Council for Teacher Education

Minutes for March 14, 2011

The sixth meeting of the Council for Teacher Education for the 2010-2011 academic year was held Monday, March 14, 2011, at 3:15 p.m. in Speight 211. Members present: Elizabeth Briggs, Carol Brown, Michael Brown, John Carlson, Joe Ciechalski, Vivian Covington (Chair), Mike Dawson, Cynthia Bickley-Green, Cheryl Johnson, Troy Jones, Laura King, LCSN Representative Chris Moxley, Diana Lys, Susan Morgan, Marcela Ruiz-Funes, Sharon Schleigh, Shari Steadman, Student Rep Jonathan Lewis, Jane Teleki, Ivan Wallace, Jamie Williams, Sarah Williams, and visitor Crystal Jones. Absent were, Michael Bossé, Brenda Eastman, Johna Faulconer, David Gabbard, Bill Grobe, Linda High, and Student Rep Katherine Alligood.

Order of Business

Agenda I – Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the February 14, 2011 meeting were accepted with one correction. John Carlson attended the February meeting and has replaced Dawn Clark in the School of Theatre and Dance.

Agenda II – Announcements

Vivian Covington, chair, made the following announcements.

ETS has regenerated PRAXIS tests in technology, art, and elementary and a new test for physics. The technology and physics does not apply to ECU since we do not have approved programs for those areas. Art lateral entry teachers and post bach teacher certification students with less than 24 hours in the content may be affected by the new test, 0165.   Currently elementary majors take tests 011 and 012. Beginning September 1, 2011, test 015 will be the new required test. We are awaiting a reply from DPI to see if we may still use the old elementary and art tests after September, as some students have already taken the old tests or may plan to take the test in July. (Since the meeting, I have received word that the old tests scores will be acceptable).

Northstar Learning offers an affordable online test preparation for PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II, allowing students to study at their own pace. The website is http://www.northstarlearning.net/.

Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)presentations will held be in Hendrix Theatre this Thursday at 3:00 p.m. There will be four presentations. Proposal topics are available through IPAR’s website. East Carolina University is beginning the process of selecting a topic for the (QEP) that is part of the SACS reaffirmation of accreditation process.

Agenda III – Assessment Update & Accreditation

Diana Lys, Ellen Dobson and Shari Steadman gave a power point presentation on the Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium (TPAC) and the ECU pilot. TPAC is based on the highly successful Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT), which will improve the consistency with which teacher licensure and accreditation decisions are made, including the rapidly expanding number and variety of “alternative routes” to licensure. The teaching performance assessment will allow states, school districts and teacher preparation programs to share a common framework for defining, and measuring a set of core teaching skills that form a valid and robust vision of teacher competence.  TPAC will serve as a model for assessments, sitting in between the assessment for initial licensure and National Board certification, e.g., continuation-of-employment, tenure, and career ladder decisions. Several states are now using TPAC for licensure and 13 states are currently in the pilot.

In spring 2010, ECU participated in the TPAC on a small scale. In spring 2011, ECU was selected to participate in a pilot. TPAC is an attractive assessment option which is endorsed by NCATE for unit accreditation, is aligned with NBPTS and INTASC standards, and is based on a valid and reliable PACT instrument. TPAC currently have assessments for or are developing assessments for all areas of teacher education at ECU. The assessment system consists of two components: 1) Embedded Signature Assessments (ESAs) that vary across programs; and 2) a common portfolio assessment, and the Teaching Event. The ESAs are formative signature assignments embedded in coursework, vary across programs, are mission driven and reflect program-specific teaching philosophies or goals that contribute to the unique character of program graduates. For example, embedded assessments may include child case studies, planning instructional units, analyses of student work, and observations of student teaching. For potential ECU implementation, ESAs could be embedded beginning in early experience courses through methods courses. The Teacher Performance Assessment consists primarily of a series of Teaching Events, a multiple measure assessment system documenting teaching and learning in 3-5 day learning segments for one class of students. Teaching Events are subject-specific, with separate forms for Multiple Subject (elementary) and Single Subject (secondary) credential areas. The specific records of practice (evidence) in the Teaching Event consist of artifacts of teaching (lesson plans, video clips of instruction, student work samples, teacher assignments, daily reflections) and reflective commentaries which explain the professional judgments underlying the teaching and learning artifacts. For potential ECU implementation, elements of portfolios could be developed during Sr. I and then implemented and collected during Sr. II. The rubric addresses five components; planning, instruction, assessment, reflection, and academic language. Students must score a 2 on 4 point rubric (4 being the highest), as a total “preponderance of the evidence”. Each score must be supported with evidence from the commentaries.

