SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
| GOAL: Effective Lesson Planning |
| Objective |
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Secondary education candidates will be able to plan an effective lesson. |
| Indicator |
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During the classes of Methods Block, first semester senior year, the students write multiple lesson plans. Each student selects the best lesson plan in each content area (math, English language arts, science, and social studies) to submit as their best representation of a Lesson Plan in that content area. The lesson plans are scored/evaluated on information documented in stating the lesson goals, objectives, rationale, standards, materials, classroom setting, student needs, focus, procedures, design of implementation, and closure of the lesson. The Lesson Plan assessment allows our candidates to demonstrate their understanding of: *Establishing a lesson framework; *Designing a supportive learning environment; *Incorporating Instructional strategies; and, *Implementing Evaluation strategies. |
| Criterion |
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90% of candidates during the 2012-2013 academic year will achieve a score of "3" on the Methods Block Lesson Plan. The lesson plan format is in place and ready to use. From the Findings in Goals 2009-2010, the lesson plan rubric will continue to be adjusted to give not only a score on the four sections of the lesson plan, but also to provide an overall score of 3, 2, or 1. The Methods Block Lesson Plans will be appropriate format to measure a variety of learning outcomes. The content of the items in this assessment relate directly to the planning, implementation, and assessment of instruction that teachers encounter when teaching. Using the Findings from 2012-2013, instructors will focus instruction more specifically on the requirements for the quality completion of the four parts of the Lesson Plan: Establishing the Lesson Framework, Designing Supportive Learning Environments, Instructional Strategies, and Evaluation Strategies. In addition, more emphasis will be placed on the instruction for Evaluation Strategies, the lowest performing part of the Lesson Plan. This will be monitored regularly throughout the school year. In addition, since the Pre-Assessment scores on Lesson Plans cannot be disaggregated from the Post-Assessment scores on the Lesson Plans, instructors will no longer have students submit their Pre-Assessment Lesson Plans into TK20. We anticipate that our increased focus on evaluation strategies, a weakness now for two years in a row, will have improved this area. |
| Finding |
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91% of secondary teacher candidates passed the EC-12 Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Certification Examination. There were 184 attempts and 167 passed. While the 93% criteria was not met, strategies are continuing to be employed in all of the Secondary Methods courses which address the lower-scoring areas. |
| Action |
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81% of the teacher candidates scored a 3 on the Methods Block Lesson Plan. While the 90% criteria was not met, 94% of the teacher candidates scored a 2 or 3. This is Acceptable and Target ratings. Strategies are continuing to be employed in all of the Secondary Methods courses which address the lower-scoring areas of the lesson plan. |
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Analysis of the data showed that the secondary teacher candidates scored lowest in the Setting and Closure thus, this is an area that will be addressed often by each methods instructor when teaching about lesson planning. |
| GOAL: Certification |
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Secondary education candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions of effective teaching and learning of secondary students. |
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All candidates seeking initial certification, advanced teacher certification, or certifications for other school personnel must take one or more of the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES). These examinations directly correspond to the state content competencies that have been identified for the certification desired. These content competencies are aligned with and based on the appropriate state standards and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) statements, which describe the state mandated curriculum for students. Each TExES examination is criterion-referenced and is designed to measure a candidate's level of content knowledge and skills appropriate for educators in the State of Texas. Each test was collaboratively developed by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC), National Evaluation Systems, Inc. (NES), an independent corporation specializing in educational measurements, with additional participation by committees of Texas educators. Individual test items developed to measure the state competencies were reviewed and rated by the various committees of Texas educators to ensure appropriateness of content and difficulty, clarity, and accuracy. These committees also ensured that the test items matched the appropriate competencies and were free from potential ethnicity, gender, and regional biases. The committees also helped prepare scoring rubrics for written response items and training materials for those who would score the tests. Separate standard-setting panels were convened to review statistical data about candidate scores from initial pilot studies of the tests during their development. Recommendations were forwarded to the SBEC, which made the final decisions about establishing passing scores. TExES examinations are centrally administered by SBEC and NES at pre-determined sites and on pre-established dates across Texas similar to many of the national achievement tests. This regime provides for a professional, equitable, and secure testing environment for candidates. Alternative testing arrangements are also permitted for those requiring special consideration. Sites are selected after a careful review of security and accessibility potential, and the quality of overall testing conditions. Tests are scored centrally. |
| Criterion |
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93% of secondary education candidates will pass the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Certification Examination the first time. While the accountability system for the state examines scores for each completer cohort and provides for students to repeat the examination if they are not successful on the first attempt, the analysis of pass rates which will be presented here represent the pass rates on the first attempt for all PPR exams taken in 2013-2014, through May of 2014. From the 2010-2011 findings, strategies to increase the percentage of first time exam takers will continue. In addition, those strategies will include more effort to address the lower-scoring areas so as to increase the percentage passing scores of first time exam takers. Last year the weakness that emerged revolved around assessment. We anticipate that our increased focus in this area will show improvement. |
| Finding |
