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NCATE - Conceptual Framework

Western Oregon University 1

College of Education

Conceptual Framework Assuring the Productivity and Professionalism of Teachers

The conceptual framework includes two overarching themes: (1) the effect of

teaching on student learning (productivity) and (2) the integrity reflected in the moral and ethical dimensions of teaching (professionalism). These ideas have served as the focus for the evolution and improvement of WOU’s programs for over ten years. Embedded in the framework are the necessities of graduates possessing and demonstrating competence through a culturally sensitive model of delivery and the program having appropriate, valid and reliable evaluation processes in place. In addition, the specifics within the theme provide direction in meeting the evolving demands of Oregon’s standards-based design for schools and the national call for the improvement of teacher preparation programs.

Seven key principles of the conceptual framework are specified throughout the

redesign of all the initial and continuing licensure programs. These key concepts reflect the shared vision established with faculty in 1997, the knowledge base defined in a profession that is undergoing a paradigm shift to provide teachers for standards-based schools, and a growing demand for accountability. The key concepts upon which the WOU initial and continuing licensure programs are built include the faculty’s belief that all children and youth have a right to well-prepared and qualified teachers. The concepts articulated below are found in each of WOU's program descriptions with minor variations to account for each program’s purpose. The conceptual framework for the teacher preparation programs integrates the NCATE themes with the key concepts of the design of the initial and continuing preparation program.



Descriptions of the Key Concepts Underlying the Western Oregon University Conceptual Framework for Assuring the Productivity and Professionalism of Teachers Key Concepts Descriptions Proficiency-based Candidates experience a model of standards-based

teaching and learning in their preparation program and field experiences. Performance-based, authentic assessments are used for formative and summative evaluations.

Seamless education Candidates understand and value the nature of

teaching and learning from early childhood through adulthood. Candidates are actively engaged in continuing professional development from initial through continuing licensure programs.

Diversity Candidates are prepared to teach P-12 students of

diverse backgrounds, learning styles and stages of development. Candidates recognize and consider the context of the school, family and community as they implement instructional and assessment strategies.

Contextual teaching Candidates learn and teach using instructional and learning models which are integrated, inquiry-based and

require authentic application of knowledge. Teaching is responsive to diverse learning needs, individual interests and varied contexts.

Accountability Candidates evaluate and reflect upon their

effectiveness through multiple measures of their skills, knowledge and dispositions. They monitor their effect on student learning and think systematically about their practice.

Intellectual vitality Candidates are prepared to be well-educated life-

long learners, to continuously pursue new knowledge in their field, and to learn through inquiry and experience.

Professional community Candidates are prepared to work collaboratively

with colleagues, families and the community.



The conceptual framework for WOU’s teacher preparation programs integrates the NCATE themes with the following key concepts in the design of the revised initial and continuing preparation programs.

1. Candidates experience a model of standards-based teaching and learning in their preparation program (proficiency-based teacher preparation) An important attribute of both NCATE’s and Oregon’s new standards for teacher

preparation and licensure is that the standards are performance-based. “This approach aims to clarify the determination of competence, placing more emphasis on the abilities teachers develop than the hours they spend taking classes" (Darling-Hammond, 1999, p. 14).

WOU's faculty have designed and implemented proficiency-based preparation

programs that model standards-based teaching in Oregon’s P-12 schools. WOU's proficiency-based assessment system emphasizes knowledge of content and of pedagogy, as well as the analysis of P-12 student learning. The standards contained in the proficiencies are derived from the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards, the standards of the professional organizations, and over 15 years of research and development work at WOU linking teacher work to student learning. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards are included in the proficiencies for initial and continuing licensure. WOU's continuing licensure proficiencies are also consistent with those of the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS). Proficiency-based assessment facilitates candidates’ reflection on their own abilities to enhance learning in their students. Assessment frameworks, with accompanying faculty and mentor teacher feedback, help candidates develop the disciplined practice of reflection to refine these abilities (Diez et al., 1997; Schalock, 1999; Darling-Hammond, 1993). Candidates become precise in the statement of the goals toward which they are working and their own level of expertise as they teach. They track their own progress from the proficiencies required to be recommended for an initial license to those required to document their development as professionals for the continuing license. Evidence gathered from a candidate’s performance in course work and field settings is weighed against the standards set by the unit.

The faculty strive to provide candidates with a preparation program that is integrated and holistic and that “despite the traditional conventions of courses and credit hours creates a seamless web of preparation moving towards the stated goal, becoming a professional teacher" (Lowe & Banker, in Dietz, 1998, p.57).

1.Proficiency-based teacher preparation 2.Seamless education 3.Diversity 4.Contextual teaching and learning 5.Accountability 6.Intellectual vitality 7.Professional community



2. Candidates understand and value the nature of teaching and learning from early childhood education through adulthood (seamless education). The current emphasis from the Oregon Department of Education and the governor's

office is to minimize the traditional lines among early childhood, elementary, middle level, high school and community college/university education and to focus on values related to lifelong learning with proficiency-based outcomes.

The Oregon Education Act for the 21st Century describes moving from a system of schooling where there are clear demarcations between grade levels in elementary, middle level, and high school and between high schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges to “a system of schooling where existing demarcations between levels and places of learning are blurred, with criteria for entry and movement between educational institutions and other environments for learning based largely on the assessment of student progress toward learning goals and the best fit educationally between progress, needs and opportunity for learning" (HB 3565, section 23, 27 & 28).

