Continuous Assessment Plan
Program: MA in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood EducationLevel: Graduate CIP Code: 13.1001
College of EducationAssessment Year: 2008-2009; Student Data: 2007-2008
Mission and Goal Statement / Data Collection Instruments / Evaluation Criteria / Assessment Results / Program Improvement/ Unit Wide Assessment - Continuing Professional Preparation
Admission Data
GPA / 2.5 or 3.0 / Prior to admission, students must document undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or recalculated undergraduate GPA of 2.5. / Students with less than a 2.5 undergraduate GPA, are admitted conditionally but must maintain a 3.0 GPA in the first nine credit hours of their graduate program.
Students with less than 2.5 undergraduate GPA were advised to retake some classes and have GPA recalculated for purposes of admission to graduate program. If recalculated GPA was at least 2.5 they could reapply for admission to the graduate program.
Required Degree / Verified / Appropriate bachelors degrees include IECE, early childhood education, special education, communication disorders, early elementary education or other human service fields. Prior to admission, student’s transcripts are reviewed to verify bachelor’s degree. / Graduate coordinator and IECE coordinator will continue to monitor
Certification / Verified / At the time of application for admission to the program, students provide copy of teacher certification. Students seeking initial certification in education are required to meet requirements for recommendation for a letter of eligibility in IECE by the time they complete the program. / For students seeking initial certification, advisors monitor progress toward meeting requirements for certification including admission to teacher education and student teaching.
FCS 525 (standards & dispositions): / Met minimal score 80% on child case study / All graduate students met minimum requirements. / Instructor will monitor progress.
Practicum – SED 640, ELE 612, ELE 613
All IECE standards & COE dispositions):
(IECE Standards 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, 9, 10) / Complete all requirements according to syllabus. / All graduate students received satisfactory rating on practicum experiences and their practicum portfolio. Verbal and written feedback is provided to each student immediately after the observations by the university coordinator. The supervising teacher rates the students and makes ongoing suggestions throughout the practicum experience. / If the university instructor identified any weaknesses in planning and teaching, assistance will be provided to the student based on areas of need. Faculty will use this feedback to make any needed changes in curriculum.
Students completing initial certification at the graduate level will complete ELE 612 and ELE 613 (12 week supervised clinical experience in IECE).
Use an instrument for rating COE student dispositions.
Summative Assessment
Portfolio All IECE standards / Pass/Fail on IECE Live Text IECE graduate portfolio / All students received a pass on graduate portfolio. / When needed, students are asked to resubmit the portfolio with revisions. Faculty work closely with students throughout the program as they develop artifacts.
COE Student Dispositions / Rated on Likert scale high to low / COE student dispositions will be assessed during the practicum experiences supervising teacher and university coordinator.
Verification of GPA / 3.0 or higher / The assessment results demonstrated that all students maintain 3.0 GPA throughout the program. A 3.0 GPA is required to graduate with master’s degree. / Advisors will continue to monitor student GPA’s.
Verification of Program of
Studies / Coursework completed / All students are asked to meet with their advisors and complete a program of study during their first semester in the graduate program. If a student does not have a program of study completed by the time they enroll in ELE 605, the student must meet with their advisor and complete one at that time. If students want to take elective courses other than those listed on their signed program of study, they are asked to work with their advisor to determine if the substitution is appropriate. Appropriate substitution form is completed by the advisor and student. / Advisors will continue to monitor how this process is working.
Overall program/student assessment/advisory council / Students are continually assessed as they progress through the graduate program through exams, course projects and assignments. The culminating assessment is the graduate portfolio submitted for grading the last semester of the graduate program. / Continue to examine student assessment
IECE PRAXIS Exam
for initial certification / Required beginning fall, 2009. No passing score has been established. / No data available. / Faculty will share requirement to take IECE PRAXIS with students. Faculty will share study guide for the IECE PRAXIS.
Program Assessment / Faculty meet periodically during the semester to review curriculum and make suggestions for improvement. In addition, the Advisory Council meets yearly to provide input. / Based on requirements from the Educational Professional Standards Board, ELE 612 and ELE 613 practicum experiences were added for initial certification. Students who are certified in some field of education will take SED 640 practicum. / Monitor student progress in practicum experiences.
Advisory Council Comments:
The Advisory Council met on 9-19-08. There was generally high satisfaction with early childhood programs. Suggestions were made to provide students with interview experiences to make them more marketable, need for more field hours in kindergarten, special education practices during practicum, work ethic needs to be stressed, need to make good impression during student teaching/practicum. / Based on suggestions a kindergarten experience has been added to practicum.
Participants in Attendance Advisory Council Meeting 9-19-08:
Ms. Teresa Hobbs, Preschool Teacher, Graves County; Murray Head Start and Graves County Liaison
Ms. Debbie Sisco, Child Care Resources/Referrals, PADD Office
Ms. April Throgmorton, Preschool Teacher, Paducah
Ms. Dianna Carlson, Preschool Teacher, Paducah
Mr. Jason Scarborough, Principal, Calloway County Preschool, employer
Ms. Melissa Bazzell, Preschool Teacher, Cuba Elementary
Ms. Teresa Gore, Preschool Teacher, Calloway County
Ms. Julie Wallace, Preschool Teacher, Calloway County
Ms. LaDonna Butler, Stars Quality Coordinator, Paducah
Ms. Teresa Peiffer, IECE undergraduate student, Murray State University
Ms. Amanda Moreland, Preschool Teacher, Benton Elementary, MSU graduate student
Ms. Dana Crawford, Preschool Teacher, Calloway County, MSU graduate
Dr. Jo Robertson, Department Chair Early Childhood/Elementary Education, Murray State University
Dr. Joann Niffenegger, IECE Faculty, Murray State University
Mr. Greg Gierhart, IECE/Elementary Education Faculty, Murray State University
Ms. Margaret Gichuru, IECE Faculty, Murray State University
Dr. Jeanetta Riley, IECE Faculty, Murray State University
Unable to Attend:
Ms. Nancy Newsome, Preschool Teacher, Ruby Simpson Child Development Center
Ms. Carol Elder, Director, Murray Head Start
Ms. Debbie Steiner, Coordinator Early Education, Murray Head Start
Ms. Debbie Lampe, Coordinator, Murray Head Start
Ms. Althea Caldwell, Murray Head Start
Ms. Kathy Miller, First Steps Provider