NCATE AACTE WORKSHOP

1
NCATE /AACTE WORKSHOP

• September 2002
• Erskine S. Dottin
• 305-234-8477

2
THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK by Erskine S. Dottin
(dottine_at_fiu.edu) September, 2002

• BUILD IT
• LIVE IT
• EVALUATE IT

3
BRINGING STRUCTURE AND COHERENCE TO A TEACHER
EDUCATION PROGRAM

• A conceptual framework provides and brings
  structure and coherence to experiences in a
  teacher education program if it is seen as a
  basic structure of ideas used to operationalize a
  teacher education program by systematically
  identifying and defining components and
  elaborating on the ways in which they are
  related (Jewett Mullan, 1977).

4
STRUCTURE AND COHERENCE

• For an experience to be coherent instead of
  incoherent is to bring structure to the
  experience by means of a multidimensional
  gestalt (Lakoff Johnson, 1980).

5
STRUCTURING EXPERIENCE IN TEACHER EDUCATION

• EXPERIENCES IN TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

• Ontological METAPHOR
• CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
• A conceptual framework brings/provides coherence
  to the experiences in a teacher education
  program.
• Conceptualizing experience

6
ORGANIZING EXPERIENCE INTO STRUCTURED WHOLES

• WE EXPERIENCE A TEACHER EDUCATION UNIT AS HAVING
  A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK WHEN THE ELEMENTS OF THE
  CONCEPT FIT OUR PERCEPTIONS AND ACTIONS IN THE
  TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

7
CONCEPTUALIZING UNIT OPERATIONS

• UNIT AS SYSTEM
• (COE, SOE, DoE, TEP)
• DEPARTMENTS
• Initial Preparation Programs
• Advanced Preparation Programs

8
BUILDING IT THE UNIT

• Structural Elements
• Vision
• Mission
• Philosophy, aim/purposes
• Outcomes/goals
• Knowledge base(s)
• Candidate proficiencies and alignment with
  standards
• System of assessment
• Page 12 NCATE Standards

9
VISION BUILDING

• Working on a vision means examining and
  reexamining and making explicit to ourselves why
  we came into teaching Asking what difference am
  I trying to make personally. Michael Fullan, 1993

10
VISION BUILDING

• A vision is not a strategic plan. A strategic
  plan contains goals and objectives which tell how
  and when some aim will be achieved.

11
VISION BUILDING

• Shared vision is important in the long run, but
  for it to be effective you have to have something
  to share. It is not good to borrow someone elses
  vision.
• Michael Fullan, 1993

12
What should education look like? What should it
take as its purpose?

• VISION A
• Interconnectedness, harmony, peace, honesty,
  avoiding labels, seeing the whole person, gaining
  understanding, caring for others, experiential
  learning, inner growth, freedom of choice,
  participatory democracy, global citizenship,
  reverence for life, spirituality, sense of
  responsibility, sense of community.

• VISION B
• Competition, standardization, objectivity,
  measurement, grading, heavy use of numbers and
  technology, accountability, behavioral
  objectives, use of labels, quantification,
  organization.

13
What should education look like? What should it
take as its purpose?

• VISION A
• Educate for human development
• Honor students as individuals
• Experience plays a central role
• Holistic education

• VISION B
• Rigorous national standards
• Hold teachers to rigorous competencies
• Help every student read by end of 3rd grade
• Challenge parents to get involved early in
  childs learning
• Expand school choice and accountability
• Instill basic American values
• Connect every classroom to the internet
• Help all students become technologically literate
• Modernize school buildings

