.
Field placements for school counseling are determined by
the candidate, and the on-site supervisor, with the approval
of the campus practicum class instructor. A database of approved
school counselor names, school districts, and contact numbers
is provided for candidates. Quality of P-12 partners is assured
by continuous feedback in practicum class about the supervision
being provided and about the practicum site in general.
The school psychology program is designed to prepare school
psychologists who have a very strong, broad-based knowledge
of psychology, educational psychology, and child development,
and are prepared to apply that knowledge in school settings.
As part of their graduate program, candidates complete full-time
year-long internships, a minimum of 1,200 hours for the Ed.S.
and 1,500 hours for the Ph.D. The internship in school psychology
occurs after candidates have completed at least two years of
graduate coursework and a master’s degree. Prior to their internship,
candidates have taken a broad range of coursework including
two years of school practicum experience associated with didactic
coursework in assessment and intervention. In addition, candidates
in the Ph.D. program have completed a minimum of 225 hours of
school practicum and 225 hours in a clinical or community setting.
Most candidates in the Ed.S. program also have had a practicum
experience in a clinical or community setting. After significant
preparation, internships typically occur as the culminating
applied training event in the school psychology graduate training
program.
The internships are completed in school districts in the
greater Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, often with districts
whose psychologists have a long history of collaboration with
University of Minnesota school psychology faculty. The field
placement coordinator is in contact with these individuals throughout
each year, and in late winter begins gathering information about
availability of internships in the coming academic year. He
or she then works with program candidates interested in internships,
providing information on applications and opportunities within
reporting districts. Candidates submit applications for internships
directly to interested districts, and all decisions are made
by these districts. After initial offers of internship are extended,
the field-based internship supervisor works with the candidate
to develop/review an internship plan, to monitor intern performance
throughout the year, and to complete a summative evaluation
at the close of the internship.
Candidates in the educational administration degree programs
must meet qualifications in order to do field study research
for their dissertations. They must have strong recommendations
(many of which come from practitioners in P-12 school systems),
personal statements that reflect a significant commitment to
education, and a robust record of academic achievement and talent.
Candidates also must pass rigorous oral and written preliminary
exams on their research topics and designs before approaching
their P-12 field sites for data collection. Candidates also
must get permission from districts (boards of education and
school administrators) to do their field studies. Finally, candidates
must submit their research plans and protocols for review and
approval by the University of Minnesota Human Subjects Review
Board. In sum, candidates are not allowed to do research fieldwork
or studies until they are approved at several levels of evaluation
and assessment.
Generally, candidates in administrative licensure have taken
the majority of their required coursework prior to beginning
their formal field experience, but sometimes earlier because
of an opportunity for a paid position or other unusual circumstances.
Candidates find their own placements with assistance from college
personnel if necessary. Most field experiences are completed
primarily in the building where the candidate is employed. Minnesota
standards ensure that quality field experiences are part of
each candidate’s program
Given the professional expectations for the advanced
programs, the candidates are expected to be active participants
in the clinical practice portion of their programs. Additional
information is available in the
handbooks of the advanced programs for other professional
school personnel.
Initial programs
Field experiences and clinical practice are designed to
facilitate candidates’ development as professional educators.
All initial candidates complete a series of graduated, varied,
and extensive experiences where they assume increasing responsibility
for P-12 student learning.
While there are several models for how field experiences
and clinical practice are sequenced, they share several key
structures. It is important to recognize that for almost every
program, arranged and supervised experiences occur within two
terms or in two terms with extensions to the beginning or end
of the P-12 year. Through the admission requirement that candidates
volunteer in the schools, the required time candidates spend
in P-12 settings is extended. The candidates have field experiences
that include: pre-admission school and education experiences,
first-term experiences with, minimally, micro-teaching and observation
opportunities, and second-term clinical practice experiences
with full teaching responsibilities. While most of the secondary
programs have a first-term part-time experience and a second-term
full-time experience, a few programs have multiple full-time
or multiple part-day experiences. These programs (including
special education, second languages and cultures, early childhood
education/early childhood special education, and physical education)
offer multiple licensure (i.e., ECE/ECSE and ESL/foreign language)
or license teachers across K-12 grade-levels (e.g., special
education and physical education).
These multiple clinical placements ensure that candidates
experience appropriate spans of age and curriculum prior to
licensure. Table 3.2 shows the general outline of field experiences
and clinical placements for initial licensure programs. All
placements are selected in order to ensure that candidates have
the opportunity to work with a variety of students from a diverse
population.
