Team Report of Findings for the Maine State Board of Education

TEAM REPORT OF FINDINGS FOR THE MAINE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Colby College Program Approval Visit for Educator Preparation Program September 22 to September 24, 2019 Waterville, Maine

Program Review Team Dr. Heather Ball (Chair), The University of Maine at Machias Dr. Anita Charles, Bates College Dr. Linda Fuller, College of the Atlantic Ms. Lavinia M. Rogers, Maine Department of Education

Non-Voting Participants Ms. Wendy Ault, State Board of Education Mr. Jason C. Libby, Maine Department of Education Mr. Angel Martinez Loredo, Maine Department of Education

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction 2

II. Summary of the Unit’s Conceptual Framework 3

III. Summary of the Team’s Findings for Each Standard 4

Standard 1 4

Standard 2 7

Standard 3 9

Standard 4 12

Standard 5 14

Standard 6 17

IV. Recommendation to State Board of Education 19

V. Appendix A: Individuals Interviewed by the Review Team 20

1 I. Introduction

In September 2019, the Review Team organized by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and representing the State Board of Education, conducted its site visit to Colby College in Waterville, Maine. In advance of this visit, members of the Review Team received the Self- Study Report for Colby College Education Program’s Professional Certification Program, as well as access to its online exhibit room. This team report has been compiled by the Review Team following extensive examination of the Self-Study Report and exhibit room, as well participating in a myriad of interviews with Colby faculty and staff during the September 22-24, 2019 site visit to the Colby College campus.

According to the Self-Study Report, Colby College has a long-standing tradition of preparing teachers and educational leaders for Maine, New England, and the nation. Colby College, and the process of educating teachers at Colby, has changed significantly since its founding in 1813; nevertheless, the institution has maintained a commitment to offer coursework and clinical training for prospective teachers in the context of a small, private college whose primary goal is to provide all graduates with a well-rounded, rigorous education in the liberal arts and sciences. Colby College Education Program believes that the best preparation for a teaching career in public secondary schools is (1) a strong background in the liberal arts including intensive and concentrated study of the subject to be taught and (2) appropriate coursework and clinical experience in education.

Colby’s Education Program began as an “Office of Education” through which students could complete necessary coursework and field experiences to obtain Maine secondary teaching credentials. It morphed into a minor in Professional Certification in 1990. Following almost 20 years of relative stability in the Education Program, a standing major in Educational Studies was established in 2014. The Review Team considered two pathways for candidates to complete the Professional Teacher Certification Program - a major in Educational Studies (students who choose to complete Professional Certification Program as part of this major) and a minor in Professional Certification. These pathways lead to the following Maine teaching endorsements:

• Secondary education 7-12 (English, social studies, life science, physical science, mathematics) • K-12 foreign language in French, Spanish, and German

2 II. Summary of the Unit’s Conceptual Framework

Findings Colby College is committed to diversity and liberal arts as broad human knowledge. The College has established ten educational precepts that reflect its principal elements of education and serve as a guide for making reflective course choices, measuring educational growth, and planning for education beyond college. All Colby College students are encouraged to pursue these precepts - which it believes are the heart of a liberal arts education - in educational and cultural events, activities, and service to others.

The mission and conceptual framework of Colby College’s Education Program aligns with and is built upon the ten precepts of the College, with a particular focus on social justice. Candidates are encouraged to critically analyze intended and unintended oppression resulting from educational and institutional practices through the Unit’s Teaching for Social Justice conceptual framework. In teaching for social justice, candidates are continually challenging the status quo and working for equity and justice for all. This pedagogy infuses an understanding of privilege, cultural capital, and hegemony. In 2014, Unit faculty adopted Cultural Competency for Social Justice – a framework conceived by Dianne Goodman in 2013 – as a 12th standard for students completing the Professional Certification Program (hereinafter “the Unit”). The interrelationship between education and social justice is central to the Unit and, more broadly, to the institution. The Unit embraces civic engagement in order to prepare candidates to be full and active participants in a democratic society.

