Cumberland University School of Education Conceptual Framework SoE Conceptual Framework re… ·...

Cumberland University

School of Education Conceptual Framework

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Cumberland University School of Education

Conceptual Framework

Background

The School of Education, and Cumberland University in general, has benefited

over the past several years from a significant series of change efforts. Changes in unit

faculty, student recruitment efforts at the institutional level, and the technological

capacity of the school have provided opportunities for growth and development and

challenges to the existing culture of the institution and the unit. Over the last five years,

the Master’s of Arts in Education program has been entirely revamped, moving to on-

line delivery from the use of an external vendor.

As a result, our faculty has been involved in a serious revisitation of the

conceptual framework, the philosophy that guides us collectively, and pedagogy that

should follow. This is a necessary process given the recent turnover in faculty, our

endeavor to become accredited, and changes in both the university and the School of

Education.

The School of Education has adopted an entirely new set of standards, those of

the International New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), and has

revised our Conceptual Framework in response to institutional changes in the University

Mission statement and changes in the professional education standards at the state and

national level; and we continue to update (the institution is currently revising its own

mission statement, and the unit remains poised to adapt to changes). Our Conceptual

Framework, as it stands, guides us toward pedagogy and content that focuses on

student achievement with significant emphasis on development of the knowledge,

dispositions, and skills, required professional educators in the present educational policy

and school contexts.

The Conceptual Framework is – necessarily and fundamentally – a working

document. It guides our practice today, but it is under review by the unit’s faculty

beyond the normal level of attention given to such a document. We have been since Fall

of 2007 critically and thoroughly examining our conceptual framework and assessment

system with the intention to improve it. Thus what is presented herein reflects the

philosophy, purposes, and goals of the unit, and by the time of our NCATE visit our

Conceptual Framework may have evolved again.

4.1 Institution’s And Unit’s Mission And Vision Statements

The Institution

Cumberland University is a regionally accredited institution of higher education

located in Lebanon, TN. The institution stresses it’s small size and ability to provide close

contacts between faculty and candidates. The primary responsibilities of the faculty

including teaching and advisement. While some of the faculty engage in research,



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conference participation, publication, and grant writing, the institution is developing the

infrastructure to better support such scholarship. The institution serves a population

from the predominantly rural and increasingly ex-urban local area. Many candidates are

first-generation college attendees.

Institution Mission Statement

The mission of Cumberland University is to create a learning community of distinction

through a partnership among its students, faculty, staff, and the larger community. The

development of the whole student – intellectual, spiritual, psychosocial, physical,

creative – is emphasized in preparation for successful and responsible personal living,

for productive economic participation, and for constructive citizenship.

Institution Vision Statement

Cumberland University will be recognized as one of the best small private universities in

the region. Graduates will be prepared to secure their first choice of employment or

graduate school placement, succeed in careers, and become productive contributors to

their communities. In order to accomplish this vision, the faculty has collaborated on

professional commitments and dispositions for the delivery component of our program.

Institution Goals

1. Each graduate will demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities characteristic of an

educated person.

2. Each graduate will demonstrate a depth of understanding in a selected field of study

and be prepared for entry into a meaningful career or advanced study.

3. Each graduate will have the opportunity to participate in community-based service

learning experience.

4. Each graduate will be facilitated in the development of the whole person through

recognition of his/her unique needs and interests and the academic programs,

student services, campus/residential life and athletic activities offered.

5. Students with developmental needs will be successfully integrated into regular

programs of study.

6. The instruction and evaluation methods utilized will be varied and diverse and

will utilize instructional and informational technology appropriate to course

objectives.

7. Sixty percent of students will graduate within four years of enrolling as freshmen.

8. The physical plant, instructional resources, technology and information systems will

enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching, learning and operations.

9. The University community will honor (respect) differences characteristic of a

geographically and culturally diverse faculty and student body.

10. The quality of life in the larger community will be enhanced through planned

activities and programs that are responsive to community issues and interests.



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The Unit

At the Cumberland University School of Education, we our proud of our long-

held regional reputation for consistently preparing excellent educators for their work in

schools, from the classroom to the state’s administrative offices. We share a

commitment to staying ahead of changes in the educational world – whether related to

policy or practice – in order to not only maintain our reputation for excellence, but to

deliver an education based on best current practices and research-based knowledge so

that they in turn serve students and schools as professionally as possible.

Unit Mission Statement

Through appropriate modeling of teaching methods, advisement, clinical experiences,

assessment, and action research Cumberland University’s School of Education will

collaborate to create a viable learning community of distinction. The mission of the unit

is to prepare future educators to become “competent, caring, qualified professional

educators” and reflective practitioners. Our program of courses will provide candidates

opportunities to learn the interrelated themes of the common body of knowledge that

encompasses the essential skills, dispositions, and knowledge required by beginning

teachers.1

Unit Vision Statement

Through a shared vision, the faculty of the Cumberland University School of Education

strives to protect our status of being recognized by regional educators as a program that

produces educators who are “competent, caring, qualified professional educators” in a

changing world. Our faculty will continue to be aware of and prepare our candidates for

the constantly evolving policy, socio-cultural, and technology contexts of the classrooms

they will serve.

4.2 UNIT PHILOSOPHY, PURPOSE, AND GOALS:

Unit Purpose

The purpose of the programs in the School of Education is to produce graduates

who have mastered the knowledge, gained or enhanced the dispositions, and

demonstrated performance of skills required of professional educators of distinction.

Students should leave the program with the skills to continue to critically reflect on their

own practice in such a way that they can effectively strive for continual self-

improvement.

Unit Goals

The faculty of the School of Education strives to protect our status of being recognized

by regional educators as a program that produces educators who are “competent,

1 Due to an error in the printing of the 2007-2009 University catalog, the unit mission statement printed

on page 60 therein (see precondition 6.1) is incorrect.



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caring, qualified professional educators” in a changing world. Through content,

curriculum, and modeling, the goal of the faculty of the School of Education is to

produce candidates who:

1. … understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the

discipline(s) they teach and can create learning experiences that make these aspects

of subject matter meaningful for students.

2. … understand how children and youth learn and develop, and can provide learning

opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.

3. … understand how students differ in their approaches to learning, and create

instructional opportunities that are adapted to learners from diverse cultural

backgrounds and with exceptionalities.

4. … understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’

development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

5. … use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a

learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement

in learning, and self-motivation.

6. … use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication

techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the

classroom.

7. … plan and manage instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students,

the community, and curriculum goals.

8. … understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and

ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of their

students.

9. … are reflective practitioners who continually evaluate the effects of their choices

and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning

community) and actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.

10. … communicate and interact with parents/guardians, families, school colleagues,

and the community to support students’ learning and well-being.

The School of Education’s Conceptual Framework reflects the incorporation of

INTASC’s ten standards into our standing goal of creating caring, competent, and

qualified professional educators. INTASC’s standard-specific knowledge, dispositions,

and skills requirements represented in the colored boxes match CU’s goal of creating

the competent, caring, and qualified dimensions of professional educators. The arrows

between represent the interconnectedness of the various components of those

dimensions. The arrows also communicate that a professional educator is well versed in

each of the domains.



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Knowledge is equivalent to Competency. Professional educators must have not

only a deep understanding of and enthusiasm for their particular content area. They

must also be well versed in the most recent theories of learning, and be well equipped

with a variety of strategies for planning, instruction, and assessment.

Dispositions are equivalent to the attitudes and beliefs that create caring

teachers. Professional educators must have the belief that all students are capable of

growth and achievement. This is at the very core of their efficacy. They must

additionally be disposed toward the particular methods of motivation, guidance, and

classroom management that creates healthy learning environments. Finally, they must

be guided by an attitude that motivates them to communicate with each student,

parent, and community member for the benefit of their students’ development.

Qualified is equivalent to having demonstrated the skills to meet or exceed the

requirements of the professional aspects of being an effective member of the

educational community. This means they must be able model a strong personal and

professional ethic, they must know how to collaborate with peers and administrators,

and they must have the willingness and ability to engage in professional development,

both through seeking new knowledge and skills and through a regular process of critical

self-reflection.

Unit Philosophy

The School of Education faculty believe that:

CUMBERLAND

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL

OF EDUCATION



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• … every candidate enters the teacher education program with a vast potential

for personal and professional growth, and that each candidate is deserving of the

attention and mentorship of the faculty toward our common goal of creating the

best possible teachers, administrators, and educators for the students of

Tennessee.

• … high quality teaching requires a deep knowledge of and enthusiasm for

content, pedagogy, and assessment techniques.

• … high quality teaching requires an orientation toward dispositions and beliefs

that create excellent learning environments.

