School of Education: NCATE Focused Visit 2005
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences
Every preparation program in the School of Education has defined competencies that candidates are expected to demonstrate in order to educate all students effectively, including students with disabilities. Coursework and clinical experiences have been designed to help candidates develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to diversity. Specific program competencies and their alignment with appropriate professional standards are detailed in SPA Reports, along with descriptions of major learning and assessment activities for assuring candidate performance.
In C&I programs, for example, issues of diversity and exceptionality are addressed throughout the list of competencies and indicators. (See http://web.wm.edu/education/ncate/) From the very first courses in educational psychology and social foundations, throughout methods courses, and most importantly in student teaching, candidates become aware of different teaching and learning styles and learn how to adapt instruction appropriately for all students. A specific course in Adaptations for Exceptional Student Populations is required for all Elementary and Secondary Education candidates. Two of the assessment tasks in this course illustrate expectations for candidate performance. A Setting Demand Analysis requires candidates to consider classroom variables (e.g., instructional environment, delivery strategies, learner responses, student assessments, classroom management, and social interactions) that affect all students in their practicum placements and then to plan modifications for a selected student with special needs. The Elementary Education Rejoinder Folios in the Exhibit Room provide summary assessment data showing candidate mastery of this performance expectation. A second assessment activity involves development of an Adapted Lesson Plan that builds upon lessons developed in subject matter methods courses and differentiates instruction for students with special needs in the practicum setting. Again, data for baccalaureate and master’s candidates in Elementary Education are provided in the Rejoinder report.
The Teaching Portfolios required of all candidates in C&I Programs also provide evidence of their ability to address the needs of all students effectively. Descriptions of Portfolio components, rubrics for evaluation, and preliminary data have been introduced for Standard 1.
Most importantly, candidates demonstrate their competence in meeting the needs of diverse learners during their student teaching. Several items on the Student Teaching Evaluation Scale relate explicitly to diversity: using materials and resources to effectively accommodate students; planning, organizing, and preparing for individual differences; accommodating for individual differences in lesson delivery; and using assessment and evaluation to monitor and adjust instruction. Summary data for all candidates for initial licensure in Elementary and Secondary Education presented in Table 1.4 indicate that, in the judgment of Cooperating Teachers and University Supervisors, candidates over the past four years have demonstrated proficiency in competency areas related to diversity. Information presented for Standard 3 elaborates on the supervisory process and Student Teaching Seminar, describing the multiple ways in which candidates receive feedback on their performance and support for improving their ability to meet the needs of diverse students.
The recently revised Student Teaching Competencies align very closely with INTASC and other professional standards and address issues of diversity even more explicitly than the Competencies cited above. (See pages 1-16 in the Handbook for Practica and Student Teaching Experiences in the Evidence Room.) Future evaluations will be based on these new competencies.
William and Mary’s School of Education has been a recognized leader in promoting inclusive approaches for educating students with disabilities. Over the past 15 years, the unit has been awarded a series of federal and state grants for innovative and effective preparation programs supporting general education-special education collaboration in order to serve students more effectively. U.S. Department of Education grants have funded master’s degree programs for both initial licensure and for advanced preparation of resource-collaborating teachers. Three different awards over nine years have supported preparation of leaders for collaborative service delivery at the doctoral level. Additional state grants have funded the William and Mary Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) and other outreach programs to assist school divisions and practicing professionals serve all students effectively. As Special Education faculty and project staff have been integrated into the C&I and EPPL Areas since School of Education Restructuring in 1996, greater attention to students with disabilities and a more inclusive, cross-disciplinary orientation to programming has been evident. For example, all candidates in C&I master’s programs take CI590 - Collaborating with Families and School Personnel, which is co-taught by three instructors from different disciplines, as one of the capstone experiences in the program. CI 590 emphasizes student and family diversity and cross-disciplinary approaches to instruction and intervention.