The conceptual framework of the Unit is readily identifiable in electronic and print resources, and it is shared with community partners, such as school principals and teachers. Characteristics of the framework are noticeable in the spoken words of Colby candidates, faculty, and staff/administration, and woven throughout the curriculum and all program materials. Teaching for Social Justice is clearly valued and expressed by program faculty via their scholarship, classroom activities and course experiences, and required assignments.

Commendation The Unit demonstrates clear and consistent messaging of the conceptual framework that is well- aligned with the overarching precepts of the institution. The Unit infuses the conceptual framework into the curriculum and clinical experiences associated with the Unit.

3 III. Summary of Findings for Each Standard

Standard One: Initial Teacher Candidate Performance

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

Findings The Unit’s Professional Certification Program may be completed as part of the Educational Studies major or the Professional Certification minor. The professional certification curriculum is comprised of eight courses, which includes a 15-week full-time student teaching experience. The Unit has developed a clear entry point to candidacy that requires an application. Candidates must complete ED 374 Educating All Students in Inclusive Classrooms prior to the start of student teaching. In this course, much attention is given to matters related to social justice and privilege. For program completion, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in Colby’s Initial Teacher Certification Standards (which include Maine’s Initial Teacher Certification Standards plus the 12th standard, Cultural Competency for Social Justice).

The Unit believes that that the best preparation for a teaching career in public secondary schools is two-fold: strong background in liberal arts along with appropriate coursework and clinical experience in education. Most of the coursework for the professional certification curriculum occurs in the candidate’s senior year (self-study; faculty interview). Because there were no current candidates enrolled in the program at the time of the Review Team site visit, it was challenging for the Review Team to develop a clear understanding of the impact of the organization of the programming on candidates.

From 2015-2019, 11 candidates completed the Professional Certification Program. Of those candidates who did not complete the program, two did not complete student teaching and two did not pass Praxis Content Area assessments. There are currently no candidates who will complete the program in spring 2020, four students will likely complete the program in spring 2021, and three students are likely to complete the program in 2022 (Table 4.4 Professional Certification Candidates 2015-2019).

The Unit employs the Initial Certification Standards Rating Form as a tool for faulty and supervising teachers to provide feedback to candidate attainment of the standards during student teaching. Formative feedback is shared with candidates during student teaching by way of informal conversations that vary in nature (faculty interview). For example, one faculty reported asking questions to frame student strengths and areas of growth related to the standards while another faculty member described a different style of conversation that depends on the candidate’s exposure to pedagogy and the topical focus of instruction. Candidates may be encouraged to use certain teaching strategies or provided with readings or resources to help them grow. According to one faculty member, it may be helpful for the Unit to work more closely

4 with supervising teachers on use of the feedback form as there are significant differences in how Unit faculty complete the form and how supervising teachers complete the form. Moreover, the Student Teaching Handbook should be reviewed for inconsistencies.

The Unit requires candidates to develop deep content knowledge (self-study), as evidenced by the requirement of at least a 3.0 grade point average that must be maintained by candidates in their content area. In the Student Teaching Handbook, it mentions that students are responsible for inviting a Colby faculty member from their content area of instruction to observe their classroom which supports the realization of standards focused on content areas. Faculty in the Unit note that both content area faculty and supervising teachers in the field serve as important resources for identifying texts, readings, and professional organizations for candidates enrolled in ED 331 Curriculum and Methods (faculty interview). Content area faculty serve Unit faculty, as well, in supporting their development in teaching in content areas (faculty interview). Student teacher portfolios demonstrated significant evidence of theory and candidate experiences from their content area courses at Colby. A professor from the Unit states that the methods course has moved from a course focused on teaching at the secondary level to one geared towards content areas, this has allowed for interdisciplinary conversations to occur naturally - for example, around student engagement and pacing of lessons - while enabling candidates to examine topics specific to a discipline.