WOU's professional curriculum is designed to give candidates a broad perspective of

the roles and responsibilities of teachers. The focus is not on preparing a fifth grade teacher, a high school physics teacher, or a special education teacher, but a professional who contributes to the learning community of a school district and who has an interest in all education issues from early childhood through high school and into adult life.

In WOU's initial licensure programs, candidates have course work in human

development and learning that ranges from early childhood to young adult. In the undergraduate professional core for initial licensure, every candidate has some portion of field experience in each of the four authorization areas (early childhood, elementary, middle level and high school), and will qualify for a license in two authorizations. In special education (initial), candidates also qualify for two levels of authorization and in the deaf education (initial) program, they qualify for all four levels. Candidates working on continuing licensure may add an authorization as part of their program, or they may choose to add depth in the authorization in which they are currently working. The “seamless” aspect of the conceptual framework also applies to the alignment of the initial license to the continuing license, to national board certification, and to the focus on lifelong learning and continuing professional development for teachers.

1. Proficiency-based teacher preparation 2. Seamless education 3. Diversity 4. Contextual teaching and learning 5. Accountability 6. Intellectual vitality 7. Professional community



3. Candidates are committed to teaching P-12 students of varying backgrounds and stages of development (diversity). America is made up of an increasingly multicultural citizenry. This new reality is reflected in America’s schools, the state of

Oregon, and the Mid-Willamette Valley. At the core of this key concept is the commitment to prepare future teachers who will assure that all P-12 students have equal opportunities to succeed in school, and to “have a stake in the enormous richness of America” (Kozol, 1991, p. 233). This concept of assuming responsibility and advocating for all of the children and youth in one’s care also extends to students with disabilities and students who are talented, gifted, and/or have unique needs in order to benefit from school.

The WOU faculty share a belief that cultural diversity in the U.S. is a positive force

and fostering positive self-concept among minority students and students with disabilities is a crucial and fundamental enterprise. To achieve the outcomes of preparing future teachers the faculty actively pursue an agenda of utilizing multiple strategies to promote equity. These strategies include course activities to help candidates understand their own assumptions, biases, views and culture, as well as issues related to socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity. Faculty from special education and bilingual/ESOL education are fully involved in teaching the regular education curriculum and faculty from regular education assist in the preparation of special educators. Activities also include working with public schools to encourage underrepresented groups to pursue higher education, supporting first-generation students and those with disabilities with a variety of campus resources and requiring courses with content related to diversity for all students in LAS, as well as in the education programs.

Courses and field experiences are designed to help candidates understand the relationships among schools, families, and the communities in which P-12 students live. Faculty plan assignments that enable candidates to respond constructively to differences among students.

The evaluation and monitoring of dispositions of candidates to assure that all

children learn is evident in admissions, in the curriculum, in the work samples and throughout the field experience evaluations. The criteria for assessing and reflecting on the learning gains of all students provide another key source of evidence in assuring WOU's students are knowledgeable and sensitive to issues of diversity.




4. Candidates learn and teach using instructional models which are integrated, inquiry-based and require authentic application of knowledge (contextual teaching and learning).

WOU faculty at all levels of teacher

preparation are committed to a model of emancipatory learning by creating, facilitating, and modeling learning communities that engage teachers and learners in active discourse and problem-solving (Mezirow, 1990, 1998; Senge, 1990). The goal is to have candidates well prepared to enter the complex world of teaching and to continue to learn and develop as members of the profession.

Faculty model contextual teaching and learning in both the initial and the continuing

licensure/degree programs. In a program that has shifted the focus from teaching to learning, the faculty have had to see their work not as the transfer of knowledge, but as the creation of environments and experiences to foster learning that is long-lasting and meaningful (Barr & Tagg, 1995). The curriculum is designed to facilitate learning through discovery, experience, problem-solving, and personal development. Learning is not a “read and memorize” and teaching is not a “stand and deliver” approach. Rather candidates participate in monitoring, directing and regulating their own learning. “Contextual teaching and learning helps teachers relate subject matter content to real world situations and motivates students to make connections between knowledge and its applications and motivates students to engage in the hard work that learning requires" (Howie, 1998, p. 20). Courses are infused with activities to assist candidates in constructive use of pedagogical and content knowledge. It is not unusual for candidates to be working on team projects, collecting data in the field or building adaptive equipment for students with disabilities.

The curriculum is developed to involve the mastery of functional, integrated, knowledge-based conceptual frameworks rather than short-term fragments of course- and text-based programs, and is based on teaching and learning that does the following: • emphasizes problem-solving; • recognizes the need for teaching and learning to occur in a variety of contexts; • teaches people to monitor, direct and regulate their own learning; • anchors teaching in diverse life contexts; • encourages people to learn from each other and together; and • employs authentic assessments (Howie, 1998, p. 74). The faculty provide multiple and varied opportunities for candidates to link theory and research to practice through use of real world problems, issues and experiences. Candidates have to document proficiencies through community service projects, development of instructional materials in special education, and lesson plans that foster critical thinking and provide a context for information to be learned.




5. Candidates evaluate their own effectiveness through the learning gains of their students (accountability). On all counts, WOU’s proficiency assessment system is anchored to P-12 students and their learning. It is based on the

premise that student learning is the professional touchstone for both teachers and teacher educators, and that the professional status of either will grow only as teachers demonstrate their ability to nurture the kind and level of learning that is deemed essential by a state or nation at a particular point in time (Schalock, 1999).

