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 2010-2011 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.

According to the 2010-2011 lesson plan data for all mathematics, science and social studies lesson plans (n=773), 75% of the EC-6 students score a 3 Lesson Framework and Designing Learning Environments; 57% scored a 3 in Instructional Strategies and 55% scored a 3 in the Evaluation Plan. In addition, 63% scored a 3 on the Content portion of the lesson plan and 76% on Language Usage. 

The data were disaggregated to review each content area.  The attached graphs illustrate the results for each of the four lesson plan domains and the added domains of content and language usage.

 

Using the findings from the 2010-2011 lesson plans, instructors will continue to focus on each of the four domains of the Lesson Plan.  In addition, an increased emphasis will be placed on helping candidates align their lesson plan objectives with their Evaluation Plan as this appears to be the lowest performing part of the lesson plan.  Additional work in Instructional Planning and science and mathematics Content will also be emphasized.    

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.

For the 2010-2011 academic year, 67% of the EC-6 teacher candidates received a "3" or "Target" score on the Teacher Work Sample; while 30% scored a "2" or "Acceptable" score.  Although this fell short of our goal of 85%, 97% of EC-6 teacher candidates received a passing score of a "3" or a "2." 

Using the findings from the 2010-2011 academic year, instructors will adjust instruction on each of the 7 Teacher Work Sample processes during Content Methods Block.  Instructors will provide opportunities for EC-6 teacher candidates to successfully complete a TWS while in their field settings.  Instructors will provide ample and critical feedback on each section of the TWS for the teacher candidates. 

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

Data is still being collected through August of 2011.  The data collected to date indicate during the 2010-2011 academic year, 98% of EC-6 teacher education candidates who took the EC-6 PPR exam were successful.  Data does not indicate at this time who were first time test takers.

From the findings reported for all 181 2010-2011 EC-6 PPR test takers, we will continue to promote and use strategies to support the high pass rate (98%) on this state test.  The strategies will include the effort to continue to address the lower-scoring areas, specifically PPR Competency 002 -- understands  student diversity and knows how to plan experiences and design assessments that are responsive to differences among students.