• … high quality teaching requires the skills and behaviors reflective of a personal

ethic that meets or exceeds the requirements of the profession.

• … high quality teaching requires critical self-reflection that is at the core of

professionalism and self-improvement.

• … critical self-reflection that is at the core of professionalism and self-

improvement.

• … the best route to our goals is to stress through lecture, course work, and role

modeling the development not only of content and pedagogical knowledge, but

also the professional dispositions and practices required of teachers equipped to

adapt to and thrive in changing schools contexts.

4.3 KNOWLEDGE BASES, INCLUDING THEORIES, RESEARCH, THE WISDOM OF PRACTICE,

AND EDUCATION POLICIES, THAT INFORM THE UNIT’S CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Preparation to function as a professional in any field of endeavor requires that

an individual understand the Conceptual Framework around which knowledge in that

field is organized. The teacher preparation program at Cumberland University uses as its

foundation the concept of a common body of knowledge that encompasses the

knowledge, skills and dispositions to become competent, caring, qualified teachers, as

well as attributes of Cumberland University graduates.

Menand (2001) conveyed a statement, now nearly a century and a half old and

no less relevant, by James Fitzjames Stephens (1863) that “without belief [people]

cannot act.” Thus, action (performance) is impossible without dispositions (beliefs), and

furthermore the qualities of one’s dispositions are based on the depth of one’s

knowledge. Closing the loop, knowledge is informed by the experience that comes from

the performance of, and reflection on, any task. Dewey (1938) informs us that

experience is critical to learning, but that true learning gained is gained from reflection

on the experience that leads to new (corrected or improved) action and experience. This

interaction is graphically represented in the image on page 20.

From the unit’s professional educational core, students are expose to the

essential foundations frameworks for achieving each of the unit’s goals. The unit’s

curriculum, courses, field experiences and assessment are designed to reflect and

develop these outcomes so that candidates who complete the program exemplify the



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“competent, caring qualified professional educators” that ideally represent Cumberland

University.

The Competent Professional Educator

Successful teachers not only know deeply and are enthusiastic about their

particular academic field. They must further be equipped with an equally deep

understanding the phases of human personal and intellectual development (and thus

how learning occurs in their particular students), and which among multiple

instructional strategies and assessments are most appropriate given circumstances. This

cluster of competencies leads to the ability to plan effective instruction for each

student.

We are committed to a learner-centered approach to instruction with an

emphasis on experiential learning (Dewey, 1938, 1959; Adler, 1982, Lambert &

McCombs, 1998). A learner-centered approach is based on constructivism, the view that

learners are active constructors of knowledge who filter new information through

screens of existing knowledge and personal experience. The learner-centered approach,

in contrast to the learning-centered approach, “is a natural process guided by individual

learners’ goals, arising from the activity itself and interactions with others stemming

from the activity, in which students try to make sense of their experience by

constructing knowledge, meaning and understanding” (Lambert & McCombs, 1998, p.

11). Though the learner is the center of this approach, it is not exclusive of the learnings

critical to the development of competent, caring and qualified professional educators.

By focusing on the learner, however, educators can understand how best to tailor

education so as to create the zones of proximal development that enhance permanent

learning Vygotsky (1978). This process reinforces mastery-learning approaches (Bloom,

1981; Carroll, 1963) for all students, and is based on the unit’s intention to meet diverse

student needs and learning styles though diverse teaching strategies (Boyer, 1983; Dill,

1996; Cochran-Smith, 1997; Imig, 1998; Gilligan, Garcia, 2002; Darling-Hammond, 2000).

Exposure to a curriculum on teaching alone is inadequate, however, for

comprehensive teacher preparation. Indeed, "Field experiences must be integrated

within the coursework expected of candidates and relevant to the advancement of their

skills" (Fetter, 2003). After acceptance into Teacher Education Phase I, candidates begin

field experiences during ED201, Education as a Profession, during which they observe

classes, and deliver a Junior Achievement curriculum. Thereafter, certain courses are

designated as requiring field experience components, during which candidates engage

in targeted observation activities, and gradually assume hands-on activities with

students; some courses include teaching experiences at the end of the semester in

which candidates deliver a lesson either planned by or in collaboration with their

cooperating teacher. Field experience culminates in their semester long student

teaching experience. Targeted observation activities are designed to reinforce practical

application, and practical (experiential) exercises are designed to reinforce the content

of the curriculum. This direct experiential engagement with classrooms and

administrative offices, combined with the knowledge and skills gained through the



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curriculum, is essential to creating graduates who are fully aware of and prepared for

the changing realities of education in modern society.

The unit has recently increased its efforts to bring university faculty and public

school practitioners together for the purposes of improving the preparation of teacher

candidates thorough extensive embedded field experiences (Goodlad, 1990; Holmes

Group, 1986).

Commitment to Technology: technological literacy is an important factor in the

development of educational competence. The unit acknowledges the role of technology

in creating learning communities that respond to the needs of teachers and students.

The unit has defined technology literacy as a requirement for all candidates, including

skills in using technology to support instruction and to apply technology tools to

enhance professional growth and productivity.

The unit faculty is committed to providing students with opportunities beginning

early in their programs of study to gain basic computer skills and to use those skills to

access information, to create multimedia presentations, to manage data, and to

evaluate instructional software. Throughout their curriculum, students use technology

to enhance their own learning and develop instructional lessons and units that

incorporate varied instructional technologies. For example, both Livetext and

Blackboard Online delivery systems are utilized.

Bruner (1977, p. 88 italics in original) summarizes an important caveat:

The devices themselves cannot dictate their purpose. Unbridled enthusiasm for

[technologies] as panaceas overlooks the paramount importance of what one is

trying to accomplish. A perpetual feast of the best teaching [technologies] in the

world, unrelated to other techniques of teaching, could produce bench-bound

passivity.

While Bruner spoke of films and teaching machines, his point is no less relevant in the

world of web 2.0 teaching applications: technologies are part of a cluster of tools

available to teachers that should never be relied upon to replace effort on their part.

This leads to “gimmickry” that helps “neither the teacher nor the student” (Bruner,

1977, p. 91). Thus while technological literacy is a prerequisite for anyone seeking to

teach, it is necessary but not sufficient to becoming a good teacher. In short good

teaching is centered in the educator and no teaching aid is sufficient proxy. Candidates

are instructed in ways to use technology as a means to enrich, not replace, the

performance of their multiple duties (instructor, assessor, communicator, collaborator,

reflective practitioner).

The Caring Professional Educator

Caring professional educators understand, value and utilize student diversity for

collective self-improvement, can create safe learning environments for all students, and

seek to communicate in mutually beneficial ways with students, parents, and

stakeholders.



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The development and strengthening of a professional ethic is critical to success

as an educator, whether the context is classroom or administrative offices. Education,

though not unique in this sense, is unlike many other professions because it combines

characteristics of being a science and an art. Successful practitioners must effectively

balance proficiency in knowledge, theory, and practice (the Science) with an ethic of

care (Gilligan, 1993; Noddings, 2003), knowledge of professional standards, and

intrapersonal and interpersonal skills required in reflection and collaboration (the Art).

Delivering a curriculum that instructs to both dimensions, we believe, leads to the

development of the whole individual. An introspective process of education that leads

to personal clarification of the candidate’s strengths, beliefs and values, as well as their

purposes and goals for becoming an educator gives candidates the tools to manage

their own continuing education even as they evolve as practitioners in the field. This in

turn undergirds their working knowledge of the pedagogical skills and content material

most effective in their settings.

The unit is committed to preparing educators who appreciate the diverse nature

of learners and their varied economic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. Recognizing

that “low expectations can serve as self-fulfilling prophecies” (Weinstein, 1998, p. 83)

the unit is committed to developing teachers who are able to foster valuation and

celebration of all learners. The creation of viable learning communities that promote

positive attitudes toward diversity and develop inclusive models of instruction is a

strongly held value among unit faculty.

Educators must be aware of individual variations within each area of

development and appreciate and respect diverse talents and viewpoints among their

students and their families (Friend & Bursuck, 2002; Garcia, 2002; Lynch & Hanson,

1998; Lue, 2001). The ability to adapt instruction to individual differences as well as to

incorporate students’ cultural and community diversity into the classroom is a valued

skill emphasized and modeled throughout the teacher preparation curriculum and in the

instructional practices of the faculty. Through varied field and clinical experiences in

area schools, candidates have the opportunity to interact with an increasing variety of

culturally diverse and exceptional learners.

With this background and teaching experience, unit graduates will be trained to

respond with different approaches until students succeed. Modification, adaptations,

and interventions, are emphasized.

