Element 1A: Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

N/A for Focus Visit

N/A for Focus Visit

Advanced teacher preparation programs require that candidates hold valid teaching credentials and/or a specified amount of teaching experience or educational background for admissions consideration. This requirement ensures initial level content knowledge pertinent to the advanced candidate's teaching authorization. Candidates are usually practicing teachers who apply knowledge of their subject regularly in individual educational settings. Professional content knowledge gained through participation in advanced programs is demonstrated through successful completion of program courses, field experiences, signature assignments, comprehensive examinations, theses, and exit surveys of candidates. The table titled Relationship Between Student Learning Outcomes, Signature Assignments, and Content Knowledge by Program (PDF) displays the signature assignments for each program learning outcome mapped to content knowledge for advanced teacher preparation programs.

The table titled Program-level Summary Table by NCATE Standard 1 Elements (AY08-09): Advanced Teacher Preparation Programs (PDF) reports aggregated candidate performance data aligned with NCATE Standard 1 Elements for all advanced teacher preparation programs. Each of the advanced teacher preparation programs has one or more Student Learning Outcomes that address "content knowledge." Each SLO is assessed by one or more signature assignments. For the AY 08-09 period, the average score for "content knowledge" across advanced preparation programs was 3.77. None of the advanced teacher preparation programs had a mean score below 3.61, thus the Assessment Committee saw no cause for concern in any program and no action was recommended. Click here (PDF) for tables displaying candidate performance data on "content knowledge" by program.

Initial Programs: N/A for Focus Visit

Advanced Programs

While the CSU system supports follow-up studies of candidates who have completed initial credential programs, similar support does not exist for follow-up studies of graduates of advanced programs and programs for other school professionals. When the college began its intensive efforts (in Fall 2007) to respond to NCATE feedback and reconceptualize its unit assessment system, it recognized that follow-up studies were a critical part of a robust system of assessment.

At that time, we made the decision to move forward in our re-development process in a chronological way. Our initial focus was on assessing student learning outcomes through direct evidence, to be finalized and implemented fully by fall 2008. In spring 2009, we turned our attention to the development of a college-wide exit survey (PDF) for advanced programs and programs for other school personnel. This survey was piloted in spring 2009.

As is noted on the action plan for the UAS (PDF) , establishing follow-up studies of program completers is an important next step in the process of refining our assessment system. While some advanced programs and programs for other school personnel conduct regular or episodic follow-up studies, the college does not currently have a systematic follow-up process that is essential to strong assessment systems. To begin this phase of our UAS development, in fall 2009 the Assessment Office is collaborating with the School Psychology program to pilot a follow-up instrument (PDF). We anticipate sharing results of this pilot with college programs and doing a full-scale implementation in all programs in spring 2010.

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