Table 3.2 Clinical experiences summary: initial
programs
|
Program Area |
Fall Semester |
Spring Semester |
Total hours |
|
Art Education
|
Part-time practicum experiences (200 hours) |
Full-time student teaching
5 weeks and 5 weeks
alternating elementary and secondary (400 hours)
|
600
|
|
Business Education |
Full-time pre-fall/part-time student teaching – Fall
(140 hours) |
Full-time Spring and May term 18 weeks(720 hours) |
860
|
|
Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special
Education
|
Four 10-week placements in different settings across
Fall, Spring, Summer or Fall terms Settings:
- Early childhood lab school
- Birth to age 3 home-based family center education
services
|
Four 10 week placements in different settings across
Fall, Spring, Summer or Fall terms Settings:
- Early Childhood Special Education services age
3 to age 5.
- Primary school placement, general education,
K-grade 3
|
1600
|
|
Elementary Education
|
Full-time pre-fall/Fall part-time practicum (160
hours) |
Additional practicum/full-time student teaching for
10 weeks (400 hours) |
560
|
|
English Education |
Part-time practicum
middle school (50 hours)
|
Full-time student teaching 10 weeks (400 hours)
|
450
|
|
Family Education |
Full-time pre-fall/part-time student teaching – Fall
(140 hours) |
Full-time Spring and May term 18 weeks (720 hours) |
860
|
|
Mathematics Education |
Part-time practicum (50 hours) |
Full-time student teaching 10 weeks (400 hours)
|
450 |
|
Physical Education
|
10-week half-day student teaching (200 hours) Placements vary among elementary, middle, and secondary
levels
|
10-week half-day student teaching (200 hours) 10-week full-time student teaching extends through
May term. (400 hours)
|
800
|
|
Science Education |
Middle school student teaching
several weeks (150 hours)
|
Full-time student teaching 10 weeks (400 hours)
|
550
|
|
Second Languages and Cultures (ESL and World Languages) |
Student teaching 7-8 weeks
AM only,
Elementary (160 hours)
|
Student teaching 7- 8 weeks AM only, secondary ESL
(160 hours)
Student teaching 7-8 weeks AM only, secondary foreign
languages (160 hours)
|
480
|
|
Social Studies Education |
Part-time student teaching AM only 6 weeks (120 hours)
|
Full-time student teaching 10 weeks (400 hours)
|
620
|
|
Special Ed: Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education |
A variety of practicum placements across various
ages and settings (150 hours) |
15 weeks full time student teaching (600 hours) |
750
|
|
Special Ed: Developmental and Cognitive Disabilities
|
5 weeks full-time and 10 weeks fulltime; four placements
across school year mixing elementary and secondary,
mild and severe disabilities placements (600 hours) |
5 weeks full-time and 10 weeks full-time (600 hours) |
1200
|
|
Special Ed: Emotional and Behavioral Disorders |
15 weeks full-day student teaching (alternates elementary and secondary across terms)
(600 hours)
|
15 weeks full-day student teaching (600 hours) |
1200
|
|
Special Ed: Learning Disabilities
|
15 weeks half-day student teaching (300 hours) (alternates elementary and secondary across terms)
|
15 weeks half-day student teaching (300 hours) |
600 |
|
Technology Ed |
Full-time pre-fall/part-time student teaching – Fall
(140 hours) |
Full-time Spring and May term 18 weeks (720 hours) |
860 |
Advanced programs
In the advanced programs the clinical experiences are designed
to meet all applicable licensing requirements and standards
for the education of advanced professionals. These experiences
include practicum and internships for school counseling and
school psychology, mentored school administrative experience
for administrative licensure, school-based practical activities
for the reading licensure program, and action research for the
M.Ed. professional studies programs.
Extensive clinical experiences promote professional development
Clinical practice experiences have been carefully designed
to permit candidates to develop and demonstrate proficiencies
in their emerging professional roles. All initial programs require
a minimum of 10 weeks of full-time
student teaching. College
policy specifies that candidates will be observed by their
University supervisors at least three times. Additionally, candidates
receive a
mid-term assessment of their progress toward meeting the
college’s standards. Summary data from these discussions are
entered into the
Teacher
Education Data System (TEDS), using forms that were approved
and have been in use in the college since 2000.