Among many others, a primary task for our schools is to provide a safe, secure

environment for children. Indeed, safety is primary among Maslow’s (1970) hierarchy of

needs. Optimally this environment is conducive to personally meaningful learning and

personal growth for each child. To achieve this goal, educators must conceptualize

safety as involving not only physical, but academic, emotional, social, and behavioral

safety (Bluestein, 2001), and be able to create learning environments that guarantee

these safeties. To teach without “coercion” (Glasser 1992) reflects an ethic of care and

leads to the development of independent, confident, and critical thinkers.

The Qualified Professional Educator



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Cochran-Smith (2006, p. xxxvi) argues that “all teacher education practice…is

political.” SoE faculty recognize that our decisions about what to teach and not teach

stem from our own personal backgrounds and training, our biases and beliefs, and our

professional opinions (research-based or otherwise) about what is important enough to

dedicate our time and effort too. We recognize too that we will not be sufficiently doing

our jobs if all we did was inculcate our students with the products of those decisions.

We therefore are dedicated to also giving candidates the skills to continue their own

professional growth after their degree.

The practices of reflective teaching are important to the maintenance of a

personal and ethical keel steadying the graduate in shifting policy, school, and student

contexts. Reflective practice should not only generate an “ethic of critique” (Shapiro and

Stefkovich, 2001, p. 13) that disposes an individual to “formulate the hard questions,

and debate and challenge the issues” related to the systemic status quo; it should also

lead a practitioner to look critically at their own practice, and define strengths and

weaknesses.

Reflecting practice guides professional development by allowing educators to

know themselves (as the Oracle of Delphi instructed). Knowledge of self, including

strengths and weaknesses, allows educators to understand what sort of professional

development opportunities to avail themselves of, and where they themselves can

serve to strengthen the practices of others through collaboration with peers.

Effective collaboration between teachers is critical not only to self-improvement,

but to student and school success. Key to meaningful collaboration are communication

practices grounded in a professional oral and written communication skill. Professional

communications skills further enhance the relationship between the teacher and the

administrator, and the teacher and external stakeholders such as parents and

concerned community members.

The unit has recently begun to explore ways in which it can effectively integrate

action research into its MAE programs. Action research attempts to make research both

relevant and meaningful (Hitchcock and Hughes, 1993; Kennedy, 1997; Strickland,

1988), and give practitioners skills to seek solutions to problems of practice. The ability

to conduct, analyze, and interpret their own research ensures that candidates develop

and maintain skills as practical problem solvers in the ever-changing classroom situation

(Calhoun, 2002). This will allow candidates to have the opportunity to conduct and share

investigations of their own classroom problems or concerns for the benefit of their own

practice and their collaborators and peers.

4.4 CANDIDATE PROFICIENCIES

The proficiencies we desire of candidates are well reflected in INTASC’s

framework of standards and proficiencies. Unit faculty adopted the majority of those

standards in the Summer of 2008 in a painstaking process of line item review. Some of

the proficiencies under each of INTASC’s standards were adapted to reflect the unit’s

previous proficiencies, some were rejected, and a few proficiencies were added to

reflect either the faculty’s expectations of students or another professional accrediting



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organization’s (SPA) proficiency. The unit’s proficiencies are detailed below; the original

INTASC standards and proficiencies are included in Appendix A for comparison.

Standard 1: Subject Matter Knowledge Candidates understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they

teach and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for

students.

Knowledge 1K1: Candidates are grounded in the historical, sociological, and scientific foundations of education.

1K2: Candidates understand major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of

knowing that are central to the discipline(s) they teach.

1K3: Candidates can relate their disciplinary knowledge to other subject areas.

1K4: The successful candidate understands why and how written measurable learning objectives

(standards) relate to formally and informally identified diverse learner needs.

Dispositions 1D1: Candidates apply critical thinking strategies for solutions to “real-world pedagogical problems”

related to teaching, learning, school performance and education reform.

1D2: Candidates realize that subject matter knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex and

ever-evolving. They seek to keep abreast of new ideas and understandings in the field.

1D3: Candidates appreciate multiple perspectives and convey to learners how knowledge is developed

from the vantage point of the knower.

1D4: Candidates have enthusiasm for the discipline(s) they teach and make connections to everyday life.

1D5: Candidates are committed to continuous learning and engages in professional discourse about

subject matter knowledge and children’s learning of the discipline.

Performances 1P1: Candidates demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of their subject matter by being able to

plan instruction and make subject matter meaningful to students.

1P2: Candidates are aware of and can instruct the interconnections of contemporary issues or trends

related to their subject or discipline and project future.

1P3: Candidates effectively represent and use multiple representations, theories, methods of inquiry, and

explanations of disciplinary concepts that capture key ideas and link them to students’ prior

understandings.

1P4: Candidates can evaluate teaching resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness,

accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts.

1P5: Candidates engage students in generating knowledge and testing hypotheses according to the

methods of inquiry and standards of evidence used in the discipline.

1P6: Candidates develop and use curricula that encourage students to see, question, and interpret ideas

from diverse perspectives.

1P7: Candidates can create interdisciplinary learning experiences that allow students to integrate

knowledge, skills, and methods of inquiry from several subject areas.

Standard 2: Learning Theory Candidates understand how children and youth learn and develop, and can provide learning

opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.

Knowledge 2K1: Candidates understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and is effective in

creating instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

2K2: Candidates understand how learning occurs – how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and

develop habits of mind – and knows how to use instructional strategies that promote student learning.

2K3: Candidates understand that students’ physical, social, emotional, moral and cognitive development

influence learning and know how to address these factors when making instructional decisions.



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2K4: Candidates are aware of expected developmental progressions and ranges of individual variation

within each domain (physical, social, emotional, moral and cognitive), can identify levels of readiness in

learning, and understand how development in any one domain may affect performance in others.

Dispositions 2D1: Candidates appreciate that children come to the classroom with different backgrounds, abilities and

expectations, and candidates are disposed to use this knowledge as a basis for their professional practice.

2D2: Candidates begin teaching with confidence and commitment to the classroom with the expectation

that they will reach all students and promote intellectual growth.

2D3: Candidates appreciate individual variation within each area of development, show respect for the

diverse talents of all learners, and are committed to help them develop self confidence and competence.

2D4: Candidates are disposed to use students’ strengths as a basis for growth, and their errors as an

opportunity for learning.

Performances 2P1: Candidates use knowledge of child development and group performance to provide learning

opportunities that support learners’ current needs in each domain (cognitive, social, emotional, moral,

and physical) and that leads to the next level of development.

2P2: Candidate stimulates student reflection on prior knowledge and links new ideas to already familiar

ideas by making connections to students’ experiences, providing opportunities for the active engagement,

manipulation, and testing of ideas and materials.

2P3: Candidates access students’ thinking and experiences as a basis for instructional activities by being

able to ask challenging questions, listen carefully to and assess responses, and encourage discussion.

Standard 3: Diverse Learners Candidates understand how students differ in their approaches to learning, and create instructional

opportunities that are adapted to learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and with exceptionalities.

Knowledge 3K1: Candidates understand other cultural traditions in order to gain a perspective on personal values and

the similarities and differences among individuals and groups and can sensitively and effectively teach to

diverse groups of students.

3K2: Candidates understand and can identify differences in approaches to learning and performance,

including different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and performance modes, and can design

instruction that helps use students’ strengths as the basis for growth.

3K3: Candidates know about areas of exceptionality in learning – including learning disabilities, visual and

perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges.

3K4: Candidates know about the process of second language acquisition and about strategies to support

the learning of students whose first language is not English.

3K5: Candidates understand how students’ learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and

prior learning, as well as language, culture, family and community values.

3K6: Candidates have a well-grounded framework for understanding cultural and community diversity and

know how to learn about and incorporate students’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into

instruction.

Dispositions 3D1: Candidates are proactive in the promotion of the education of all children, including those with

exceptional and diverse backgrounds.

3D2: Candidates appreciate that the differences – whether demographic or ideological – between people

are an invitation to, and will be embraced as, an opportunity for discussion and growth.

3D3: Candidates believe that all children can learn at high levels and persist in helping all children achieve

success.

3D4: Candidates appreciate and value human diversity, show respect for students’ varied talents and

perspectives, and are committed to the pursuit of “individually configured excellence.”

3D5: Candidates respect students as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and

various skills, talents, and interests.



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3D6: Candidates are sensitive to community and cultural norms.

3D7: Candidates make students feel valued for their potential as people and help them learn to value

each other.

Performances 3P1: Candidates bring multiple perspectives to the discussion of subject matter, including attention to

students’ personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms.

3P2: Candidates create a learning community in which individual differences are respected.