14
EXAMPLE OF UNIT VISION

• WE HAVE A DREAM That learning, in the broadest
  sense, will be the essential goal of all our
  programs. We envision our graduates as
  professionals who would have learned the
  conceptual and practical aspects of teaching,
  counseling, leadership, or service. We further
  envision our graduates preparing their students
  to be learners throughout their lifetimes. Our
  vision of learning is a human act that will occur
  in many contexts. As such, teaching will be more
  than preparing lessons for classrooms. Lifelong
  learning will occur in many contexts other than
  the school and in different contexts within the
  school. We envision educators encouraging and
  teaching their students to capitalize on each and
  every opportunity in which learning can occur.
  Accordingly, our programs will be creative and
  our graduates able to work in creative ways.
  Teaching in our vision is a creative process that
  requires professionals to reach success with each
  and every child. No longer will we only believe
  that "all children can learn" We will be
  prepared to act so that "all children do learn.
  Our vision is that all children will learn when
  we stress the criterion of effectiveness in all
  we do. We will not rely on theory alone
  Educators will be be applied researchers who can
  evaluate their efforts so that they can change
  them when they do not satisfy the criterion of
  effectiveness. At XXX COLLEGE, the desired future
  of the Professional Education Faculty is its
  dedication to working with all students so that
  they graduate able to create effective contexts
  for learning.

15
VISION BUILDING

• ACTIVITY
• In small groups Think of and discuss the
  following questions
• In your dream of XXX, what would you like to
  see the
• unit become? What reputation would it have?
• What contribution would it make to candidates
  and its community?
• What values would it embody?
• Write a short statement for the group that
  captures the essence of the group members
  responses to the questions

16
CAPTURING VISION IN THEME - EXAMPLE

• XXXX UNIVERSITY - VISION
• WE have a dream that life at XXXX University will
  continue to be characterized by socially
  conscious teachers and learners who are advocates
  for children and education.
• THEME
• Preparing learners as teachers for leadership,
  and service in a multicultural, global and
  technological society.

17
MISSION BUILDING

• While the units vision provides a sense of the
  units desired future, its mission delineates the
  specific task with which it is charged and offers
  its reason for being
• Dottin, 2001

18
MISSION BUILDING

• ACTIVITY
• In small groups identify the following
• (a) Any specific State directives with which the
  unit is charged vis-à-vis the preparation
  teachers and other school personnel.
• (b) The Universitys commitment to teaching,
  research and service and the application of the
  foregoing to the unit.
• Write a short statement that explains why the
  unit exists, that gives special meaning,
  identity, and sense of self while being
  consistent with State directives and University
  commitments.

19
MISSION EXAMPLE

• Professional education programs at XXX have been
  designed to support and fulfill the Universitys
  mission to produce effective academic programs
  which meet the needs of diverse groups in our
  society. This mission reflects the belief that
  teaching prepares a knowledgeable, diverse,
  citizenry through appropriate use of technology
  in research, scholarship and service for
  leadership in the global community. As such,
  effective educators are committed to scholarship,
  research, and service, and graduates of the
  units programs will provide the vanguard for
  preparing P-12 students for living in a global
  society.

20
PHILOSOPHY BUILDING

• If the units vision/theme is thought of as the
  first creation in the development of a conceptual
  framework, then the values and principles upon
  which the units being and doing will be based
  may be seen as the second creation, that is the
  road map to the coherent construction of the
  framework
• Dottin, 2001

21
PHILOSOPHY BUILDING

• ACTIVITY
• In small groups think of one teaching experience
  that you regard as your best, that is, the most
  valuable learning experience for candidates (and
  P-12 students). Think of the experience in terms
  of the following

• (1) How was learning facilitated?
• (2) What was your role during the experience? The
  students role?
• (3) What was your approach during the experience
  (strategies, evaluating, assessing, etc.)?

22
PHILOSOPHY BUILDING

• Activity
• Identify a metaphor that best captures your best
  teaching/learning by completing the phrase
  TEACHING AND LEARNING AS .

• IDENTIFY THE METAPHOR THAT IS MOST COMMON ACROSS
  INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS.