In the school counseling program, candidates complete 700
hours of practicum in school settings working with the populations
of students they intend to serve. All placements occur in schools
in the Twin Cities metropolitan area known to reflect the diversity
of students in this community. Four hundred of the 700 hours
must be spent in a single site working with students at one
level (elementary, middle, or secondary). The other 300 hours
are divided between schools with students at the other levels.
Evaluation of the candidates is systematic.
In the school psychology program, admission to the internship
is contingent on completion of a master’s degree and all core
preparation courses in school psychology. In addition to the
core courses, doctoral candidates must have completed all preliminary
examinations, and their preliminary oral examination, prior
to the internship. The minimum expectation for any school psychology
intern is 1,200 hours with at least 600 hours of those completed
with P-12 students in school settings. All placements occur
in schools in the Twin Cities metropolitan area in schools that
are known to reflect the diversity of students in this community.
Within the total hours, many school psychologists also choose
to complete some clinical internship time. There are higher
minimums for candidates preparing for advanced degrees (e.g.,
1,500 hours minimum for a doctoral candidate) and candidates
preparing for school psychology licensure in Minnesota must
complete at least 1,500 hours of practical field experience
in a nine-month period.
In the administrative licensure programs, candidates complete
field experiences under the mentorship of a fully licensed administrator
in their desired field of practice (e.g., principal). Candidates
work as administrators to demonstrate how they meet the standards
of practice established by the
Board of School Administrators. Candidates for K-12 principal
licenses complete 320 hours of field experience. Two-thirds
of these hours are at the level the candidate intends to work.
The remaining one-third is divided between the two other levels.
For example, a candidate who intends to lead an elementary school
would complete 240 hours of field experience at an elementary
school and 40 hours each at middle and high schools. Candidates
for the district superintendent license complete 320 hours of
field experiences. Candidates for the director of special education
license complete 200 hours of field experience.
The administrative licensure programs specify requirements
for each candidate based on the program’s assessment of the
candidate’s strengths and needs during the
portfolio review. The placement agreements specify competencies
the candidate must demonstrate. Candidates typically find their
own placements, and often work in the schools where they are
employed.
The reading licensure program has course-related clinical
requirements that candidates complete at the schools where they
are employed and in schools serving students at multiple levels
(i.e., elementary, middle, secondary). The program requires
candidates to work with a range of students who are experiencing
difficulties in reading. Candidates are expected to observe
reading activities in other classrooms and at all levels, exposing
them to students from a range of background and ability areas.
The M.Ed. professional studies programs have course and project
requirements that require observation, reflection, and action
research in P-12 schools. These programs do not lead to licensure.
Candidates typically complete their project in the school where
they are employed.
Clinical faculty
Clinical faculty for the initial programs – University supervisors
and cooperating teachers – are selected through a considered
review process.
BOT rules regarding student teaching placements are always
followed. Additionally, the
Council on Teacher Education developed a set of criteria
to serve as a basis for the selection of cooperating teachers
within each of the program areas to bring consistency to the
clinical experiences. These criteria include the use of: experienced
and tenured teachers, committed professionals, reflective practitioners,
flexible curriculum planners, and knowledgeable professionals.
These criteria are reflected in the
responsibilities and dispositions section of the handbook
for student teachers, cooperating teachers, and University supervisors.
In 2004-05 all cooperating teachers were fully licensed for
their assignments and 98% of them were tenured. They had an
average of 16.6 years of teaching experience with a range of
4.5 -36 years in teaching.
University supervisors have experience in classrooms teaching
at the level of licensure for the candidates with whom they
work. Most are or have been licensed, and most hold advanced
degrees or are pursuing advanced degrees in education. Additionally,
all University supervisors are required to complete two 90-minute
workshops to orient them to their responsibilities and to
give them a set of skills to use when identifying and addressing
the performance of student teachers. Supervisors and many program
faculty also attend
workshops on current trends and programmatic improvements
in clinical experiences. In the fall of 2005, an electronic
mailing list to facilitate communication and professional development
among University supervisors will be implemented to ensure that
critical information is being shared with everyone and to enable
University supervisors to share perspectives and solutions to
issues that arise in the field.
Clinical faculty in the advanced programs working with practicum,
internships, or field experiences, (i.e., school psychology,
school counseling, and administrative licensure) are selected
to meet the clinical practicum requirements and standards of
their respective accrediting and licensing organizations. School
professionals in school psychology, school counseling, and administration
are fully licensed and experienced in their respective fields.