3P3: Candidates seek to understand students’ families, cultures, and communities, and use this

information as a basis for connecting instruction to students’ experiences (e.g. drawing explicit

connections between subject matter and community matters, making assignments that can be related to

students’ experiences and cultures).

3P4: Candidates use knowledge of students’ stages of development, learning styles, strengths, and needs

to make appropriate provisions for the education of all children, including those with exceptional and

diverse backgrounds or who have particular learning differences or needs.

3P5: Candidates can select and use various teaching methodologies, strategies, and resources and support

mechanisms that are sensitive to the multiple experiences of learners and to develop learning

communities.

3P6: Candidates can identify when and how to access appropriate services or resources to meet

exceptional learning needs.

3P7: Candidates can apply technology to support diverse learner needs.

Standard 4: Instructional Strategies Candidates understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’


Knowledge 4K1: Candidates understand principles and techniques associated with, along with the advantages and

limitations of, various instructional strategies (e.g. cooperative learning, direct instruction, discovery

learning, whole group discussion, independent study, interdisciplinary instruction).

4K2: Candidates understand individual and group motivation and behavior.

4K3: Candidates use effective verbal and nonverbal strategies to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and

supportive interaction in the classroom.

4K4: Candidates understand the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning (e.g. critical

and creative thinking, problem structuring and problem solving, invention, memorization and recall) and

how these processes can be stimulated.

4K5: Candidates know how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of materials as well as

human and technological resources (e.g. computers, audio-visual

technologies, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books,

literature, and other print resources).

Dispositions 4D1: Candidates value the development of students’ critical thinking, independent problem solving, and

performance capabilities.

4D2: Candidates value flexibility and reciprocity in the teaching process as necessary for adapting

instruction to student responses, ideas, and needs.

Performances 4P1: Candidates apply critical thinking strategies for solutions to “real-world problems” related to

teaching, learning, school performance and education reform.

4P2: Candidates use strategies to create a learning environment that encourages positive social

interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

4P3: Candidates carefully evaluate how to achieve learning goals, choosing alternative teaching strategies

and materials to achieve different instructional purposes and to meet student needs (e.g. developmental

stages, prior knowledge, learning styles, and interests).



- 29 -

4P4: Candidates use multiple teaching and learning strategies to engage students in active learning

opportunities that promote the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance

capabilities and that help student assume responsibility for identifying and using learning resources.

4P5: Candidates constantly monitor and adjust strategies in response to learner feedback.

4P6: Candidates vary their role in the instructional process (e.g. instructor, facilitator, coach, audience) in

relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of students.

4P7: Candidates develop a variety of clear, accurate presentations and representations of concepts, using

alternative explanations to assist students’ understanding and presenting diverse perspectives to

encourage critical thinking.

Standard 5: Learning Environment Candidates use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning

environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-

motivation.

Knowledge 5K1: Candidates understand how to use physical space and classroom accoutrements to create safe and

orderly learning environments.

5K2: Candidates understand different instructional means for establishing safe, effective, socially and

emotionally secure learning environments.

5K3: Candidates can use knowledge about human motivation and behavior drawn from the foundational

sciences of psychology, anthropology, and sociology to develop strategies conducive to creating the most

effective culture for learning.

5K4: Candidates understand individual and group motivation and behavior and can use strategies to

create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning,

and self-motivation.

5K5: Candidates understand how social groups function and influence people, and how people influence

groups.

5K6: Candidates know how to help people work productively and cooperatively with each other in

complex social settings.

5K7: Candidates understand the principles of effective classroom management and can use a range of

strategies to promote positive relationships, cooperation, and purposeful learning in the classroom.

5K8: Candidates recognize factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish intrinsic

motivation, and know how to help students become self-motivated.

Dispositions 5D1: Candidates appreciate that trust between adults and children is paramount.

5D2: Candidates value a competent, caring, nurturing approach to creating a learning community.

5D3: Candidates take responsibility for establishing a positive climate in the classroom and participate in

maintaining such a climate in the school as whole.

5D4: Candidates understand how participation supports commitment, and are committed to the

expression and use of democratic values in the classroom.

5D5: Candidates value the role of students in promoting each other's learning and recognizes the

importance of peer relationships in establishing a climate of learning.

5D6: Candidates recognize the value of intrinsic motivation to students’ life-long growth and learning.

5D7: Candidates are committed to the continuous development of individual students’ abilities and

considers how different motivational strategies are likely to encourage this development for each

student.

Performances 5P1: Candidates are able to create physically, socially, and emotionally safe learning environments

characterized by appropriate levels of trust between themselves and their students.

5P2: Candidates create a smoothly functioning learning community in which students assume

responsibility for themselves and one another, participate in decision making, work collaboratively and

independently, and engage in purposeful learning activities.



- 30 -

5P3: Candidates engage students in individual and cooperative learning activities that help them develop

the motivation to achieve by, for example, relating lessons to students’ personal interests, allowing

students to have choices in their learning, and leading students to ask questions and pursue problems

that are meaningful to them.

5P4: Candidates organize, , and manage the resources of time, space, activities, and attention to

independent and group work in ways that ensure active and equitable engagement of students in

productive tasks.

5P5: Candidates maximize the amount of class time spent in learning by creating expectations and

processes for communication and behavior.

5P6: Candidates help the group to develop shared values and expectations for student interactions,

academic discussions, and individual and group responsibility that create a positive classroom climate of

openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.

5P7: Candidates analyze the classroom environment and makes decisions and adjustments to enhance

social relationships, student motivation and engagement, and productive work.

Standard 6: Communication Candidates use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to

foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Knowledge 6K1: Candidates realize that as teachers all of their actions – intentional or not – represent nonverbal as

well as verbal communication between the school and the community.

6K2: Candidates understand communication theory, language development, and the role of language in

learning.

6K3: Candidates understand how cultural and gender differences can affect communication in the

classroom.

6K4: Candidates know about and can use effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication

techniques.

Dispositions 6D1: Candidates understand that their language and writing skills create impressions in others of their

teaching ability, competence, and level of professionalism.

6D2: Candidates appreciate the importance of listening and non-verbal communication skills in being

thoughtful and responsive listeners.

6D3: Candidates recognize the power of language for fostering self-expression, identity development, and

learning.

6D4: Candidates value the many ways in which people seek to communicate, and encourage many modes

of communication in the classroom.

6D5: Candidates appreciate the cultural dimensions of communication, respond appropriately, and seek

to foster culturally sensitive communication by and among all students in the class.

Performances 6P1: Candidates effectively use technology as a communications tool with students, other educators, and

community stakeholders.

6P2: Candidates know how to use a variety of media communication tools, including audio-visual aids and

computers, to enrich learning opportunities.

6P3: Candidates model effective skills in writing, reading, and speaking English clearly in conveying ideas

and information not only with students, but with colleagues and community members.

6P4: Candidates support and expand learner expression in speaking, writing, and other media.

6P5: Candidates know how to ask questions and stimulate discussion in different ways for particular

purposes, for example: probing for learner understanding, helping students articulate their ideas and

thinking processes, promoting risk-taking and problem-solving, facilitating factual recall, encouraging

convergent and divergent thinking, stimulating curiosity, helping students to question.



- 31 -

6P6: Candidates communicate in ways that demonstrate a sensitivity to cultural and gender differences

(e.g. appropriate use of eye contact, interpretation of body language and verbal statements,

acknowledgment of and responsiveness to different modes of communication and participation).

6P7: Candidates are open to constructive advice for improvement.

Standard 7: Planning Instruction Candidates plan and manage instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the

community, and curriculum goals.

Knowledge 7K1: Candidates are proactive in the promotion of learning in all children, including those with exceptional

and diverse backgrounds.

7K2: Candidates apply critical thinking strategies for solutions to “real-world problems” related to

teaching, learning, school performance, and education reform.

7K3: Candidates understand why and how written measurable learning objectives (standards) relate to

formally and informally identified diverse learner needs.

7K4: Candidates understand the impact and role of accountability assessments (TCAP) and can use

existing data to plan instruction and create curricula related to test results, balanced against the current

needs-based assessments.

7K5: Candidates understand the promises and problems of planning instruction in a data-driven decision-

making environment.

7K6: Candidates understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and are effective in

creating instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

7K7: Candidates understand learning theory, subject matter, curriculum development, community needs,

and student development and know how to use this knowledge in planning instruction to meet

curriculum goals.

7K8: Candidates know how to take contextual considerations (instructional materials, individual student

interests, needs, and aptitudes, and community resources) into account in planning instruction that

creates an effective bridge between curriculum goals and students’ experiences.

7K9: Candidates know when and how to adjust plans based on student responses and other

contingencies.

Dispositions 7D1: Candidates value both long term and short term instructional planning.