Throughout the self-study, exhibit room, and campus visit, the Unit’s conceptual framework was supported by a wealth of evidence. There is a strong focus upon social justice that is readily apparent across the Unit’s curriculum and well known and embraced by candidates and Unit faculty. The focus on social justice – Standard 12 in Colby’s Initial Teacher Certification Standards - is also borne out in responses to the Alumni Survey Questions 2019, where candidates expressed that they are better able to build relationships, and that they have a broader context for the challenges learners face in the classroom, because of the social justice components that are embedded across the work of the Unit and the College. There is strong evidence of candidates building self-awareness, understanding, and knowledge of others and of societal inequalities via topics and assignments in course syllabi, and there was strong evidence presented during the Review Team visit through conversations with faculty and candidates.

In response to the Alumni Survey Questions 2019, the majority of students mentioned that they would have benefitted from more attention to the practical side of teaching such as: classroom management, lesson execution, and planning (curriculum, unit, and lesson plan). Students overwhelmingly felt that the conceptual framework for the program prepared them with the theory and content to be successful to teach for social justice. A similar pattern is found in student portfolios. Despite both a theoretical and practical aspect to Initial Teacher Certification Standards, the evidence candidates provide largely favors the theoretical. While the course syllabus for Student Teaching demonstrates an explicit connection between the course curriculum and the Initial Teacher Certification Standards, this connection is not as explicit in syllabi for other courses in the program.

Ability to Help All Students Learn It is clear from the Alumni Survey Questions 2019 that candidates do feel that they have the theoretical and background knowledge to create inclusive learning environments. In candidate portfolios, there was evidence of instructional supports and positive interactions between

5 candidates and students. However, there are no documents in candidate portfolios that demonstrate the impact of their instruction on student outcomes or how they use student work to inform instructional decisions.

Commendations 1. The unit engaged in rich interdisciplinary conversations as a result of moving the methods course from a general secondary education focus to a specific content focus. 2. The unit’s strong focus on theory through the lens of social justice enables candidates to feel they are better able to build relationships and have broader context for challenges learners face in the classroom.

Recommendations 1. Make explicit the alignment between Initial Teacher Certification Standards and education coursework for the Professional Certification Program prior to student teaching.

2. Develop clear parameters for what constitutes an artifact for the Student Teacher Portfolio for theoretical and practical aspects of the Initial Teacher Certification Standards. We strongly recommend that 7-12 student work samples during civic engagement and/or student teaching are included in the Student Teacher Portfolio to demonstrate impact on student progress towards meeting the standards.

This standard is partially met

6 Standard Two: Assessment System and Unit Evaluation

The unit has an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on the qualifications of applicants, the performance of candidates and graduates, and on unit operations to evaluate and improve the unit and its programs.

Findings The Unit collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications with regard to their content specialty through the institutional advising system and an application process that involves both a written application and interview. GPAs are reviewed at this time (self-study, p. 18). Once applicants are admitted to the certification program, their performance is closely tracked during field experiences through self-assessment and feedback from Colby faculty and supervising teachers (self-study, p. 18; faculty interview; school partner interview). Colby faculty analyze candidate progress during the fall semester in order to determine readiness for student teaching in the spring semester. As student teachers, candidates receive formative weekly feedback from the Unit during a weekly seminar and through two written reports from their supervising teacher (self-study, p. 18). Praxis data are tracked and the final assessment for the candidate occurs through a portfolio based on Colby’s Initial Teaching Standards, which the candidate presents through a “professional conversation” with at least two Colby faculty (self-study, p.19; faculty interview).

Unit operations are reviewed and assessed primarily through the portfolio assessment and professional conversation process, regular reviews of each cohort of candidates’ strengths and challenges, and monthly department meetings. Evaluative forms are also reviewed regularly and updated as needed. For example, this occurred in the fall of 2018 when questions related to the consistency of meaning and assessment of “civic engagement” were explored in depth (self- study, pp. 20, 23; faculty interview).

The unit employs feedback from supervising teachers in placement schools to make adjustments to their processes and tools. In 2014, the Unit acted upon feedback from supervising teachers when it made revisions to evaluation forms for student teaching performance, as the teachers felt that forms that were relevant for the final student teaching experience were not appropriate for use during the more formative fieldwork occurring prior to student teaching (support materials).

