Program Report for the
Preparation of Special Education: General Curriculum K-12
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Standards
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION
C O V E R S H E E T
Institution Radford University State Virginia
Date submitted December 15, 2010
Name of Preparer Ellen B. Austin, MS
Phone # 540-831-5549 Email
Program documented in this report:
Name of institution’s program (s) MS in Special Education: Hearing Impairment
Grade levels for which candidates are being prepared PreK-12
Degree or award level Master of Science Degree
Is this program offered at more than one site? Yes X No
If yes, list the sites at which the program is offered
Title of the state license for which candidates are prepared
Collegiate Professional – Hearing Impairment PreK-12
Program report status:
¨ Initial Review
¨ Response to a Not Recognized Decision
¨ Response to National Recognition With Conditions
¨ Response to a Deferred Decision
State licensure requirement for national recognition:
NCATE requires 80% of the program completers who have taken the test to pass the applicable state licensure test for the content field, if the state has a testing requirement. Test information and data must be reported in Section III. Does your state require such a test?
X Yes □ No
GENERAL DIRECTIONS
To complete a program report, institutions must provide evidence of meeting CEC standards based on data from 6-8 assessments. In their entirety, the assessments and data required for submission in this report will answer the following questions:
· Have candidates mastered the necessary knowledge for the subjects they will teach or the jobs they will perform?
· Do candidates meet state licensure requirements?
· Do candidates understand teaching and learning and can they plan their teaching or fulfill other professional education responsibilities?
· Can candidates apply their knowledge in classrooms and schools?
· Do candidates focus on student learning?
To that end, the program report form includes the following sections:
Section I. Context (See each question for character limit)
Provide general information on the program as specified by the directions for this section. Please attach a copy of the program of study and one (if possible) attachment containing any charts, graphs, or tables.
Master-level courses at Radford University are taken by those seeking the degree of Master of Science in Special Education, offered both with and without licensure options, and those who seek licensure only with no degree. The graduate-level coursework prepares students to be effective teachers for children and youth with hearing impairment in grades PreK-12 and to be advocates for children, families, and the profession. The program emphasizes knowledge and skills in characteristics, assessment and evaluation, communication approaches, understanding and application of service delivery, curriculum and instruction, IEP development and monitoring, transition, proactive classroom management and positive behavior supports, and collaboration and teamwork. The program of study includes a common core of 12 credit hours, and an additional 18 credit hours selected from a menu of courses. Those seeking initial teacher licensure may have 9 or more additional hours of supporting coursework. Internship experiences of 6-12 hours are also required to obtain postgraduate professional licensure or to complete requirements for provisional licensure in one or more areas of specialization within special education. The Masters only, non-licensure option is intended for graduate students who already have initial teacher licensure in an area of special education or those who desire to enhance their knowledge and skills in diverse areas of special education.
Section II. List of Assessments (completion of chart)
Using the chart included in this report form, indicate the name, type, and administration point for each of the 6-8 assessments documented in this report. (Note that Section IV of the report form lists examples of assessments that may be appropriate for each type of assessment that must be documented in the program report.)
Section III. Relationship of Assessments to Standards (completion of chart)
Using the chart included in this report form, indicate which of the assessments listed in Section II provide evidence of meeting specific program standards.
Section IV. Evidence for Meeting Standards (attachments of the assessment, scoring guide/criteria, and data tables plus a 2-page maximum narrative for each of the 6-8 assessments)
Attach assessment documentation plus a narrative statement for each assessment as specified by the directions for this section. For each assessment attach one (if possible) attachment that includes the 2-page narrative, assessment, scoring guide, and data table(s).
Section V. Use of Assessment Results to Improve Candidate and Program Performance (12,000- character maximum narrative)
Describe how faculty are using the data from assessments to improve candidate performance and the program, as it relates to content knowledge; pedagogical and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions; and student learning.
Section VI. For Revised Reports Only
Describe what changes or additions have been made in the report to address the standards that were not met in the original submission. List the sections of the report you are resubmitting and the changes that have been made. Specific instructions for preparing a revised report are available on the NCATE web site at http://www.ncate.org/institutions/process.asp?ch=4.
Format and page limits for narrative sections and attachments:
Narrative: Sections I, IV, and V include narrative sections based on specific directions and character limits. Character limits are based on single-spaced text using 12-point type.
Attachments: Sections I and IV include attachments. In general, attachments should be no longer than the equivalent of five text pages. NOTE: The report should contain no more than 20 attachments.
è NCATE staff may require institutions to revise reports that do not follow directions on format and page limits. In addition, hyperlinks imbedded in report documentation will not be read by reviewers and cannot be used as a means of providing additional information.
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Program report information on the web: http://www.ncate.org/institutions/process.asp?ch=10.
To download report forms: http://www.ncate.org/institutions/programStandards.asp?ch=4.
SECTION I—CONTEXT
Provide the following contextual information:
1. Description of any state or institutional policies that may influence the application of CEC standards. [Response limited to 4000 characters]
2. Description of the field and clinical experiences required for the program, including the number of hours for early field experiences and the number of hours/weeks for student teaching or internships. [Response limited to 8000 characters]
3. Description of the criteria for admission, retention, and exit from the program, including required GPAs and minimum grade requirements for the content courses accepted by the program. [Response limited to 4000 characters]
4. Description of the relationship[1] of the program to the unit’s conceptual framework. [Response limited to 4000 characters]
5. Indication of whether the program has a unique set of program assessments and their relationship of the program’s assessments to the unit’s assessment system[2]. [Response limited to 4000 characters]
6. The On-line PRS system will not permit you to include tables or graphics in text fields. Therefore any tables or charts must be attached as files. The title of the file should clearly indicate its content. Word documents, .pdf files, and other commonly used file formats are acceptable. The system will not accept .docx files. [In PRS you will be able to attach files here]
7. Please attach files to describe a program of study that outlines the courses and experiences required for candidates to complete the program. The program of study must include course titles. [This information may be provided as an attachment from the college catalog (not the complete catalog) or as a student advisement sheet.]
