Program Quality and Effectiveness

Candidates will be able to plan, implement, assess, and modify effective instruction.

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. Candidates score a 1 - they have to redo the assignment; a 2 or 3 demonstrates that the candidate proficiently completed the document.

At least 87% of candidates during the 2012-2013 academic year will achieve a score of 2 or 3 on the Teacher Work Sample. Information on Scoring Procedures: 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.

For the academic year 2012-2013, results from 276 teacher candidates enrolled in the EC-6 program showed 97.5% of them received either a "3" (target) or a "2" (acceptable) on the Teacher Work Sample (TWS). Hence, the criterion (87%) has been met. Specifically, 64.5% of the candidates scored a "3" (target) while 33% scored a "2" (acceptable).  

Results on the EC-6 candidates’ TWS scores by domain showed, overall, the candidates scored the lowest on the Assessment Plan (mean=2.51 out of 3.0). While our candidates did better (mean=2.63 out of 3.0) in designing instruction, they need more help in designing well-aligned assessments using multiple modes and measuring higher-order thinking.  Using the 2012-2013 findings on the Teacher Work Sample (TWS), instructors teaching the content methods courses will focus more on helping candidates develop competencies is using different modes of assessments for formative and summative purposes. Course syllabi will be revised in order to emphasize “assessment for learning”. Although our candidates take an assessment course in student teaching semester, teaching the different modes for assessing student learning will be emphasized in each content methods (mathematics, science, and social studies) course. The candidates in the content methods semester will be required to design a TWS using varied modes of assessment as a major assignment. Candidates' use of technology use will also be assesed.

The candidates will demonstrate mastery of the state mandated standards for the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) Certification Exam. There are four general teaching and professional standards candidates need to demonstrate.

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

2. The teacher creates a classroom environment of respect and rapport that fosters a positive climate for learning, equity, and excellence.

3. 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.

4. The teacher fulfills professional roles and responsibilities and adheres to legal and ethical requirements of the profession.

Under each standard, at least 40 knowledge and skills are identified. The state teacher examination assesses candidates' competencies in meeting these standards.

 

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 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.

First time pass rates on all levels of the Pedagogy and Professional Examinations will exceed 85%. 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 faculty decided to focus on the first time pass rate instead of the overall pass rate for the 2012-2013 academic year.

For the academic year 2012-2013, 291 teacher candidates in the EC-6 program took the PPR for the first time. Out of these number, 286 (98%) passed the teacher certification examination (PPR). Comparing the TX state average passing rate on the PPR which is 90%, it shows our candidates surpassed the state average.  However, the state average does not refer to first time takers. So it is possible the first time takers is lower than 90% for the state average. 

Although our candidates had 98% passing rate in the PPR EC-12, further analysis of data showed that our candidates scored lower in 2 domains out of 4: Designing Instruction, assessment to promote student learning, and Implementing effective and responsive instruction and assessment.  Hence these 2 areas will be addressed by each content methods instructor when teaching about lesson planning to meet the needs of diverse learners. Specifically, to help candidate become familiar with the rationale, language, and format of the PPR teacher certification examination questions, each instructor (in the methods semester) prepares 10 sample questions from his/her content area (includes Classroom Management) and use these items for either pre or post assessment in the course. Instructors or candidates will discuss/analyze questions and rationalize choice of acceptable and unacceptable answers.  Instructors  will use sample test items as a sponge activity, closing activity, etc. using cards, small group discussions, and self assessment. The certification office will provide data to the faculty on the practice test results prior to the actual test.