Assessment of candidates in the unit is “personalized and individualized” (self-study, p. 18), and often in the form of informal conversations (faculty interview). The Unit relies upon informal feedback methods to inform its programs and practices. The Student Teaching experience provides multiple opportunities for self-reflection and careful monitoring of portfolio artifacts (ED433/ 494A/ 494B Student Teaching Syllabus Spring 2019); other written measures of assessment are not clearly indicated.

Unit faculty conduct a series of observations throughout the spring semester of student teaching, using a form that marks progress against the 12 teaching standards (faculty interview). The Review Team did not find clear evidence of a progressive structure for ongoing student assessment during the student teaching experience from the course instructor or supervising

7 teacher (school partner interview; faculty interview). After graduation, Unit faculty collect information related to outcomes through informal connections and the Office of Institutional Research collects data related to outcomes through surveys (Professional Certification Alumni Surveys).

Recommendations 1. The student teaching assessment system should be systematized and enhanced with a clear progression of requirements for observations and evaluations, to track and benchmark student progress and outcomes. Coordinate and give structure around assessment of students in formal ways. 2. Candidate portfolios show a strength in addressing Colby’s Initial Teaching Certification Standards with theoretical evidence, often encompassing analytic essays, research papers, and other assignments from coursework throughout their four years; however, adding carefully selected artifacts from practice most often acquired during student teaching, practicum hours, and fieldwork, should provide evidence of developing skills tied to knowledge.

This standard is partially met

8 Standard Three: Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

The unit and its school partners design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates and other school personnel develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to help all students learn.

Findings The Unit demonstrates strong commitment to a developmental approach to field experiences and clinical practice as well as an emphasis on civic engagement as a powerful learning tool and precept of their institutional mission (self-study; faculty interview; school partner interview; practicum information; Colby College website). Beginning early in a candidate’s program, usually in their second year in the Unit, candidates take courses with substantial fieldwork requirements, totaling 240 hours before student teaching. Following recommendations from past review teams (2014 Colby College Program Review Visiting Team Report), student teaching now consists of full-time work in a classroom for an entire semester, which aligns with other teacher preparation programs in the state. In the current Unit structure, student teaching is scheduled during the spring term of a candidate’s senior year, with an opportunity to delay the experience until a ninth semester after graduation (self-study; current student and alumni interviews). This change in the approach to student teaching may be correlated to the decreased number of students in the professional certification program (self-study; Table 4.4 Professional Certification Candidates, 2015-2019; faculty interview). The lengthening of the student teaching experience to a full semester led directly to substantial reformation of course sequencing and impacted supervision structures, advising, staffing, and methods courses (self-study; faculty interview).

The Unit’s justification for scaffolding clinical placements in schools over several courses and terms cites support of candidates in several ways, including: providing early and ongoing classroom experiences; beginning the process of reflecting on instructional decisions early; affording the opportunity to closely explore theory and practice; enabling more focused engagement with learning differences; and bolstering candidates’ capacities to take more responsibility earlier in the student teaching semester (self-study). It also supports the program by allowing faculty and staff the opportunity to better advise students for whom teaching may not be the best career choice (self-study; faculty interview; school partner interview). Indeed, supervising teachers and school administrators describe Unit candidates as knowledgeable and able to take initiative with a keen eye for the struggling learner (school partner interview).

One school partner described the professional and responsive nature of Unit faculty in dealing with a situation when a Unit candidate completing a practicum at their school was not meeting expectations. This individual explained how Unit faculty worked with the candidate and the school to come up with a solution that met the needs of the school partners (school partner interview). Supervising teachers in the schools also praised the Unit’s faculty in their supervision of candidates in field placements, though it should be noted that there seems to be some confusion on the part of schools related to the revised student teaching structure versus practicum or course-related civic engagement hours (school partner interview). Once a greater number of

9 candidates begin to move through the full sequence of courses and the new structure of student teaching, this confusion is likely to be alleviated.