Similarly in EPPL programs, candidates from the different emphasis areas of general administration, special education administration, gifted education administration, and higher education complete a common core of courses. Master’s and doctoral degree programs align with ELCC Standards in promoting multicultural awareness, gender sensitivity, and racial-ethnic appreciation. (See the Educational Leadership SPA Report in the Evidence Room.) Examples of relevant assessment activities include: (a) an evaluation of school culture including an analysis of activities to address the needs of culturally diverse students and staff completed during the Internship in Administration and Supervision; (b) an action plan for assessing cultural competency and gender sensitivity developed in the Interpersonal and Public Relations course; (c) a Contemporary Issue and Review Paper on Affirmative Action in the Human Resources Administration course; and (d) case studies of equal education opportunity in Educational Law. Additionally, students may elect to take EPPL 561 – Leadership and Cultural Competence “to investigate and experience the concept of cultural competence as applied to leadership in educational organizational settings” (EPPL 561 Course Outline available in the Evidence Room).
Multiculturalism is also a strong focus in Counselor Education Programs which are aligned closely with CACREP Standards. In particular, all students complete ED 624 – Theory and Practice of Multicultural Counseling. Assessment tasks detailed in the Syllabus (available in the Evidence Room) include journal writing, a review of current literature, a directory of multicultural resources, and planning and facilitation of a colloquia with representatives from particular racial and cultural groups. Evaluations of candidate performance in practicum and internship settings include diversity concerns, as illustrated by the School Counselor evaluations presented earlier for Standard 1. Similarly, the School Psychology internship evaluation introduced in Standard 1 has a major section on Diversity in Learning and Development, as well as indicators in many other sections related to cultural diversity and disabilities.
Experiences Working with Diverse Faculty
William and Mary candidates interact in classroom settings on campus and in schools with professional education faculty, faculty from other units, and school faculty from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, language, and disability groups. Characteristics of current faculty in the School of Education are displayed in Table 4.1. Of the eight tenure-eligible faculty hired over the past five years, three are women and one is a woman of color. Eleven faculty retired or resigned since 1998, including three women.
Table 4.1. Diversity of Full-time School of Education Faculty *
|
Rank |
Number |
Gender |
Race/Ethnicity |
Disability |
||
|
M |
F |
White |
African-American |
|||
|
Professor |
15 |
10 |
5 |
14 |
1 |
1 |
|
Associate Professor |
13 |
6 |
7 |
12 |
1 |
0 |
|
Assistant Professor |
10 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
38* |
20 |
18 |
34 |
4 |
2 |
*Includes 35 tenure-line faculty and 3 visiting faculty in 2003-04
Table 4.2 presents characteristics of all adjunct faculty from fall 1999 through fall 2003.
Table 4.2. Diversity of School of Education Adjunct Faculty
|
Number |
Gender |
Race/Ethnicity |
International |
|||||
|
M |
F |
White |
African American |
Asian |
Hispanic |
|||
|
Adjuncts |
70 |
17 |
53 |
59 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Education students also work closely with faculty in Arts and Sciences as they complete General Education Requirements and departmental concentrations (majors). Table 4.3 provides data on all William and Mary faculty. Additional historic data may be accessed on the Institutional Research website cited below the table.
Table 4.3. Characteristics of College of William and Mary Instructional Faculty 2002-03 *
|
Full-Time |
Part-Time |
Total |
|
|
Total number of instructional faculty |
567 |
170 |
737 |
|
Total number who are members of minority groups |
50 |
11 |
61 |
|
Total number who are women |
182 |
81 |
263 |
|
Total number who are men |
385 |
89 |
474 |
|
Total number who are nonresident aliens (international) |
19 |
2 |
21 |
* Source: Common Data Set 2002-03. Available from the College’s Office of Institutional Research’s website
Data on demographic characteristics of K-12 Cooperating Teachers is not currently available. Effective Fall 2003, candidates will provide this information about their Cooperating Teachers as part of the required description of their placement site. Data will be collected, analyzed, and reported by the Office of Professional Services.