Teacher work sample methodology is an innovative and validated approach to preparing future teachers which has been developed and studied over the past 15 years at WOU. This methodology is a cornerstone of WOU's teacher preparation curriculum and the primary source of evidence that candidates are well prepared to teach in standards-based schools. All candidates in the teacher education programs, including the special education programs, complete teacher work samples as part of their initial licensure program. In the continuing licensure programs, the work sample is a more extensive body of evidence collected by practicing teachers.

Each candidate for the continuing license must document productivity with a work sample that includes the following: • self-analysis of his or her effectiveness as a teacher as measured by learning gains; • evidence of ability to interpret, reflect upon, and use learning gain data; • use of research as a means of improving one’s practice; • collaboration in meeting P-12 student needs; and • contributions to the school and the profession. Preparing WOU teachers to meaningfully and defensibly connect their work to high standards for student learning, and then assemble and defend evidence as to their effectiveness in doing so, is an inordinately complex task for both teachers and teacher educators. Teacher candidates must be able to gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to help all of their students progress in learning, assemble evidence in this regard, and then interpret, report, and act appropriately on the evidence presented. These continuing skills require more than exposure through coursework to the various bodies of knowledge on which this complex set of actions and transactions depend. They also require that WOU students have opportunity to integrate and adapt the knowledge, skills, and dispositions involved through extensive practice and feedback in their application. Meeting these expectations documents that WOU candidates responsibly accept and respond to accountability demands in today's schools.




6. Candidates are committed to continuing professional development (intellectual vitality). WOU faculty believe the process of becoming a teaching professional involves a continuous growth from being an

undergraduate pre-service teacher to that of a master teacher involved in continuing professional development. The intent of the WOU proficiency-based programs, with their accompanying assessment frameworks, is to help candidates realize that the developmental nature of learning to teach extends beyond their teacher education program into the entirety of their professional lives.

Throughout all of WOU's education programs, faculty model and communicate to

candidates that teachers must be lifelong learners. The curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking and to provide constant opportunities for inquiry-based learning. The course assignments include debates on critical and controversial issues, completion of position papers, development of a personal philosophy relative to educational theory and research, and constant attention to the practice of being a reflective practitioner. Candidates’ understanding of and ability to use educational research is carefully developed from the undergraduate through the graduate programs. The model for teaching and learning “embraces the goal of promoting what Gardner calls ‘education for understanding’ – a sufficient grasp of concepts, principles or skills so that one can bring them to bear on new problems and situations, deciding in which ways one’s present competencies can suffice and in which ways one may require new skills or new knowledge. This approach involves mastery of functional, knowledge-based intellectual frameworks rather than the short-term retention of fractionated contextual clues" (Barr & Tagg, 1995, p. 19). To prepare candidates in a model focused on learning rather than teaching has required faculty to engage in their own discussions and debates. The faculty have pursued this endeavor within their divisions, among divisions, with LAS faculty, and with many colleagues outside the campus. In addition to the work of continuous reflection and improvement of the teacher preparation programs, the faculty are also engaged in a wide variety of research and development activities. Collectively they have worked for many years on the research and development of teacher work sample methodology using data from 1200 WOU candidates and 25,000 P-12 students to improve curriculum, work sample protocols, and scoring guides. Faculty have a strong record of involvement in state and national policy activities, as well as contributing to the profession through research and publication.

Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.

--Inscribed on WOU's Instructional

Technology Center

1. Standards-based/performance assessment 2. Seamless education 3. Diversity 4. Contextual teaching and learning 5. Accountability 6. Intellectual vitality 7. Professional community



Students at WOU experience a significant amount of intellectual vitality from (a) teacher work sample methodology rationale and reflective activities, (b) working with faculty who are themselves actively engaged in professional and scholarly analyses, and (c) from completing assignments specifically selected to foster their accomplishment of the rigorous proficiencies which make up their program.

7. Candidates are prepared to work collaboratively with colleagues, parents and community members (professional community). “Collaboration is, after all, a means to a larger, more essential end. Partnerships will

take root only as schools and colleges have a shared vision and a common understanding as to where they should be going" (Boyer, 1983, p. 105). WOU has made a commitment to form partnerships with and to assist school districts as they restructure to accommodate school improvement plans and the changing nature of teachers' work. These partnerships provide settings where students, along with school and university faculty, may work collaboratively to improve their teaching. In some programs, candidates are required to complete community service projects.

Collaboration is one of the proficiencies expected of candidates at all levels. Faculty

emphasize that candidates will have to work effectively with other teachers, specialists, families, and community service colleagues in order to gather the collective wisdom, experience, and perspectives to foster success in all P-12 students.

As candidates progress through their preparation program, several instructional activities occur which depend upon their active participation in a professional community including: • collaborate in peer-teaching activities; • work together in planning and defending their field evaluation documents; • work with specialists such as speech pathologists, psychologists, physical therapists

and mobility trainers in special education; and • document their collegial work as part of their contribution to school improvement

(continuing license).

The ultimate outcome of these activities is to not only acquire the knowledge and skills sought but the dispositions, confidence and willingness to serve as a productive member of a professional community.