7D2: Candidates believe that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision based on student

needs and changing circumstances.

7D3: Candidates value and strive for planning as a collegial activity.

Performances 7P1: Candidates plan instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and

curriculum goals.

7P2: As an individual and a member of a team, candidates select and create learning experiences that are

appropriate for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, and based upon principles of effective instruction

(e.g. that activate students’ prior knowledge, anticipate preconceptions, encourage exploration and

problem-solving, and build new skills on those previously acquired).

7P3: Candidates plan for learning opportunities that recognize and address variation in learning styles and

performance modes.

7P4: Candidates create lessons and activities that operate at multiple levels to meet the developmental

and individual needs of diverse learners and help each progress.

7P5: Candidates create short-range and long-term plans that are linked to student needs and

performance, and adapt the plans to ensure and capitalize on student progress and motivation.

7P6: Candidates respond to unanticipated sources of input, evaluate plans in relation to short- and long-

range goals, and systematically adjust plans to meet student needs and enhance learning.



- 32 -

Standard 8: Assessment Candidates understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the

continuous intellectual, social and physical development of their students.

Knowledge 8K1: Candidates understand why and how written measurable learning objectives relate to formally and

informally identified diverse learner needs.

8K2: Candidates have learned assessment methodologies for individual, classroom, and school-level

performance methodologies including, but not limited to, application of individualized services,

instructional plans, and school improvements.

8K3: Candidates understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure

the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of learners.

8K4: Candidates understand the characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of

assessments (e.g. criterion-referenced and norm-referenced instruments, traditional standardized and

performance-based tests, observation systems, and assessments of student work) for evaluating how

students learn, what they know and are able to do, and what kinds of experiences will support their

further growth and development.

8K5: Candidates know how to select, construct, and use assessment strategies and instruments

appropriate to the learning outcomes being evaluated and to other diagnostic

purposes.

8K6: Candidates understand measurement theory and assessment-related issues, such as validity,

reliability, bias, and scoring concerns.

Dispositions 8D1: Candidates favor rigorous assessment as a formative tool for improving teaching rather than as a

means to label students.

8D2: Candidates value ongoing assessment as essential to the instructional process and recognize that

many different assessment strategies, accurately and systematically used, are necessary for monitoring

and promoting student learning.

8D3: Candidates are committed to using assessment to identify student strengths and promote student

growth.

Performances 8P1: Candidates evaluate the effect of class activities on both individuals and the class as a whole,

collecting information through observation of classroom interactions, questioning, and analysis of student

work.

8P2: Candidates use multiple methods for measuring student growth and understanding to enhance their

knowledge of learners, evaluate students’ progress and performances, and modify teaching and learning

strategies and they can clearly explain student performance to parents.

8P3: Candidates solicit and use information about students’ experiences, learning behavior, needs, and

progress from parents, other colleagues, and the students themselves.

8P4: Candidates use assessment strategies to involve learners in self-assessment activities, to help them

become aware of their strengths and needs, and to encourage them to set personal goals for learning.

8P5: Candidates monitor their own teaching strategies and behavior in relation to student success,

modifying plans and instructional approaches accordingly.

8P6: Candidates maintain useful records of student work and performance and can communicate student

progress knowledgeably and responsibly, based on appropriate indicators, to students, parents, and other

colleagues.

Standard 9: Reflection and Professional Development Candidates are reflective practitioners who continually evaluate the effects of their choices and actions

on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and actively seek out

opportunities to grow professionally.

Knowledge



- 33 -

9K1: Candidates understand methods of inquiry that provide them with a variety of self-assessment and

problem-solving strategies for reflecting on their practice, its influences on students’ growth and learning,

and the complex interactions between them.

9K2: Candidates are aware of major areas of research on teaching and of resources available for

professional learning (e.g. professional literature, colleagues, professional associations, professional

development activities).

9K3: Candidates use concepts from across academic disciplines to understand themselves and their

relationships with other people, can comprehend the nature and function of communities, and use this

knowledge to the benefit of their teaching.

Dispositions 9D1: Successful candidates supports and values continuous professional growth and development,

including roles in organizations, publications, and meetings.

9D2: Candidates develop a perspective on social, political, and economic issues for resolving societal and

professional problems.

9D3: Candidates exemplify personal and professional ethics in making judgments both in and outside the

classroom.

9D4: Candidates value critical thinking and self-directed learning as habits of mind.

9D5: Candidates are committed to reflection, assessment, and learning as an ongoing process.

9D6: Candidates are willing to give and receive help.

9D7: Candidates are committed to seeking out, developing, and continually refining practices that address

the individual needs of students.

9D8: Candidates recognize their professional responsibility for engaging in and supporting appropriate

professional practices for self and colleagues.

Performances 9P1: Candidates locate, evaluate, interpret and integrate research in teaching and learning to the benefit

of their teaching practice.

9P2: Candidates model what it means to be an educated person – they read, they question, they create,

and they are willing to try new things.

9P4: Candidates use classroom observation, information about students, and research as sources for

evaluating the outcomes of teaching and learning and as a basis for experimenting with, reflecting on, and

revising practice.

9P5: Candidates seek out professional literature, colleagues, and other resources to support their own

development as learners and teachers and to stay abreast of current issues in American education (both

learning, instructional, and classroom management strategies as well as educational issues of social or

political importance).

9P6: Candidates are aware of and reflect on their practice in light of research on teaching, professional

ethics, and resources available for professional learning; they continually evaluate the effects of their

professional decisions and actions on students, families and other professionals in the learning

community and actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.

Standard 10: Collaboration, Ethics, Relationships Candidates communicate and interact with parents/guardians, families, school colleagues, and the

community to support students’ learning and well-being.

Knowledge 10K1: Candidates understand and are committed to ethical and professional standards.

10K2: Candidates know and understand their own personal biases and understand that such ownership is

an essential requirement for avoiding acting upon those biases to the advantage or disadvantage of

particular students.

10K3: Candidates apply and can integrate knowledge, skills and dispositions during clinical experiences via

school/university collaborative activities in partnership schools.

10K4: Candidates develop a perspective on social, political, and economic issues for resolving societal and

professional problems.



- 34 -

10K5: Candidates understand schools as organizations within the larger community context and

understands the operations of the relevant aspects of the system(s) within which they work.

10K6: Candidates understand how factors in the students’ environment outside of school (e.g. family

circumstances, community environments, health and economic conditions) may influence students’ life

and learning.

10K7: Candidates understand and implement laws related to students’ rights and teacher responsibilities

(e.g. for equal education, appropriate education for handicapped students, confidentiality, privacy,

appropriate treatment of students, reporting in situations related to possible child abuse).

Dispositions 10D1: Candidates know the importance of establishing and maintaining a positive collaborative

relationship with families, school colleagues, and agencies in the larger community to promote the

intellectual, social, emotional, physical growth and well-being of children.

10D2: Candidates value and appreciate the importance of all aspects of a child’s experience.

10D3: Candidates are concerned about all aspects of a child’s wellbeing (cognitive, emotional, social, and

physical), and are alert to signs of difficulties.

10D4: Candidates are willing to consult with other adults regarding the education and well-being of their

students.

10D5: Candidates respect the privacy of students and confidentiality of information.

10D6: Candidates are willing to work with other professionals to improve the overall learning

environment for students.

Performances 10P1: Candidates participate in collegial activities designed to make the entire school a productive

learning environment.

10P2: Candidates make links with the learners’ other environments on behalf of students by consulting

with parents, counselors, teachers of other classes and activities within the schools, and professionals in

other community agencies.

10P3: Candidates can identify and use community resources to foster student learning.

10P4: Candidates establish respectful and productive relationships with parents and guardians from

diverse home and community situations, and seek to develop cooperative partnerships in support of

student learning and well being.

10P5: Candidates talk with and listen to the students, are sensitive and responsive to clues of distress,

investigate situations, and seek outside help as needed and appropriate to remedy problems.

10P6: Candidates advocate for students.

10P7: Candidates work with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum development and staff

development.



- 35 -

Table 4.1

CANDIDATE PROFICIENCIES ALIGNED WITH THE EXPECTATIONS IN PROFESSIONAL, STATE, AND INSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS

(Tennessee’s Licensure Standards can be found here.)

Conceptual

Framework

Professional Standard (INTASC)/ Unit Goals Candidate

Proficiencies

TN

Teacher

Licensure

Standards

Assessment System

Co

mp

ete

nt

(Co

nte

nt

Kn

ow

led

ge

, Le

arn

ing

Th

eo

ry,

Inst

ruct

ion

al S

tra

teg

ies,

Pla

nn

ing

In

stru

ctio

n,

Ass

ess

me

nt)

1. Candidates understand the central concepts,

tools of inquiry, and structures of the

discipline(s) they teach and can create learning

experiences that make these aspects of subject

matter meaningful for students.