Program personnel make contact with clinical faculty to answer
questions about the handbooks, placement expectations, and available
supports.
School counseling and school psychology have specific additional
requirements. School counseling requires that its site supervisors
are fully licensed and have at least two years of experience
working full-time and independently as school counselors. School
psychology requires its internship supervisors to be fully licensed
as school psychologists and have at least three years experience
working full-time and independently as school psychologists.
School psychologist supervisors also should hold academic degrees
at or above the level of the academic degree the candidate is
pursuing.
The selection of clinical faculty for both initial and advanced
programs is made through interactions with practicing professionals.
In the initial programs, most of the cooperating teachers have
had student teachers from this institution before and are known
to be effective. On those occasions when the unit needs to identify
new cooperating teachers, teachers with whom the program has
worked in other professional venues (e.g., statewide curriculum
development, professional associations) are contacted, and recommendations
from cooperating teachers who have worked with the University
in the past are sought. When necessary, the unit looks at referrals
from teachers who have contacted the University seeking a student
teacher. Finally district curriculum specialists and other administrators
are contacted for assistance in finding excellent personnel
to mentor candidates. In all cases where a new cooperating teacher
or practicum supervisor is working with the program, a clinical
faculty member from the college visits the teacher’s class prior
to or early in the clinical experience to assess the opportunities
for candidate learning.
For initial programs, the
clinical experiences handbook (and materials available at
the
cooperating teachers’ Web site) provide direction and support
for cooperating teachers when they are starting out with a candidate.
The clinical experiences coordinator attends orientation meetings
for cooperating teachers and provides information about successful
mentoring practices and general college policies. In Fall 2005,
the unit will offer an online orientation to the role of cooperating
teachers. The four modules include: an introduction to policies
and expectations, our performance standards, observing teaching
performance, and conferencing with student teachers for reflection
and development. The modules can be completed asynchronously,
and successful completion of each module confers continuing
education renewal units to the cooperating teacher. To provide
on-demand support for clinical professionals the unit is also
offering an electronic mailing listserv to interested college
cooperating teachers.
In the advanced programs, school psychology and school counseling
programs have
handbooks that describe the expectations for clinical faculty
and candidates in their field experiences. The administrative
licensure programs prepare letters of commitment that specify
the expectations for cooperating professionals and candidates.
The reading licensure program includes field experiences that
are embedded within course requirements and assignments. The
M.Ed. professional studies programs in curriculum and instruction,
teacher leadership, music education, and agricultural education
require classroom assignments, observations, and action research
within their course cycles. These are completed in the schools
where the candidates are teaching.
Initial programs
Because of the shortened time frame (12-15 months) of most of
the initial licensure programs, the unit has a well-articulated
decision process for entry into clinical practice. The program
has a three-tiered pre-placement assessment (see
teacher education assessment system graphic). The admission
criteria and successful completion of the early practicum experiences
as a part of coursework in the program provide one tier of the
assessment. The second tier is having satisfactory ratings on
the professional
dispositions assessment in TEDS. The third tier is successful
completion of early classroom experiences (clinical placements).
These include any fall term student teaching and practicum.
If concerns about coursework, dispositions, or performance
are evident, the candidate, faculty, and other staff work on
solutions. If this is not successful, a
case conference involving program faculty, staff from Student
and Professional Services (SPS), and the candidate is convened
by the coordinator of clinical experiences to make a decision
about the candidate’s needs, appropriate developmental activities,
and whether the candidate will proceed in the program.
Candidate development is evaluated by the cooperating teacher
on a regular basis and by the University supervisor during observation
visits to the classroom. The midterm and final
assessments constitute overall pictures of candidate performance.
Cooperating teachers hold regular meetings to assess candidate
development in lesson planning and instruction. Lesson plans
are submitted in advance and reviewed with the cooperating teacher.
The cooperating teachers and candidates take regular opportunities
to meet and discuss issues of instruction and learning. University
supervisors communicate with cooperating teachers at the beginning
of the candidate’s placement to establish early expectations.
University supervisors and cooperating teachers confer at the
time of the supervisor’s site visits. Supervisors review final
evaluations of the candidates by the cooperating teacher.
Dispositions continue to be assessed throughout the clinical
experiences sequence. The candidate
Dispositions Assessment is aligned with the items on professional
dispositions and professional responsibilities that make up
the first items on the mid-term and final
evaluations of student teaching.
