Team Report of Findings for The

TEAM REPORT OF FINDINGS FOR THE

MAINE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

University of Maine at Farmington

Program Approval Visit for Education Preparation Program Farmington, Maine November 5-7, 2017

Program Review Team: Mary Mahoney-O’Neil (Chair), University of Maine Catherine Fallona, University of Southern Maine

Non-Voting Participants: Elaine Bartley, Ex-Officio, University of Maine Wilson Hess, Observer for the Maine State Board of Education Angel Martinez Loredo, Maine Department of Education

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction 3

II. Summary of the Unit’s Conceptual Framework 5

III. Summary of the Team’s Findings for Each Standard Reviewed 7

Standard 5 7

Standard 6 10

IV. Recommendation to State Board of Education 14

V. List of Individuals Interviewed 15

VI. Sources of Evidence 17

I. Introduction

This report is based on the self-study developed by the Teacher Education Unit from the University of Maine at Farmington, and from data collected and reviewed during the site visit, which occurred November 5 to November 7, 2017. The State Board approved Review Team conducted interviews with administrators, faculty, staff, students, mentor teachers, and cooperating school administrators. The Review Team participated in site visits to the Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education Center and the W.G. Mallett School (PK-3), in Farmington. In addition to the self-study, Team members reviewed documents made available in an extensive online document exhibit.

Please note: The state review of the University of Maine at Farmington Teacher Education Unit was conducted concurrently with the accreditation review completed by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Team. The following review focuses solely on Standards Five and Six; the CAEP Team, per agreement between the Maine Department of Education and CAEP, reviewed all other Standards.

Overview and History:

The University of Maine at Farmington was founded in 1864. Known as the Farmington Normal School and dedicated to the education of future teachers; it was the first institution of higher education in the State of Maine. Undergoing several iterations of its name, the university joined the University of Maine System (UMS) in 1968 and formally became known as the University of Maine at Farmington in 1971. The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) is one of seven campuses within the University of Maine System (UMS). UMF has an excellent reputation in its rich tradition of teacher education and the liberal arts. Teacher Education is identified as one of the signature area of excellence, for the University.

Academic programs are housed within two distinct divisions: Division of Arts and Sciences which report directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation which reports directly to the Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation.

The University provides, approximately, 1700 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students with a rich, inclusive and diverse educational experience in a small-university environment. The University is a residential campus, where more than 80% of the first year students and 50% of all students reside on campus. Approximately 84% percent of the student body is Maine residents; the remaining students predominantly represent New England states; and 1% of the student body population represents international students from around the world. 47% percent of the student population is First Generation college students.

The University Maine at Farmington offers 38 undergraduate degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degrees; and two graduate degree programs: Master of Science in Education in Early Childhood and Master of Science in Education in Educational Leadership. The University offers 38 minors, 4 Undergraduate Certificate Programs, 5 Graduate Certificate Programs and 4 Multi-Degree Programs.

The University of Maine at Farmington maintains General Education requirements across all degree programs. The College of Education, Health & Rehabilitation offers six different teacher education programs that lead to a total of 14 specialty certification pathways:

• Early Childhood Education (Both certification & non-certification tracks) o Birth to Five Certification o Kindergarten to Grade 3 Certification o Birth to Five and Kindergarten to Grade 3 Certification

• Early Childhood Special Education (Both certification & non-certification tracks) o Birth to Five Certification o Birth to Five and Kindergarten to Grade 3 Certification

• Elementary Education o Students can pursue concentrations or minors for content specialization

• Special Education o Kindergarten to Grade 8 Certification o Grade 7 to Grade 12 Certification

• Secondary Education o Secondary Mathematics o Secondary Language Arts/English o Secondary Social Studies o Secondary Life Science o Secondary Physical Science

• Community Health Major o School Health Education

The University of Maine at Farmington, as noted earlier in the introduction, proudly identifies Teacher Education as one of its Signature Areas of Excellence. The teacher education program enjoys a robust enrollment of students being taught and mentored by a dedicated and experienced group of faculty and staff that put the Mission and Undergraduate Philosophy and Guiding Principles at the fore front of their practice.

