Standard 1. Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other professional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students’ learn. Assessments indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

The majority of professional education faculty for initial licensure programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are located in the Department of Teaching and Learning (T&L). Agricultural Education is located in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; however, professional education studies is coordinated and monitored by the Center for Teacher Education. Mathematics Education, Second Languages Education, and Music Education have both undergraduate and graduate routes to initial licensure. The undergraduate route in those programs is located in the College of Arts & Sciences. Professional education studies for those programs are offered by T&L with the Center for Teacher Education coordinating and monitoring candidate progress. The undergraduate portion of the Five-year Elementary program is located in the Department of Human Development (HD) in our College. Professional education faculty work closely with the Early Childhood Education faculty in HD and with candidates from the point of entry. The Center for Teacher Education approves any course substitutions in the ECE programs of study to ensure that all content requirements for licensure are met.

Advanced programs in Reading and Instructional Technology as well as the Ph.D., Ed.D and Ed. Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction are located in T&L. Administration and Supervision (principal preparation), Special Education Administration and Supervision, and Counselor Education are located in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS). The Ph.D. in Educational Research as well as the Ph.D., Ed.D, and Ed. Specialist in Educational Leadership are also located in ELPS.

The following programs received national recognition from the professional organizations that reviewed them (program review documents are located under Programs on the web site):

English Education (NCTE)

History and Social Science Education (Social Studies) (NCSS)

Mathematics Education (NCTM)

Science Education (NSTA)

Special Education (CEC)

Technology Education (ITEA)

Reading Specialist (IRA)

Administration and Supervision (ELCC)

Special Education Administration and Supervision (CEC)

Counselor Education (CACREP approved)

Provisionally approved for two years (plan was approved but need to submit data):

Five-year Elementary Education (ACEI)

Fifth-year Elementary Education (ACEI)

Sources of Evidence: Candidates’ Electronic Portfolios (one example, others are linked throughout the document), candidate reflections (one example, all portfolios contain many examples of reflection), early field experience evaluation, student teacher internship evaluation, student teaching data across secondary programs, portfolio evaluation, secondary portfolio aggregated data, elementary portfolio aggregated data, lesson plans (one portfolio example), Praxis II pass rates, course syllabi, Graduate catalog, Undergraduate catalog, University Writing Requirement

Element 1: Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

(Initial and Continuing Preparation of Teachers)

Initial Programs

Content knowledge of initial preparation candidates is assessed at admissions, in methods classes, during the internship, in the electronic portfolio, with Praxis II, in employer survey after one year of teaching, and in a candidate self-assessment after one year of teaching. Content knowledge is one of the cornerstones of the Conceptual Framework; we see it as part of the foundation upon which we construct our programs.

In graduate programs, the program advisors do a transcript analysis of the major and require additional course work to meet state guidelines. For example, if applicants for the History and Social Science program come with only a history degree, they need to take the political science, geography, and economics requirements before they are accepted into the program. For Virginia Tech students, this type of advising takes place as early as their junior year if they know they are going to apply to the graduate program. However, the program also attracts applicants from a wide range of universities. All other secondary programs follow the same procedure. A copy of what applicants need to take is placed in the program advisor’s file. Faculty consult with the Director of Teacher Education when decisions need to be made about equivalent courses. Those decisions are placed in the candidate’s folder in the Center for reference when licensure applications are filed. Content requirements are in checklists on each program web site. Graduate programs require a 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work, which normally constitutes the majority of the major.

In undergraduate programs, the checklists are designed to meet state, national, and professional content standards. Students’ completion of requirements is monitored for graduation by the registrar’s office and the associate deans’ offices in the colleges where the undergraduate programs reside. The University requires a writing intensive course in the major as well as the freshman writing sequence. (Checklists for each program are under Programs.) Undergraduate programs in education require a 2.5 in selected content courses for admission; the undergraduate programs in Arts & Sciences require a 2.5 GPA for entry, except mathematics, which requires 2.3 in their math sequence at the point of entry.