The development and continuous improvement of the teacher preparation programs

is conducted with P-12, community college, university, social service, and business colleagues. Faculty model collegial work through team planning, teaching, and assessment. On-campus faculty are engaged with LAS faculty on projects to improve the teaching of math and science for future teachers and to improve the use of technology as a teaching and learning resource. Faculty participate in a wide variety of P-16

1. Standards-based/performance assessment 2. Seamless education 3. Diversity 4. Contextual teaching and learning 5. Accountability 6. Intellectual vitality 7. Professional community



collaboration through service to schools, committees in the Oregon Department of Education, legislative policy boards, and grant work. Candidates are often invited to observe and/or participate in these activities. Recently the collaborative partnerships have included working with other universities to disseminate models developed at WOU as well as to improve and refine our own work. A Shared Vision

In redesigning and restructuring the regular and special education programs for both initial and continuing licensure, faculty have worked collaboratively within and between divisions and with LAS faculty, P-12 teachers and administrators, and other higher education colleagues.

At a 1996 retreat, the faculty prepared for licensure changes mandated by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC). They used the retreat to generate a vision of what a program for beginning teachers would be if they could prepare teachers under ideal teaching and learning circumstances. The group suspended the traditions of three credit classes taught by a single faculty member, meeting three times a week. Their vision included inter-division planning and teaching, team teaching, productive P-12 partnerships, flexibility with schedules, and increased use of technology. The vision also included a curriculum designed seamlessly from early childhood through high school, collaborative relationships with special education faculty, and assessment based on a set of standards rather than seat time and credits.

This shared vision, including an analysis of the barriers to putting the vision into place, evolved through a two-year series of meetings to turn the vision into a reality and overcome the obstacles. The initial vision brought the college's three divisions together to redesign the teacher preparation programs. Their previous work together on teacher work sample methodology provided a sound basis for the work of redesigning the initial preparation programs. A key question throughout the discussions was “What do candidates need to know and be able to do for the initial license and what proficiencies are they expected to develop, with experience, as they seek a continuing license?”

The vision developed by the WOU faculty for the preparation of teachers has

provided the unifying focus for the curriculum, instruction, field experiences, and assessments for both the initial and continuing licensure programs. In setting their vision for preparing future teachers, the faculty in each division described what teachers should know and be able to do to be recommended for an initial license and for a continuing license.

The vision for the redesign of the initial and continuing licensure programs was continuously reviewed by colleagues in P-12 education, community colleges, other universities, and a variety of interested stakeholders. Those groups gave the faculty feedback and, most of all, encouragement to proceed with plans for a proficiency-based,

A vision without a task is but a dream; A task without a vision is drudgery;

A vision with a task is the hope of the world. --Inscription on a church in England



Quality means working together, not just working in the same building but in the real sense. --Chang & Cotter, 1991

seamless, integrated model for preparation of beginning and practicing teachers. WOU faculty in LAS and Education have worked closely over the past three years to redesign the content majors and the master's degree for regular teacher education. Operating in teams, they aligned courses in the education majors with the state and national content area standards and with national teacher exams. The faculty in special education have worked with an advisory committee made up of professionals in special education, adult services, and parents who provide guidance and support for changes in those programs.

Today faculty design, plan and teach together. Offices have been designated as team planning rooms to encourage teamwork. Program structures encourage not only faculty but also candidates to become engaged in interdependent learning teams. In addition there are increased opportunities to work collaboratively with P-12 and higher education colleagues through the Oregon Quality Assurance in Teaching project, the Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in Teaching, and the Oregon Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. The faculty are also actively engaged with national partners who share a vision of contextual teaching and learning as a critical ingredient for education reform. The shared vision of the faculty at WOU is reflective of not only exemplary practitioners but the college's incorporation of the standards developed by the NBPTS, NCATE, and INTASC. Coherence

Systems of quality management “require consistent effort by the entire team working together toward common objectives based on an accepted vision and mission, using quantitative and qualitative data to measure how well the system is meeting the needs of all stakeholders inside and outside the organization" (Bonstigl,1992, p. 11). The system for ensuring and maintaining coherence is multi-faceted and interrelated with curriculum, field experience, assessment and evaluation being closely aligned within the program, as well as with state and national standards. Externally the development of school partnerships provides coherence through meaningful connections to P-12 education. Finally a sound governance process provides a structure through which evaluation data are considered and curriculum, program and policy changes are formalized into the structure of the university. Coherence in design and planning. From 1995 to 1999 the faculty redesigned every licensure program at the initial and continuing levels. The new programs were developed with total faculty involvement within and across divisions, with faculty from LAS, and with off-campus education colleagues from P-12, community colleges, and professional organizations. As a result the programs are well integrated with courses, field experience, assessments, and evaluations. There is a clear extension of the requirements for initial licensure with the requirements for the continuing licenses. Each of the programs for initial and continuing licensure is also aligned with Oregon’s licensure and accreditation standards, and the standards of professional organizations.



Coherence in teaching the curriculum. Faculty plan in teams and often teach in teams to assure coherence and alignment within a program. In addition, the faculty who teach in the initial licensure programs also instruct in the graduate programs and clearly understand the difference between initial and continuing licensure requirements. Courses are sequenced and aligned to facilitate candidates’ acquisition of knowledge and theory with field experiences. Curriculum for continuing licensure extends the knowledge base of the initial licensure programs through preparation that adds depth for the candidate (higher level preparation in the same content or specialty area) or breadth by adding a new endorsement, specialty or authorization area. Coherence in assessment. The proficiencies and work sample criteria required for initial and continuing licensure provide a consistent and common framework for the candidate, mentor teachers, and university faculty for teaching and evaluation. The proficiency assessment framework progresses from initial licensure to the continuing licensure program. The progression can be seen in ever increasing expectations for professional independence and leadership. These bring structure (coherence) to WOU's developmental expectations for graduates. Courses are also aligned with the sources of evidence used for formative and summative evaluations. In particular, the sources of evidence in the continuing licensure program reflect the expectation for a teacher who has three to six years of experience and meets the standards for leadership in practice, research, collaboration, and effectiveness. Work sample criteria for the continuing licensure program are being developed with faculty from WOU, the other colleges of teacher education throughout the state, and Oregon's TSPC. Coherence in evaluation and continuous quality improvement. Lewis Rhodes describes effective organizations as a “value-based, information-driven management process through which the minds and talents of people at all levels are applied fully and creatively to the organization’s continuous improvement." In WOU teacher preparation programs, evaluations are designed to utilize multiple sources of data from multiple perspectives. A utility-focused evaluation design has been used throughout the development of instruments, the collection of information, and the use of data to facilitate curriculum and program improvements. Data are collected systematically from candidates, faculty, mentor teachers and principals who hire our graduates. Teams of faculty review the data and make recommendations based on results. In addition, teacher