University supervisors and methods course instructors review
lesson plans and provide feedback and guidance. Each program
area schedules regular meetings between University supervisors,
other instructors, and candidates throughout the clinical experiences.
At the meetings, experiences in teaching and assessment of P-12
student learning are discussed and P-12 student work and learning
are reviewed. This a source of data for University supervisors
to determine candidate use of systematic assessment and student
achievement data on the student teaching evaluation forms. Candidate
decision-making to improve the learning of all students is facilitated
through faculty consultation and guided problem-solving. These
meetings occur at least every two weeks during clinical practice.
Portfolios
All programs use candidate portfolios. In many programs
a portfolio is developed during clinical experiences and the
work samples that make up the portfolio are reviewed and discussed
during these meetings. In the programs that have candidates
provide a culminating portfolio, the work samples that may be
added to the portfolio are reviewed.
Formative assessment
In the initial programs, University supervisor site
visits are marked by a sequence of planning, assessment, and
reflection. These include pre-conferencing discussions, an observation
session, and a post-observation conference. If performance problems
are noted at this point, specific consultation with the candidate
occurs. Around the mid-point in the experience the University
supervisor facilitates a conference with the candidate and the
cooperating teacher; this conference results in a written mid-term
assessment of the candidate’s progress toward meeting all standards
of practice.
The
mid-term assessment and final evaluation of student teaching
are the common assessments used by all programs and ensure a
uniform assessment for candidate decision-making purposes; these
evaluations are supported by an extensive set of indicators
called the
formative assessment for practicum and clinical experiences.
This is the backbone of the learning and assessment process
for initial licensure clinical experiences. Programs use the
inventory items as guidance for providing performance feedback
to candidates. The items in the inventory form the foundation
of the dispositions, responsibilities, and evaluation sections
of the common
Clinical Experiences Handbook. The written mid-term assessment
and final evaluation data entered into TEDS and used to recommend
candidates for licensure are composite judgments based on items
in the formative assessment.
In a study of the technical characteristics of the formative
assessment the items comprised a reliable instrument (analysis
of item responses aligned with MNSEPT revealed Cronbach’s alpha
>.85 for each standard, N=238) with good content validity to
MNSEPT (factor analyses of item responses by standard revealed
a range of 1-3 factors accounting for a range of 62-71% of the
variance, N=238). As the backbone for the expectations
of all initial candidates in clinical experiences, the full
inventory of items has generated a broad understanding of the
performance expectations for all teaching license completers.
The candidate assessment system is consistent and coherent.
For the initial programs, the pre-clinical experiences
Dispositions Assessment and the
Standards Rubric are both aligned with the clinical experiences
assessments.
While every initial licensure program uses the same mid-term
assessment and final evaluation for student teaching found in
TEDS, many programs have adapted or supplemented the
college-wide clinical experience assessment tools for instructional
purposes. The program in second languages and cultures has created
an open-ended version of the student teaching assessments to
structure conferences between cooperating teachers and candidates.
The family education program and business education program
use an observational note-taking format with headings and bulleted
indicators from the college’s full inventory of items. The special
education programs supplement the college’s mid-term and final
evaluations with teacher-student interaction assessments.
Several programs use candidate video reviews of student teaching
in addition to classroom visits and observations. These programs
include: physical education, science education, social studies
education, developmental disabilities, and emotional and behavioral
disorders. Other programs use visits from more than one supervisor
to improve consistency among supervisors and diversity of instructional
support to candidates. These programs include: elementary education,
second languages and cultures, and learning disabilities. Despite
the unique schedules for supervision, all initial licensure
student teaching experiences are evaluated using the same assessments
and standards.
All clinical experiences occur in schools that have a diversity
of student achievement, economic background, disability status,
and racial/ethnic identification. The diversity of students
in schools where each program made placements in 2004-05 is
shown in tables 3.3 and 3.4.