2. Candidates understand how children and

youth learn and develop, and can provide

learning opportunities that support their

intellectual, social and personal development.

4.Candidates understand and use a variety of

instructional strategies to encourage students’

development of critical thinking, problem

solving, and performance skills.

7. Candidates plan and manage instruction based

upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the


8. Candidates plan and manage instruction based

upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the


1K1-4

1D1-5

1P1-7

2K1-4

2D1-4

2P1-3

4K1-5

4D1-2

4P1-7

7K1-9

7D1-3

7P1-6

8K1-6

8D1-3

8P1-6

Dis

cip

lin

e T

au

gh

t; S

tud

en

t Le

arn

ing

& D

eve

lop

me

nt;

Pla

nn

ing

;

Te

ach

ing

Str

ate

gie

s; A

sse

ssm

en

t &

Eva

lua

tio

n

Program Admission

• GRE (MAE); ACT (Baccalaureate)

• GPA

• References

TEP I Admission (Baccalaureate)

• GPA

• References

• Interview

TEP II Admission (Baccalaureate & MAE)

• GPA

• References

• Portfolio review (summative)

• Interview

Student Teaching (Baccalaureate & MAE)

• Lesson plan evaluations

• Lesson observations

• Comprehensive evaluation form

• Seminar activities

• Portfolio (formative)

Program Completion (Baccalaureate & MAE)

• GPA

• Portfolio (summative)

• Interview (Baccalaureate only)

• Comprehensive Exam (MAE only)

• Completion of Licensing Process



- 36 -

Ca

rin

g (

Div

ers

e L

ea

rne

rs,

Lea

rnin

g

En

vir

on

me

nt,

Co

mm

un

ica

tio

n)

3. Candidates understand how students differ in

their approaches to learning, and create

instructional opportunities that are adapted to

learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and

with exceptionalities.

5. Candidates use an understanding of individual

and group motivation and behavior to create a

learning environment that encourages positive

social interaction, active engagement in learning,

and self-motivation.

6. Candidates use knowledge of effective verbal,

nonverbal, and media communication

techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration,

and supportive interaction in the classroom.

3K1-6

3D1-7

3P1-7

5K1-8

5D1-7

5P1-7

6K1-4

6D1-5

6P1-7

Div

ers

e L

ea

rne

rs;

Lea

rnin

g E

nvir

on

me

nt;

Co

mm

un

ica

tio

n

TEP I Admission (Baccalaureate only)

• References

• Portfolio review (formative)

• Interview


• References

• Portfolio review (summative)

• Interview


• Lesson plan evaluations

• Lesson observations









Qu

ali

fie

d

(Re

fle

ctio

n a

nd

pro

fess

ion

al

de

ve

lop

me

nt,

Co

lla

bo

rati

on

, e

thic

s,

rela

tio

nsh

ips)

9. Candidates are reflective practitioners who

continually evaluate the effects of their choices

and actions on others (students, parents, and

other professionals in the learning community)

and actively seek out opportunities to grow

professionally.

10. Candidates communicate and interact with

parents/guardians, families, school colleagues,

and the community to support students’ learning

and well-being.

9K1-3

9D1-8

9D1-6

10K1-7

10D1-6

10P1-7

Pro

fess

ion

al G

row

th

TEP I Admission (Baccalaureate only)

• References

• Interview


• References

• Interview



• Post-observation reflections










- 37 -

4.5 A DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM BY WHICH THE CANDIDATE PROFICIENCIES DESCRIBED IN

4.4 ARE REGULARLY ASSESSED:

Our unit uses several means of assessing and evaluating candidates. Assessment is taken

to mean the ongoing (formative) process by which candidates performance is monitored,

measured, and (if needed) remediated or corrected. Evaluation is taken to mean the final

(summative) measurement of acquired knowledge and skills. Assessments are designed to

create specific and useful feedback to candidates on what they are doing well, and what they

need to improve. Evaluations are used at specific checkpoints points in the program to allow or

block the passage of a candidate through transition points.

The Teacher Education Program Phases and Checkpoints

The Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program (TEP) consists of a five-step process for

each candidate’s progression toward teacher licensure at Cumberland and is marked by five

major assessment points detailed in Table 4.2 below. At each step in the progression process,

the candidate is assessed by the faculty on multiple indicators and sources of evidence, some

internal and some external to the unit.

Table 4.2

Transition Point Assessments Used

Transition point #1: Admission to the

School of Education

1. High School GPA;

2. ACT scores;

3. Completed and accepted application to Cumberland University.

Transition Point #2: Admission to

Teacher Education Program (Teacher

Education Program, Phase I)

Upon completion of all requirements,

the student will be recommended for

admission to the TEP Phase I. Admission

must be approved by a majority vote of

the Teacher Education Committee.

1. Complete ENG 101, ENG 102, ED 201, MATH 111 , and SPEE 220 with a

grade of “C” or better;

2. Have 40 cumulative hours earned (a minimum of 12 Cumberland

University hours) and have a minimum 2.75 GPA (Cumberland University

and cumulative);

3. Pass the Praxis I: Academic Skills Assessments and meet the minimum

required scores (or the Plato equivalent practice test). Students who have

obtained a composite of 22 on the ACT or a 1020 on the SAT before

enrollment at Cumberland University are exempt from this requirement;

4. Submit a letter of recommendation or a dispositions rating sheet by a

University faculty member

5. Pass a review of their electronic by the TEP I committee members yielding

predominantly “target” or higher scores;

6. Successfully complete a formal interview with the Teacher Education

Committee;

7. Submit evidence of having passed a background check by the Federal

Bureau of Investigation and of having been fingerprinted.

Transition point #3: Admission to

student teaching (Teacher Education

1. Complete all professional education core requirements, all coursework

required for the major and all General Education Core coursework in the



- 38 -

Program Phase II). Those not seeking

licensure need to pass the checkpoint.

Upon successful completion of all

requirements, the student will be

recommended for admission into the

TEP II Program. Admission must be

approved by a majority vote of the

Teacher Education Committee.

teaching content area with a grade of “C” or better, with a B or better in ED

301;

2. Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 as well as a minimum 2.75 on all

Cumberland University work when beginning the student teaching

semester;

3. Submit two letters of recommendation or dispositions rating sheets, one

by their advisor and one by another member of the University faculty OR

from a member of the local education community;

4. Pass all parts of the Praxis II assessment including the Principles of

Learning and Teaching and the appropriate Specialty Area tests and meet

the minimum cut-off scores for Tennessee licensure;

5. Pass a review of their electronic by the TEP II committee members

yielding predominantly “target” or higher scores;


Committee.

Transition point #4: Successful

completion of student teaching.

Upon successful completion of all

requirements, the student will be

recommended for program completion.

1. Evidence of successful student teaching (Lesson plans assessed yielding

predominantly “target” or higher scores, lesson observations of

predominantly “target” or higher scores; a “comprehensive evaluation” of

professional dispositions and practices yielding predominantly “target” or

higher scores);

2. Acceptable attendance and participation in seminars.

Transition point #5: Program

completion

1. Complete a major at Cumberland University that meets Teacher

Education Program requirements;

2. Complete all professional education core requirements, all coursework

required for the major and all General Education Core coursework in the

teaching content area with a grade of “C” or better);

3. Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 from all institutions attended and a

minimum 2.75 cumulative Cumberland University GPA;

4. Final reflective interview with the Teacher Education Committee yielding

predominantly “target” or higher scores.

Advanced Courses

The Master of Arts in Education degree was instituted in 1987 and received

accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and

Schools in 1991. There are three tracks in the Master’s Program: Track I for licensed teachers or

individuals who do not wish to obtain licensure, Track II for students who seek to qualify for an

initial teaching license, and Track III for individuals teaching on an Alternate license. Track II of

the program, which satisfies initial licensure requirements for the State of Tennessee, was

approved in 1992 by the Board of Education of the State of Tennessee under the teacher

education policy mandated for implementation in 1994. Track III was created in 2001 in

response to the State of Tennessee Board of Education’s directive to teacher preparation

institutions to provide a program of quicker entry into the teaching profession for holders of a

baccalaureate degree but without a teacher license. The Masters of Arts in Education – Tracks I

and III are available via both traditional and distance delivery.



- 39 -

Successful completion of the requirements for each of the five transition points

described below is required before the candidate receives an advanced degree.

Table 4.3

Transition Point Assessments Used


Cumberland University’s Graduate

Programs

Provide evidence of successful completion of a Baccalaureate degree from a

regionally accredited college or university. Official transcript(s) must be

received directly from the granting institution(s).