Coherence is most evident in the Proficiency Assessment Framework that: • Links proficiencies for the initial license to the

continuing license. • Provides examples of sources of evidence to be used to

document proficiency. • Aligns proficiencies to courses. • Evaluates candidate performance by at least two faculty

members at the end of each term for the initial license. • Supports continuous evaluation of candidates for the

advanced license by faculty and mentor teachers. • Builds increased expectations for candidates'

documentation of professional independence and



work samples are viewed as one measure of the faculty’s effectiveness of their own teaching. Teacher work samples are evaluated and summarized by the faculty who meet once a term to review data, candidate products, assessment instruments, and instructional and programmatic processes to make improvements. Follow-up evaluation of graduates occurs on a regular basis by the institution and the College of Education. Results provide a means for improving the programs based on the experiences of the candidates as well as perceptions by their mentor teachers and principals. Coherence through professional community. Each division has an advisory board to review curriculum and program evaluation data. The advisory boards are made up of P-12 teachers and principals, faculty, and candidates. Recommendations move from the advisory boards to the College of Education Consortium for curriculum approval, recommendations on staffing, and development of policies. The College of Education Consortium is made up of representatives from division faculty, P-12 faculty and administrators, the WOU student body, and the business community.

These systems of coherence only have meaning if they affect the individual candidates’ progression through the program. For candidates, the coherence begins with recruitment and admission, continues through their academic program and remains with them as they enter the profession and progress through the continuing licensure. Professional Commitment and Dispositions

The proficiencies designed by the faculty at WOU represent the unit’s concept of what professional teachers should know and be able to accomplish. “These proficiencies highlight the knowledge, skills, dispositions and demonstrated ability to enhance student progress in learning that teachers entering (or currently teaching in) Oregon’s standards-based schools are expected to bring with them" (Proficiency Assessment Framework, 2000, in press).

The faculty have articulated their professional commitment to the preparation of teachers who know their content and excel at the practice of teaching; who have demonstrated ability to help P-12 students progress in their learning; and who have the dispositions the faculty value in educators. The dispositions that faculty value include: • acceptance of responsibility for the academic, social and behavioral success of all

children and youth in their care; • the importance of using a wide array of resources to support learning (variety of

approaches to teach reading, adaptations for special education students, appropriate use of technology, culturally-sensitive education materials);

• the need to work collegially with families, colleagues and community members; • the responsibility to advocate for at-risk students and their families; • a deeply held understanding of the ethics of the profession; • a commitment to continuing professional development; and • a vision of disability as a normative aspect of humanity.



The documentation of faculty effectiveness and candidate qualification for initial or continuing licensure is interwoven throughout the admissions requirements, the proficiencies, teacher work sample methodology, and the multiple evaluations used to demonstrate abilities required for program completion. Quality of candidates. Entrance requirements are high for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Students selected for candidacy at the initial or the continuing licensure level must demonstrate an acceptable level of general knowledge, specific subject and pedagogical knowledge acquisition, academic ability, and professional demeanor. Multiple sources of evidence are used for program admission including test scores, grade point average, letters of recommendation from LAS faculty (undergraduate) or education professional (graduate) and faculty interviews. Content knowledge. To ensure a high level of general, subject, and pedagogical knowledge, candidates for initial and continuing licensure complete coursework and practical experiences emphasizing research findings and best practice from qualified faculty and school site mentors. They acquire an in-depth understanding of the subjects they teach, appreciate how their subjects are linked to other disciplines, are aware of prior knowledge students bring to a subject, and develop an instructional repertoire that allows them to create multiple paths to knowledge.

Demonstrated teaching ability to facilitate and foster P-12 student learning. Assuring that all students in one’s class are progressing toward explicitly stated and benchmarked standards for learning places far different demands on a teacher than being responsible only for engaging students in opportunities to learn and then assigning grades of A through F to indicate how much was learned relative to the learning of others. Perhaps the most novel and far-reaching feature of the proficiency assessment system developed at WOU is the use of teacher work samples to determine a candidate’s ability to help students progress in their learning.

While developed as a stand-alone methodology, WOU faculty have chosen to embed

teacher work sample methodology within their overall teacher assessment system. As such, it is used as a source of evidence in six of the ten proficiencies that guide a teacher candidate’s work at WOU from point of entry to a program to recommendation for licensure, and a major component of advanced proficiency documentation for continuing licensure. When used in this way and for these purposes, teacher work sample methodology is intended to serve as an organizer for much of the instruction, supervision, formative evaluation, and feedback occurring within WOU’s teacher preparation programs. It also is used as part of the final performance assessment that takes place during student teaching (initial) or the advanced proficiency documentation (continuing).



