Assessing Dispositions

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Assessing Dispositions

• Strategies/Challenges

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What are dispositions?

• NCATEs definition Professional attitudes,
  values, and beliefs demonstrated through both
  verbal and nonverbal behaviors as educators
  interact with students, families, colleagues, and
  communities. These positive behaviors support
  student learning and development.

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What does NCATE require?

• Inclusion of two specific dispositions fairness
  and the belief that all students can learn.
• Assessment based on observable behaviors in
  educational settings
• Institutions can add additional dispositions
  based on their mission and conceptual framework

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NCATEs definition of fairness --

• The commitment demonstrated in striving to meet
  the educational needs of all students in a
  caring, non-discriminatory, and equitable manner.

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Steps in the Process

• Defining the dispositions you value
• Clarifying the connections among the
  dispositions, your conceptual framework, and
  unit/program standards
• Developing faculty buy-in reaching consensus
• Developing and piloting an instrument
• Learning from the data revisiting consensus
  building

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• Developing and implementing a policy and
  procedure for using the data and addressing
  concerns
• Learning from the data revisiting consensus
  building -- again

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Defining the Dispositions You Value

• What we did
• Assessment Committee drafted a list of
  dispositions consistent with the Colleges
  Conceptual Framework
• List was correlated with the dispositions from
  INTASC (correlation matrix)
• List was revised, combining some, adding a new
  one (revised list)

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Dispositions, Conceptual Framework, and Standards

• Our list was consistent with key concepts on the
  CF, but dispositions were not addressed
  specifically in the CF
• CF Committee revised the CF document to clearly
  articulate expectations for dispositions
• The CF Elements were revised to reflect the
  inclusion of dispositions and the integrated
  relationship among the principles, processes,
  characteristics, and dispositions of the CF

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Proposal to the Faculty

• Proposed list of dispositions, with defining
  indicators
• Proposed process dispositions to be assessed
  every semester in every course requiring LiveText
  
• No high stakes at this point just feedback
• Required, but no connection to grade
• Use the same rating scale faculty chose for
  portfolio assessment (Proficient, Developing,
  Unacceptable, Not Able to Rate)

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What We Told the Students

• One of your requirements in this class is to
  submit a Dispositions Assessment Permission in
  LiveText to me. At the end of the course, I will
  provide you with formative feedback on your
  development and demonstration of the professional
  dispositions that are important for Transforming
  Practitioners. No grade or score from the
  dispositions assessment will affect your course
  grade, but the submission of your permission form
  is required before your grade will be posted.
  Instructions on the submission process will be
  provided and we will discuss in class the
  specific dispositions that will be assessed.

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How We Defined the Rating Scale

• Proficient The candidate demonstrates the
  professional disposition at the level expected of
  a new teacher.
• Developing The candidate is in the beginning
  stages of developing the described disposition
  but does not yet demonstrate it at the level
  expected.

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• Unacceptable The candidate has not demonstrated
  the expected professional disposition you have
  substantial concerns about this area of the
  candidates development.
• N/O You do not have enough information to be
  able to rate the candidate.

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• Assessment committee charged with developing a
  complete policy related to dispositions
  assessment.
• Unit would adapt the process as necessary,
  informed by the initial semesters experiences
  and the data.

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What we learned from the data

• There was a wide range of faculty interpretations
  of the rating scale.
• Conflicts became evident when the faculty were
  asked to adopt a policy.

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Ad Hoc Committee Charge

• Review process and proposed policies
• Further analyze data to identify patterns
• Read the AACTE monograph on Dispositions
  Assessment (Sockett, 2006)
• Recommend possible revisions to full faculty

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Emerging Issues

• Growth model vs. deficit model?
• Development vs. gate-keeping?
• Same language, different assumptions (survey
  exercise)
• Same language of rating scale for portfolio and
  dispositions different purposes of assessments
• Due process for students

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Ad Hoc Committee Recommendations

• Addition of eighth disposition category (revised
  list)
• Changes to definitions of ratings
• Growth model and a document clearly
  articulating our philosophy of assessment
• Revisions to the proposed policy (1, 2, 3)

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Process for Reviewing Assessment Data

• Assessment Committees process recommendation
• Individual Improvement Plan form
• Form used for first review

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What we learned this time

• Still on different pages about rating scale (one
  instructors unacceptable was another ones
  developing)
• Dispositions most disparately understood
  Commitment to Life-long Learning (advanced only?)
  and Belief in Teacher Efficacy (locus of control
  issue teacher efficacy vs. personal efficacy)
• Still at odds on purpose of the assessment and
  the implications of it

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Next Steps

• Consider new terms for the ratings scale
  important to use different terms than those for
  portfolio assessment.
• Revise indicators/descriptors to be much more
  detailed and behavioral (this will probably make
  the instrument or at least its accompanying
  rubric longer and more cumbersome).
• Have two sets of indicators one for use by
  classroom instructor one for use in field work.
• Reach consensus that, while the process is
  developmental, it needs to be possible for
  candidates to meet the expectations while they
  are still pre-service teachers.

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Those are our issues youll find your own.

• Take systematic steps to ensure a fair,
  equitable, and meaningful assessment process.
• Assume that disparate values and understandings
  lie beneath a common language and take steps to
  uncover, examine, and work through the different
  perspectives held by faculty.

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Contact Info

• Susan MaloneMercer Universitymalone_sc_at_mercer.ed
  u