Faculty who work
with candidates in professional education classes and clinical experiences have
knowledge and experiences related to preparation for educating students from
diverse cultural backgrounds, including students with exceptionalities. Review
of vitae reveals the faculty’s numerous publications, presentations, and
consultancies related to helping all children learn. For example, Professor
Bruce Bracken presents regularly on the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence
Test (UNIT) that he authored for enhancing equitable assessment. Professor
Norma Day-Vines focuses on the effects of race and class on the counseling
process. Professor
Gail McEachron conducts research on multilingual programs in
The unique expertise of William and Mary faculty has been recognized through the awarding of several state grants to provide training and technical assistance in the areas of multicultural education, special education, and gifted education. The Virginia Department of Education awarded Professor James Patton, who specializes in the areas of cultural competence and the issue of disproportionality in special education services, a grant “A Curriculum for Pedagogy for Cultural Competence: Strategies for Special and General Educators.” Professor Joyce VanTassel-Baska received a grant from South Carolina’s Department of Education to prepare authentic assessments to identify gifted students in under-represented populations. Dr. Jan Rozzelle, Director of the School Leadership Institute, received funding from the Virginia Department of Education to provide collaborative leadership training to K-12 teachers to help improve the performance of students with disabilities. With well-established expertise in educating students with disabilities, the T/TAC staff is now expanding services to help schools educate all of the diverse and at-risk groups targeted by No Child Left Behind legislation.
Affirmation of the value of diversity is shown through good-faith efforts made to maintain and increase faculty diversity. In a statement of specific goals toward fulfilling its institutional mission, William and Mary commits “to develop a diverse faculty which is nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in both teaching and research” (Undergraduate Course Catalog, p.1). In support of this goal, the College’s Office of Equal Opportunity pursues an aggressive and proactive posture relating to equal opportunity issues in education and employment to include recruitment, retention, compliance, outreach, training, services and programming. Equal Opportunity provides oversight of the faculty hiring process and advises hiring units on strategies for producing pools of well-qualified and diverse applicants. Equal Opportunity’s Faculty Search Guide, Vitae Bank, and other services are available on the web.
Experiences Working with Diverse Candidates
Candidates interact and work with other William and Mary students with exceptionalities and from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, language, socioeconomic, and religious groups in professional education courses on campus and in K-12 schools. The very first goal stated for William and Mary to achieve its institutional mission is “to attract outstanding students from diverse backgrounds” (Undergraduate Course Catalog, p.1).
Summary admission data for the past two years provides a profile of the entering freshmen classes. Comparable admissions data for the full population of undergraduate students can be found in the College’s Common Data Set, which is available on the Office of Institutional Research’s webpage. Admission data is located in the Enrollment and Persistence table (Table B) and in the First-Time First-Year Admission table (Table C). For previous year’s Common Data Sets, click the link for Historical Information and then the appropriate year’s Common Data Set.
Table 4.4.College of William and Mary Undergraduate Admission Profiles
|
2003 |
2002 |
|
|
Class size |
1,327 |
1,320 |
|
In-State |
60% |
65% |
|
Out-of-state |
40% |
35% |
|
Male |
45% |
45% |
|
Female |
55% |
55% |
|
SAT Avg. |
1,342 |
1,332 |
|
African-American |
7% |
6% |
|
Asian |
6% |
7% |
|
Hispanic |
5% |
4% |
|
American Indian |
<1% |
<1% |
|
White |
65% |
62% |
|
Unknown |
16% |
20% |
Table 4.5. School of Education Undergraduate Admission Profiles
|
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
|
|
Class Size |
68 |
106 |
96 |
107 |
|
African-American |
8% |
5% |
5% |
5% |
|
Asian |
5% |
6% |
5% |
5% |
|
Hispanic |
0% |
2% |
1% |
4% |
|
American Indian |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
|
White |
87% |
87% |
90% |
85% |
|
Unknown |
10% |
4% |
9% |
11% |
Table 4.6 below summarizes graduate admission data for the School of Education from 1999 through 2003. Data on all students enrolled in graduate Education programs is available in each year’s University Databook’s Fall Headcount Enrollment By Race and Ethnicity table.