The quality of content knowledge is especially evident during the student teaching internship phase. Candidates must also show evidence in their portfolios of how they used their knowledge of content to design lessons. (Click here for an example from a social studies portfolio. Other examples are on program web sites.) Candidates are evaluated on the quality of the content in their lessons both on the student teaching evaluation and on the portfolio evaluation. (See aggregated evaluations of both.) Candidates must achieve a “basic” level on all criteria on the student teaching evaluation and on the portfolio evaluation. Candidates who are deficit may revise portfolios an/or engage in an extended student teaching experience with an agreed upon plan to meet a specific standard(s).

On the employer survey of our 2001 graduates who had completed one-year of teaching, principals rated 50 percent of our candidates as distinguished in content knowledge based on one year of teaching experience and 45 percent as proficient. Candidates rated themselves similarly although lower in the higher rating, and candidates did not rate themselves as highly as principals on “planning effectively to meet SOL objectives.” Apparently, candidates are setting high expectations for their performance. (See Candidate Self-Assessment after one-year of teaching.)

Program faculty added the requirement to take Praxis II prior to entering student teaching (clinical practice) so that candidates had additional opportunities to take the test, if need be, prior to exiting the program. The scores also provided information to cooperating teachers and university supervisors as to potential needs of some candidates when they are in the field. Evaluation of this strategy in meeting Praxis II as a requirement for licensure will be done and further discussion concerning placement of Praxis II in the program process may be needed.

In addition, the mathematics and English Education faculty developed some activities that should help candidates with Praxis II. Mathematics has used sample questions to generate discussion of test taking strategies. In addition, the math Praxis II contains a great deal of geometry, which is not central to higher mathematics education. Therefore, the math educators are integrating geometry principles into the first methods course so that the content is learned at the same time teaching strategies are developed. In English, the program faculty designed a Praxis Project, in which candidates develop resources for a unit involving the study of a period of literature, a particular author, or some other aspect of the traditional literary canon. Praxis II preparation guides developed by ETS have been purchased for those content areas for which they are available. Faculty and candidates have access to these materials.

The chart of Praxis II scores includes the current scores of candidates in their student teaching. These scores show that the steps we have taken in math and English are making a difference. We will continue to assess and look for ways to improve the performance of our candidates on Praxis II, including a reconsideration of where to place the test in the steps toward program completion.

Candidates in continuing preparation programs, i.e. master’s level for teachers who wish to continue as classroom instructional leaders, must provide evidence of having completed appropriate initial and/or advanced study prior to admission to the program. Transcripts, recommendations, interviews, written statements, and examples of their work can constitute such evidence. An advisor is assigned to design a program of studies that meets Graduate School requirements as well as enhances the content knowledge of the teacher. Master’s programs of study contain between 6-15 hours of content courses, depending upon the needs and goals of the candidate. Content knowledge for candidates in continuing preparation programs can be found in course assignments, research projects, case studies, and in analyses of their classroom practice. Candidates demonstrate content knowledge as part of a master’s inquiry project presented in electronic format to a three-member committee. These inquiry projects are classroom based, demonstrate impact on student learning, show knowledge of inquiry skills, and demonstrate a facility with technology.

Element 2: Content Knowledge for Other Professional School Personnel

School Counselor candidates may be initial licensure or advanced but they have the same standards for performance. The difference is that initial licensure candidates will hold a provisional license until they have completed two successful years as guidance counselors. Candidates in this program must provide evidence of having completed appropriate initial and/or advanced study prior to admission to the program. Transcripts, recommendations, interviews, written statements, and examples of their work can constitute such evidence. The Counselor Education program tracks candidates’ performance with multiple measures across the program. (See the School Counselor Program Performance Assessment Matrix.)

Candidates in the Administration and Supervision program for initial principal preparation likewise undergo careful screening and must meet graduate school guidelines. The Assessment Plan for the Administration and Supervision program clearly defines candidates’ performance measures from admission to completion.

Candidates in the Reading Specialist program use the content knowledge they have gained from prior programs and teaching experience. Additionally, a Program Performance Assessment Matrix tracks candidate performance across the twelve courses that comprise the program. (See also the IRA Program Review document for content assessment.) Candidates in this program also develop electronic portfolios that demonstrate their knowledge of content in practice and their knowledge of inquiry. The portfolio is presented to and evaluated by a three-member master’s committee.