8. Candidate Information
Directions: Provide three years of data on candidates enrolled in the program and completing the program, beginning with the most recent academic year for which numbers have been tabulated. Report the data separately for the levels/tracks (e.g., baccalaureate, post-baccalaureate, alternate routes, master's, doctorate) being addressed in this report. Data must also be reported separately for programs offered at multiple sites. Update academic years (column 1) as appropriate for your data span. [A copy of the Candidate and Completers chart is included as Attachment A at the end of this document.]
9. Faculty Information
Directions: Complete the following information for each faculty member responsible for professional coursework, clinical supervision, or administration in this program. [A copy of the Faculty chart is included as Attachment B at the end of this document.]
1. CEC Standards Description of any state or institutional policies that may influence the application of CEC standards. [Response limited to 4000 characters]
The deaf and hard of hearing teacher preparation program was developed based on CEC / CED (Council on Education of the Deaf) and Virginia Department of Education state standards. When the standards were updated a few years ago, the courses leading to licensure in Hearing Impairment PreK-12 were updated as well to ensure standards based instruction for all candidates. Along with SPA and state standards, research was done on current trends in the field of deaf education. The subsequent intentional planning and development of coursework ensured that Radford University provide a deaf education program focused on a comprehensive approach to deaf education where students gain knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of students with hearing loss despite severity and type of loss, audiologic ability, communication preference, cultural diversity, etc. Students leave with proficiency in American Sign Language as well as exposure to best practice used with families who choose an oral approach to education.
2. Description of Field Experiences
During EDSP 628/Language Development and Literacy for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, candidates shadow an itinerant teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing and participate in a tutoring program for students with hearing loss for 6-12 hours. If seeking licensure, candidates spend 250-280+ hours in preschool/elementary and/or middle school/high school classrooms during an early field experience if they have not had previous teaching experience. They spend 490-525+ hours (total of 14-15 weeks) of full time class involvement in their Student Teaching Field Experience placement(s) during the final year of their program (often in two classroom settings pre-k/elementary and/or middle/high school). Candidates easily exceed the VA licensure requirement minimum of 150 hours of supervised instruction. Teacher candidates in schools are also closely supervised, supported, and evaluated. Most candidates are given access to placements in inclusive settings with an itinerant teacher, in self-contained classes within a public school setting and in a residential setting at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. They work with children who have cochlear implants, those show wear hearing aids, and those who use no amplification.
Early Field "Block" Experience: The Early Field Experience is an integrated semester of coursework, field experiences, and seminars that teacher candidates complete prior to student teaching if they have had no previous teaching experience before entering the Masters program. The goals of the experience are to:
· practice and reflect upon the application of professional knowledge in teaching,
· enhance the capacity for deliberate self-study and inquiry into teaching,
· increase understanding of diverse learners and of strategies that meet a variety of students' needs, and
· receive formative and summative evaluation from a variety of professional educators within multiple task settings.
Teacher candidates are in classrooms 20 hours per week across four-five school days for fourteen weeks. Teacher candidates attend classes in the afternoon and evening. Most teacher candidates accumulate 250-280+ clock hours of work in the schools during this experience, including the supervised teaching and embedded assignments from coursework.
The university supervisor observes teacher candidates in the field; conferences with individual teacher candidates in the field and on campus; plans and implements professional development seminars based on the needs of candidates and program; serves as the primary liaison in developing and implementing partnership activities with the school(s); works closely with the cooperating teacher in planning and evaluating the candidate's involvement in the classroom; and collaborates with other supervisors in developing, implementing, and evaluating the courses, field experiences, and seminars. University supervisors contact teacher candidates regarding their field experiences on a weekly basis through seminars or through individual communications, observations, and conferences.
The program requires teacher candidates to meet certain qualifications for admission and retention in Early Field Experience. In order to participate and benefit from the program candidates must have basic skills and dispositions in the following areas:
· effective oral, written, and sign communication skills,
· knowledge of the disciplines,
· interpersonal skills and dispositions, and
· appropriate professional conduct.
Teacher candidates are expected to communicate effectively orally and in writing with usage, spelling, pronunciation, and punctuation appropriate to Standard English. They should be able to articulate clearly and effectively and project and modulate their voice. They are also expected to communicate effectively in American Sign Language using appropriate syntax, non-manual markers, classifiers, fingerspelling, etc. They must exhibit skills at least at the intermediate level as demonstrated on the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview Assessment (SCPI). Radford University has several resources to help teacher candidates meet requirement for demonstrating oral, written, and sign communication skills required for retention in the program.
Student Teaching Field Experience: In their last semester, teacher candidates complete a fourteen-fifteen week full-day internship (student teaching). Candidates must log a minimum of 300 hours in the classroom, including a minimum of 150 hours of direct instruction. Students usually log in 490-525+ hours in the classroom during this experience. The university supervisor meets with teacher candidates on a weekly basis and conducts at least six structured observations and conferences. He or she also meets regularly with the cooperating teacher.
Teacher candidates must apply and be accepted for admission to the Teacher Education Program before being placed in the schools.
3. Description of criteria for admission, retention, and exit
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
All Candidates have responsibilities both as a university student and as a pre-service