STANDARD 3: FIELD EXPERIENCE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE
INTRODUCTION
The process begins in EDUC 100 (Introduction to Teaching) where the first observations begin for a minimum of 12 hours in local/field settings and continue in EDUC 201 (Practicum in Teacher Education) where candidates are required a minimum of 50 hours of field placement. In addition, through their coursework, candidates learn the principles, concepts, and theories of pedagogy and, in turn, apply this knowledge to their field experiences. Evidence from these experiences are primarily reflected in their portfolios and assessment instruments. Beginning with the academic year 2002, candidates will be required a third practicum, EDUC 301 (Advanced Practicum) which will require them a range of 50-70 hours in their major and includes 20 hours in methods for secondary education majors. Practicum in School Counseling (PSYC 579) is completed in one semester. Internship in School Counseling (PSYC 583) is a 1,000-hour minimum program and is completed in two semesters. Candidates in the School Counseling program, along with their advisors, secure public or parochial schools for field experiences. Specific procedures for placements in the surrounding area school corporations are found in the Graduate Handbook. Practicum (SPED 513) is an on-campus, 3 semester hour lab experience in
teaching taking place at the Oaks and Willows Center. An alternative
placement is in a P-12 school setting off-campus (for “Emergency License”
teachers). Candidates must complete a practicum contract for placement
(Graduate Handbook). Collaboration between Unit and School Partners
During the 2001 academic school year, the Department involved stakeholders in a variety of newly designed field-related documents into which they could then give input. First, the Department piloted a new evaluation instrument for student teachers (Spring 2002). Clinical/Supervisory faculty members were asked to pilot the instrument. The areas of focus are aligned with the Department’s Conceptual Framework and the INTASC Standards. In addition, evaluation instruments are designed for assessment of appropriate skills in a comprehensive, consistent, and bias-free manner. Revisions of the instrument were made with the new design implemented in the Fall of 2002. A copy of the instrument may be viewed in the Exhibit Room. Another document is the new Affiliation Agreement signed with local
school corporations for all field placements. The new agreements were
designed primarily by field placement directors throughout Indiana and
approved by the University’s legal counsel. The Agreement was shared with
the Teacher Education Committee and the Teacher Education Advisory Council
before its submission to local school administrators. The agreement was
revised to include additional candidate information such as the Sex Offender
Registry and Indiana Limited Criminal History information. The agreements
emphasize that the placement process is a cooperative venture involving both
the Department and school corporations. The Department initiates the
placement of a candidate and may request specific names of teachers within
the local school corporations. As of Fall 2002, the Department of Education
has sent out agreements to eighteen local school corporations in the area. The practicum/internship now includes a disposition assessment and portfolio review. The disposition assessment is completed by outside stakeholders and University faculty who can attest to the candidate’s professional potential. Clinical faculty and the university supervisor work collaboratively to
determine appropriate placements, with particular emphasis given to placing
candidates in sites that offer the greatest opportunity to work with diverse
populations. In addition to following State and national standards and
guidelines, the School Counseling program director regularly consults with
clinical faculty regarding trends in the practice of school counseling.