All field experiences, including student teaching, are grounded in both Colby’s Initial Teaching Certification Standards and in Maine’s Learning Results. In addition, the Educational Studies Program as a whole, in alignment with the Colby College mission, emphasizes civic engagement (self-study; Education Program course syllabi - especially Civic Engagement Information, ED 201; school partner interview). This alignment prepares candidates to work effectively with a variety of learners and to consider their students holistically (school partner interview). Supervising teachers also cited lesson planning, creativity, the ability to use technology effectively, responsiveness to feedback and advice, and an awareness that teaching involves more than the hours “from 8 to 2” as candidate strengths (school partner interview).

Enrollment in professional certification has declined since the student teaching was restructured to a full-time 15-week experience, as recommended by the 2014 Review Team (self-study; Professional Certification Candidates, 2015-2019). Having the option of only one semester (spring of their senior year) to do student teaching may be problematic to candidates who are part of a campus culture that places a high value on on-campus activities during the last semester of undergraduate work (faculty, student, and administration interviews). Candidates who opt to return to the Unit for student teaching during the ninth semester may do so free of tuition (faculty interview). Candidates in the Unit are aware of the ninth semester option, but they are also aware of multiple pathways to gain teaching experience: private school teaching; programs such as Teach for America, City Year, and the Urban Teachers Program; and one-year graduate programs that include earning teacher certification (interviews with Unit students). It was not clear how the Unit’s student advising system impacts student thinking and decision-making as candidates select among the many pathways into classroom teaching, including student teaching as part of the Unit in either the spring of senior year or in a ninth term.

Advising materials for student teaching in the Unit are thorough, including the Professional Certification Program Application; the Colby Student Teaching Handbook; and course descriptions for ED 433: Student Teaching Practicum, ED494a: Creating Equitable Learning Environments, and ED494b: Senior Seminar in Professional Certification. The Handbook may need updating to reflect current practices (page 12), and to articulate and differentiate the goals and objectives of the three courses that constitute the student teaching experience. An increased number of candidates moving through this pathway will help to provide a model for future candidates who are considering student teaching, as well as a proof of concept (Colby Student Teaching Handbook, course descriptions, faculty interview).

Commendation The unit extended student teaching to a full semester with a substantial reformation of the course sequencing, impacting supervision structure, advising, staffing, and methods courses.

Recommendation As the transition to a full semester student teaching requirement progresses, continue to explore ways to make this pathway more appealing to potential candidates. In addition, ensure your

10 materials, including the student teaching handbook and student teaching course syllabi, are in full alignment with current expectations.

This standard is met

11 Standard Four: Diversity

The unit designs, implements, and evaluates curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire and apply the knowledge and skills necessary to help all students learn. These experiences include working with diverse higher education and school faculty, diverse candidates, and diverse students in P-12 schools.

Findings Although Colby is situated in a largely homogenous region of the state in terms of race, the self- study and exhibits articulate key beliefs and actions that support strong efforts toward recognizing, increasing, and building knowledge and skills in diversity along a variety of markers of identity, including “persons of different races, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, economic backgrounds, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, and spiritual values” (Colby Statement on Diversity). The recognition of the value of diversity is woven into the fabric of the college’s statement of diversity, the college’s mission statement, the college’s initiatives and programs that directly support diversity, and the conceptual framework of the Unit.

Colby College sets out 10 Educational Precepts that all undergraduates are expected to embrace throughout their time on campus. Two of these Precepts that are relevant to the topic of diversity include: (#3) “to become acquainted with other cultures by learning a foreign language and by living and studying in another country or by closely examining a culture other than one’s own” and (#4) “to learn how people different from oneself have contributed to the richness and diversity of society, how prejudice limits such personal and cultural enrichment, and how each individual can confront intolerance” (Colby Plan: Mission and Precepts). These Precepts in particular point toward a deeply-rooted expectation of learning about and embracing diversity, difference, tolerance, and human rights action.

Given the central ideology of social justice within the institution, the Unit has added a 12th standard to the state’s list of 11 beginning teacher standards that candidates must show evidence of meeting. The 12th standard relates to Social Justice Competency and includes criteria for self- awareness; understanding and valuing others; knowledge of societal inequities; skills to interact effectively with diverse people in different contexts; and skills to foster equity and inclusion (self-study).