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91% of secondary teacher candidates passed the EC-12 Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Certification Examination. There were 184 attempts and 167 passed. While the 93% criteria was not met, strategies are continuing to be employed in all of the Secondary Methods courses which address the lower-scoring areas. |
| Action |
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Analysis of the PPR data showed that the secondary teacher candidates scored lowest in the first domain (there are four domains) – Designing Instruction: appropriate strategies for English Language Learners (ELL). Thus, this is an area that will be addressed often by each methods instructor when teaching about lesson planning to meet the needs of diverse learners. Specifically, to help candidate become familiar with the rationale, language, and format of the PPR teacher certification examination questions. Each instructor (in the methods semester) will prepare sample questions and use these items for either pre or post assessment in the course. Instructors and/or candidates will discuss/analyze questions and rationalize choice of acceptable and unacceptable answers. Instructors will use sample test items as a sponge activity, closing activity, etc. using cards, small group discussions, and self assessment. The certification office will provide data to the faculty on the practice test results prior to the actual test. |
| GOAL: Effective Teaching |
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| Secondary education candidates will demonstrate elements of effective teaching. |
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The Teacher Work Sample (TWS), adapted from The Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality Project (http://fp.uni.edu/itq), is a performance assessment designed to demonstrate evidence of Sam Houston State University candidates' ability to facilitate learning for all students. This sample illustrates the candidate's ability to plan, implement, modify and assess instruction during their student teaching semester. Prior to the student teaching semester, candidates choose one (12 to 14 week placement) or two (6 to 7 week placements). During the first 6 to 7 weeks of their placement, candidates are required to create and teach a unit as a Teacher Work Sample. After consulting with their mentor teacher about the unit focus, candidates teach a minimum of five lessons from the unit in their mentor's classroom. Additionally, the candidates are evaluated on their unit planning and teaching of unit lessons. They are also required to reflect on their decision-making and teaching practice including their impact on student learning. The Teacher Work Sample (TWS) focuses on seven teaching processes that are crucial for effective/reflective teaching and must be considered when planning for the learning of all students. Each process is defined by a performance standard, specific task, a student prompt and a rubric that identify the desired performance of the candidate related to that process. |
| Criterion |
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75% of candidates in the 2013-2014 academic year will achieve a score of "3" on the Teacher Work Sample. As recommended by the Renaissance Group, each candidate's Teacher Work Sample is blindly scored by a minimum of two trained scorers. Each scorer evaluates and assigns a score of three(target), two (acceptable), or one (unacceptable) to each indicator, Additionally an overall score of three, two or one is given to each of the seven processes as well as and an overall three, two or one to the entire Teacher Work Sample. If the first two scorers agree on the overall Teacher Work Sample score, the scoring process is complete. However, if the two scorers do not agree the Teacher Work Sample is scored for a third, possibly fourth time, until agreement is reached. For this reason, the data presented in the following charts represents the number of scorings not the number of Teacher Work Samples scored. Once agreement is reached on the Teacher Work Sample score, the overall scores are sent to the student teachers. Using the desegregation of data report on the Teacher Work Sample, the focus will be to adjust the instruction on each of the seven processes of the TWS, addressing the areas of weakness reflected in the disaggregated data report. This will be assessed regularly throughout the school year. Two weaknesses emerged last year as in the previous year, Assessment Plan and Analysis of Student Learning. We anticipate that our increased focus in these areas will find these areas improved |
| Finding |
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The reporting data for the TWS provided by the college now designates the percentage of matching scores. That is, what percentage of test takers received matching scores of 3 on two blind reviews, what percentage received matching scores of 2, etc. The score of candidates receiving matching 3's was 53.6%. The score of candidates receiving matching 2's was 43.0%. If we examine scores of matching 2's and matching 3's (acceptable and target), the score was 96.6%. |
| Action |
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Each semester, the faculty in the Secondary Methods Program, plan and implement new strategies based on assessment data to assist our candidates in successfully completing the Teacher Work Sample. This is evident in that 96.6% of all candidates met the minimum standard. Of the test takers, 53.6% received matching scores of 3, while 44.0% received matching scores of 2. Since 96.6% of candidates demonstrated mastery on this assessment, the faculty would like to focus on improving modifications for instruction for all students. Our candidates must be able to demonstrate planning, implementing instruction, assessing instruction and modifying instruction for all learners. The TWS component which was lowest overall was Instructional Implications; therefore, this component will be addressed by the Secondary Methods faculty in order to come up with a plan to improve candidates’ scores. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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For the 2010-2011 academic year, the Curriculum and Instruction Secondary Education Program (CISE) was partially successful in reaching its goal. The overarching goal focused on program quality and effectiveness and was underpinned by three objectives: (1) Secondary education candidates will be able to plan an effective lesson, (with the criteria of 85% of the secondary students will receive a score of "3" on the methods block lesson plan), (2) Secondary education candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions of effective teaching and learning of secondary students (with the criteria of 85% of secondary student education candidates will pass the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Certification Examination), (3) Secondary education candidates will demonstrate elements of effective teaching (with the criteria of 75% of Secondary Education candidates will receive a "3" on the Teacher Work Sample.) While gains are evident, we would like to see more substantial gains in all three goals.