In 2011, pilot participants at ECU included 20-40 interns in each program area of English, history and middle grades in 35 school districts. Six faculty and 12 university supervisors were involved. Letters were sent to superintendents and clinical teachers in all TPAC pilot districts. TaskStream is the preferred e-portfolio provider for TPAC. Accounts will be free during the TPAC pilot field testing. Faculty and university supervisors will evaluate artifacts on the TPA rubric. Dr. Lys, Ms. Dobson and Dr. Steadman are trainers along with a few other faculty. TPAC is aligned with ECU electronic evidences. NCATE will look at reliability and validity of this instrument. It is another level moving to high quality. Early feedback from clinical teachers has been positive. TPAC is linked to clinical practice which addresses many of the principles in the NCATE Blue Ribbon Report. http://www.ncate.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=zzeiB1OoqPk%3d&tabid=715.

The Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE) is soliciting involvement in developing parallel but subject-specific versions of the TPAC assessment for remaining credential areas. Nominations for developers and reviewers are needed to guide the SCALE staff in creating an instrument customized to the credential areas. Some teams would meet electronically and some would meet in a two-day face-to-face meeting. A two to five day commitment is possible. Individuals not selected as a developer could be selected as a reviewer. Resumes to apply to the development teams and information should be submitted to Kendyll Stansbury, kendylls@stanfor.edu.

Revisioned graduate teacher education programs are moving forward to DPI.

Agenda IV – Standing Update from Office of Clinical Experiences

Ms. Morgan, Lead Coordinator OCE/AL reported that she attended the Career Fair and received great comments from public schools about the Senior II interns. She thanked the program areas for helping to prepare the interns. She requested that her office be notified immediately of any change in an intern’s situation. The deadlines for the Senior I placements are April 1, May 13, and July 1, 2011. The July date should only be for students awaiting grades from Summer Session I 2011.

Marcela Ruiz-Funes asked if any online clinical teacher training modules are available. Vivian Covington replied that this was not available because the training is interactive and the quality of the training would be lost. There are 36 districts involved in the training. The next trainings are 6/17/11 in Craven County, 6/21 or 6/22/11 in Pitt County and 6/28 or 6/29/11 in Wilson County. Clinical teachers should contact the central office to register in Craven and Wilson counties. Clinical teachers should contact their principal in Pitt County. There typically is a waiting list for clinical teacher training.

Shari Steadman thanked Susan and Vivian for all their work in placing students in the school systems.

Agenda V – Old Business

Departments should be putting the UPDV attribute under Student Attribute Restrictions on SSARRES (section restrictions) when building course schedules for the term. This allows only Upper Division admitted students to register for UD courses.

Agenda VI – New Business

Laura Bilbro-Berry, Assistant Director, Office of Teacher Education is wanting to personalize the teacher recruitment plan by adding more diversity. Through a nomination process, teacher education students would be selected as “Apple Ambassadors” to assist with recruitment events or opportunities related to the campus-wide teacher recruitment plan. She would like 20-30 students to commit approximately two hours a week, plus involvement in events. A nomination form was distributed. Contact Laura at bilbroberryl@ecu.edu, for further information concerning the program.

Most units have met with the chancellor concerning the budget scenarios. The percentage reduction may be as high as 15-20%. Three and a half positions will possibly be lost in the area of teacher education, which includes one vacant position.

As part of the SACS accreditation reaffirmation and improving the process of verifying faculty credentials, foreign credentials will need to be reviewed and a written evaluation of degree equivalency determined by an outside agency. Faculty needing a NC teaching license must also have degrees evaluated and/or translated.

Agenda VII – Standing Committees

Curriculum – The Curriculum Committee met March 4, 2011 and recommended approval of the following with revisions:

1. Add SPED 3007, Physical Management in the Classroom, to the catalog. It was approved during the 2009-10 year. During the editing process, the course was dropped from the marked catalog copy. In addition to adding the course to the catalog, the credit hours changed from 1 to 2.
2. New degree program, MAED in Gifted Education with new courses GIFT 6400, Creativity; GIFT 6500, Program Models and Identification of the Gifted; GIFT 6600, Action Research Planning in Gifted Education; and GIFT 6601, Action Research Implementation in Gifted Education and change in course prefix and numbers for the following SPED 6104 to GIFT 6000, Introduction to Gifted Education; SPED 6401 to 6100, Differentiation for the Gifted; SPED 6402 to GIFT, 6200 Curriculum Development for Gifted Education; and SPED 6403 to GIFT, 6300 Practicum in Gifted Education.

The report was accepted. The next CTE Curriculum meeting will be April 1 at 9:00 a.m. in Speight 202. Proposals must be received by March 28, 2011.

Evaluation & Planning – No report;

Admission & Retention – No report

Policy – No report

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m. The next meeting will be April 11, 2011 at 3:15 p.m. in Speight 312.

Respectfully submitted,
Sherry S. Tripp