Candidates must plan lessons for children that reflect quality and effectiveness

During the classes of Methods Block, first semester senior year, the students write multiple lesson plans. Each student submits a math, science, and social studies 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.

85% of candidates during the 2009-2010 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 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 09-10, 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.

The rubric to assess the Methods Block Lesson plan was designed to evaluate the candidates on the four major components of the lesson plan (see Indicator).

IDS Methods Block Lesson Plan:  Component #1 2.82, Component #2 2.78, Component #3 2.67, Component #4 2.71.

Using the Findings from 09-10, 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.

A work sample is required to demonstrate quality and effectiveness of candidate skills

 EC-6 candidates will demonstrate the ability to plan, implement, modify, assess and reflect upon teaching and student learning.

 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 2009-2010 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 monitored regularly throughout the school year.

The goal of 85% of EC-6 candidates receiving a "3" was not achieved.  The assessment plan and design for instruction are the two areas of weakness.  Teacher candidates failed to use multiple assessments modes and approaches that were aligned with learning in addition to aligning learning objectives which resulted in a score of a "2" instead of a "3" .

However, over 85% of the EC-6 candidates met the minimum TWS standard of scoring either a "2" or "3".

EC-4/6 TWS - 99% met minimum standards

Instructors will identify and offer extensive support for teacher candidates during Methods Block and Student Teaching who score below a 3 on TWS and assist them in meeting the Target Criteria for the Teacher Work Sample.  Additionally, we will offer more constructive feedback on the seven components of the TWS embedded in the coursework.

In order to work as a reading specialist in public schools, candidates are required to be certified according to the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC)

 Ec-6 candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge, skills and dispositions of effective teaching and learning of EC- 6 students. 

  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.

 93% of EC-6 teacher 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 2009-2010.

Using the Findings from 09-10, 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

99% of EC-6 teacher candidates passed PPR test.

After analyzing PPR testing results there are two areas of weakness that EC-6 teacher candidates should focus on. These areas include the following standards:

Standard I.* The teacher designs instruction appropriate for all students that reflects an understanding of relevant content and is based on continuous and appropriate assessment.

Standard III.* The teacher promotes student learning by providing responsive instruction that makes use of effective communication techniques, instructional strategies that actively engage students in the learning process, and timely, high-quality feedback.

EC-6 teacher candidates exceeded the projected 85% pass rate. To continue teacher candidate success on the PPR the faculty will analyze PPR data from TK20. After analyzing the data teacher candidates will be offered remediation according to their areas of weakness.