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Field Experiences and Clinical
Practice Through sequentially planned field experiences, candidates are given opportunities to observe, monitor, practice, analyze, reflect, and implement teaching strategies that enhance the intensity and/or quality of classroom instruction. The overall goal is to provide sequentially planned field experiences that will develop professional educators who are catalysts for learning, who have the skills, knowledge and dispositions to become effective in their field, and who can reflect upon their effectiveness in impacting student learning. The Department of Education continuously evaluates the effectiveness of its field-based experiences for candidates. Clinical/Supervisory faculty and student teachers/practicum candidates/interns provide feedback each semester on the appropriateness of the settings in addition to the effectiveness of the comprehensive student teaching process. Table 3.1 illustrates results of the field experience assessment surveys conducted prior to the revision of the new curriculum. The numbers in Table 3.1 represent the clinical/supervisory faculty (CSF) and student teacher (ST) responses. For example, the figure “21/32” indicates that 21 clinical faculty perceived student teachers to be placed in a variety of appropriate settings and 32 student teachers believed they were placed in a variety of appropriate settings. Field-Based Experience Effectiveness Survey 1998-2002 Clinical/Supervisory Faculty (CSF) N = 27/Student Teachers (ST) N = 47 Table 3.1
Results from Table 3.1 demonstrate that overall clinical/supervisory faculty and student teachers believe that the field-based experience was effective in providing the following: appropriate settings, application of theories, adequacy of supervision, diverse settings, skill sequenced placements, collaborative, and comprehensive evaluation. However, a need for additional training of clinical/supervisory faculty was indicated. As a result, the Department has re-designed in-service training for clinical/supervisory faculty, effective in the Fall of 2002. Two training workshops are held each semester for clinical/supervisory faculty, one which includes student teachers. The first workshop is held prior to the beginning of each student teaching semester and is designed primarily as an orientation session to train clinical/supervisory faculty in the assessment procedure as it is linked to the Conceptual Framework. The second training workshop occurs approximately in the fourth week of student teaching. This session is organized for the purpose of training clinical/supervisory faculty on Proficient Portfolio assessment. Clinical/supervisory faculty members are expected, as described in the Manual for Field Experiences and Student Teaching, to guide the candidate in the generation of artifacts and to collaborate in evaluation of the candidate’s portfolio. An instrument was implemented in the Fall of 2002 for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of the training session. The roles and responsibilities of clinical/supervisory faculty, student
teachers, and practicum/intern candidates are clearly defined in the written
contracts, the Manual for Field Experiences and Student Teaching, Graduate
Handbook, and course syllabi. New contracts have been designed and are being
implemented in eighteen local school corporations. The student teaching
syllabus has been rewritten to include linkage to all the performance
standards found in the course description. Finally, the Manual for Field
Experiences and Student Teaching was revised to include all information
relative to the field/student teaching experiences. The Manual is now a
separate document, whereas prior to 2002, it was part of the Teacher
Education Policies and Programs Manual. Candidates, field placement
directors, clinical/supervisory faculty, the Teacher Education Committee,
and the Teacher Education Advisory Council were involved in the Manual’s
revision. Two field experience-based courses supporting Decision Point 1 are the following: EDUC 100 (Introduction to Teacher Education): This class is primarily designed as an introduction to education as a profession. Candidates participate in several focused school visitations, in addition to 12 hours in classroom or institutional settings. These settings may include Price Elementary School, Vincent House (homeless shelter), Club Friendship at Centlivre (for non-native English speaking refugees), St. Patrick’s Church (inner city), and Project Read (at-risk elementary students). In place of EDUC 100, licensure candidates may elect EDUC 150 as an introduction to both general and Exceptional Needs education. A field component is also included. EDUC 201 (Practicum in Teacher Education): This class is primarily designed for more intensive field experiences. Candidates participate in a minimum of 50 hours in the field and are given assignments according to their majors. Placements involve activities which include assisting the teacher in classrooms, small group instruction/tutoring, assisting with lesson plans, analyzing teaching and management styles, proctoring tests, as well as other teacher-related activities. Table 3.2 illustrates aggregate tabulations in EDUC 201 (Practicum in Teacher Education) relative to student development in the competencies in each of the six areas of the Conceptual Framework. Findings show that candidates’ performance is consistent and/or developing in those areas. The percentages reflect candidates’ levels of skill development in each of the strands of the Conceptual Framework as determined by the assessors. For example, 83.5% of the tallies associated with skill development under Knowledge of Self was indicated as being consistent. Practicum Composite (EDUC 201) Evaluation 1998 - 2002