Commitment to Diversity The context of the state and community. Oregon is a land of immigrants whose largest ethnic minority comes from Mexico. Since before World War II, there has been a steady stream of immigrants coming to harvest crops in the Pacific Northwest. WOU is located in the Mid-Willamette Valley where work in agriculture and service jobs is abundant. Locally, a rapidly increasing Hispanic population reflects the growth of the state. The context of the College of Education. The fourth of the five goals of the College of Education is: College of Education faculty and administration will actively promote diversity through hiring, recruitment of students, and in its curriculum.

This goal is pursued through recruitment and support of a diverse faculty. Some of the most successful efforts have been through several “grow your own” support projects which have added diversity to the faculty. The goal has also resulted in concerted efforts to recruit, retain and support underrepresented populations into the profession of teaching, and is a philosophy and belief infused into the curriculum.

The faculty commitment to prepare candidates who are able to foster learning in all students is evident in syllabi, course assignments, instruction and proficiencies. Because many of the candidates come from majority cultures of homogeneous backgrounds, the faculty provide multiple opportunities to focus on equity for cultural groups including gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, religion, and national origin. For candidates from the majority population, it is particularly important to have opportunities to be exposed to other points of view and have experiences in new cultures even when it is uncomfortable for them. For candidates from the minority populations, it is important to hear their perspectives and their stories, to provide a supportive and safe environment and to accept their points of view and help them learn to advocate effectively with the majority culture.

In addition to observation of behaviors and communication throughout the program and in field experience, a key source of evidence for assuring that candidates have the dispositions and skills required to teach are the teacher work samples. All candidates must develop and implement alternative instructional plans and assessments where adaptations are needed to facilitate learning for students who have cultural, linguistic, and developmental differences.

A just community is a place where diversity is aggressively pursued.

--Ernest Boyer



Commitment to Technology The message is abundantly clear that teacher preparation programs must provide

leadership, support initiatives, and set high standards to meet the technology challenges and opportunities facing their candidates. New teachers tend to replicate teaching approaches experienced in their own P-12 or university classrooms. However, these approaches were developed and perfected in times very different from the present, and far removed from the future in which students will live. Our information-age society demands citizens and workers who possess not only strong academic skills but also critical thinking, facility with problem solving, technological literacy, personal management, and well-honed communication skills. These individuals must learn in a rapidly changing environment and build knowledge taken from numerous sources and different perspectives. They must understand systems in diverse contexts and collaborate locally and around the globe.

Moreover, the development of these qualities in students necessarily occurs in classrooms reflecting wide ranges of racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity; high incidences of physical and learning disabilities; common occurrences of linguistic differences; and growing numbers of children in crises. It is unlikely that traditional ways of teaching and learning can make the vision of high standards for all students a reality.

The U.S. Department of Education, in a recent request for proposals, stated, "Properly used, technology increases students’ learning opportunities, motivation, and achievement; it helps students acquire skills that are rapidly becoming essential in the workplace; and it breaks the barriers of time and place, enabling students in any community, no matter how remote or impoverished, to have access to high-quality instruction." However, modern information technologies are apt to enhance student learning only if teachers know how to use them (Dillon & Gabbard, 1998; Wenglinsky, 1998). If candidates are to learn how to effectively infuse technology into their teaching, they must have good models from the teacher education faculty and they must be in field sites where they can practice what they have learned. Faculty. The faculty at WOU are committed to ensuring that the future teachers are able to use technology to help all students meet challenging academic standards. The university has received two “Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology” (PT3) grants. These grants provide limited amounts of hardware, software, and support to faculty in both colleges to infuse technology into the curriculum and to prepare candidates for teaching in the 21st century. Faculty in the teacher preparation programs are becoming models for the application of technology to facilitate and enrich learning experiences throughout the teacher preparation program. A relatively new Faculty Resource Center, located in the Instructional Technology building, provides free courses and technical assistance to faculty.



Candidates. At WOU, future teachers must demonstrate their ability to effectively use technology as part of initial and continuing licensure programs. Technological literacy, both in teacher productivity and in the integration of technology in classroom teaching, is one of the proficiencies described in the Proficiency Assessment Framework. (Teaching Proficiency 10: Exhibit technological literacy both in teacher productivity and integration of technology in classroom learning.) Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of the operation and concepts of technological equipment, how to apply technology to enhance personal and professional growth and productivity, and how to integrate technology into classroom planning, instruction and assessment.

Special education candidates learn to integrate technology into the development of work samples for both functional skills for students with severe disabilities and those with milder disabilities who are working on academic curriculum. Technology is particularly relevant in special education because of its utility for students with disabilities. Technical supports such as adapted computers, language boards, loop systems and other applications facilitate learning by those who have physical, sensory and/or learning disabilities. Teacher work samples for initial and continuing licensure. Although candidates document technology proficiency in their teacher work samples, the criterion has been focused on the document itself; for example, the use of Excel to display P-12 student learning gains in clusters and by individual student. There has not been an evaluation component related to infusion of technology into their teaching. The next step in improving the professional core may be to require candidates to develop a section of the work sample that describes their use of technology for teaching. It might include a rationale stating why technology is appropriate or the reasons they did not use it. Candidates may also be asked to add a paragraph in the site description that includes the school/district capacity in the area of technology. Current directions. The deans of the colleges of Education and Liberal Arts and Sciences, along with the director of Teaching Research, have developed a plan to increase the university's capacity to support faculty use of technology. Current directions include upgrading hardware and software, adding capacity in the three technology laboratories and the classrooms, and providing multiple incentives for faculty to infuse technology into their teaching. The PT3 implementation grant provides funding from 1999 through 2002 to support this university initiative. This grant and related activities are expected to impact continuing licensure and graduate programs through assessment of candidate competence at the beginning of graduate work and documentation of candidates' abilities to effectively use technology to enhance teaching and support P-12 learning.