II: Summary of the Unit’s Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework establishes the shared vision for a unit’s efforts in preparing educators to work effectively in P-12 schools. It provides direction for programs, courses, teaching, candidate performance, scholarship, service and unit accountability. The conceptual framework is knowledge based, articulated, shared, coherent, and consistent with the unit and/or institutional mission and is continuously evaluated. The conceptual framework provides the bases that describe the unit’s intellectual philosophy, which distinguishes graduates from one unit from those of another.

The mission and unit conceptual framework (C3TEP) of the Teacher Education Unit (TEU) is a set of shared beliefs and understandings that are woven in the fabric of the program. The mission and framework clearly state the beliefs and values that are the shared expectations of all members of the learning community. The Undergraduate philosophy is a powerful statement of the values the faculty and staff commit to, and ask the same of their students and their learning partners in the community.

UMF Mission: As a premier teacher education and public liberal arts college for the state of Maine, the University of Maine at Farmington prepares students for engaged citizenship, enriching professional careers, and an enduring love of learning.

TEU Mission: UMF Teacher Education: Empowering reflective, ethical, compassionate educators and inspirational leaders for a diverse world.

Undergraduate Philosophy and Guiding Principles Our candidates will become educational leaders who are caring teachers, competent educators and collaborative professional leaders (C3TEP). These guiding principles and beliefs reflect the ideals we hold for ourselves, our candidates, and the students and communities with whom they will work.

Caring Teachers Build respectful relationships Create communities of learners Support and encourage successful learning for all students Honor and respond to differences Utilize knowledge of human development

Competent Educators Design, plan, implement and evaluate instruction Use best practices for instruction and assessment Know content and strategies for integration Communicate clearly and effectively

Solve problems creatively and constructively Use the tools of a changing world

Collaborative Professional Leaders Collaborate effectively with families, communities, and colleagues Practice reflective, self-directed, life-long learning Demonstrate a commitment to ethical and legal responsibilities Contribute to and lead in diverse societies

Essential Goals and Purposes Our essential goals and purposes are embodied in the Maine Common Core Teaching Standards and our candidate diversity expectations. Within the context of our programs, candidates are evaluated based on important knowledge, skills and dispositions articulated in each of these standards and expectations.

Diversity Expectations Candidates will:

• Examine personal experiences, beliefs, and biases and determine implications for professional practice. • Demonstrate commitment to developing learning environments and experiences through which all students learn about, understand and respect diversity. • Demonstrate knowledge about the ways individual and group differences affect students, families, communities, and society and identify implications of these differences for professional practice. • Plan instruction, assessment, and learning environments to address the needs and differences of individuals and groups. • Access information about the student, family, learning environment, community, and societal factors that may affect student learning and use that knowledge to equitably improve the conditions for learning.

III. Summary of Findings of Each Standard.

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 University of Maine at Farmington’s Teacher Education Unit has 30 full-time and 7 part time faculty. The members of the faculty at the University of Maine at Farmington education faculty have earned doctorates or have expertise that qualifies them for their assignments. All eight of the field supervisors are full time faculty with master’s or doctoral degrees, several years of PK-12 teaching experiences and at least two years of candidate supervisory experience. All cooperating teachers are certified in the content fields that they teach and all have several years of teaching experience.

Faculty’s teaching methodology reflects the unit’s guiding principles, as well as current research and developments in field such as Proficiency Based Education. Faculty members integrate Maine’s Learning Standards. Their course syllabi also reflect the InTASC Core Teaching Standards, which the faculty in the Teaching Unit refer to as the Common Core Teaching Standards. Syllabi in the Early Childhood Program use the NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation as its foundation. Faculty report that the institution has been supportive of providing them with smart classrooms and technology, including ipads and assistive technology that allow them to regularly and purposefully integrate technology into pedagogical practice in order to support teaching and learning for all students.

Faculty members engage in scholarly work in their fields of specialization and the types of scholarship in which they engage reflect the mission of the University. Faculty scholarship is evidenced through books, book chapters and peer reviewed journal articles. Faculty attend annual meetings of their respective professional organizations and present their research at state, regional, national and international conferences. Faculty, are

7 actively engaged with strong professional affiliations which are tied to research, serving on local and national boards, providing international internship experiences for students, and engaging in local schools. According to one of the Division Chairs, they are “not worried about the glamour of where you publish.” Their concern is that faculty scholarship is “relevant,” “helpful to your teaching,” and “helpful to your students.” Another Division chair noted that they have formed a Publications and Presentation Group. Together, they support one another to create publication outlines. They have also identified national organizations at which they should be represented. The College Leadership Team faculty also noted that they are looking at grant applications to find things they can work on collaboratively as a college.