Master of Arts in Education Program

Submit satisfactory scores on the appropriate entrance examination:

Graduate Record Examination (composite of verbal and quantitative) 800

National Teacher Examination (core battery) 1950, Miller Analogies Test 27, or

Praxis II (PLT) elementary teachers 156, secondary teachers 159.

Transition point #3: Acceptance into

Track II, Enhanced student teaching

1. Maintenance of 3.0 GPA in all Master’s level courses;

2. Master’s Portfolio assessment yielding predominantly “target” or higher

scores;

3. Internship evaluations if present;

4. Submit two letters of recommendation or dispositions rating sheets, one by

their advisor and one by another member of the University faculty OR from a

member of the local education community;

5. Pass all parts of the Praxis II assessment including the Principles of Learning

and Teaching and the appropriate Specialty Area tests and meet the minimum

cut-off scores for Tennessee licensure;

6. Pass a review of their electronic by the TEP II committee members yielding

predominantly “target” or higher scores;


Committee.

Transition point #3a: Acceptance into

Track III, Alternative Licensure

Maintenance of 3.0 GPA in all Master’s level courses.

Transition point #4: Program

completion

1. Maintenance of 3.0 GPA in all Master’s level courses, totaling 36 hours

completed within 7 years;

2. Master’s Portfolio assessment yielding predominantly “target” or higher

scores;

3. Successfully complete a Comprehensive Written Examination near the

completion of all other degree requirements. A passing rate of 80% is required

on each section of the examination;

4. Finally, each student must receive the recommendation (approval) from the

Graduate Studies Council of CU.



- 40 -

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Appendix A: International New Teacher Assessment and

Support Consortium Standards Principle #1: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he

or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for

students.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of

knowing that are central to the discipline(s) s/he teaches.

• The teacher understands how students' conceptual frameworks and their misconceptions for an area of

knowledge can influence their learning.

• The teacher can relate his/her disciplinary knowledge to other subject areas.

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher realizes that subject matter knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex and ever-

evolving. S/he seeks to keep abreast of new ideas and understandings in the field.

• The teacher appreciates multiple perspectives and conveys to learners how knowledge is developed from

the vantage point of the knower.

• The teacher has enthusiasm for the discipline(s) s/he teaches and sees connections to everyday life.

• The teacher is committed to continuous learning and engages in professional discourse about subject

matter knowledge and children's learning of the discipline.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher effectively uses multiple representations and explanations of disciplinary concepts that

capture key ideas and link them to students' prior understandings.

• The teacher can represent and use differing viewpoints, theories, "ways of knowing" and methods of

inquiry in his/her teaching of subject matter concepts.

• The teacher can evaluate teaching resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness,

accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts.

• The teacher engages students in generating knowledge and testing hypotheses according to the methods

of inquiry and standards of evidence used in the discipline.

• The teacher develops and uses curricula that encourage students to see, question, and interpret ideas

from diverse perspectives.

• The teacher can create interdisciplinary learning experiences that allow students to integrate knowledge,

skills, and methods of inquiry from several subject areas.

Principle #2: The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that

support their intellectual, social and personal development.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands how learning occurs--how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and

develop habits of mind--and knows how to use instructional strategies that

• promote student learning.

• The teacher understands that students' physical, social, emotional, moral and cognitive development

influence learning and knows how to address these factors when making instructional decisions.

• The teacher is aware of expected developmental progressions and ranges of individual variation within

each domain (physical, social, emotional, moral and cognitive), can

• identify levels of readiness in learning, and understands how development in any one domain may affect

performance in others.

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher appreciates individual variation within each area of development, shows respect for the

diverse talents of all learners, and is committed to help them develop self confidence and competence.



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• The teacher is disposed to use students' strengths as a basis for growth, and their errors as an opportunity

for learning.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher assesses individual and group performance in order to design instruction that meets learners'

current needs in each domain (cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and

• physical) and that leads to the next level of development.

• The teacher stimulates student reflection on prior knowledge and links new ideas to already familiar

ideas, making connections to students' experiences, providing opportunities for active engagement,

manipulation, and testing of ideas and materials, and encouraging students to assume responsibility for

shaping their learning tasks.

• The teacher accesses students' thinking and experiences as a basis for instructional activities by, for

example, encouraging discussion, listening and responding to group interaction, and eliciting samples of

student thinking orally and in writing.

Principle #3: The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional

opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands and can identify differences in approaches to learning and performance,

including different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and performance

• modes, and can design instruction that helps use students' strengths as the basis for growth.

• The teacher knows about areas of exceptionality in learning – including learning disabilities, visual and

perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges.

• The teacher knows about the process of second language acquisition and about strategies to support the

learning of students whose first language is not English.

• The teacher understands how students' learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior

learning, as well as language, culture, family and community values.

• The teacher has a well-grounded framework for understanding cultural and community diversity and

knows how to learn about and incorporate students' experiences, cultures, and community resources into

instruction.

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher believes that all children can learn at high levels and persists in helping all children achieve

success.

• The teacher appreciates and values human diversity, shows respect for students' varied talents and

perspectives, and is committed to the pursuit of "individually configured

• excellence."

• The teacher respects students as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various

skills, talents, and interests.

• The teacher is sensitive to community and cultural norms.

• The teacher makes students feel valued for their potential as people, and helps them learn to value each

other.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher identifies and designs instruction appropriate to students' stages of development, learning

styles, strengths, and needs.

• The teacher uses teaching approaches that are sensitive to the multiple experiences of learners and that

address different learning and performance modes.

• The teacher makes appropriate provisions (in terms of time and circumstances for work, tasks assigned,

communication and response modes) for individual students who have

• particular learning differences or needs.

• The teacher can identify when and how to access appropriate services or resources to meet exceptional

learning needs.

• The teacher seeks to understand students' families, cultures, and communities, and uses this information

as a basis for connecting instruction to students' experiences (e.g. drawing explicit connections between



- 44 -

subject matter and community matters, making assignments that can be related to students' experiences

and cultures).

• The teacher brings multiple perspectives to the discussion of subject matter, including attention to

students' personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms.

• The teacher creates a learning community in which individual differences are respected.

Principle #4: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students'


KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning (e.g. critical and

creative thinking, problem structuring and problem solving, invention,

• memorization and recall) and how these processes can be stimulated.

• The teacher understands principles and techniques, along with advantages and limitations, associated

with various instructional strategies (e.g. cooperative learning, direct instruction, discovery learning,

whole group discussion, independent study, interdisciplinary instruction).

• The teacher knows how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of materials as well as

human and technological resources (e.g. computers, audio-visual

• technologies, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books,

literature, and other print resources).

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher values the development of students' critical thinking, independent problem solving, and

performance capabilities.

• The teacher values flexibility and reciprocity in the teaching process as necessary for adapting instruction

to student responses, ideas, and needs.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher carefully evaluates how to achieve learning goals, choosing alternative teaching strategies

and materials to achieve different instructional purposes and to meet student needs (e.g. developmental

stages, prior knowledge, learning styles, and interests).

• The teacher uses multiple teaching and learning strategies to engage students in active learning

opportunities that promote the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance

capabilities and that help student assume responsibility for identifying and using learning resources.

• The teacher constantly monitors and adjusts strategies in response to learner feedback.

• The teacher varies his or her role in the instructional process (e.g. instructor, facilitator, coach, audience)

in relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of students.

• The teacher develops a variety of clear, accurate presentations and representations of concepts, using

alternative explanations to assist students' understanding and presenting

• diverse perspectives to encourage critical thinking.

Principle #5: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a

learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-

motivation.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher can use knowledge about human motivation and behavior drawn from the foundational

sciences of psychology, anthropology, and sociology to develop strategies

• for organizing and supporting individual and group work.

• The teacher understands how social groups function and influence people, and how people influence

groups.

• The teacher knows how to help people work productively and cooperatively with each other in complex

social settings.

• The teacher understands the principles of effective classroom management and can use a range of

strategies to promote positive relationships, cooperation, and purposeful learning in the classroom.



- 45 -

• The teacher recognizes factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish intrinsic motivation,

and knows how to help students become self-motivated.

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher takes responsibility for establishing a positive climate in the classroom and participates in

maintaining such a climate in the school as whole.

• The teacher understands how participation supports commitment, and is committed to the expression

and use of democratic values in the classroom.

• The teacher values the role of students in promoting each other's learning and recognizes the importance

of peer relationships in establishing a climate of learning.

• The teacher recognizes the value of intrinsic motivation to students' life-long growth and learning.