Candidates in Special Education Administration and Supervision must provide evidence of preparation in special education as well as successful teaching or supervisory experience. Transcripts, recommendations, interviews, written statements, and examples of their work can constitute such evidence. The candidates also undertake the principal and supervision preparation program if do not hold that credential.

Instructional Technology is a master’s degree and doctoral program that prepares candidates for education as well as other settings. Faculty assess the level of candidates’ knowledge prior to admission. (Click here for admissions requirements.)

Element 3: Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

(Initial and Continuing Preparation of Teachers)

Initial Programs

Teacher education candidates gain a broad knowledge of content specific instructional strategies through required content specific courses, field experiences, and student teaching. While these courses and experiences emphasize pedagogical content knowledge, appropriate dispositions and mastery of content knowledge and skills are integrated and evaluated. The pedagogical content knowledge of candidates completing initial and continuing professional programs is defined by professional, state, and national standards. (See alignment of the standards with institutional expectations in the Conceptual Framework.)

All programs use a variety of state, unit, and course assessments in developing entrance and exit requirements and curricula. To complete a program, candidates seeking initial licensure must successfully complete at least 300 hours of field experiences, with 150 of those in direction instruction of students, meet state content and pedagogy requirements for the field in which the license is sought, submit an electronic portfolio that demonstrates competence in the ten INTASC standards as well as specific standards of professional organizations where applicable, and submit passing scores on Praxis II if applicable.

All programs have at least two content specific methods classes accompanied by field experiences while some programs have three or four. For example, English education has two additional methods courses in teaching composition and adolescent literature. Elementary education programs have content specific methods courses for teaching science, teaching mathematics, and teaching social studies. Regardless of the configuration, all methods classes stress content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. For example, the English methods II syllabus (p.3) is just one example of how these courses draw on (and add to) candidates’ content knowledge while developing pedagogical skills. Each program has a Program Performance Assessment Matrix that tracks selected tasks across the program. Some of these tasks for each program deal directly with using content for specific purposes. For example, in the English education performance matrix, candidates, in various courses, develop lesson plans and units, design an interdisciplinary unit, do micro-teaching, and develop a Praxis Project, i.e. a unit based on authors from the traditional literary canon as well as authors from under-represented groups.

A requirement of student teaching and the portfolio is that candidates demonstrate their use of technology for instruction. Many examples are in social studies, science, and mathematics portfolios as well as English (click here for examples from a English candidate’s portfolio, click on INTASC standards, then Principle VI). Also within this portfolio the candidate demonstrates a variety of thoughtful ways to present content for student learning. Click here to see a series of science lessons demonstrate the use of technology as well as pedagogical content knowledge.

Pedagogical content knowledge for candidates in continuing preparation programs can be found in course assignments, research projects, case studies, and in analyses of their classroom practice. Candidates demonstrate pedagogical content knowledge as part of a master’s inquiry project presented in electronic format to a three-member committee as a master’s comprehensive examination. These inquiry projects are classroom based, demonstrate impact on student learning, show knowledge of inquiry skills, and demonstrate a facility with technology.

Element 4: Professional and Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills

for Teacher Candidates

(Initial and Continuing Preparation of Teachers)

Core professional education courses assure that candidates have a common set of experiences. Faculty in those courses have planned together so that regardless of who teaches the courses or whether the course is undergraduate or graduate, each course will have selected common performance tasks. All initial preparation candidates take EDCI 4124 Educational Psychology for Preservice Teachers, which provides a basis for learning theory and developmental theory among other things, and a social foundations class, in which candidates explore historical, sociological, and economic implications for education. All secondary program candidates take a content reading course, and most take an exceptional learners course (those that do not have those experiences embedded in other courses specific to their programs, e.g. music education). Additionally graduate programs require a teacher inquiry course while undergraduate programs build on the inquiry strategies and projects that are part of the content methods courses. All programs have both early field experiences and student teaching. These core courses and experiences provide assessments that meet state, unit, national, and professional standards.

Candidates must demonstrate through their portfolios (as well as student teaching) how they meet professional standards, among them activating students’ prior knowledge, understanding the school, family, and community context in which learning takes place, and seeing themselves as part of a larger learning community. (See a science education portfolio organized around standards.)

