At least 80% of candidates will receive a passing score on the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Certification Examination.

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.

Pass rates on the PPR exam will exceed 80%. 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 anaylsis of pass rates which will be presented here represent the pass rates on the first attempt for all PPR exams taken in 2008-2009.Scores will reflect at least a 80% passing rate by Post-Bac students on their first attempt on the PPR Exam

Upon receipt of the scores from the Pedagogy and Professional Responsiblities Certification Examinations, the passing rates for the candidates for initial certification who are enrolled in the Post Baccalaureate Alternative Route to Teacher Certification were examined. A total of 49 candidates were identified. Of the 49 candidates, 42 passed the PPR Exam on the first attempt. This is an 86% passing rate.

The criteria for this objective were met. The criteria was to have at least 80% of the post baccalaureate candidates for initial teacher certification pass the PPR Exam on the first attempt. 86% of the candidates passed on their first attempt.
In response, the committee has decided to focus on specific levels within the post bac candidates to raise the pass rate on the first attempt. In the 2008-2009 testing cycle, the following were the results within each level: 4-8 PPR- 100% pass rate; 8-12 PPR- 97% pass rate; and, EC-12 PPR-65% pass rate. The expected criteria for next year will be 85% overall and within each level.

The percentage of candidates receiving a score of "3" on TWS will exceed 85%.

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.

85% of candidates in the 2008-2009 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. The following charts show the overall Teacher Work Sample scores for the student teachers.

Upon completion of "scoring week", the scores on the Teacher Work Sample (TWS) of the Post Baccalaureate ALternative Route to Certification candidates who completed the internship were reviewed. The criteria of 85% was not met. Of the 38 candidate who completed the TWS during their internship year, only 39% were scored a 3.

Based on the results on the TWS, the faculty has decided to review the portion of the TWS that is taught in each of the classes that are part of the Post Baccalaureate Alternative Route to Certification Program. The connection between each of the seven sections of the TWS that are taught in each course will be more clearly identified in module assessments.
Further, during the internship semester, one seminar will be devoted to peer review of drafts of the TWS.

The percentage of candidates receiving a "3" on the Instructional Methods Class Lesson Plan during the 2008-2009 academic year will exceed 85%.

During the Instructional Methods Class, candidates write multiple lesson plans. Each candidate selects the best lesson plan to submit as their best representation of a Lesson Plan. 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.

85% of candidates during the 2008-2009 academic year will achieve a score of "3" on the Instructional Methods Class Lesson Plan. The lesson plan format and rubric are in place and ready to use. The Instructional Methods Class 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.

During the semester the Post Baccalaureate Alternative Route to Certification candidates take the Instructional Methods class, they develop lesson plans for the content area for which they are becoming certified. Lesson plans are evaluated by a specific rubric. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the criteria was not met. The standard was to exceed 85%, but only 84.37% met the standard.

Since the standard of 85% was not met, the faculty will continue to emphasize the criteria for a lesson plan. Further, the rubric for the lesson plan scoring will be revised so that an overall performance score can be more easily calculated.