Faculty provide service to the college or university, school, and broader communities in ways that are consistent with the unit’s mission. Internal to the University, they serve on College and University Committees such as the Faculty Senate, the Honors Council, the Institutional Review Board, the Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee. Faculty provide education-related engagement in service to their community and the state. For example, they work with local schools on curriculum development, serve on Maine Department of Education Committees, and are involved with community organizations such as the United Way or the Maine 4-H Foundation. Faculty are also actively involved in professional associations as board members and proposal and journal article reviewers.

Faculty are actively involved with the professional world of practice in P-12 schools. They collaborate regularly and systematically with colleagues in P-12 settings to improve teaching, candidate learning, and the preparation of educators. Their Education Advisory Council comprised K-12 teachers and administrators brings things that are happening in the schools to them for discussion. The College Leadership Team identifies the kinds of feedback they would like from their K-12 colleagues and they ask them to share their experiences and opinions. Through their relationships and informal conversations with their K-12 partners, the faculty keep current on issues like Proficiency Based Education and Teacher Evaluation.

Professional development is supported by the institution through its Teaching and Learning Collaborative and is available to all faculty. New faculty receive an orientation and are mentored by their more senior colleagues. Additionally, faculty members experience professional development at the department level through participation on local, state and national boards, and attending annual conferences both regionally, nationally, and internationally. Each faculty member is eligible for $1100 of Faculty Development Funds if they are presenting at a conference and $600 if they are attending. Funding is available in the summer for Faculty Projects.

The Teacher Education Unit conducts systematic and comprehensive evaluations of faculty’s teaching, scholarship, and service. Students evaluate faculty teaching at the end of each semester. Faculty and staff within the Teacher Education Unit participate in annual reviews and evaluations in order to continually improve and contribute to the organizational effectiveness of the Unit. Faculty are evaluated according to protocols outlined by the Agreement between Associated Faculties of the University of Maine (AFUM) and the University of Maine System Tenured professors are evaluated every four years.

Overall Assessment of Standard:

Recommendations: None

Commendations: 1. The review team commends the unit for its commitment to staff the program with full time faculty. Particularly unique is that all the field supervisors are full time faculty.

Review Team Decision: This Standard is MET.

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:

Unit Leadership and Authority

The University of Maine at Farmington is one of seven campuses in the University of Maine System (UMS). The University of Maine Board of Trustees has full legal responsibility and authority for the campuses in the University of Maine System, appoints the UMS Chancellor and campus presidents, as well as Boards of Visitors unique to each campus. The Board of Visitors serves as an advisory Board to the President of the University and an advocate for the Board of Trustees. At the University of Maine at Farmington, the President is served by a council comprised of the Vice President for Student and Community Services, the Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Vice President for Enrollment and External Affairs, the Chief Business Officer, and a faculty member.

UMF is comprised of two distinct divisions: Arts and Sciences, which reports directly to the Associate Provost and Dean of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Education, Health & Rehabilitation, which reports directly to the Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Education, Health & Rehabilitation. The Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Education, Health & Rehabilitation reports directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost as the representative of the Teacher Education Unit (TEU).

The College of Education, Health & Rehabilitation is currently in the pilot year of a reorganization plan that was undertaken to provide stability in the midst of a number recent retirements in the College, resulting in many new hires (50% new faculty in ECS, 75% new faculty in SED, 1 new faculty in Community Health and 1 in Rehabilitation Services). The reorganization of the College has prompted and allowed for a discussion about a College-wide peer committee and a College-wide professional development committee. The reorganization plan hopes to provide improved program alignment and the opportunity for more veteran faculty to mentor new faculty with attention to both philosophy and physical space. The College implemented a self-study to begin and guide

10 the process, and will engage in ongoing conversations through out the pilot year experience.

The CEHR celebrates professional community involvement through the Education Advisory Council. The Education Advisory Council is comprised of Teachers, Curriculum Coordinators, Principal and Superintendents which focus on conversations around the tools necessary in the teacher education curriculum and programming to ensure alignment with current and changing school needs; some recent examples of this ongoing dialogue are: PBE, ELL, Teacher Effectiveness Law, Technology and Assistive Technology. The CEHR also maintains a Graduate Education Council.