Reflection is an integral part of all programs. Candidates reflect on their learning and what that learning means for instruction and their students’ learning. These reflective writings/journaling/logs in courses throughout all programs (see Program Performance Assessment Matrix example) guide faculty’s understanding of candidate growth, but most are not evaluated formally. However, portfolios must be centered on reflection; artifacts and examples support reflection, but they do not substitute for indepth self-analysis. (Click here for an example of an undergraduate math candidate’s portfolio reflections on several topics.)

Element 5: Professional Knowledge and Skills of Other School Personnel

Candidates in programs for experienced teachers continuing their learning, i.e. the Reading Specialist program, move through a set of courses and experiences designed specifically to meet state and national professional and pedagogical standards. (Click here to see alignment matrix.) The course syllabi are tightly aligned with standards. Two field experiences, one a tutoring project and one of them a year-long experience ground the candidates’ learning in their practice. A culminating inquiry project provides opportunities for action research that can impact their school setting. (Click here for syllabi for the Reading Specialist program.)

The professional knowledge and skills delineated in the Administration and Supervision program, the school counseling program, and the instructional technology program are all linked to state and national standards and especially to professional standards. (Click here for principal preparation alignment matrix. Click here for counseling alignment matrix.) For example, the assessment plan for administration and supervision describes in detail the assessment of the knowledge and skills of candidates as they progress through the program and the involvement of schools in the assessment process. Similarly the school counseling assessment plan lays out the sequence for assessment of professional knowledge and skills throughout the program. The counseling faculty meet each semester to discuss candidate progress in the program. (See alignment of the standards with institutional expectations for advanced programs in the Conceptual Framework.)

The instructional technology program requires electronic portfolios linked to the professional standards as a final assessment of candidates’ professional knowledge and skills. State technology standards are closely aligned with ISTE standards; therefore, the program meets state standards as well. (See an electronic portfolio of a master’s IT candidate and a doctoral IT candidate.) Formative assessment takes places each semester by the program team as candidates progress through the program.

Element 6: Dispositions of All Candidates

During admission to both initial and advanced programs, steps are taken to assess candidates’ dispositions toward learning and learners. Candidates write an application responding to different questions depending on the program, but at least one of the questions is an attempt to ascertain how candidates think about teaching and learning at the entry point. At the interview, candidates are questioned further about their written responses. One part of all written application forms for initial programs must be the signed statement that the candidate has no felony convictions.

For example, the 5^th year elementary program asks candidates to write an essay in response to the questions: Why teach? What is the responsibility of a teacher? Elementary Education faculty read the essay and then invite candidates for an interview. During the interview, focus questions evolve around candidates’ understanding of what qualities they bring to teaching, whether they have engaged in any work they consider advocacy for groups unlike themselves, and their views on the role of a teacher. As faculty we look for patterns of caring, advocacy , commitment to improving the lives of others, and the ethical and moral responsibility of teaching. During this phase of the interview, candidates’ responses to the three areas are rated by the interviewing faculty on a five-point scale. The remaining time is spent in answering questions about the program and the requirements they may need to address prior to admission

Secondary programs also have written and oral admissions practices, each assessing in some way applicants’ dispositions toward teaching and learning. Additionally, all programs are instituting a human relations writing task for candidates making application this spring and scoring it with a rubric (developed at the Center for the Renewal of Schools and the Education Profession at Eastern Kentucky University). This initial measure will be placed along other measures throughout the program to determine how well this entry task provides evidence for assessing dispositions early on. Some programs have decided to use the entry writing task for candidates to self-evaluate, using the rubric, during the early field experience, which focuses on dispositions toward teaching, learning, and learners.

Reflective writing tasks in both core professional courses and content courses continue throughout the program of studies to address candidate dispositions toward teaching and learning. Candidates are required to complete a webquest on ethical uses of technology and the Internet. The early field experience evaluation assesses primarily dispositional traits that a candidate has exhibited while in a school setting. A positive evaluation and recommendation at this point is mandatory to being placed in student teaching. Candidates who do not receive a positive recommendation may do another field experience or are counseled out of the program. (See Standard 3 for description of this process.)

Developing a disposition toward inquiry is an objective of all programs and is one of the four program Essentials in the Conceptual Framework. Candidates complete inquiry projects in core courses, such as the Cohort Media Project in social foundations, case studies and shadow studies (click on Principle 3, then Shadow Study), a required course in teacher inquiry in graduate programs, and an inquiry project that is included in the portfolio.

