Please respond to 1.2.a if this is the standard on which the unit is moving to the target level. If it is not the standard on which you are moving to the target level, respond to 1.2.b.

1.2.a    Standard on which the unit is moving to the target level

• Describe areas of the standard at which the unit is currently performing at the target level for each element of the standard.
• Summarize activities and their impact on candidate performance and program quality that have led to target level performance.
• Discuss plans and timelines for attaining and/or sustaining target level performance as articulated in this standard.

1.2.b    Continuous Improvement

• Summarize activities and changes based on data that have led to continuous improvement of candidate performance and program quality.
  1. WCSU has experienced a decrease in the number of education applicants, following the national trend. Factors that may have contributed to the decrease may be fewer teaching positions available in the Connecticut public schools and the higher GPA required for admission to the program beginning this year. However, the data (Program Report Assessments #2) show that the strongest completers have higher GPAs (above 3.0).
  2. Faculty involved in the courses for secondary education majors are working with the coordinator to see how they can improve their focus of content that will help 100% of the students pass Praxis II successfully prior to student teaching. Several departments have implemented a GPA increase to 3.0 in content.
  3. The Praxis II Health Exam has a specific section, Disease Prevention, which is arequired evaluation of program courses required for the health education candidates. The microbiology course was removed and replaced with a new course, HPX 253 Concepts of Disease, to better prepare candidates for Praxis II (0550). A new 3 credit course, implemented in spring 2009, provided an overview of the Areas of Responsibility for Community Health Educators as identified by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Candidates are now required to plan, execute, and evaluate an actual health project. They are paired with public school students from Western Connection, providing students with disabilities opportunities in a college setting. This regional program, for students ages 18-21, provides academic opportunities, work experiences, and life skills instruction to assist students in developing the vocational, study and social skills necessary for future post-secondary study, competitive employment, and community living.
  4. The Student Teacher Evaluation Instrument (STEI, 1.4.d.3a) was modified to include a supplemental NCSS Evaluation Form (Assessment 4). At the same time, Social Studies Disposition (Assessment 6) was revised to be administered both prior to the start of their final year of coursework and during their student teaching experience, so as to more accurately gauge student dispositions.
  5. Results of the portfolio in Mathematics assignment are still minimal since its pilot in Fall 2009 (for program completers in 2010). Including the pilot year, overall, 62% of program completers passed this assessment, yet in the most recent year 100% of program completers passed this assessment. Candidates were not taking this assessment seriously until it was counted as part of a required course.
  6. In initial programs, Assessment #3 provides a measure of candidates’ ability to plan instruction. During Fall 2010 and Fall 2011 semesters, candidates executed their lesson plans with volunteer local high school students. Feedback from our candidates about the value of this experience led us to alter this assessment. Beginning with Fall 2012, Assessment 3 has been altered to include both planning and implementation.Assessment #7 (Spanish): Reflection Essay (Culture & Literature): This assessment was designed to address culture and literature because the Connecticut licensure test, ACTFL OPI and WPT did not sufficiently do so. Candidates have successfully demonstrated mastery in these areas: Part I – Essay:  All candidates (100 %) achieved the target score; Part II Assessment of Content – Cultures, Literatures. All candidates (100%) achieved the target score.
  7. In an effort to increase the clinical and field practice experiences for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) candidates, we added a post-student teaching experience during Summer Session II where candidates volunteer for a minimum of 20 hours in an urban organization working with youth or families. This course is co-taught with Danbury’s Deputy Superintendent, creating more relevance for the program and better meeting the intent of ILPB Standard 4: Professional Knowledge and Skills.
  8. MAT Assessment #5 Teacher Work Sample: An analysis of the Electronic Professional Educator Portfolio (E-PEP) has demonstrated a 100% overall pass rate for the three cohorts. In the third cohort (2012), an additional feedback loop was added to the process of developing the E-PEP which seemed to help because all program completers in the third cohort (100%) achieved Target.
