Institutional Report for the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education

Introduction
The Conceptual Framework and the Theme of the Department of Education at the University of Saint Francis exemplify the Department’s commitment to the preparation of teacher candidates. The Conceptual Framework and Department Theme support performance based behaviors and dispositions necessary to advance personal and professional abilities among its candidates. Course content supports IPBS, INTASC, and NCATE Standards and, for advanced programs, NBPTS. All state and national standards are imbedded into the Department’s Conceptual Framework as shown in the Course Linkage Charts (Appendix E) and in the Program Alignment Matrix (Appendix F).

Teacher candidates on both the initial and advanced levels of preparation are successful in meeting State and University standards as evidenced by data assembled from a range of diverse assessments, which are noted below. Employment information, internship year reports, and follow-up surveys of graduates provide additional information on the success of the Department’s programs.

Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates
Candidates are assessed at all levels of the teacher preparation program through both internal and external assessment measures. Internally generated evidence that candidates possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to meet the needs of diverse school populations include the successful completion of: 1) a comprehensive, rigorous standards based content area curriculum, 2) the professional program, and 3) student teaching or internship experiences. Internally generated measures employed to assess successful acquisition of proficiencies include Assessment of Professional Potential and candidate portfolios and interviews. Portfolio and Interview rubrics describe specific expectations and levels of achievement of teacher candidates at various stages of the education programs. Externally generated measures include evidence of successful scores on the Praxis I and the Praxis II content-based examinations or in the Advanced Program, GRE or MAT scores. The entire expectation and evidence base is outlined in the Department of Education document, Critical Decision Points (CDP, Appendix D) in Teacher Education, which is confirmed and summarized both by individual and program majors in the Unit Assessment System (UAS).

Specific and concrete evidence that candidates know and demonstrate necessary content knowledge, skills, and dispositions to help all students learn are substantiated through individual and group GPA scores, course products, standards based unit and lesson plans, field experience evaluations, and the Assessment of Professional Potential (dispositions). All portfolios contain artifacts with accompanying statements that substantiate that both the Conceptual Framework and INTASC Standards are addressed. Evidence exists demonstrating candidates’ growth along the professional continuum in developing skills in inquiry, analysis and synthesis of content and pedagogy. Student teachers are required to submit evidence that P-12 student learning results from their instructional intervention. Additionally, teacher candidates attend local, State, regional, and national conferences sponsored by national organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Science Teachers Association. Subsequent to attendance at professional conferences, teacher candidates reflect on the benefit of the professional development opportunity.

Content Knowledge - Undergraduate Teacher Candidates (Initial Preparation)
All undergraduate candidates preparing for initial teacher licensure are expected to complete a program of studies with a minimum of 128 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and a professional GPA at 2.8. All candidates complete the General Education program required by the University of Saint Francis, which meets INTASC Standard 1 – Content Knowledge and includes:

Individual programs adhere to this basic requirement, but often specify particular courses within the general areas to assure a comprehensive content knowledge base for their respective candidates. Examples of individual program adaptability include specific courses in the biological, physical and social sciences, and in mathematics. For example, to fulfill the Life Science requirement, candidates may elect a course in Biology or an extended field experience such as Biological study in the Bahamas or Appalachia. The General Education program requirements are specified in the Undergraduate Catalog (p 39-40).

An undergraduate Transition to Teaching program is available to those candidates wishing to pursue initial licensing in Visual Arts at the secondary level. Prior to enrollment, the University Licensing Advisor reviews the candidates’ transcripts, clarifies admissions criteria, and develops a program to meet University requirements.

Content Knowledge - Graduate Candidates (Initial Preparation and Advanced Degrees)
In an effort to meet the escalating demand for professionals in the field of Exceptional Needs, the Department of Education has developed an alternate program for teacher licensing in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Education. Graduate candidates seeking initial licensure in 2002-2003 in the field of Mild Intervention must submit all required materials for both the undergraduate and graduate programs, fulfill graduate level professional course requirements, and proceed through the Critical Decision Points for Teacher Education for their program of study on the graduate level. Candidates seeking the School Counselor license on the graduate level must meet one of the following requirements: two years of teaching experience or a valid out-of-state counseling license and one year of experience as a school counselor, or, for those without the required educational experiences, a one-year counseling internship. Candidates with prior experience complete a practicum experience in School Counseling. Candidates must submit a portfolio demonstrating competence in meeting University, State, and national standards.