Table 3.3 Summary of student ethnic characteristics
in P-12 schools where student teachers were placed – 2004-05
|
Program |
Am Indian
|
Asian/Pacific Islander
|
Hispanic/Latino
|
Black/African American
|
White
|
|
Agric Ed |
0.8%
|
5.6%
|
2.3%
|
2.6%
|
88.7%
|
|
Art |
1.1%
|
10.6%
|
5.8%
|
10.5%
|
71.9%
|
|
Elem Ed |
2.6%
|
24.0%
|
6.7%
|
27.5%
|
63.1%
|
|
English |
1.4%
|
10.7%
|
3.7%
|
14.0%
|
58.7%
|
|
ESL/ World Lang |
1.2%
|
14.1%
|
5.9%
|
16.2%
|
62.6%
|
|
Fam and Cons Sci |
1.0%
|
4.9%
|
2.3%
|
4.2%
|
87.6%
|
|
Math |
1.8%
|
10.0%
|
6.0%
|
21.9%
|
60.2%
|
|
Music |
0.8%
|
6.4%
|
3.3%
|
6.6%
|
82.9%
|
|
Phy Ed |
1.0%
|
5.7%
|
1.0%
|
5.0%
|
87.4%
|
|
Business |
0.8%
|
18.5%
|
2.9%
|
11.7%
|
75.8%
|
|
Science |
1.3%
|
11.5%
|
5.5%
|
16.5%
|
65.2%
|
|
Social Studies |
1.5%
|
10.2%
|
4.6%
|
13.0%
|
70.0%
|
|
Special Ed |
2.1%
|
14.5%
|
5.9%
|
23.7%
|
53.8%
|
|
Tech Ed |
0.7%
|
4.7%
|
3.4%
|
6.2%
|
85.0%
|
|
Minnesota |
1.1%
|
2.9%
|
2.9%
|
3.5%
|
89.4%
|
The processes of
conferencing between cooperating teachers and candidates,
University supervisors and candidates, and the accompanying
group meetings and seminars all provide opportunities for candidates
to participate in collaborative problem-solving to assure high
academic achievement of all students, and successful classroom
inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds and with varying
goals and abilities.
Table 3.4 Summary of student need characteristics in
P-12 schools where student teachers were placed – 2004-05
|
Program |
Free lunch
|
Reduced-price lunch
|
Limited English proficiency
|
Special Education
|
|
Agric Ed |
10.5%
|
5.9%
|
5.0%
|
11.4%
|
|
Art |
20.0%
|
5.0%
|
11.1%
|
10.6%
|
|
Elem Ed |
22.7%
|
7.3%
|
12.5%
|
11.0%
|
|
English |
22.7%
|
6.6%
|
12.0%
|
10.9%
|
|
ESL/ World Lang |
26.6%
|
6.6%
|
14.2%
|
12.0%
|
|
Fam and Cons Sci |
7.9%
|
4.2%
|
3.1%
|
10.9%
|
|
Math |
27.3%
|
5.6%
|
10.4%
|
10.8%
|
|
Music |
9.9%
|
3.9%
|
4.2%
|
10.4%
|
|
Phy Ed |
5.4%
|
1.4%
|
2.6%
|
8.2%
|
|
Business |
15.0%
|
5.2%
|
5.0%
|
11.0%
|
|
Science |
25.4%
|
5.8%
|
12.1%
|
10.9%
|
|
Social Studies |
20.3%
|
5.4%
|
10.0%
|
11.4%
|
|
Special Ed. |
35.9%
|
8.5%
|
15.3%
|
13.1%
|
|
Tech Ed |
7.0%
|
3.5%
|
4.0%
|
9.6%
|
Table 3.5 shows the percentage of candidates who were rated
as using satisfactory to excellent strategies for assessment
and problem solving around student learning. These data are
from the final evaluation of student teaching completed by the
University supervisor. The scale for this evaluation ranges
from 1-5.
Table 3.5 Evaluation of candidate clinical performance
assessment of P-12 learning and collaborative problem-solving
to assure high academic achievement of all students by University
supervisor
|
|
“Performs satisfactorily” or above
|
|
Student Teaching Evaluation |
02-03 (N=274)
|
03-04 (N=329)
|
04-05 (N=303)
|
|
Uses a variety of systematic assessments aligned
with goals and outcomes |
94.9%
|
96.3%
|
97.3%
|
|
Collects and uses data to provide consistent feedback
to students an parents, and to improve future planning
and instruction |
94.4%
|
96.7%
|
98.0%
|
|
Is reflective, engages in self-assessment and accepts
feedback to improve practice |
96.4%
|
97.6%
|
98.0%
|
|
Meets professional expectations; is collaborative,
informed, and an effective communicator |
97.1%
|
95.1%
|
98.0%
|