Through imaginative applications of technology, teachers and parents are completely changing the educational landscape for students with disabilities.

--Jacqueline Brandt, founder, Alliance for Technology Access



Candidate Proficiencies Aligned with Professional, State and National Standards In articulating what teachers should know and be able to do, educators have

assembled and connected insights and research findings across the fields of psychology, pedagogy, and medicine. In addition, the articulation of the “wisdom of practice” (Shulman, 1986) has brought about a better understanding of teaching developed by expert practitioners (Darling-Hammond, 1999).

The identification of exemplary teacher practices by teaching professionals has in

fact been argued as a major factor in the professionalization of teaching. “Some policymakers and educators believe that one of the most important policy strategies for improving teaching and (student) learning is the recent development of standards by teachers themselves" (Darling-Hammond, 1999, p. 12). Imig in 1992 stated, “…professionals must define high standards, set rigorous expectations, and then hold peers to these standards and expectations” (in Darling-Hammond, 1999, p. 13). A fundamental role of standards is to provide the guidelines for curriculum and assessment development (Pearson, 1994). The WOU curriculum and assessment process for teacher preparation programs is aligned to the standards expected for initial and continuing licensure. In the redesign of the initial and continuing licensure programs, the faculty started with the standards by first asking, “What should teachers know and be able to do?” The question was asked for beginning teachers for the initial license and experienced teachers for the continuing license. The faculty worked from their answers back to the curriculum and assessment, then proceeded to hone and refine the descriptors and scoring guides. The scoring guides clearly articulate the requirements for candidates and TSPC. In addition, the guides help align the curriculum with assessment procedures and sources of evidence. The initial licensure program is aligned with the continuing licensure program. The proficiency-assessment framework extends each of the standards to the higher expectations for experienced teachers. The initial licensure standards have been articulated discreetly and reflect the need to analyze and scaffold complex learning. The advanced proficiency standards are articulated in a way that assumes a more integrated and cumulative level of teacher capacities (Ferguson, 2000).

Both the initial and continuing licensure requirements include a work sample. The documentation for the continuing work sample is designed to illustrate the skills, knowledge, and results expected of teachers with three to six years of experience. The continuing licensure requirements are aligned with the national board certification requirements. Summary

In the formulation of a conceptual framework, the design of programs and the expectations for WOU candidates, unit faculty have explored the expertise of national and state professionals. The standards defined by the NBPT, INTSAC, Oregon TSPC, and NCATE are interwoven throughout programs and assessment frameworks.



Table 1 illustrates how the WOU conceptual framework aligns with the standards set by the four groups identified above and how these concepts are inherent in program concepts and proficiencies required of candidates.

Table 1 Alignment of Conceptual Framework, Program Concepts and Proficiencies to State and National Standards

Conceptual Framework

Program Concepts

Assessment Framework

Student Proficiencies

Division 17Oregon TSPC

Standards

NCATE Standards

INTASC Standards

NBPT Standards

1. Standards-based/ performance

• Advanced subject knowledge

• Research • Special Education • APD • Technology

2, 4-10 0160: 1-8 0170 0175

1, 3, 4 Principle 1-8

Prop. 1-5

2. Seamless education

Seamless education and continuing advancement within profession

1, 2, 5, 6, 10 1 Principle 9

Prop. 4

3. Diversity Multicultural education

4-9 0160:2, 4, 6

1, 3, 4 Principle 2, 3

Prop. 1, 5

4. Contextual teaching and learning

• APD • Emancipatory

learning

1-10 0160:1-8 0175


Prop. 1-5

5. Account-ability

• Advanced work sample

• APD

2, 4, 6-10 0160:1-8 0175


Prop. 1-5

6. Intellectual vitality

• Intellectual vitality and professional development

• Seamless education and continuing advancement within profession

• Advanced proficiency document (APD)

1-3, 5, 6, 8, 10

0160: 9, 10 0170 0175

1, 3, 4 Principle 9

Prop. 4

7. Professional community

• Collegial design • Student

assessment • Professional

community • Program

evaluation • APD

1, 3, 8 0160: 5, 9, 10 0175

2, 3, 5, 6 Principle 6, 9, 10

Prop. 1-5



Table 2 addresses how TSPC requirements for continuing licensure are aligned with the WOU proficiency framework and methods of assessing candidate capabilities through course requirements, examinations and advanced proficiency documentation sources of evidence. The term “course requirements” includes traditional forms of candidate assessment including assigned papers, alternative assessment tasks, student presentations, and tests. Table 2 Alignment of Oregon TSPC Objectives for a Continuing Teaching License with WOU Candidate Proficiencies and Sources of Evidence TSPC Standard 584-017-0160

WOU's Assessment Framework Proficiencies

Sources of Evidence

1. Assess knowledge and skills of students

2, 6, 8 • Advanced Proficiency Document (APD) 3

• Human development course requirements

2. Design instructional plans 6, 7, 9 • APD 2, 3

• Advanced content/ methodology course req.