23
PHILOSOPHY BUILDING

• ACTIVITY
• Describe how learning occurs or should occur
  given the metaphor and how learning will be
  facilitated in the unit (support beliefs/claims
  through ideas from a school of psychology and
  philosophical school of thought).
• Describe the kind of person the units teaching
  and learning is trying to produce given its
  metaphor

• Given the metaphor, describe how your concept of
  teaching and learning will be translated into
  classroom, field, etc., action(s). How might
  classes be conducted? How might candidates
  performance be assessed/evaluated?
• Describe the vision of the kind of teacher,
  administrator, and so on that emerges from the
  foregoing?
• Is there an overall aim, purpose of education
  that emerges?

24
PHILOSOPHY BUILDINGEXAMPLE

• Metaphor - Teaching and learning as analogous to
  planning and carrying out a journey.
• Every journey must initiate with a goal, then the
  travelers must determine where they are, and the
  means by which they will get to their
  destination. They must also have the means to
  ascertain whether or not they have arrived at
  their goal at journeys end.
• Is there a school of psychology that best
  supports this metaphor?
• Is there a philosophical school of thought that
  best supports this metaphor?

25
CURRICULUM BUILDING

• What is the curriculum supposed to accomplish?
  Without purpose, without being guided by an aim
  and goals/outcomes, curriculum becomes an end in
  and of itself. Teachers then standardize students.

26
CURRICULUM TOWARD WHAT AIM?

• GENERAL STUDIES
• PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
• TEACHING FIELD
• FIELD-BASED EXPERIENCES

• AIM AT XXX UNIVERSITY
• To produce the best possible leaders in education
  persons who can continue to grow after
  graduation, become life-long learners, and give
  service to others.

27
OUTCOMES BUILDING

• What are the characteristics of the way of life
  the unit envisions for its graduates?
• (e.g., problem solvers, change agents,
  instructional leaders, self-directed
  professionals, etc.?)

28
OUTCOMES BUILDING

• ACTIVITY
• In small groups use the units vision, mission
  and philosophy to identify the major learning
  outcomes for graduates. Identify those common to
  all groups.

• ARE THE LEARNING OUTCOMES COMMON TO PROGRAMS AT
  BOTH THE INITIAL AND ADVANCED LEVELS?

29
XXX UNIT OUTCOMES

• EDUCATIONAL LEADERS (Academic Excellence)
• REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONERS (Facilitators of
  Learning)
• MORAL SERVICE PROVIDERS (Ethical Beings)

30
KNOWLEDGE BASE BUILDING

• Why are the learning/performance outcomes
  important?
• Can each outcome be justified through the
  literature (theories, research, wisdom of
  practice) and educational policies?

31
CANDIDATE PROFICIENCIES BUILDING

• EXAMPLE
• Outcome Developing competent subject matter
  experts
• Candidate Proficiencies
• The candidate knows the facts and principles of
  the subject matter in his/her field of study.
• The candidates knows and can demonstrate how to
  assist students in the mastery of content in
  his/her field of study.
• AND SO ON..

• ACTIVITY
• Institutional Standards
• For each outcome identified, delineate the
  prerequisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions
  needed to achieve the outcome (candidate
  proficiencies)

32
ALIGNING STANDARDS

• Activity
• Take each outcome
• and corresponding candidate proficiencies and
  align them with State standards, INTASC
  standards, National Board Principles

• INITIAL LEVEL
• ADVANCED LEVEL

33
ALIGNMENT PROCESS

• UNIT OUTCOMES
• Proficiencies Alignment with Standard
• INTASC, STATE, NBPTS
• PROGRAM OUTCOMES
• Proficiencies Courses Professional Stds State
  Assessment/Evidence

34
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Is there a system for the assessment and
  evaluation of the learning outcomes and candidate
  proficiencies?
• Is the system compatible with the units
  curriculum delivery system?

35
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Activity
• Have each program (initial and advanced) identify
  its outcomes and candidate proficiencies,
  alignment with professional and State standards,
  and assessment evidence for each
  outcome/proficiency.

