Lesson planning for effective secondary student learning outcomes.

 Secondary education candidates will be able to plan an effective lesson.

 During the classes of Methods Block, first semester senior year, the students write multiple lesson plans. Each student selects the best lesson plan in each content area (math, English language arts, science, and social studies) to submit as their best representation of a 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 2008-2009, 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 08-09, 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.

In addition, since the Pre-Assessment scores on Lesson Plans cannot be disaggregated from the Post-Assessment scores on the Lesson Plans, instructors will no longer have students submit their Pre-Assessment Lesson Plans into TK20.

During the 2009-2010 academic year, relating to the four parts of the Lesson Plan, 83.82% have Target scores  on Establishing the Lesson Framework while 16.18% have acceptable scores , 82.85% have Target scores on Designing Supportive Learning Environments while 17.15% have Acceptable scores, 75.73% have Target scores on Instructional Strategies , while 24.27% have Acceptable scores, and 68.93% have Target scores on Evaluation Strategies, while 24.27% have Acceptable scores and 6.8% have Unacceptable scores. Therefore, although 85% of the Secondary students did not earn a Target score on the four parts of the Lesson Plan, they did achieve "Acceptable" on all sections of the Lesson Plan except one, Evaluation Strategies.

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.

Certification is required to teach in public schools.

 Secondary education candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions of effective teaching and learning of secondary 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 secondary education 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 2010-2011, through May of 2011.

Using the Findings from 2001-11, 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.

During the 2009-2010 academic year, of the secondary education candidates taking the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities 8-12 Exam, 87% passed on the first attempt. Of those secondary education candidates taking the EC - 12 Exam, 91% passed on the first attempt.

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. These areas of weakness revolve around assessment, so this will be addressed more vigorously in SED courses.

Candidates demonstrate effective teaching

Secondary education candidates will demonstrate elements of effective teaching.

 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.

Fall 2009: 40 students were designated as UG EC-12 or 6/8-12.  The number who scored a matching 3 is 28. This is 70% with a 3.
Spring 2010: 83 students were designated UG EC-12 or 6/8-12.  The number who scored a matching 3 is 54.  This is a 65% with a 3.

Combining Fall and Spring TWS, there are 123 students and 82 sets of matching 3’s.  Overall, this is 66.7%.

Using the disaggregation 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. Since the Assessment Plan and Analysis of Student Learning sections have the lowest overall scores, a particular emphasis during the TWS instructional units will be on assessment and its relationship to the other processes.