Internal and External Assessments

NCATE 2.a1

Assessment System

Overview:

The unit faculty, with the involvement of stakeholders, has designed a comprehensive Unit Assessment System (UAS) rooted in the Calumet College of St. Joseph’s (CCSJ) mission. The unit program is aligned with the Conceptual Frameworkand corresponds with the Indiana Department of Education standards, INTASC principles, ACEI standards and NPTBS standards. The Unit Assessment System consists of internal and external formative and summative assessments at clearly defined transition points to determine the unit’s effectiveness, candidate performance and impact on K-12 student learning. Results are used to guide and enhance the unit’s decisions to continuously improve and make changes to the unit’s initial licensure undergraduate and graduate programs.

Internal and External Assessments

Internal assessment tools include grade point average; professional portfolio; disposition and communication evaluations; comprehensive exams and performance based projects. Rubrics aligned to course outcomes, state, professional and national standards, calibrated through inter-rater reliability exercises are utilized throughout the program for course assignments and key assessments.

External assessments include field experiences and interviews for acceptance and student teaching. External assessments utilize rubrics aligned to the national, professional and state standards to assess candidate’s performance related to: knowledge of the curriculum;the use of technology and impact on student learning. Praxis I and state approved alternatives are used to determine candidates’ knowledge of basic reading, writing and math skills upon entry into the program and Praxis II determines candidates’ content and pedagogical knowledge according to the rules and regulations of the Indiana Department of Education.

Transition Points

Candidate assessment occurs at several transition points using multiple assessments. Assessments of the candidate through the transition points provide evidence of the candidates’performance. Each transition point uses various formative and summative assessments that collect sufficient data to determine the professional and pedagogical content knowledge of candidates and graduates. Formative evaluation (course instructors, clinical supervisors, and advisors) gives the candidate ongoing feedback on performance to identify aspects of performance that need improvement. The summative assessments identify patterns and trends in candidate and unit performance. Aggregate unit data and disaggregate program specific data are analyzed and distributed on a regular basis to the Education Committee.

Initial Licensure Undergraduate Elementary Candidates:

The four transition points for all programs as well as common assessments for each transition point: 1) Acceptance; 2) Continuance; 3) Student Teaching and 4) Licensure. Candidates must successfully complete one transition phase before moving to the next. A variety of internal and external key assessments are collected and evaluated at each transition point to determine whether candidates are ready to transition from one phase to another in the program (Table 6).

Initial Licensure MAT Candidates:

A fifth transition point has been added to the alternative route. Candidates have the opportunity to stop-out after student teaching and licensure or continue towards a master’s degree (Table 6).

Feedback from stakeholders at every level: candidates; unit faculty; unit administration; content faculty; external evaluators and K-12 teachers and administrators all help to shape and transform the unit as it continues to make improvements to develop teachers capable of improving student learning.