36
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Activity
• At the unit level, using the performance system
  worksheet developed by Erskine S. Dottin,
  identify common assessment measures across
  programs and layout the curriculum delivery and
  decision points for the unit assessment system.

37
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Is there an evaluation system for the use of and
  means to valid and reliable internal and external
  unit operational data for improvement and
  accountability?

38
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Activity
• At the unit level, delineate the internal and
  external data collection system for continuous
  improvement.

39
EVALUATION SYSTEM FRAMEWORK
40
KEEPING THE SYSTEM ALIVE LONG TERM GOALS

• USE AIM TO OUTLINE LONG AND SHORT TERM GOALS FOR
  UNIT

• EXAMPLE
• Long term goal To enhance the performance of
  all candidates
• Short term goals
• Increase use of technology
• Improve monitoring and assessing of candidate
  progress
• Create incentives and structures for recruiting
  and retaining a diverse student body
• Enhance link between unit and contiguous schools
  and colleges

41
WRITING UP THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

• FIRST TIME ACCREDITATION
• PreCondition 4 (Summary)
• PART II of I.R.
• (Overview, NCATE Standards, p. 12)
• (Overview, Handbook, pp. 47-48 description
  development description- summarize 6 elements
  and 6 expectations p. 13 NCATE Standards)

42
WRITING UP THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK THE I.R.

• CONTINUING Accreditation
• PART II of I.R.
• (Overview, NCATE Standards, pp. 12-13
  description, development changes as they relate
  to new standards)
• (Overview, Handbook, pp. 47-48 description
  development description- summarize 6 elements
  and 6 expectations p. 13 NCATE Standards)

43
WRITING UP THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK THE I.R.

• UNIT ACCREDITATION BOARD POLICY 2002
• PART II of I.R.
• Institutions Encouraged to write to the
  Structural Elements of the Conceptual Framework
• In describing the conceptual framework in
  their IR, institutions are encouraged to provide
  an overview of the framework by addressing the
  Structural Elements of the Conceptual Framework,
  as outlined on page 12 of the NCATE standards
  manual (2002)

44
WRITING UP THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK THE I.R.

• UNIT ACCREDITATION BOARD POLICY 2002
• PART II of I.R.
• In addition, the IR description of the conceptual
  framework should address the Evidence for the
  conceptual framework on page 13 of the standards
  manual. . BOE teams will describe these evidence
  areas in an early section of the BOE report.
  Teams will also refer to the conceptual framework
  as appropriate in their findings for each
  standard.

45
SO HOW DOES THIS WORK?

• ADDRESSING THE ELEMENTS
• NCATE STANDARDS p.12

• ADDRESSING THE EVIDENCE
• NCATE STANDARDS p.13

46
THE UNIT LIVING IT Through the standards

• Living Structural Elements Through Standards
• Evaluative Criteria
• Shared Vision, Coherence, Professional
  Commitments including commitment to diversity and
  technology (what unit is prepared to do regarding
  candidate learning and effect on student
  learning), Candidate proficiencies aligned with
  standards.
• PART III I.R. PART 11 III BOE Report

47
LIVING ELEMENTS THROUGH EXPECTATIONS

• STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
• Vision/Mission
• Philosophy, purposes/Aim
• Goals/Outcomes/knowledge base(s)/Candidate
  Proficiencies
• Candidate Proficiencies and alignment with
  standards
• System for assessment

• EVALUATIVE CRITERIA
• Is vision/mission shared?
• What is the connection between learning outcomes,
  curricular experiences?
• What is unit prepared to do regarding candidate
  learning including commitment to diversity and
  technology?
• What is context for developing and assessing
  proficiencies standards?
• The Assessment System

48
LIVING THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

• ARE YOU NOW READY TO LIVE YOUR CONCEPTUAL
  FRAMEWORK?
• Using the NCATE Standards
• Long/short Term Goals

49
THANKS

• GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL IN YOUR WORK OVER THE NEXT
  FEW DAYS
• Your friend,
• Erskine