Demographic information for local schools (artifact table 4.2) indicates a largely White school population (Waterville Junior High School and Waterville High School = 84.2% White, with Winslow’s systems even higher). Yet, the demographics reflect considerably more diversity along markers of socioeconomics and disability. For example, at Waterville HS, students with disabilities = 25.6%, much higher than the state norm. Students from economic disadvantage at Waterville HS = 55.7%, and chronic absenteeism falls slightly above 40%. Thus, student teachers in the Unit gain exposure to and experiences with groups who may be marginalized within broader systems of power and privilege (2016 Statistical Abstract).

Within Colby College as a whole, enrollment statistics for 2018-19 indicate 63% White, 24% non-White, 10% international, and 3% unknown. The College continues to work on initiatives to

12 broaden and strengthen their commitment to racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among students and faculty (interview). Unit faculty reflect visible diversity of ethnicity and gender.

Beyond the philosophical stance and demographics lie action steps and curricula that align actual practice with theory. First, across multiple courses, candidates are exposed to and articulate key learnings in civic engagement and social justice knowledge and skills. Students are guided over their years in education courses to develop a keen awareness of others and of themselves in relation to structures of privilege and power, and to participate in practices that develop or further enhance social justice frameworks. In one classroom that the Review Team visited during its site visit, the supervising teacher had set up carefully scaffolded reflection and engagement around the issue of school desegregation leading up to and following Brown v. Board of Education. Students in this public school classroom had previously read several key readings and reflected on passages through journaling. The supervising teacher had created protocol-regulated (with time frames and prompts) small groups for students to share analysis and reflection around the complexities of desegregation.

There are two courses in the student teacher program sequence that deliberately and fully embed “diversity” into the course content: ED 374 Educating All Learners in Inclusive Classrooms and ED 494A Creating Equitable Learning Environments. The first of these is being revised and will be taught by a different instructor, presumably including experiences for candidates in the field working with diverse learners identified under IDEA. (The previous iteration of the course had a 20-hour placement.) The second course (494A) is integrated with other courses during the spring Student Teaching experience. The Review Team did not find clear evidence of explicit learning outcomes related to the “student teaching” courses; yet one supervising teacher attested to the ways in which a recent student teacher had been highly sensitive to students with differences and accommodated those students through differentiated practices.

Candidates may complete elective courses that focus on aspects of diversity, including ED 245 Dimensions of Educational Equity,” wherein candidates undertake civic engagement experiences, and ED 351, which provides candidates with the option of working in a more diverse setting. For example, Colby College and the Unit have formal partnerships with sites in St. George, Maine, and in Korea, which provide opportunities to engage in educational settings.

The Unit recognizes its current state of flux due to faculty who have departed or are on leave, as well as those who are new to college and/or being hired in the next year. Given this reality, the Unit has done well to bring in visiting faculty who represent diversity, and to facilitate engagement in deep and lasting research and action - college- and community-wide and beyond - to integrate complex understandings of identity and social justice into the work the faculty do as scholars and teachers.

This standard is met

13 Standard Five: Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and Development

Faculty are qualified and model best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching, including the assessment of their own effectiveness as related to candidate performance; they also collaborate with colleagues in the disciplines and schools. The unit systematically evaluates faculty performance and facilitates professional development.

Findings The Unit is comprised of six faculty members – three full time, tenured faculty members and three faculty members who are on one or two-year appointments. At the time of the Review Team’s examination of the Self Study, exhibit room, and site visit, two of the unit’s full-time faculty members were on scheduled leaves of absence for research purposes. During the course of this Review, the Team was able to meet via videoconferencing with one of the full-time faculty members who was on leave, as well as the four other faculty members in the Unit.