Table 4.6. Graduate Admission Profiles
|
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
|
|
Class Size |
278 |
271 |
218 |
251 |
|
African-American |
7% |
8% |
8% |
6% |
|
Asian |
7% |
13% |
7% |
2% |
|
Hispanic |
1% |
2% |
2% |
1% |
|
American Indian |
0% |
0% |
1% |
0% |
|
White |
81% |
87% |
77% |
91% |
|
Unknown |
14% |
3% |
9% |
0% |
Affirmation of the values of diversity is shown through good-faith efforts made to increase or maintain candidate diversity. The Office of Undergraduate Admission has a comprehensive recruiting plan to attract high quality and diverse applicants. The School of Education has intensified its recruiting efforts in recent years. An up-to-date website includes more information about programs and student activities and links directly with the Multicultural Affairs Office and international admissions. The School of Education Director of Admission and Recruitment and graduate assistants (GAs) from her office visit other Virginia institutions, including the historically black colleges and universities, to recruit prospective students. GAs contact applicants via email or phone to answer questions and encourage enrollment.
Experiences Working with Diverse Students in K-12 Schools
Field experiences in settings with exceptional populations and students from different ethnic, racial, gender, and socioeconomic groups are designed for candidates to develop and practice their knowledge, skills, and dispositions for working with all students. Supporting documentation for Standard 3 explained procedures for placing William and Mary students in practicum, student teaching, and internship sites in K-12 public schools throughout the Tidewater Virginia region. The student populations of these schools fully reflect the diversity of the communities that they serve. Table 4.7 provides demographic profiles of the schools where teacher education candidates have been placed over the past year. This sample of data from the most recent cohort is representative of the field experiences of previous cohorts. The table also represents the geographic area in which most interns in educational leadership, school psychology, and counseling complete their clinical experiences.
Table 4.7. Percentage of School Population by Race in Schools Hosting Student Teachers in 2002-03
|
Division School |
Race |
|||||
|
American Indian/ Alaska Native |
Asian/Pacific Islander |
Black |
Hispanic |
White |
Unspecified |
|
|
Williamsburg-James City County |
||||||
|
Berkeley M.S. |
< 1 |
2 |
11 |
1 |
42 |
45 |
|
C.B. Baker E.S. |
1 |
1 |
9 |
2 |
39 |
49 |
|
D.J. Montague E.S. |
1 |
1 |
11 |
2 |
36 |
50 |
|
James River E.S. |
< 1 |
1 |
21 |
1 |
27 |
50 |
|
Jamestown H.S. |
< 1 |
1 |
13 |
1 |
38 |
47 |
|
Lafayette H.S. |
< 1 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
38 |
49 |
|
M. Whaley E.S. |
1 |
4 |
20 |
3 |
42 |
31 |
|
Norge E.S. |
1 |
1 |
12 |
1 |
36 |
50 |
|
Rawls Byrd E.S. |
1 |
1 |
9 |
1 |
40 |
49 |
|
Stonehouse E.S. |
1 |
< 1 |
9 |
1 |
40 |
50 |
|
York County |
||||||
|
Bethel Manor E.S. |
< 1 |
3 |
23 |
7 |
67 |
0 |
|
Bruton E.S. |
< 1 |
2 |
22 |
2 |
73 |
0 |
|
Coventry E.S. |
1 |
11 |
10 |
1 |
77 |
0 |
|
Dare E.S. |
1 |
4 |
12 |
3 |
80 |
0 |
|
Grafton Bethel E.S. |
< 1 |
6 |
7 |
2 |
85 |
0 |
|
Grafton H.S. |
< 1 |
5 |
11 |
3 |
81 |
0 |
|
Magruder E.S. |
< 1 |
2 |
33 |
3 |
62 |
0 |
|
Mt Vernon E.S. |
1 |
6 |
12 |
3 |
78 |
0 |
|
Queens Lake M.S. |
1 |
3 |
25 |
2 |
69 |
0 |
|
Seaford E.S. |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
93 |
0 |
|
Tabb E.S. |
1 |
3 |
15 |
5 |
75 |
0 |
|
Tabb H.S. |
1 |
6 |
16 |
3 |
75 |
0 |
|
Waller Miller E.S. |
1 |
6 |
10 |
1 |
83 |
0 |
|
York H.S. |
< 1 |
4 |
14 |
2 |
80 |
0 |
|
Yorktown E.S. |
1 |
2 |
49 |
3 |
46 |
0 |
|
New Kent County |
||||||
|
G.W. Watkins E.S. |
2 |
1 |
16 |
2 |
80 |
0 |
|
New Kent Primary |
1 |
< 1 |
13 |
2 |
83 |
0 |
|
Newport News City |
||||||
|
Greenwood E.S. |
1 |
4 |
49 |
6 |
40 |
0 |
|
Lee Hall E.S. |
1 |
4 |
46 |
14 |
35 |
0 |
|
Heritage H.S. |
1 |
1 |
72 |
2 |
24 |
0 |
|
Menchville H.S. |