  9. The Teacher Work Sample (1.4.d.3a) was commended by the Connecticut State Department of Education when the MAT program was developed. It did not, however, give a complete picture of a full instructional cycle and the broader impact on students. So, last semester, three candidates opted to work with a pilot Teacher Work Sample, an enhanced version of the original (see Assessment #5). This assessment is a direct application of Standard 3: Learning Environments.
  10. A new dispositions instrument will be implemented in Fall 2013 across all initial programs at beginning, middle, and end of program.  A dispositions instrument for advanced programs is in development.
  11. In order to assess Content Knowledge in the EdD in Instructional Leadership program a comprehensive exam is administered at the end of the course sequence and before the dissertation seminars. For the past three cohorts, there has been an initial pass rate of 75% (ranging from 69% – 81%) with a final rate of 100%. The initial pass rate has led the doctoral faculty members to examine all facets of the exam and to further align the curriculum with the exam. Alignment of the ELCC standards with the assessments embedded in the doctoral program has assisted in a review of all courses and objectives.
• Discuss plans for sustaining and enhancing performance through continuous improvement as articulated in this standard.
  1. A decline in the number of students applying for education science has been observed in Biology, Chemistry, and Earth Science. In light of this fact, STEM secondary education faculty have met to discuss ways to improve recruitment and retention of students in the program. One suggestion is to inform incoming students about Careers in Teaching Science at the Secondary Level.
  2. Incoming freshman are typically unaware of the various careers a degree in Biology/Chemistry/Earth Science affords them. Informing them of their options, specifically in the secondary education area will demonstrate to students the career opportunities that will available to them upon graduation. Presenting candidates with a final goal will keep them motivated and give new meaning to their education.
  3. Recruiting and retaining students in the Secondary Education-Chemistry program starts by placing students in an environment where they can experience teaching science. Creating a laboratory clinical course that would parallel the ED/BIO/CHE/ES 442 Teaching Science in Secondary Schools would improve enrollment and retention in the program. Candidates would assist General Chemistry Labs by working closely with the teaching faculty (typically a secondary education qualified faculty member) prior to the start of the course in order to experience the design process.
  4. In Health Education, due to the diversity of curricula found among school districts, the cooperating teachers, who are with the student teachers for 70 consecutive days, were appointed to evaluate candidates’ scope, range, and understanding of health content knowledge. Not only did this assessment measure the candidates’ on-going learning, it also provided an assessment of content knowledge from an independent source – beyond the instructors at the university.
  5. Each spring the Mathematics department appoints an assessment committee of three individuals. The charge of the committee is to determine the course of assessment activities for the fall and spring of the following year. During the fall the committee presents the department with assessment activities for the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) and NCATE assessment plans. The committee reviews data during the spring semester for entry into the annual assessment report. NCATE data is reviewed at the same time.
  6. MAT candidates participate in a mid- and end-of-the reviewprogram. Presented online, questions are directed at individual course expectations, transfer of knowledge, and preparation to teach. Each category has open-ended comments where candidates are encouraged to make suggestions. A regular review of these data and the key assessments highlighted in this ILPB Program Report has resulted in several programmatic changes including the course sequence, the addition of ED 571 Urban Education Experience, and an authentic “mock” interview during student teaching.
  7. An Assessment and Accreditation Committee was developed during the Spring of 2013. The committee worked with Tk20 on a planned redesign and reboot of the Tk20 system, developed assessment tools for the review of rubrics, and began formalization and institutionalization of processes and policies concerning assessment and accreditation that will improve candidate performance.
  8. In order to be competitive with other doctoral programs in the region, the EdD admissions process was reviewed. While both an entry test (Graduate Records Exam, GRE or Miller’s Analogies Test, MAT) and a specific cumulative graduate GPA (3.0) were required, the time and expense related to completing the GRE or MAT were considered. A revised admissions process will require a higher GPA (3.67), but for those with this GPA, the test requirement will be waived. Those with a lower GPA will still be required to submit scores from the GRE or MAT.