What Every Must Know Special Educator - Council for Exceptional ...

description of the unit’s philosophy of education and
teacher preparation. The conceptual framework articulates
how the unit’s graduates can be distinguished
from other preparation programs in other institutions.
The unit’s conceptual framework must be reflected in
the unit’s responses to the six unit standards.
Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and
Dispositions
It is through NCATE Unit Standard 1 that the various
program level assessments demonstrate that candidates
have mastered the content, pedagogical, and
professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions to
help all students learn. CEC Content Standards directly
coordinate with NCATE Standard 1. In other words,
program-wide assessments are designed to align with
CEC Content Standards. It is through this relationship
that the data from the program-wide assessments are
linked to and used in NCATE Unit Standard 1.
Standard 2: Assessment System and
unit Evaluation
The second standard deals with the systematic collection
of data for the unit. Data must be collected
on applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate
performance, and unit operations. Once collected, the
data must be analyzed and the findings used to make
improvements.
Standard 3: Field Experiences and Clinical
Practice
During field-experiences and clinical practice, candidates
must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and
dispositions needed to help all students learn.
Standard 4: Diversity
The diversity standard applies to providing experiences
with diverse students in P-12 settings and working
with diverse higher education and school faculty
and diverse fellow candidates.
Standard 5: Faculty Qualifications,
Performance, and Development
Faculty must be qualified for their assignments with
doctorates or exceptional expertise. Standard 5 also
specifies that they model best practice in scholarship,
service, and teaching and they must collaborate with
colleagues in their disciplines and in schools.
Standard 6: unit Governance and Resources
The final standard ensures that the unit has the leadership
and resources needed to prepare candidates. The
review team will look at the budget, support personnel,
facilities, and technology resources.
unit and Program Assessments
Unit accreditation and program recognition are two
different processes based on different sets of standards.
While program standards are program specific, unit
standards, i.e., NCATE standards apply across programs
that prepare educators and school personnel.
This could mean employing two sets of assessments,
one for the program and another set to be aggregated
with the rest of the unit. The program assessment data
feeds into common unit frameworks for documenting
NCATE Standard 1.
In the past, some programs attempted to use assessments
designed at the unit level for program assessments.
The assessment designed at the unit level by
definition will not be program specific, as they must
be sufficiently general to cover candidates across
programs. For example, Assessment 4 the Student
teaching/internship assessment is probably also a
Unit assessment. This would be true for all programs
in the Unit, but while a single instrument was used to
allow for consistent data collection at the Unit level, for
the program reports the assessment must be aligned
with the SPA standards. Therefore, a single student
teaching/internship assessment must be adjusted or
amended to align specifically to CEC or other SPA
standards.
Your NCATE Coordinator and Program Assessment
Coordinator can help you design assessments that
collect the data needed for program recognition and
they can see that you are also collecting the data the
unit requires. Often the two sets of assessments can
dovetail or complement each other.
Transition Points
The unit will specify decision or transition points that
all candidates must pass. Often the points include
admission to Teacher Education or the program, prestudent
teaching, exit from student teaching, and a
post-graduation follow-up. Transition points are also
good times to collect program specific data. This data
can be used to learn about new candidates. Follow-up
information can be extremely useful. Assessments can
be especially useful if administered at key transition
Appendix 10: developing A performAnCe -BASed progrAm ASSeSSment SyStem 285