Field experience based courses supporting Decision Point 2 provide candidates with the opportunity to interact with diverse populations in a variety of school settings and to interact with students, faculty, and administration. During teaching occasions candidates collect and analyze data on student learning, reflect on the experience, and develop strategies for instructional improvement. These experiences include the following: EDUC 301 (Advanced Practicum): This advanced level field-oriented class is required prior to admission into student teaching, and involves field participation totaling 50 - 70 hours. The primary purpose of this field experience is increased engagement and participation in the candidate’s specialty area. Candidates majoring in secondary education are also instructed with a concurrent, methods component. Thus, secondary education majors are required 50 hours in the field plus a 20-hour experience for their methods component. EDUC 301 was initiated in Spring 2003. Methods or specialty courses that have additional field experiences are: Integrated Curriculum (Social Studies and Language Arts) (EDUC 395), Curriculum and Methods in Mathematics (EDUC 393), Curriculum and Methods in Science (EDUC 394), Creative Classroom (EDUC 410), Foundations of Reading (READ 200), Methods and Materials in Teaching Reading for All Children (READ 302). Within the area of Exceptional Needs, the following courses have field placements: Mild Disabilities/Interventions (SPED 237), Collaboration and Communication (SPED 295), Elementary Methods Exceptional Children (SPED 218), Advanced Methods (SPED 328), and Advanced Practicum (SPED 391). Advanced Practicum (SPED 391) was replaced by Advanced Practicum (EDUC 301) beginning in the Spring of 2003. Placement data presented in Standard 4 indicate that candidates have accrued over 50% of their experiences in urban, diverse settings. Additional experiences have been gained through professional development opportunities such as the Ruby Payne Workshop, which focused on diversity issues.
Prior to admission into student teaching, candidates must have met all requirements that are noted as performance indicators on the Department’s Critical Decision Points. This phase in the candidate’s pre-service experience is considered one of the most significant and important aspects of professional development. Objectives for student teachers demand a higher level of proficiency than do those for the previous practicum experiences. Candidates are expected to:
When applying for Student Teaching the candidate may suggest the school corporation (either public or private) in which he or she wishes to be placed, provided it is within Allen County or a contiguous county. The candidate may indicate a first, second, or third choice in either grade level/subject matter. However, the school corporation and/or the Department of Education through the Director of Student Teaching have the sole authority and the right to make final assignments. Decisions are based on prior practicum experiences, which include examining such factors as diversity, socio-economic data, special needs experiences, and private vs. public placements. Table 3.3a illustrates student teacher placements over the past five years in each of the five major school corporations where the majority of the placements are made. The table lists the school corporations where candidates have been placed and the number of candidates placed in each corporation. In addition the table provides data about minority enrollment, special needs enrollment, and minority certified employees. The table reflects increasing minority enrollment in each of the major school corporations that provide placement for University of Saint Francis candidates. Composite data on all school placements is found in Standard 4. In addition, information relative to field placements and student teaching are found in the Manual for Field Experiences and Student Teaching. This manual is distributed to all student teachers and clinical/supervisory faculty prior to placement. Student Teaching Placements 1998-2002 (Percentages reflect 2002 academic year) N=209 Table 3.3a
The student teaching program (under the “old program”) includes a full day over a period of ten (10) weeks for secondary education and elementary education majors. Six (6) semester hours of credit may be earned during this period. The assignment is scheduled in the semester which best meets the needs of the candidate. Exceptional Needs majors student teach for fifteen (15) weeks; eight (8) weeks in the first developmental level and seven (7) weeks in the second developmental level. Eight (8) semester hours of credit may be earned. Secondary and elementary education majors with a minor in Exceptional Needs are required to complete fifteen (15) weeks of student teaching: eight (8) weeks in the major for four (4) credit hours and seven (7) weeks in the minor for four (4) credit hours. Maximum course load during student teaching is 12 semester hours. Beginning with the new curriculum revision in Fall of 2002, student teaching becomes a fifteen-week experience, with dual placements, and nine (9) semester hours of credit for all Teacher Education candidates. Singular placements are made only for candidates majoring in visual arts. The deadline for student teaching applications is February 1 for all candidates planning to student teach in the next academic year. Prospective candidates must arrange for interviews with the Director of Student Teaching and submit a carefully prepared application for the student teaching assignment. Submissions include: Sex Offender Registry check, Indiana Limited Criminal History Background check, Community Outreach Experiences Log, two Assessment of Professional Potential forms, two written essays, and Developing Portfolio Rubric. Changes and improvements occurring in the final field experience, student teaching, include the Student Teaching Seminar (EDUC 425) which integrated essential elements from Foundations of Education (EDUC 420). This class, effective in the Spring of 2003, allows candidates to focus on specific educational issues such as culture, ethics, and gender in a meaningful context since they are teaching. In addition, the new seminar class includes as part of the student teaching requirement a discussion area online (BLACKBOARD). All student teachers are required two substantive postings per