Unit faculty are scholars in their respective fields. Curriculum vitae outline a deep and rich background in academic scholarship and teaching. Scholarship focus is largely aligned with Unit’s conceptual framework and focuses on issues of equity and diversity. Faculty engage in research in their respective fields, and oftentimes include student researchers in their scholarship (faculty interview; candidate interview). The publication list is lengthy, and faculty appear to be keenly aware of current needs and trends within their respective areas of expertise in education. Faculty members engage at the state level with service experiences including Transforming Rural Experiences in Education (TREE) at the Cobscook Community Learning Center in Trescott, and Herring Gut Learning Center (HGLC), a non-profit marine education center in Port Clyde (self-study).

In the classroom, faculty demonstrate a variety of pedagogical techniques and instructional strategies including workshops, student-led presentations, group work, and service learning/civic engagement projects with local schools (faculty interview; candidate interview; Colby administrator interview; syllabi; class observation). Faculty appear to have the ability to motivate and engage candidates (candidate interview) and spark a fire within them that drives them to, in turn, ignite a passion for learning in their own students.

Formative and summative assessment is ongoing in the Unit, by way of formal student evaluations of teaching, merit reviews, reappointment reviews, and tenure and promotion reviews (faculty interview; Colby administrator interview; self-study). Faculty are expected to review student feedback every semester for every course that is taught, as well as to make positive changes to pedagogy in response to student feedback (interview with faculty). Professional resources for faculty abound in a multitude of ways, from annual grants to support travel for professional meetings, startup funding for research by new tenure-track faculty, sabbaticals, and grants to support in seeking outside funding opportunities through the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs and programs sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning, which focus on incorporating feedback, expanding pedagogical awareness, deepening diversity and inclusion, and more (faculty interview; Colby administrator interview; self-study).

14 In addition to collaborating on projects and research opportunities with colleagues and students in the Unit, Colby faculty engage and collaborate with colleagues from institutions of higher learning in Maine and beyond. The unit is a founding member of the Teacher Education Advocacy in Maine organization and a member of the Consortium for Excellence in Teacher Education. Faculty of the Unit are afforded funding to attend meetings of professional societies such as the American Educational Research Association and the Bergamo Conference on Curriculum Theory and Classroom Practice.

Commendation The unit has developed strong and enduring relationships with nonprofit organizations that support student learning and teacher development in rural and coastal areas. These collaborative outreach efforts enable faculty and students to engage with others in real-world service opportunities.

Recommendation It is imperative for the unit to have dedicated personnel coordinating the professional certification program. Specifically, this coordinator should receive appropriate training and engage in continual professional development related to the Maine Department of Education expectations for initial teacher certification and develop and continually update a system of assessment and data-tracking related to students in this program.

The standard is met

15 Standard Six: Unit Governance and Resources

The unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources, including information technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

Findings Colby College is led by a President who works closely with an administrative team of ten individuals holding various vice president or dean positions. This group meets weekly and establishes major priorities for the institution – one of these priorities is to ensure that all academic programs have the resources they need to be the best they can be (interview with administrator). The President is appointed by a Board of Trustees that is responsible for the policies and administration of the institution. The Provost and Dean of Faculty has primary oversight of all academic departments and programs.

Each academic department or program at Colby is assigned to one of four academic divisions. The Education Program is housed in the Interdisciplinary Studies Division. Divisions are chaired by an elected faculty member who works with the Provost to oversee academic programming and staffing. The department or program director has authority related to program curriculum (self-study; interview with faculty; interview with administrator). In the Unit, all of the faculty meet regularly to engage in curriculum development (self-study), with coordination efforts largely shared between two full time faculty members since the 2014 review. The College supports chairs and directors, as well as faculty, with published handbooks dedicated to each group (online exhibits).

Colby has experienced many years of balanced budgets – or better – with no chronic deficits, a solid credit rating, and no layoffs (interview with administrator). Generally speaking, academic programs are allowed a 2% increase each budget year (interview with administrator). All faculty receive $2000 per year for travel to professional development events, and new faculty receive $7500 in startup research funding for five years. If a faculty member has a budgetary request beyond the capability of the department, they may make the request to the Provost. According to the self-study, the budget of the Education Program has increased approximately 26% (22.2% with the addition of the Educational Studies major in 2015-2016, then approximately 1% per year after that).

