Teacher Education Coordinators

Teacher Education Coordinators October 14, 2011 Meeting Minutes

Attending: Erin LaSala, Averil McClelland, Bette Brooks, Janice Hutchison, Janice Kroeger, Lori Wilfong, Lyle Barton, Nancy Barbour, Music GA for Pat Grutzmacher (late), Ramona Freeman, Robin Vande Zande, Sandra Pech.

Absent: Connie Collier, Drew Tiene, Joanne Arhar, Margaret Haas, Mary Hricko, Meghan Harper, Pat O’Connor, Rebecca Chism, Sarah Rilling, HED, SPA, Verna Fitzsimmons, William Kist.

Guests: Kathy Zarges, Jim Knapp, Chia-Ling Kuo, Shelly Heron

Standard 3 as NCATE Target (Nancy Barbour, Jim Knapp, Janice Hutchison)

Based on responses from coordinators, we will be using Standard 3 as our NCATE target goal. Nancy shared some information and how we design partnerships, how we look at student knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and field experiences across diverse settings. When working towards targets, we need to make sure we have evidence to support our collaborative projects, contracts, joint research projects, financial arrangements, and we need to show our level of performance.

Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) Lori Wilfong, Shelly Herron, Joanne Arhar

This was a recent topic at OCTEO. Ohio is piloting the Teacher Performance Assessment and has an overview to share. Teacher education coordinators can share with their faculty as well. Some of our programs (MCED stark, ADED) are officially participating in pilot; it will likely be fully implemented next year. Unofficially, ECED Inquiry and MCED (spring) will also be participating. Outside of Ohio, 21 states are piloting the system. Also, remainder of handbooks should be available by spring. We need to think about what kind of data we need to do this and talk to faculty about fully implementing the TPA in Fall 2012. Information posted online includes Teacher Performance Assessment Questions and Answers and the TPA Presentation for Teacher Education Coordinators. There was some concern about Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and TPA alignment. Joanne shared that Dean Mahony is on a committee with other Ohio education leaders to discuss this and other concerns. One major concern is the cost of the TPA to students. The cost will be $300 per student after this year (free this year). The cost is to cover student registration, data housing (server), scoring services and reports. Added to other student expenses such as the Praxis (apx. $200), Licensure ($160), and Background Checks ($55), the cost will have a negative impact on some students. We are looking at ways to assist students who may not be able to pay for the assessment. Julie Wilcox is looking for scholarship funds. A question was raised about what the college does with the student fees collected ($50 per student) and whether these funds might be used for this purpose. Lori Wilfong created a crosswalk between the old student teaching assessment and the TPA and asked for feedback. She said that programs may be able to use this as a starting point.

Video forms and videotaping was discussed and appears to be easier than anticipated; students had positive feedback – flip cams or personal cameras were used with success. Joanne also has a meeting scheduled with Jason Piatt, Drew Tiene and other to discuss this topic. Jason is ordering some equipment and will also make a list of recommended equipment to be used. One idea was to have digital “backpacks” for students to check out from the IRC.

There will be further discussion of videotaping at our next TEC meeting (Meeting will be moved to 200 WH). During discussion, it was suggested that software be purchased to fuzz out primary and secondary students’ faces to ensure privacy. KSU participates in teaching in apx. 130 school districts; decisions about processes regarding permission for student teachers and/or field experiences students to videotape have not be finalized yet. Other question included what level of support students will receive with regard to technology and uploading to the TPA site, etc.

In a related discussion, the use of academic language was discussed – where to include this in the curriculum, the local schools description of it as “ACT vocabulary” and the perception that this is ‘teaching to the test’. Further discussion revealed that coordinators believe our students need to learn how to analyze data and that with regard to teaching theory, reality is not always comparable. Student teachers need to analyze data and use differentiation and modification – and they are not competent in this. The hoped for collaboration between special education and general education has not really happened – there was one meeting but no one came. A suggestion was made that perhaps this activity should be a requirement. Another idea was to make assessment a separate course. Another suggestion was to offer a post baccalaureate “Academy” that addresses data analysis and classroom management. It was noted as well that schools are actively looking for partnerships with higher education that encourage innovation – but don’t require financial support from the schools.

It was determined that faculty will tell students about the assessment in Inquiry Seminar. The students will need to do portfolio uploading during student teaching (at the beginning). A question was asked about whether this will be linked to licensure (state decision) and the answer was that we don’t know yet. It was noted that in order to have data back by early May, uploading needs done early in the semester – before spring break. Another question was what happens if a student doesn’t pass? Will they have to pay again, repeat the TPA, etc. Special note: updated video must be unedited.

Updates (Joanne)

Joanne noted that Michele Rhee’s Oct. 10th presentation on Stark campus has resulted in feedback and activities including:  Student comments indicated that her presentation was “thin” and most were not impressed  In response to a question about Teach for America, she said that she thought Ohio should have both Teacher Education and Teach for America  Never said she was “no union” outright but suggested it  Promoted her Children First web page. Also recruiting school districts. Locally, we know that Hudson declined.  Students are being asked to sell their syllabi. If you hear of this happening, please get information and inform the Dean.

A community forum is being planned in response to her visit. What message should we send to the forum? Suggestions included:  Quotes from the Fact Sheet  National recognition received  Accreditations  Pass rates on Praxis II  Teacher of the Year, etc. that are KSU graduates  Share information about research-based school programs  Share information about state committee participation  IB program participation