week. The University supervisors enter the discussion area each week and respond to student questions and/or comments. The purpose of the discussion area is to encourage collaboration/sharing of ideas among candidates with guidance from the supervisors and faculty. During the 2002 academic year, the Department involved stakeholders in a variety of newly designed field related documents to give input prior to implementation. First, the Department piloted a new evaluation instrument for student teaching in the Spring of 2002, at which time the clinical/supervisory faculty involved gave input to the assessment’s effectiveness. The feedback from this group focused on the accuracy of the alignment between the Conceptual Framework and standards, appropriateness of the skills being assessed, consistency and comprehensiveness of the assessment, usability, and any questions of fairness or bias. Another document was the Affiliation Agreement used for student teacher placements implemented in the Fall of 2002 in eighteen school districts within which the Department places its candidates. The agreement was revised to include additional candidate information such as Sex Offender Registry checks. In addition, the Department requested an equal role in the selection and placements of its candidates with the local school corporations. Stakeholders involved in the redesign of the instrument included Indiana field placement directors, the Teacher Education Committee, and Teacher Education Advisory Council. The University’s legal counsel gave approval. Finally, the Director of Student Teaching will use the newly designed Field Experience Tracking Form to recommend the best match for final placement of student teachers. Table 3.3b illustrates data relative to School Counseling field placements. Over 70% of the candidates were placed in school corporations within Allen County. Approximately 20% of the placements were in Fort Wayne Community Schools. Specific placements for each candidate are available for review as exhibits. School Counseling Field Placements by School District 1998 – 2002 (Percentages reflect 2002 academic year) N=47 Table 3.3b
The practicum in School Counseling is 105 semester hours and provides experiences with multiple grade levels. Candidates in practicum are on site an average of 10 hours per week and engage in a wide range of closely supervised pre-professional activities which include, but are not limited to, shadowing and assisting school counselors and other school personnel, working face-to-face with candidates, attending pupil/parent/teacher/staff consultations, assisting with testing, developing and implementing educational and career programming and participating in community events. The internship in school counseling is a 1,000 semester hour multiple grade level intensive experience spanning two semesters. During internship candidates are immersed in the provision of the vast array of professional services school counselors deliver, learn and demonstrate competency by doing, and gain experience in serving on instructional and service teams. Both practicum and internship candidates keep detailed weekly logs and report their experiences to their university supervisors during weekly group supervision sessions. Additionally, they are required to reflect on their practice in written and oral form through case summaries and professional portfolio development. In addition to providing on-going training and mentoring, clinical faculty support candidates’ development by consulting weekly with them. Clinical faculty are selected from a pool of qualified professionals who have demonstrated strong mentoring and supervisory skills and a commitment to the field of education and student services. The criteria for clinical faculty are, five years’ experience as a school counselor and a current standard school counseling license. Table 3.3c illustrates data relative to field placements in Exceptional Needs at the graduate level. Seventeen (17) candidates were placed in SPED 513 Practicum during 1998–2002. Forty-four percent of the placements were in diverse settings primarily in Allen County. Thirty-three percent of the candidates were placed outside of Allen County. The coursework in Exceptional Needs program at the advanced level is designed to prepare exemplary Exceptional Needs candidates who are well-trained professionals dedicated to the service of exceptional children and youth in a variety of settings. The program offers a multidisciplinary approach with a strong competency base. The Exceptional Needs programs requires 21-24 semester credit hours of courses devoted to the area of licensure and a minimum of 100 hours of field study to extend discipline knowledge, disposition, and performance. Exceptional Needs Field Placements by School District 1998 – 2002 (Percentages reflect 2002 academic year) N=17 Table 3.3c
Candidates’ Development and Demonstration of Knowledge, Skills, and
Dispositions to Help All Students Learn During the 2002 academic year, the Department developed two disposition instruments entitled, Assessment of Professional Potential for Admission into Teacher Education and Assessment of Profession Potential. The first form is used to evaluate dispositions at the time of Admission to Teacher Education, a critical decision point. The second form may be completed by any faculty member at any point within the program. Dispositional assessments are completed in targeted classes at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Multiple assessments of student teaching and clinical practice support
Decision Point 3 by including the systematic documentation and analysis of
student learning. Student teaching also provides the opportunity for
personal professional development and reflection that many school systems
expect of their teachers. Since the last NCATE visit (1997), standards
require demonstration of P-12 performance of student learning. In an effort
to address this aspect of validation, the Department requires candidates to
submit evidence of P-12 student learning. This is an essential component of
student teaching assessment.