Over 100 jobs have been added at Colby in the past five years, with 15 new faculty beginning contracts this academic year (interview with administrator). There is departmental mentoring for all faculty. Tenure track faculty are purposefully partnered with a faculty member from outside of their department in order to foster cross-disciplinary relationships. Full-time faculty at Colby College teach 4.5 courses per year (4 courses one year and 5 courses the next, and so on), with a maximum teaching load per semester of three courses. New faculty have a one course reduction. Within the Unit, two tenured faculty members share one position (5.5 courses per year total), with an additional tenured faculty member teaching 4.5 courses per year. Faculty are eligible for sabbaticals at regular intervals, both pre- and post-tenure. Colby often employs visiting faculty

16 (term limited) in order to cover the variety of sabbatical positions occurring at any one point in time.

Of the three tenured faculty members, two are currently on leave for research purposes. Currently, the Unit also includes two visiting faculty members and one pre-doctoral fellow. The role of Director of Student Teaching has remained unfilled, with program coordination duties alternating between faculty members, since the 2014 Review. The Unit has requested authorization to hire a Coordinator of Teacher Education and Instructor of Education to begin fall 2020 (2-course teaching load plus coordination duties). The potential for this new hire to start fall 2020 was echoed positively and hopefully across interviews with faculty and administrators during the site visit.

Faculty offices for the unit are located in a suite on the bottom floor of the library. This includes a seminar room and space for administrative assistant. Faculty are allocated computers for their personal use, and there is a desktop computer available in the suite. Students and faculty alike have access to extensive computer labs, with Information Technology Services department providing support and training as needed for faculty and students. Moreover, students and faculty in the Unit have access to library holdings which included nearly $20,000 in acquisitions in Education in FY 18/19 (self-study).

Commendation The unit is valued by administration. Pre-tenure sabbaticals and budgetary allocations foster start-up, travel, and professional development and the unit is able to attract high quality faculty members.

Recommendation Specific and dedicated time for development of the professional certification program and student teaching progression, including detailed curriculum and assessment planning must receive attention. While faculty time is nurtured for pursuit of scholarship, service, and professional development, time must also be allocated for development and maintenance of this program.

The standard is met

17 IV. Recommendation to State Board of Education

We recommend that the State Board of Education vote to grant program approval from Fall 2019 to Fall 2024 for the Colby Professional Teacher Certification Program. By May 2021, the unit must submit an interim report of progress toward meeting Standards 1 and 2. If this condition is not met, program approval may be revoked.

18 V. Appendix A: Individuals Interviewed by the Review Team

Karlene Burrell-McRae, Dean of the College Sarah Carrigan ‘16, Teacher, Yarmouth High School Genesis Cazales-Contreras ’21, Educational Studies Major Megan Charest ’20, Educational Studies Major John Cipolini ’20, Educational Studies major Lisa Ericson, Cooperating Teacher, Winslow Junior High School Doug Frame, Assistant Principal, Waterville Junior High School David Greene, President Samantha Gunter, Associate Professor of Economics Adam Howard, Professor of Education Carol Hurney, Associate Provost for Faculty Development Elizabeth Jabar, Director of Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships Russell Johnson, Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty Julia Kastro ‘20, Educational Studies Major Sean Kennan, Cooperating Teacher, Winslow Senior High School Margaret McFadden, Provost and Dean of Faculty Moira Mullaney ’20, Educational Studies Major Nicole Petherbridge ‘20, Educational Studies Major Stephanie Proto, Instructor in Education Sudipta Roy, Faculty Fellow in Education Alexis Saba, Visiting Assistant Professor of Education Kyndell Stewart ’20, Educational Studies Major Mark Tappan, Professor of Education and Chair of Education Program Scott Taylor, Associate Professor of Mathematics Doug Terp, Vice President for Administration Andie Wang, Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies Ed Worcester, Cooperating Teacher, Waterville Junior High School Lauren Yoshizawa, Mellon Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Education