Candidates in advanced programs have extensive written and oral interviews to determine their commitment to education of all students and to the learning of all students. Faculty meet throughout the candidates’ programs to discuss dispositions as well as professional progress. (See School Counselor Assessment Plan, Administration and Supervision Assessment Plan for initial preparation of principals and supervisors, and Reading Specialist Performance Assessment Matrix.) For example, in the Administration and Supervision program, “dispositions are measured through the assessment of journal entries and responses to [proposed] situations. Rubrics are used to score [candidate] responses. Validation of these rubrics is required and can be improved by giving clear directions … around specific dispositions that are expressed in the ELCC standards.” Other measures for dispositions toward specific aspects of leadership practice are used and feedback is provided to assist individual development. Dispositions are assessed in each course and progress reviewed.

Element 7: Student Learning for Teacher Candidates

(Initial and Continuing Preparation of Teachers)

Throughout the program, candidates develop strategies for analyzing student learning. In the early field experience, candidates have a variety of experiences that call for observing and analyzing, such as shadowing a student, which all secondary candidates do in the early field experience and case studies analysis, which all candidates do in the exceptional learners course. Graduate initial licensure candidates also take a teacher inquiry course in which “analysis of student work” grows out of the multiple observation and data collection strategies that candidates learn in the course. The Program Performance Assessment Plans for each program show multiple experiences that focus on skills that enable candidates to analyze learning.

During student teaching all candidates must develop at least one project that demonstrates their impact on student learning and include it in their portfolios. (Examples in electronic portfolios: . A social studies portfolio used before and after assessment of a class discussion; an English education candidate showed multiple examples of student learning using various strategies (click on Student Work); a social studies lesson with instruction based on developmental levels.) Elementary portfolios will be on-site for review; all portfolios will be electronic format in 2003.) Acting on the belief that all children can learn is monitored and discussed throughout the student teaching experience. All portfolios have such examples: many are available on the web; others will be available on site. Culminating data are collected and aggregated for student teaching and for portfolios.

The Performance-based Assessment Transition Plan calls for a systematic analysis of what occurs across programs as faculty help candidates develop ways to demonstrate that, in fact, students have learned as a result of instruction. Program faculty will evaluate what they are requiring of candidates as they demonstrate their impact on student learning, how faculty are measuring candidate success; how they are supporting these experiences, i.e. what instructional and evaluative strategies are candidates receiving and in which courses? what have candidates produced in the last two years? what more needs to be done? and what are the next steps to be taken?

Element 8: Student Learning for Other Professional School Personnel

The administration and supervision program to prepare principals has at the heart of its mission the learning of all students. “Instructional Leadership” is one of the ELCC categories for assessing quality of on-the-job performance. The program is developing instruments to measure instructional leadership and follow graduates for five years. They have developed a data base to analyze the data on this and other data collected for the program. (See administration and supervision Program Performance Assessment Plan.)

In the school counseling program, candidates create a set of tapes with peers that demonstrate counseling techniques, skills, and development. These tapes are submitted and evaluated prior to entering the clinical experience. Although all problems that students might have are not centered on learning, many frequently are, and the process itself is designed to heighten candidates’ sensitivity to student learning needs. Control and motivation issues associated with learning often require intervention through school counselors.

For the Reading Specialist Program, the focus of the two practica is student learning. Candidates must demonstrate in the first practicum that they can diagnose, design, and deliver interventions and strategies that impact the progress of two students they tutor. Their plans and tutoring reports are presented weekly during the fifteen class sessions that support the tutoring practicum. The specific experiences and measures used for this practicum are detailed in the folio for the Reading Specialist Program prepared for review by the International Reading Association.

Materials associated with the second practicum will be reviewed for evidence of candidate learning and school improvement (this is a new addition to the revised program and this culminating experience has not been offered as yet). Relevant activities and documents will be assessed using rubrics prepared for this course. (See syllabus for illustrative rubrics.) These rubrics will be used by the professor of record as well as the school-based reading specialist who is participating with the program. Assessment will focus on evidence of candidate and student learning and school improvement.