Progression of Assessments used to Determine Dispositions
Multiple evaluative sources are used
when assessing our candidates’ dispositions.
This on-going and comprehensive examination involves professors,
field-based mentors/supervisors, outside assessors, and employers. The assessment of dispositions begins in the
introductory education classes and continues throughout the graduate program at
various levels. This assessment of our Professionals
for the Future at various points across the programs provides feedback to
the student’s advisor, to the course instructor (when applicable), to the
program instructors, and to the student.
This, in turn, leads to further discussions with students concerning
teacher professionalism and further examination of course instruction within
programs. Listed below is the
progression of our assessments used to determine candidate dispositions.
1. Field Experience Evaluation Forms (FEEF
forms) – Field-based supervisors/mentors for each course where a field
experience is required complete a FEEF form concerning professional
behavior/dispositions of students they are supervising/mentoring. These forms are then used as part of the
evaluation of students per course. This
process begins in the Introduction to Education courses and continues
throughout the students’ preparation for beginning licensure. Course instructors receive and examine these
evaluation forms each semester the course(s) are offered, and the results are
available to the students for discussion.
An example of a particular course summary for dispositions is included
at the end of this document.
2. Appropriate Major Course Assignments –
Appropriate major course assignments are aligned to respective licensure
standards (and Pathwise domains) including standards for dispositions and
teacher professionalism (Pathwise Domain D) in undergraduate preparation. Examples of the rubrics used to evaluate
these major course assignments (mapped to appropriate dispositional and professional
standards/domains) may be examined under Standard 1.2 Rubrics. Actual student work may be perused on
students’ TaskStream working portfolios.
Course instructors evaluate student performance based upon these rubrics
and meet with students (when applicable) for discussion concerning the results.
3. Fingerprinting and Background Checks – Before
being recommended for initial licensure, each candidate must complete a
fingerprinting and criminal background check.
This is conducted by the Arkansas State Police Department and is
completed locally.
4. Pathwise-based Internship Evaluation Forms –
These undergraduate evaluation forms include Pathwise Domain D Criteria on
which our students are evaluated. These
forms are aligned to students’ future Pathwise III evaluation. An example of this form is included in
Standard 1.2 Rubrics under Undergraduate and then Internship.
5.
Exit Portfolio Tasks 1 and 7 – Task 1 of the internship exit portfolio requires
students to consider and explicitly communicate their beliefs about teaching
and learning. Task 7 requires students
to demonstrate their professionalism concerning life-long learning and
development by reflecting upon their present strengths and weaknesses and by
creating a professional development plan based upon these reflections. Examples of these tasks may be perused on
students’ TaskStream student internship exit portfolios. Rubrics for these tasks may be viewed under
Standard 1.2 Rubrics under Undergraduate and Internship. These results are viewed by each respective
program for program improvement.
6. Praxis II PLT – Most undergraduate students
must complete the Praxis II PLT to be recommended for initial licensure. This test contains two sections of questions
(multiple choice and short answer) assessing Teacher Professionalism. These score reports are sent in hardcopy form
to ATU and examined by faculty in each respective program for program
improvement.
7. Employer Satisfaction Forms – Employers of
our graduates complete these forms that include items concerning professional
dispositions of our graduates. Results
may be viewed under Standard 1.9 Employer Satisfaction Studies. These results are viewed by each respective
program for program improvement.
8. Praxis III Results – The Praxis III
performance assessment is mapped to the Pathwise Domains/Criteria including
Domain D – Teacher Professionalism. This
assessment serves as a follow-up assessment of our teacher candidates
concerning their actual classroom performance after employment. Results of this follow-up performance may be
viewed under Standard 1.8 Follow-up Studies of Graduates. These results are viewed by each respective
program for program improvement.
9. Appropriate Major Course Assignments in
Graduate Courses – The major course assignments in graduate courses are mapped
to respective standards of the program.
Example rubrics used to score these major course assignments (mapped to
appropriate standards) may be viewed at Standard 1.2 Samples of Rubrics under
the Graduate heading. Course instructors
evaluate student performance based upon these rubrics and meet with students
(when applicable) for discussion concerning the results.
10. Licensure Assessments – Licensure assessments
at the completion of graduate coursework are aligned with respective standards
for the particular program. Included in
this alignment are standards involving professional behavior/dispositions. Results of these licensure assessments
provide evidence of the dispositions of our candidates in their respective
programs. These results are viewed by
each respective program for program improvement.
Two Course Summaries on Dispositions based on FEEF Form Analysis
Fall 2003 Analysis of SEED
4556 Performance Results – Carter
Dispositions, as addressed on FEEF forms demonstrated high levels of positive professional dispositions. The lowest student score was 21/25 (Level 2 rating). All other scores received a Level 3 rating on dispositions as measured by the FEEF form.
Fall, 2003
Patricia B. Roach
N=15
Dispositions of Teacher Candidates as judged by Cooperating Teacher**during observation experience and teaching two lessons.
Strengths
All dispositions measured fell in the average to above average range.
Weaknesses
Teachers did not report any disposition in the below average range.
**Disposition form used during Fall semester, 2003 is an updated form more closely assigned to State and National Standards than forms used during previous semester. Although the current forms are broader in scope, our teacher candidates continue to be judged very positively by teachers in the field.