1 |
3 |
42 |
2 |
52 |
0 |
|
Woodside H.S. |
1 |
3 |
51 |
6 |
38 |
0 |
|
Gloucester County |
||||||
|
Gloucester H.S. |
< 1 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
86 |
0 |
|
Hampton City |
||||||
|
Phoebus H.S. |
< 1 |
1 |
64 |
2 |
33 |
0 |
Source : http://www.pen.k12.va.us/sprc02/
Included in the documentation for Standard 4 is a description of a supplemental field experience for students in the Elementary Education Program to develop their competence in teaching students with limited English proficiency. Professor Gail McEachron collaborated with 36 teachers in Henrico County Schools, a large division near Richmond with an exemplary English as a Second Language (ESL) program, to have William and Mary students teach social studies lessons in their classrooms with significant populations of ESL learners.
Feedback from supervisors and peers enables candidates to reflect on their ability to help all students learn. The supervisory process described for Standard 3 provides candidates extensive feedback and support, while encouraging them to self-assess and reflect on ways to improve their performance. Sessions of the Student Teaching Seminar enable candidates to process experiences with peers, helping one another to address complex needs of students in their classrooms. The Teaching Portfolios, introduced for Standard 1 and referenced throughout this Report, include artifacts to document planning, instruction, and assessment competencies aligned with program and professional standards. Candidates must provide evidence of their effectiveness with diverse learners. They also include a videotape and self-critique of their teaching. Results of the pilot Portfolio Assessment with Elementary Education Candidates were presented in Table 1.6.
Evaluations of candidate competencies during student teaching provide further evidence of candidates’ abilities to teach diverse students. In the first section of documentation for Standard 4, Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Curriculum, aggregate data from relevant items on the Student Teaching Evaluation Scale were discussed. As evidenced by those data, C&I candidates over the past four years have consistently demonstrated their ability to work effectively with diverse students in K-12 schools.
The follow-up survey of C&I graduates within the past five years confirms the effectiveness of their preparation programs. Data summarized in Tables 1.7 and 1.8 indicate that alumni perceive themselves as “competent” to “very competent” in the essential competency areas as a result of their experiences at William and Mary. Furthermore, 80% of the 216 respondents reported that they are currently teaching in schools where more than 40% of student qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Programs to prepare other school personnel also evaluate candidates’ effectiveness with diverse students. Practicum and internship rating scales used in the School Psychology, Counseling, and Educational Leadership Programs referenced earlier for Standards 1 and 3 include criteria related to working with students and families from different backgrounds. Beyond school settings, candidates in Counseling Programs work in variety of community agencies and programs. The New Horizons Family Counseling Center (NHFCC) based in Jones Hall offers a uniquely rich resource for preparing counselors and other professionals. Supported by a consortium of seven school divisions on the Peninsula, NHFCC provides free family counseling services to those referred by their schools as needing more in-depth services than school counselors or school psychologists can offer on site. Of approximately 200 families served each year, one-third include persons of color, and 36% of the families report total incomes less than $20,000 per year. A significant percentage of families served have children with identified disabilities. Through NHFCC, candidates develop and demonstrate competence in counseling people with diverse backgrounds and complex needs.