Transcript Slide 1

The NCATE Journey

Kate Steffens St. Cloud State University AACTE/NCATE Orientation - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Lifting The Fog

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Goals

 Provide an overview of the NCATE process  Discuss strategies for integrating accreditation efforts into daily functions  Provide a blueprint for organization in preparation for an NCATE visit AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Challenges

 Stakes are higher  Focus on accountability  Increasing competition  Increasing demands at the state level  Focus on performance-based assessment  Regional accreditation agencies AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Challenges

 Accreditation requires involvement by the entire university and a solid relationship with school partners - shared vision.

 We can no longer assume that we are preparing good professionals, we must provide evidence of that fact.

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Institutional Context

 A Starting Point To Consider  Land grant institution, state university, private college  Where are you in the NCATE process?

 Initial or continuing accreditation visit  Probationary visit or focused visit  Expectations at last visit  New leadership? New faculty?

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

What Are Your Goals?

 Continuing or initial accreditation  Web-based visit  Involvement of more faculty in process  Change the attitude toward accreditation  Create a culture of assessment and accountability AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

The Question of “Why”?

 Fundamental Question:  Why do we want NCATE accreditation?

 Why do we do this work?

 What do we want out of it?

Importance of “framing our work” in a context that serves all stakeholders.

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Concept of Self-Study

 Engage in ongoing accreditation work  Annual goals and objectives related to NCATE  Develop institutional procedures that promote ongoing self-study     Committee structure Budget priorities Annual reports Focused efforts at the program, department, and unit level  Ongoing documentation of your work AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Initial Steps

 Know the standards  Know the preconditions  Know the program review process  Use the NCATE website  Develop a work plan and timeline with annual goals and objectives AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Where Do We Begin?

 NCATE Champion  NCATE Coordinator  Changing role as the importance of NCATE accreditation has grown  Team Approach: Deans, Associate Deans, Assessment Directors, and NCATE Coordinators AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Where Do We Begin?

 “The Big Picture”  Understanding of    National and state activities, NCLB, Title II NCATE Standards Program review process, state partnership AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Where Do We Begin?

 Organizational Structure  Leadership structure (NCATE Steering Committee, Standards Committees)  Identification of roles and responsibilities  Identification of support staff AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Where Do We Begin?

 Committee Structure          NCATE Steering Committee Clinical and Field Experience Committee Assessment Committee Teacher Education Committee Technology and Space Committee Graduate Committee Global Education Committee External Advisory Committees Dean’s Advisory Committees AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Where Do We Begin?

 Communication Structure  Administration  Professional Education faculty  Arts and Sciences faculty  School partners AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Where Do We Begin?

 Work Plan and Timeline  Annual goals and objectives  Professional development activities  Countdown to NCATE AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Share the Vision

 Accreditation is the highest priority within the unit  Accreditation stands for excellence  Accreditation means that our candidates are meeting the highest standards AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Initial Step - Where Are We?

 NCATE Scan: comprehensive analysis of each element within a standard  Individual standard vs. all standards  Conducted at the unit, program, department, or leadership team level  Serves as a starting point / work plan AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

For Example:

 Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions  Element A: Content Knowledge  What is our current status?  What evidence do we have that our candidates have content knowledge?

 What data can we provide?

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Putting The Pieces Together

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

A Strong Infrastructure

 The key to a successful NCATE accreditation process is building a strong infrastructure!

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Build Your Foundation

 Conceptual Framework  Assessment System  Data System AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Conceptual Framework

Critical Questions:  “Are we living our conceptual framework?”  “Do our candidates completing our programs reflect the conceptual framework?” Need to collect data to answer the critical questions!

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Conceptual Framework Foundation

 Review of the literature to reflect the new standards  Alignment of conceptual framework with professional and state standards  Alignment of conceptual framework with course outcomes within programs  Determine what data are needed related to the conceptual framework AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Assessment / Data Focus

 Levels of Assessment / Data 

Institutional Level

 Unit Level  Program Level  Candidate Level AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Example

 Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions  Content Knowledge  Unit Level - Praxis II Data, Clinical Experience Data  Program Level - Praxis II Data, Clinical Experience Data, Portfolio Data  Candidate Level - Praxis II Data, Clinical Experience Data, Portfolio Data AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Building an Assessment Foundation

 Alignment of course outcomes with professional standards  Identification of key assessments in courses (connecting outcomes with assessments)  Development of transition points within programs AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation  Development and/or refinement of scoring criteria/rubrics  Collecting / analyzing/ disseminating data (data system)  Using data to make changes AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation Goal: Using data to make decisions at all levels:  Unit - Example: Praxis Center  Program - Example: Follow-up Studies  Candidate - Example: Transition Points AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Course Level Analysis

 Asked faculty to analyze their course outcomes in terms of alignment with :  Conceptual Framework  INTASC Principles / NBPTS Standards  State Standards / Professional Standards  Assessments Outcome: Faculty Discussions/Curricular Changes AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Syllabus - Alignment Matrix

Course Outcomes (Content Standards) Standards of Effective Practice (Minnesota) INTASC Principles Conceptual Framework Assessment

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Program Level Analysis

 Conceptual Framework  Professional standards / Program competencies  Types of assessments AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Data, Data, Data

 Internal Data  External Data  Institutional Data  Unit Data  Department Data  Program Data  Candidate Data AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Internal Data

 Internal Data  Candidate work samples (i.e., reflections, essays, lesson plans, course exams, portfolios)  Performance data (clinical and field experiences) AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation  External Data

External Data

 Follow-up studies  Employers  Candidates  Cooperating Teachers  Title II data / Statewide testing AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Building Your Data Infrastructure

 What data are available?

 What data are needed but not collected?

 What are our goals for data collection?

 How do we use our data?

Goal: Comprehensive Data System AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation  Data Collection Inventory  What? Who? When?

 Data Dissemination Plan  Who gets what? When?

 Use of Data Process  How are data used?

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

The Power of Data

 Data provides the answers to accountability questions.

 Data is the force behind needed change.

 Data should guide decisions and changes within programs and the unit.

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

The Impact of Accreditation Work

 Shift in the context of teaching for faculty  Shift in learning for our candidates  Move toward a system of providing evidence of what candidates know and are able to do (data based system)  Using data to drive decision-making at the candidate, program, and unit level AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

The NCATE Challenge

 Present evidence that the institution is meeting each element of the standards at an acceptable level.

 Build Your Foundation:  Conceptual Framework  Assessment System  Data System AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Streamlined Process

 Goal of the streamlined process  Intensive self-study process:  Leads to a stronger infrastructure  Analysis of your data system  Understand your strengths and areas for improvement  Future planning and investment AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Remember

The value of accreditation is in the journey toward the visit!

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008

The Standard of Excellence In Teacher Preparation

Have a great conference!

Kate Steffens

[email protected]

AACTE/NCATE - Spring 2008