Personnel

The Associate Provost and Dean is the lead administrator of the College of Education, Health & Rehabilitation; is also the Teacher Education Unit Head (TEU). The following positions are direct reports to the AP&D: Chair, Division of Elementary, Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education; Chair, Division of Secondary and Special Education; Chair, Division of Community Health and Rehabilitative Services. Each division has an elected chair. Other direct reports to the AP&D include: Director of Field Experiences, Director of Teacher Education Accreditation, Coordinator of Educational Assessment and Special Projects, Director of Graduate Programs in Education, Director of Educational Outreach, Director of Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Educational Center, and Fiscal Manager of GearUp Grant.

Fulltime faculty is engaged in teaching, scholarship and service. Faculty members have large advising load responsibilities. The reorganization plan has allowed for some divisions to implement a team-advising model, which is allowing new faculty to meet students and serve as a mentor while collaboratively advising the students. There are 10 tenured faculty in the College and 21 untenured faculty in the Teacher Education Unit. Unique to this program is the fulltime status of all field experience supervisors who supervise 10 – 18 students in practicum and student teaching.

A snap shot of the philosophy the CEHR holds with regard to the value of the faculty and the experience the faculty bring to the learning community is a statement made during the interview with the College Leadership Team when a faculty member stated: “Our best resource is our faculty, and they are why we believe the investment in the training of our new faculty is so very important.”

Unit Facilities and Resources

The impressive Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center houses the CEHR. A newer building on campus, the Center has 11 smart classrooms; 6 conference rooms; the Bjorn study lounge; 5 smaller study rooms; individual faculty offices; administrative offices; faculty and staff lounge areas; the Spenciner Curriculum Development Center, the

Assistive Technology Collection which is a resource available to students, faculty and the community; and lastly, Everyone’s Resource Depot a reuse center and material collection site that provides materials/resources at an affordable price to UMF students, faculty and the community.

The Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education Center is the CEHR’s lab school and recently celebrated earning its national accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Technology

The unit has placed technology as a priority and is well supported. Examples of this commitment: the purchase of two sets of 20 iPads which are available to both faculty and students; all new faculty are provided with a laptop; all classrooms are equipped with projectors; the requirement of all Secondary Education students to present at a technology conference; the active pursuit of state of the art technology like the use of Swivl robots for recording classroom lesson observations for practicum students, advanced practicum students and student teachers; iPads for all Field Supervisors and the use of tablet equipment in the Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education Center. The CEHR also allows for technology funds for faculty and the University encourages initiatives through its calls for proposals for new technology innovation. The University has hosted professional development workshops related to maker-spaces, innovation and higher education, and hosted discussions about creativity and fabrication.

Unit Budget

The College of Education, Health & Rehabilitation (CEHR) is adequately supported with an annual budget of more than 4.7 million dollars, which is approximately 36% of the University’s overall budget, in 2016. The CEHR budget includes the budgets of all three divisions, as well as the office of Field Services, the Dean’s Office, Educational Outreach, ECH Off-campus program, 50% of the part-time/Overload budget, and 75% of May/Summer Term budgets. The Associate Provost and Dean of the CEHR oversees the budget.

Overall Assessment of Standard:

Recommendations: None

Commendations: 1. The unit is to be commended on identifying the need for, and dedicating the resources to the creation of the Assistive Technology Collection within the Spenciner Curriculum Development Center . It is a remarkable resource for the students, faculty, and the larger community encouraging inclusive practice with state of the art materials and equipment.

Review Team Decision: This Standard is MET.

VI. Recommendation to the State Board of Education

The Review Team recommends that the University of Maine at Farmington Teacher Education Program, be granted full seven-year approval by the Maine State Board of Education from Fall 2018 to Fall 2024.

