Appendix C8

Middle States Outcomes Assessment 1999

Department or Program: School of Education – Undergraduate

Goals

* Students will demonstrate exemplary knowledge 'in language, literacy, and academic content related to effective education of children and/or adolescents and to be well-prepared educators

* Students will demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge to classroom situations to implement effective education practices and to be responsive educators

* Students will demonstrate appropriate attitudes to be reflective educators (In the School of Education report, each goal contains a list of topics that are encompassed within the goal)

G.C.P. Correlation

School of Education goals that are shared with GCP goals:

* Writing: Display excellent written and oral communication skills

* Reading: Display cross-disciplinary knowledge

* Reflexive Thinking: Embody the essence of responsible personal and professional action

* Quantitative Problem Solving: (No correlation listed)

* Scientific Reasoning: Be firmly grounded in scientific reasoning

* Socioethical Understanding- Value individual and cultural differences implied; be firmly grounded in socio-ethical understanding

Means of Assessment

* Capstone experience: Professional Year

* Survey of area employers

* Survey of current undergraduate students

* Survey of graduates

* Mission statement review

* New York State Teacher Exam

* Review of supervising teacher and faculty supervisor ratings of student teachers

* Meetings of advisory boards and cooperating teachers

* Meetings with School Superintendents Association

Outcomes

New York State Teacher Exam

* On last two administrations of New York State Teacher Certification Exam Fredonia elementary majors (96%, 100%) scored significantly above the statewide passing rate (69%, 70%) on the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and above the SUNY passing rates (90%, 91%)

* On last two administrations of New York State Teacher Certification Exam, Fredonia elementary majors (82%, 100%) scored above the statewide passing rate (72%, 80%) on the Assessment of Teaching Skills -Written Test (ATS-W) and above the SUNY passing rate (97%) for the April 1998 testing date only

* On last two administrations of New York State Teacher Certification Exam, Fredonia secondary majors (100%, 94%) scored above the statewide passing rate (76%, 83%) on the Assessment of Teaching Skills -Written Test (ATS-W) and above the SUNY passing rates (90%, 94%)

* On last two administrations of New York State Teacher Certification Exam, Fredonia elementary .students (100%, 100%) scored significantly above the statewide passing rate (84%, 86%) on the Content Specialty Test and above the SUNY passing rates (97%, 98%)

* Students taking the Early Childhood Content Specialty Test in April 1998 passed (100%), a rate that is significantly higher than the statewide passing rate (76%) and at the SUNY passing rate (100%)

Survey of Current Undergraduate Students

* Over half of the students surveyed identified the following courses as having an important role in their decision to become a teacher or to remain in a teacher preparation program: ED 221(Early Childhood Curriculum 1), ED 250 (Introduction to the Exceptional I-earner), ED 315 (Early Childhood Curriculum 11)

* 89% of students surveyed indicated they are confident to highly confident that they made the correct decision to become teachers and that they chose the correct program of study

* 83% indicated that they had selected their concentration by the end of their sophomore year but only 17% were confident in their selection of concentration

* 62% of students surveyed remarked that they understood the expectations of student teaching

* 92% of elementary education majors felt confident of expectations as they entered their second student teaching assignment

* Teacher Education Club was rated as the most popular activity among education majors (38%)

* 39% of those surveyed participated in a tutoring experience in addition to required field experiences

* 65% of the students surveyed responded that their major advisement has been effective

* Students identified the professors, the field experiences, the high expectations, the coverage of current issues in course content, and the coverage of current and useful knowledge about the field of teaching as program strengths Students found program weaknesses in advisement, the size of education classes (i.e., too large), and the lack of preparation for the senior year (across all program )

* Secondary education majors indicated that they felt less informed than other majors

* Only 1% of the students surveyed had heard of the RARE program

* Students identified content that must be covered in our program: New York State Standards, integration of content across the curriculum, inclusion, thematic teaching, authentic assessment, a variety of reading techniques, school law, computer technology

Survey of Graduates (1992-1997)

* 70% of respondents were employed full time as teachers

* 28% of respondents completed Master's Degree

* Respondents regarded themselves as most competent in working with children on a one-to-one basis, working with children with a group, interacting successfully with colleagues, formulating appropriate educational objectives based on assessment, and establishing classroom procedures Respondents rated themselves as less competent in the knowledge of P.L. 94-142 and the American with Disabilities Act, knowledge of professional organizations and the services they provide, working with children from diverse cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds, modifying curriculum to suit the needs of students with special needs, and setting up alternative programming to meet the needs of individual children Graduates from the class of 1997 regarded themselves as most competent in working with children on a one-to-one basis, working with children with a group, grouping children for instructional purposes, planning daily lessons based on objective derived from assessments, and interacting successfully with colleagues

* Graduates from the class of 1997 rated themselves as less competent in the knowledge of knowledge of professional organizations and the services they provide, modifying curriculum to suit the needs of students with special needs, determining a child's strengths and weaknesses through test interpretation, and administering a variety of formal assessment devices

* Recent graduates (class of 1997) ranked the field experiences component as the most helpful aspect of their program

* Recent graduates indicated the program lacked training in classroom

management/behavior management skills, in working with children with special needs, and in classroom technology

Survey of Job Performance (1998)

* 90% of area school administrators were highly satisfied with Fredonia graduates

* 21% of area school administrators rated Fredonia graduates low in teaching students with special needs, in the application of New York State Standards, and in awareness of the school to work program

* Administrators involved in a follow-up in-person interview reported that Fredonia's education program is viewed positively and its graduates have a better understanding of what teaching is about, have the practical skills needed for success, and have a better knowledge of content

* Administrators involved in a follow-up telephone interview identified several weaknesses of the education program: lack of classroom management skills, poor preparation for the teaching of reading, teaching students with special needs, planning for and teaching of inclusion students, teaching to the individual needs of students, and integrating subject matter for real life.

Uses

* Assessment results are conveyed to the appropriate committee within the School of Education

* Director of the School of Education charges school committees with the specific responsibility for addressing the concerns raised by graduates and/or employers of our graduates

* Revision of "Electronic Classroom" to make it more relevant to the needs of teachers

* Addition of additional elective course in reading

* Changes in the Professional Year experience in response to teacher and student concerns

* Focus on "integrated themes" during Professional Year courses which require cross disciplinary lines

* Divide the literacy class into primary and intermediate sections that respond to the different needs of students at these grade levels