While CISE students did not achieve an overall 85% score of "3" on the four parts of the lesson plan, they did achieve “Target” or "Acceptable" on all sections of the lesson plan at a combined average of 90.4%, except Evaluation Strategies. The CISE program educators plan to focus on changes within our own classroom practice to bolster this objective in the future. A much stronger emphasis will be placed on assessment in CISE coursework with the addition of a new assessment course, as the evaluation strategies domain is still the lowest of the four areas on the lesson plan. It should be noted, however, that some decreases were seen in three of the four domains of the lesson plan, as the "3" (Target) rate changed from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012 in the following ways: establishing the lesson framework: 77% to 72% designing supportive learning environment: 81% to 71.57% instructional strategies: 70% to 74.42% evaluation strategies: 70% to 60.47% These changes are most likely due to different evaluators scoring the plans, and, fewer overall candidates. The CISE program did not meet the criterion set for objective 2. This objective was nearly met, as 84% of SED candidates passed the PPR on their first attempt. The CISE program educators plan to focus on changes within our own classroom practice to increase the passing rates in the future, in particular in the area of assessment. The CISE program did not exceed the criterion set, as the rate of those making a "3" was below 75%. However, 96% of candidates did submit a combined "Target" and "acceptable" TWS. Even so, it is the belief of the faculty that ongoing emphasis on the components of the TWS during the Methods Block semester (when a modified TWS is performed), along with prompt and extensive feedback on the components and modified TWS will prove beneficial in their preparation for success on the TWS performed during student teaching; as with the above two objectives, the CISE program educators plan to focus on changes within our own classroom practice to bolster this objective in the future. These changes will focus largely on assessment. |
| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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For the 2012-2013 academic year, the Curriculum and Instruction Secondary Education Program (CISE) was partially successful in reaching its goal. The overarching goal focused on program quality and effectiveness and was underpinned by three objectives: (1) Secondary education candidates will be able to plan an effective lesson, (with the criteria of 85% of the secondary students will receive a score of "3" on the methods block lesson plan), (2) Secondary education candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions of effective teaching and learning of secondary students (with the criteria of 85% of secondary student education candidates will pass the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Certification Examination), (3) Secondary education candidates will demonstrate elements of effective teaching (with the criteria of 75% of Secondary Education candidates will receive a "3" on the Teacher Work Sample.) While gains are evident, we would like to see more substantial gains in all three goals. |
| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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Goal: Effective Lesson Planning
Using the Findings from 2012-2013, instructors will focus instruction more specifically on the requirements for the quality completion of the four parts of the Lesson Plan: Establishing the Lesson Framework, Designing Supportive Learning Environments, Instructional Strategies, and Evaluation Strategies. In addition, more emphasis will be placed on the instruction for Evaluation Strategies, the lowest performing part of the Lesson Plan. This will be monitored regularly throughout the school year. Goal: Certification Based on the findings of the 2012-2013 TExES scores, the low-scoring areas will be address through concentrated focus. A "workshop" will be conducted as an additional tutorial over the different sections of the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Certification Examination. Goal: Effective Teaching Ongoing emphasis on the components of the TWS, during the Methods Block semester (when a modified TWS is performed), along with prompt and extensive feedback on the components and modified TWS will prove beneficial in the teacher candidates' preparation for success on the TWS performed during student teaching; as with the above two objectives, the CISE program educators plan to focus on changes within our own classroom practice to bolster this objective in the future. These changes will focus largely on assessment and special populations. |