Student teaching is considered a summative experience for pre-service preparation of candidates. Prior to 2002, the clinical/supervisory faculty used the student teaching evaluation tool to assess performance. The assessment instrument is based on the Conceptual Framework. The evaluators rated candidate performance using the following scale: without reservation, with reservation, not applicable, and unsatisfactory. This scale is based on evaluator perception of how effective the candidate performs teaching responsibilities. Table 3.4a illustrates composite data of student teaching performance from the instruments provided under the old program. The data illustrate that standards under each of the six strands of the Conceptual Framework were met “without reservations” by 90 percent or more of the respondents. Student Teaching Composite Evaluations - 1998-2002 Table 3.4a
Requirements for candidates to enter and exit the advanced clinical/intern practices are found in the Graduate Handbook. Two sections of the Handbook (Section IV and V) specifically delineate the School Counseling and Exceptional Needs outline/program. All areas of the Conceptual Framework are included in the advanced programs. Prior to entry into the practicum, candidates in the School Counseling Program must have demonstrated mastery of core knowledge, skills and competencies by completing all “core” program courses as outlined in the Graduate Handbook and Graduate Catalog. These performance-based courses are designed to prepare candidates by providing them with grounding in content and opportunities to master and demonstrate critical skills and dispositions in preparation for translating course-based competencies into on-site student services. In the Exceptional Needs and School Counseling programs, the Department faculty view field experience not only as a requirement to be met, but also as an opportunity for candidates to receive “hands-on” training under the guidance of an administrator or professional counselor in a school setting. Prior to initiating the process of identifying a field experience (practicum and internship) site, candidates must provide to the Department with a clean state criminal history and Zachary’s Law Sexual Offender check. During field experiences, candidates will apply knowledge, principles, and techniques of counseling and ethical standards of the profession. This practical “on-the-job” training affords the candidate opportunity to perform activities and to fulfill the roles of a teacher or school counselor. School Counseling candidates are expected to develop and demonstrate knowledge and proficiency in the areas of counseling, guidance, administration, collaboration, education, professional development, as well as program, student and self assessment. Exceptional Needs candidates are expected to extend their knowledge of content, pedagogy, and professional development. The scope of the activities and roles taken on by the filed experience candidate is at the discretion of the on-site supervisor and the level of candidate competence. Thirty-five (35) candidates were evaluated in the school counseling field experiences (Practicum N = 16) and (Internship N = 19), 1998-2002. The site supervisor evaluations of these candidates in the three categories of “Poor,” “Adequate,” and “Good” were significantly characterized as “Good.” The six correlated areas of the Conceptual Framework included general supervision, personal characteristics, communication, counseling and advising skills, adjunct activities, and ethical standards related to assisting all students at all levels. Seventeen (17) candidates were evaluated (1998 - 2002) in the Exceptional Needs Practicum (SPED 513). Results from this data indicated that all areas within the Conceptual Framework were met “without reservation.”
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||