• Foundations course req. • Technology course req. • Human development course

req. • Comprehensive examination

3. Classroom climate 4, 9 • APD 1, 12 • Classroom climate course req. • Human development course

req. 4. Implement instruction

2, 6-10 • APD 4-8 • Technology course req. • Advanced content course req. • Comprehensive examination

5. Community collaboration 1, 3 • APD 3, 4 6. Evaluate progress and refine

instruction 2, 6, 7, 8 • APD 9

7. Document and report progress 3, 6, 8, 10 • APD 10 • Technology course

requirements 8. Utilize research 1, 2, 6, 7 • APD 1, 2

• Advanced content course requirements

• Research course requirements • Comprehensive examination

9. Institutional improvement 1-3 • APD 13 • Research course requirements

10. Collegial collaboration 1, 3 APD 5, 11, 14



Table 3 illustrates the alignment of NCATE Standard 1 and its relationship to candidate proficiencies, graduate level learning experiences, program products, and methods of faculty assessment of candidate capability. Table 3 NCATE Standard 1 Compared to WOU Candidate Proficiencies, Learning Experiences, and Assessment Procedures for Continuing Licensure

NCATE Standard

Candidate Proficiencies

Grad. Level Learning Exp.

Program Products

Candidate Assessment

1. Candidate Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions

Content knowledge 1, 6, 8, 10

Advanced content knowledge classes

• Literature review • Unit goals

• Graded courses • Comprehensive

exams • Evaluation

committee Professional and pedagogical knowledge

1-10 Education core classes

• Setting description • Reflective essay • Research project

• Graded courses • Evaluation

committee • Work sample

Pedagogical content knowledge

1, 4, 6-10 • Ed. core classes

• Advanced content knowledge classes

• Literature review • Assessment

activities

• Graded courses • Evaluation comm. • Comprehensive

exams • Work sample

Dispositions

1-5, 9 • Ed. core classes

• APD practicum

• Philosophical statement

• Community involvement

• Journal • Plan for re-teaching

• Evaluation comm. • Practicum mentor

Student learning 1, 4, 8-10 • Ed. core classes

• APD • Advanced

work sample methodology

Advanced work sample (all components)

Work sample

Student learning for other personnel

1, 4, 8-10 • Ed. core classes

• APD • Advanced

WSM • Advanced

content class

Advanced work sample (all components)

Work sample



Table 4 illustrates the alignment of NCATE Standard 3 and its relationship to continuing licensure candidate proficiencies, graduate level learning experiences, program products, and methods of faculty assessment of candidates' capability.

Table 4 NCATE Standard 3 Compared to WOU Candidate Proficiencies, Learning Experiences, Program Products and Methods of Faculty Assessment of Candidate Capability Leading to Continuing Licensure

NCATE Standard

Candidate Proficiencies

Graduate Level Learning Exp.

Program Products

Candidate Assessment

3. Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

Design and Implementation

1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 • Advanced proficiency document (APD)

• Practicum • Field guide • Observation

Advanced proficiency document (APD)

• Faculty observation

• WSM • APD • Mentor

observation Collaboration 1, 3, 4, 5 • APD

• Practicum • Field guide • Supervisor • Mentor training • Observations

APD • Consortium • Mentor

practitioner observations

• Evaluation committee

Accountability and evaluation

1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 • APD • Practicum • Field guide • Observations

APD • Evaluation committee

• Mentor • Faculty

supervisor Diversity 2, 4, 9 • Practicum

• Practicum placement

• Observations

APD • Evaluation committee

• Mentor • Faculty

supervisor Summary A review of Tables 1 through 4 should confirm for the reader that WOU has been conscientious in (a) aligning its proficiencies with professional, state, and national standards; and (b) providing programs that can be readily discerned as coherent.



Appendix Comparison between standard (old) and continuing (new) licensure programs Standard

Elementary Standard Secondary

Continuing Elementary/Secondary

Licensure currently held

Basic Basic Initial

Master's degree required

No No Yes

Field experience required

No No APD

Advanced work sample methodology

Yes Yes Yes

Thesis, comp. exams, project required

Only if seeking MS in Ed

Only if seeking MS in Ed

Yes

Advisement One faculty advisor One faculty advisor Evaluation team Coursework required Foundations Philosophy of Ed. Philosophy of Ed. Contemporary

Foundations of Ed OR Philosophy of Ed.

Research Research Procedures Research Procedures Quantitative Research AND Qualitative Research

Classroom Climate Classroom Teacher/ Counselor OR Personalizing Classroom Climate

Classroom Teacher/ Counselor

Class. Teacher/ Counselor OR Personalizing Classroom Climate

Human Development Theories of Learning OR Theories of Development

None Learning and Memory for Instruct. OR Pers. Class. Climate

Literacy Foundations of Lit. Adv. Read. & Comp. In 10 of 17 courses Curriculum None Sec. School Curric. In advanced content

cores Content OR Academic Specialty

15 cr. indiv. emphasis OR 15 cr. academic spec.

15 cr. content area

21 cr. adv. content core

Program evaluation/ professionalism

None Eval. of Class. Instruc In Contemp. Fnd. Ed.

Proficiency Documentation

Only if seeking MSEd Comps OR Field Project OR Thesis

Only if seeking MSEd Comps OR Field Project OR Thesis

Included in APD process



List of Documents Conceptual Framework 1: Charting Our Future Conceptual Framework 2: Ohio State University Case Study Conceptual Framework 3: Grants

• Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology • Oregon Quality Assurance in Teaching (Title II) • Teacher Effectiveness Projects • Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher

Education

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