V: List of Individuals Interviewed

University of Maine Farmington Faculty, Staff and Administrators

President Dr. Kathryn A. Foster Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Eric Brown Chief Business Officer Laurie Gardner Associate Provost & Dean College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation Dr. Katherine Yardley Chair, Division of Community Health Education, Recreation & Rehabilitative Services Dr. Maurice Martin Chair, Division of Elementary, Early Childhood & Early Childhood Special Education Dr. Donna Karno Chair, Division of Secondary & Special Education Dr. Theresa Overall Director of Graduate Programs in Education Dr. Johanna Prince Director of Educational Outreach Sandra Macarthur Director of Field Services Barbara Eretzian Director of Teacher Education Accreditation Shelly Chasse-Jondro Instructor of Special Education and Maine CITE Coordinator Kevin Good Field Experience Supervisor Cynthia Stevens Assistant Professor Cara Furman Assistant Professor Allison Jackson Assistant Professor Shannon Larson Associate Professor Deborah Overstreet Instructor Karen Smith Instructor Stephanie Swan Associate Professor Grace Ward Associate Professor Patricia Williams

Community Partners

ELL Coordinator, Auburn School Department Robin Fleck Mentor Teacher and Adjunct Faculty Member Erika Neal Superintendent, RSU 9 Dr. Thomas Ward Principal, W.G. Mallet School Tracy Williams Mentor Teacher, Alumni Jennifer Dorman Principal, Mt. Blue High School Monique Poulin Mentor Teacher, Alumni Selina Warren

Mentor Teacher Lynne Frost Mentor Teacher Melissa Speich Mentor Teacher Robin Stinson Mentor Teacher Pam Wagner

Students

Harley Davis Casey Griffin Connor Lynch Sidney Stanhope

VI. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE:

STANDARD 5: 5.1 TEU Mission and Conceptual Framework 5.2 2016-2017 TEU Faculty Qualifications Spreadsheet 5.3 2016-2017 TEU Faculty Academic Rank, Qualifications & Experience 5.4 Field Supervisor Experience 5.5 Overview of Program Offerings and Professional Standards 5.6 Unit-Wide and Program-Specific CCTS Assessment Plan 5.7 TEU Faculty Partnerships 5.8 Stakeholder Involvement 5.9 Technology Integration (ISTE Standards) 5.10 SMED/SHE MooseTech Presentations and iBooks 5.11 Assistive Technology Presentations 5.12 Sample Syllabi 5.13 Unit Wide Assessment: Dispositions Assessment 5.14 Unit-Wide Assessment: Lesson Plan 5.15 Unit-Wide Assessment: CCTS Rationale and Artifact 5.16 Symposium-Wilson Scholar Presentation by ECH Candidate 5.17 Spring 2017 EDU 389 Inquiry Stance Project Presentations 5.18 MDOE Identified Teacher Shortage Areas 5.19 Focus Group Feedback 5.20 Alumni Survey Data 5.21 Employer Survey Data 5.22 Program Revision Proposals to Incorporate ELL Coursework 5.23 ELL Certificate Proposal 5.24 SED Minor Catalog Description 5.25 Nature-Based Course Description 5.26 UMF Lab School – Sweatt-Winter Early Care and Education Center 5.27 Agreement between Associated Faculties of the University of Maine (AFUM) and the University of Maine System (UMS) 5.28 Field Services Program Peer Review and Reappointment Process 5.29 Agreement between the University of Maine and the Maine Part-Time Faculty Association (PAFTA) 5.30 Agreement between the University of Maine System and the University of Maine Professional Staff Association (UMPSA) 5.31 Student Course Evaluation Forms 5.32 Faculty PD Survey – Spring 2017 5.33 January 2017 TEU Meeting Agenda 5.34 Maine’s PBE Policy

5.35 Faculty PD Opportunities through CLT 5.36 CEHR – Sample Faculty PD Opportunities 5.37 TEU Faculty CVs 5.38 TEU Course Syllabi

STANDARD 6

6.1 TEU Quality Assurance System 6.2 UMF Organizational Structure 6.3 TEU Organizational Structure 6.4 TEU Governance Document 6.5 AY 17-18 Pilot CEHR Reorganization Rationale 6.6 UMF Assessment System 6.7 UMF Budget 6.8 CAEP Self-Study Table (Parity Table) 6.9 Field Offices Budget Statement 6.10 Teacher Candidate Dispositions and Professional Expectations 6.11 InTASC Standards 6.12 ISTE Technology Standards 6.13 TEU Meeting Notes 6.14 TEU Strategic Plan (2014 UMF 2020) 6.15 UMF Academic Policies Manual 6.16 UMF Education Program Pathways Table (Section I Addendum)