• The teacher is committed to the continuous development of individual students' abilities and considers

how different motivational strategies are likely to encourage this

• development for each student.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher creates a smoothly functioning learning community in which students assume responsibility

for themselves and one another, participate in decisionmaking,

• work collaboratively and independently, and engage in purposeful learning activities.

• The teacher engages students in individual and cooperative learning activities that help them develop the

motivation to achieve, by, for example, relating lessons to students' personal interests, allowing students

to have choices in their learning, and leading students to ask questions and pursue problems that are

meaningful to them.

• The teacher organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, activities, and attention to

provide active and equitable engagement of students in productive tasks.

• The teacher maximizes the amount of class time spent in learning by creating expectations and processes

for communication and behavior along with a physical setting

• conducive to classroom goals.

• The teacher helps the group to develop shared values and expectations for student interactions, academic

discussions, and individual and group responsibility that create a positive classroom climate of openness,

mutual respect, support, and inquiry.

• The teacher analyzes the classroom environment and makes decisions and adjustments to enhance social

relationships, student motivation and engagement, and productive work.

• The teacher organizes, prepares students for, and monitors independent and group work that allows for

full and varied participation of all individuals.

Principle #6: The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to

foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands communication theory, language development, and the role of language in

learning.

• The teacher understands how cultural and gender differences can affect communication in the classroom.

• The teacher recognizes the importance of nonverbal as well as verbal communication.

• The teacher knows about and can use effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques.

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher recognizes the power of language for fostering self-expression, identity development, and

learning.

• The teacher values many ways in which people seek to communicate and encourages many modes of

communication in the classroom.

• The teacher is a thoughtful and responsive listener.

• The teacher appreciates the cultural dimensions of communication, responds appropriately, and seeks to

foster culturally sensitive communication by and among all students in the class.

PERFORMANCES



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• The teacher models effective communication strategies in conveying ideas and information and in asking

questions (e.g. monitoring the effects of messages, restating ideas and drawing connections, using visual,

aural, and kinesthetic cues, being sensitive to nonverbal cues given and received).

• The teacher supports and expands learner expression in speaking, writing, and other media.

• The teacher knows how to ask questions and stimulate discussion in different ways for particular

purposes, for example, probing for learner understanding, helping students

• articulate their ideas and thinking processes, promoting risk taking and problem-solving, facilitating

factual recall, encouraging convergent and divergent thinking, stimulating

• curiosity, helping students to question.

• The teacher communicates in ways that demonstrate a sensitivity to cultural and gender differences (e.g.

appropriate use of eye contact, interpretation of body language and verbal statements, acknowledgment

of and responsiveness to different modes of communication and participation).

• The teacher knows how to use a variety of media communication tools, including audio-visual aids and

computers, to enrich learning opportunities.

Principle #7: The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and

curriculum goals.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands learning theory, subject matter, curriculum development, and student

development and knows how to use this knowledge in planning instruction to meet curriculum goals.

• The teacher knows how to take contextual considerations (instructional materials, individual student

interests, needs, and aptitudes, and community resources) into account in planning instruction that

creates an effective bridge between curriculum goals and students' experiences.

• The teacher knows when and how to adjust plans based on student responses and other contingencies.

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher values both long term and short term planning.

• The teacher believes that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision based on student needs

and changing circumstances.

• The teacher values planning as a collegial activity.

PERFORMANCES

• As an individual and a member of a team, the teacher selects and creates learning experiences that are

appropriate for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, and based upon principles of effective instruction

(e.g. that activate students' prior knowledge, anticipate preconceptions, encourage exploration and

problem-solving, and build new skills on those previously acquired).

• The teacher plans for learning opportunities that recognize and address variation in learning styles and

performance modes.

• The teacher creates lessons and activities that operate at multiple levels to meet the developmental and

individual needs of diverse learners and help each progress.

• The teacher creates short-range and long-term plans that are linked to student needs and performance,

and adapts the plans to ensure and capitalize on student progress and motivation.

• The teacher responds to unanticipated sources of input, evaluates plans in relation to short- and long-

range goals, and systematically adjusts plans to meet student needs and

• enhance learning.

Principle #8: The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure

the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands the characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of

assessments (e.g. criterion-referenced and norm-referenced instruments,

• traditional standardized and performance-based tests, observation systems, and assessments of student

work) for evaluating how students learn, what they know and are able to do, and what kinds of

experiences will support their further growth and development.



- 47 -

• The teacher knows how to select, construct, and use assessment strategies and instruments appropriate

to the learning outcomes being evaluated and to other diagnostic

• purposes.

• The teacher understands measurement theory and assessment related issues, such as validity, reliability,

bias, and scoring concerns.

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher values ongoing assessment as essential to the instructional process and recognizes that many

different assessment strategies, accurately and systematically used, are necessary for monitoring and

promoting student learning.

• The teacher is committed to using assessment to identify student strengths and promote student growth

rather than to deny students access to learning opportunities.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher appropriately uses a variety of formal and informal assessment techniques (e.g. observation,

portfolios of student work, teacher-made tests, performance tasks,

• projects, student self-assessments, peer assessment, and standardized tests) to enhance her or his

knowledge of learners, evaluate students' progress and performances, and

• modify teaching and learning strategies.

• The teacher solicits and uses information about students' experiences, learning behavior, needs, and

progress from parents, other colleagues, and the students themselves.

• The teacher uses assessment strategies to involve learners in self-assessment activities, to help them

become aware of their strengths and needs, and to encourage them to set personal goals for learning.

• The teacher evaluates the effect of class activities on both individuals and the class as a whole, collecting

information through observation of classroom interactions, questioning,

• and analysis of student work.

• The teacher monitors his or her own teaching strategies and behavior in relation to student success,

modifying plans and instructional approaches accordingly.

• The teacher maintains useful records of student work and performance and can communicate student

progress knowledgeably and responsibly, based on appropriate

• indicators, to students, parents, and other colleagues.

Principle #9: The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and

actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks

out opportunities to grow professionally.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands methods of inquiry that provide him/her with a variety of self-assessment and

problem-solving strategies for reflecting on his/her practice, its influences on students' growth and

learning, and the complex interactions between them.

• The teacher is aware of major areas of research on teaching and of resources available for professional

learning (e.g. professional literature, colleagues, professional associations,

• professional development activities).

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher values critical thinking and self-directed learning as habits of mind.

• The teacher is committed to reflection, assessment, and learning as an ongoing process.

• The teacher is willing to give and receive help.

• The teacher is committed to seeking out, developing, and continually refining practices that address the

individual needs of students.

• The teacher recognizes his/her professional responsibility for engaging in and supporting appropriate

professional practices for self and colleagues.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher uses classroom observation, information about students, and research as sources for

evaluating the outcomes of teaching and learning and as a basis for experimenting with, reflecting on, and

revising practice.



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• The teacher seeks out professional literature, colleagues, and other resources to support his/her own

development as a learner and a teacher.

• The teacher draws upon professional colleagues within the school and other professional arenas as

supports for reflection, problem-solving and new ideas, actively sharing

• experiences and seeking and giving feedback.

Principle #10: The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger

community to support students' learning and well-being.

KNOWLEDGE

• The teacher understands schools as organizations within the larger community context and understands

the operations of the relevant aspects of the system(s) within which s/he works.

• The teacher understands how factors in the students' environment outside of school (e.g. family

circumstances, community environments, health and economic conditions)

• may influence students' life and learning.

• The teacher understands and implements laws related to students' rights and teacher responsibilities (e.g.

for equal education, appropriate education for handicapped students,

• confidentiality, privacy, appropriate treatment of students, reporting in situations related to possible child

abuse).

DISPOSITIONS

• The teacher values and appreciates the importance of all aspects of a child's experience.

• The teacher is concerned about all aspects of a child's wellbeing (cognitive, emotional, social, and

physical), and is alert to signs of difficulties.

• The teacher is willing to consult with other adults regarding the education and well-being of his/her

students.

• The teacher respects the privacy of students and confidentiality of information.

• The teacher is willing to work with other professionals to improve the overall learning environment for

students.

PERFORMANCES

• The teacher participates in collegial activities designed to make the entire school a productive learning

environment.

• The teacher makes links with the learners' other environments on behalf of students, by consulting with

parents, counselors, teachers of other classes and activities within the schools, and professionals in other

community agencies.

• The teacher can identify and use community resources to foster student learning.

• The teacher establishes respectful and productive relationships with parents and guardians from diverse

home and community situations, and seeks to develop cooperative

• partnerships in support of student learning and well being.

• The teacher talks with and listens to the student, is sensitive and responsive to clues of distress,

investigates situations, and seeks outside help as needed and appropriate to remedy problems.

• The teacher acts as an advocate for students.

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