Content Knowledge - Graduate Candidates (Advanced Preparation)
The programs of School Counseling and Exceptional Needs provide opportunities for candidates to develop and expand upon previously acquired knowledge and skill for the purpose of increasing effectiveness in influencing P-12 students. Graduate candidates seeking advanced preparation and licensing must meet published admission requirements as stated in the Graduate Catalog. All graduate candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and a minimum GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale. Additionally, they must submit an application, transcripts, and an essay along with satisfactory scores (1040 combined verbal and quantitative) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or (47) on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Within the past academic year required entrance test scores have been raised in order to assure a highly qualified pool of applicants. Both the School Counseling and Exceptional Needs programs require a candidate interview, submission of two Assessment of Professional Potential forms and letters of reference.

Subsequent to admission to the program, all master’s candidates must demonstrate successful progress through the Critical Decision Points (CDP) for Graduate Candidates. The CDP delineates expectations for the grade point average, test scores, practicum or internship evaluation and portfolio development.

School Counseling and Exceptional Needs program course requirements are outlined in the Graduate Catalog (p. 33-37) and in the Graduate Handbook.

Content Knowledge for Other Professional School Personnel
The program of study leading to the Master of Science in Education in School Counseling is designed to prepare candidates to assume roles as professional school counselors in public or parochial environments. Content, sequence, and experiences assure that the program supports National Standards for School Counseling Programs that have been identified by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Candidates aspiring to complete the degree of Master of Science in Education fulfill coursework and advanced level, rigorous experiences which meet the Standards of the Council for Exceptional Children and NBPTS. Emphasis is placed on effective communication and collaboration and the acquisition of content and skills necessary for the successful utilization of instructional and counseling methods in order to enhance the learning process and development of all students. The seminar component of the program in Exceptional Needs requires aspirants to conduct publishable research on one content-based aspect from their program of studies. Candidates for both degrees must comply with admissions requirements for all graduate candidates applying to the University and the Department of Education and successfully complete courses and the practicum and/or internship experience.

Information on field placement-internship year data is available in the section addressing Standard 3, which provides evidence that teacher candidates are able to demonstrate content and pedagogical knowledge in school settings. Standard 4 shows that candidates complete field placements in a range of school settings with P-12 students from diverse backgrounds. Employment surveys indicate that the overwhelming majority of graduates are employed in educational settings. (Table 1.1)

Year of Survey	Surveyed Education Majors	Surveyed Respondents		Employed		Employed in Position Related to Major		Seeking Employment		Enrolled in Graduate School		Employed University Percentage
		N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%	%
1997	25	22	88.0%	20	90.9%	17	85.0%	1	4.5%	1	4.5%	86.4%
1998	28	23	82.1%	22	95.7%	20	90.9%	0	0%	1	4.3%	94.0%
1999	17	17	100.0%	17	100.0%	17	100.0%	* 1	NA	0	0.0%	95.0%
2000	34	22	64.7%	17	77.3%	16	94.1%	2	9.1%	NA	NA	91.0%
2001	20	18	90.0%	16	88.9%	16	100.0%	NA	NA	NA	NA	94.0%
Total	124	102	82.3%	92	90.2%	86	93.5%	NA		NA		92.1%

Summary of Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidate and Other Professional School Personnel
All teacher preparation programs at the University of Saint Francis are research supported, designed to prepare candidates with ample grounding in content and provide for broad based field experiences. Candidates are expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills, to effectively analyze and synthesize content knowledge in their areas of study. Graphic representations in Course Linkage Charts (Appendix E) developed by both content area and education faculties confirm that course content and experiences support and assess IPSB, INTASC, and NCATE Standards as well as the Department’s Conceptual Framework. Summaries of assessment data on candidate’s content knowledge and on field placements are found in Standard 3 as well as in the Unit Assessment System. Prior to the granting of degrees, a compliance and competency assessment completed by Student Services in conjunction with the Registrar verifies graduation eligibility. Finally, the Licensing Advisor who substantiates that the candidate has completed all University requirements, received successful scores on the Praxis I and II, and presented a clear Limited Criminal History completes a licensing eligibility evaluation. Table 1.2 and 1.3 illustrates Praxis results for Teacher Education candidates.