4d.1. How does the unit ensure that candidates develop and practice knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions related to diversity during their field experiences and clinical practice?

Supervisors and unit faculty assess candidates’ dispositions using this instrument at various points in the program. Signature assessments from SPED 202, CURR 302, CURR 386, final assessment and learning for all student lesson plans are also used to assess candidates’ knowledge, skills and professional disposition in relation to working with diverse students in their field and clinical experience. The Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experience places the initial candidates in various diverse setting throughout their program. During their practicum semester candidates in the undergraduate initial teacher certification program are placed in a classroom with an ESL student. This placement gives candidates the opportunity to work with an ESL student and also to be mentored by a classroom supervisor on how to facilitate learning for ESL students. Candidates in the MAT program are also evaluated using signature assessments: Student Referral (CURR 545), Internship final assessment and lesson plan for all students. (Exhibit 1c1.1 Undergraduate Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data, Exhibit 1b1.1 MAT Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data).

Candidates in the advanced programs are teaching in diverse environments. Signature assessments administered in these environments from CURR 518, CURR 573 and EDLE 500 are used to measure candidates’ knowledge in working with diverse students. Candidates in the M.Ed in Educational Leadership program are assessed on proficiencies related to diversity in EDLE 500 (school improvement brochure) & 505 (school improvement plan). (Exhibit 1g1.1 B.S., M.A.T., M.Ed Disposition Instrument & Data, Exhibit 1b2.1 M.Ed. Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data)

Counseling candidates are required to take a diversity class (COUN 650-D) in which they examine their values, biases, and belief systems. Candidates in School Psychology demonstrate acquisition of knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions related to diversity through program coursework (See NASP SPA 2009, Exhibit 2a5.2 SPA Report, Result & Rejoinders). Candidates in the Educational Technology Leader program address diversity and learning for all students in CURR 518.

4d.2. How diverse are the P-12 students in the settings in which candidates participate in field experiences and clinical practice? Please complete Table 10 or upload your own table at Prompt 4d.4 below. [Although NCATE encourages institutions to report the data available for each school used for clinical practice, units may not have these data available by school. If the unit uses more than 20 schools for clinical practice, school district data may be substituted for school data in the table below. In addition, data may be reported for other schools in which field experiences, but not clinical practice, occur. Please indicate where this is the case.]

In addition, all teacher candidates participate in a weekly field experience as part of the Professional Developmental School. The elementary site has an African American student population of 92% with 80% of the overall population on free and reduced lunch, and the secondary site has an African American student population of 71% with 62% of the overall population of free and reduced launch. As part of the weekly field experience, teacher candidates hold class on site and work with small groups of students on specific academic interventions. (see Exhibit 4d2.2 Professional Development Schools)

Table 10 Exhibit 4d2.1 Diversity of P-12 school population

4d.3. How does the unit ensure that candidates use feedback from peers and supervisors to reflect on their skills in working with students from diverse groups?

Candidates in both the initial and advanced programs are provided feedback on working with diverse students during field experiences and internships, and signature assessments conducted throughout their program. Signature assessments in the initial (CURR 202, 302, 450) and advanced programs (CURR 518, 573, EDLE 500, 505) also provide candidates with feedback. Seminars on various aspects of diversity are held for both initial and advanced teacher candidates.

Candidates in both initial and advanced programs keep a log organized by specifications that characterize the participant’s work experiences, which include experiences with diverse populations. The participant and mentor analyze the participant’s leadership style used in relation to applied professional knowledge bases, leadership skills, communication techniques, and motivation strategies.

Candidates in Ed Leadership are required to take EDLE 500 and 505. While candidates in the Educational Technology Leader program are required to take CURR 518. Signature assessments from these courses provide feedback to candidates in terms of dealing with diverse groups.

During practicum and their field experiences, counseling candidates receive peer supervision as well as supervision from faculty. Counseling candidates are evaluated on such criteria as: understanding the client, recognize and interpret covert messages from client, the ability to develop rapport with the client.

School Psychology field supervisors review results of performance and progress evaluations with the practicum candidate or intern. Practicum students also have weekly class meetings with their practicum instructor to discuss cases, and such discussions offer the opportunity for peer feedback.

(Exhibit 4d3.1 Feedback from Peers and Faculty on Interaction with Diverse Students)

4d.4. (Optional Upload for Online IR) Tables, figures, and a list of links to key exhibits related to the diversity of P-12 students in schools in which education candidates do their field experiences and clinical practice may be attached here. [Because BOE members should be able to access many exhibits electronically, a limited number of attachments (0-3) should be uploaded.]

1. What does your unit do particularly well related to Standard 4?

Overall, the unit excels at the collaboration and self-study necessary to ensure that the issues related to diversity are addressed consistently and in a meaningful way throughout the program.
This alignment prompted several new initiatives, as part of teacher candidates’ initial block (CURR 450) as well as the need for diverse field placements; beginning in Fall of 2009, all teacher candidates will be placed in at least one ESL setting as part of their field experience.

In addition to these collaborative efforts, the Unit regularly engages in activities designed to increase candidate knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to diversity. For example:

• Spanish for Educators

• School Psychology workshop addressing candidates’ initial introduction to Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese

• Use of Taskstream allows easy monitoring of candidate progress related to diversity

• Let’s Talk about Race discussion group

• International Student speaker series

• Unit agreement with Seno-American Education Center of Taiwan for recruitment of international students. 

• Study tours and practicum established for Australia and China for both initial and advanced candidates.

The Unit also draws on, and contributes to, those activities and resources that are diversity-related:

• University-wide Diversity Committee sponsors activities in association with the International Student Organization such as:

• Hispanic Heritage Month

• American Indian Heritage Month

• Women's History Month

• African American History events

• International Food Festival

• Unit and University schedule activities that encourage candidates to interact with faculty and candidates from other disciplines such as:

• Mix It Up at Lunch Day

• Graduate Student Appreciation Cookout

2. What research related to Standard 4 is being conducted by the unit or its faculty?

Examination of vitae for faculty in the Unit indicates a variety of research activities that have been conducted in recent years related to issues of diversity.  Examples of such research are indicated below.

• Clark, Lynn & Pereira, Maura (2007).  An exploratory study in feedback in a blended-delivery virtual foreign language program, American Educational Research Association Annual Conference. Chicago, IL, 2007.

• Cottingham, J., Dupre, Y., & Lewis, V.  (April, 2009). Generational Effects on GPAs of College Students. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association in San Antonio, TX.

• Dupre, Y., Cotingham, J., & Lewis, V.  (April, 2009). Racial/Ethnic Differences in Self-Reported Prevalence of Binge Eating. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association in San Antonio, TX.

• Ezell, D., Ezell, C., Powell, S., & Stanley,S. (2008) Improving Self Esteem of Students with Disabilities through Balloon Art. Research presented at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) International Conference, Boston, MA.

• Low, Jean M., Akande, Debo, & Hill, Catherine (2005). A cross cultural comparison of identity development: South Africa and the United States. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 5(4), 303-314.

• Stanley, S., Powell, S., Ezell, D., Klein, C. (2004). Improving Self Esteem of Students with Cognitive Disabilities.  Research presented at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 11th International Conference of Division on Developmental Disabilities (DDD), Las Vegas, Nevada. 

• Tao, L., Beutner, M., Bond, Z., (2006). Speech recognition technology in the instruction of Mandarin Chinese. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, 41:3, 57-89.