MEMORANDUM
Review of Data in Relationship to
ECED Students
TO: Dr.
David Bell, Department Head
Arkansas
Teach University
Curriculum
and Instruction
FROM: Early Childhood Education Full-time Faculty Members
Kevin
Costley
Timothy
Leggett
Byra
Ramsey
Sammie
Stephenson
Brenda
Tyler
Student Assessment Report
April 20, 2004
To meet the needs of students and
the enrollment in the Early Childhood Education (ECED) program, two additional
faculty members joined the ECED faculty in the fall of 2003. This brings the
total number of full-time ECED faculty members to five. The new faculty members
were given background information on the ECED program of study and the student
population. The information included: (a) individual courses, (b) multiple
methods used in teaching and assessing courses and students, (c) tables of
collected data from student artifacts and program changes, (d) ECED program
phases, (e) matrix of the ECED scope and sequence, (f) mission and vision statements,
(g) the conceptual framework, and (f) the general make-up of the ECED student
body.
Fall 2003-Spring 2004 Review and Goals for Fall 2004-Spring
2005
Overall Assessment Goals for ECED:
1. Goal—Electronically collect and store data for “read only”
files accessible to ECED faculty, the unit, and the university.
Recommendations: Data will be collected and stored through three sources—
(a) Excel files for PRAXIS test results; (b) electronic survey software program
for field evaluations, and (c)
TaskStream for student products and feedback.
2. Goal—Field Evaluation Forms: Professors that receive the
evaluations believe that teachers do not clearly understand the values for the
rating system. Recommendation:
Professors who are directly involved in this process will meet and make a
recommendation to the ECED faculty.
Introduction Level:
1. Goal:
ECED 2002 seminar is to pre-screen students and acquaint them with the field of
teaching and also to alert professors to students’ negative dispositions that
may affect future progress in the program.. Approximately 90 % of the students
pass their field evaluations in this stage of the program. The remaining 10% of
the students are mentored at this time. Some of these students choose to change
their major. Some students choose to remain in the program. The introduction
seminar is working well as a pre-screener.
To be addressed: There
have been problems in receiving all student field evaluations from mentoring
teachers.
Recommendations: Continue to monitor, advise students, and have field
evaluations submitted online.
2. Goal:
PRAXIS I is used as a prerequisite to officially entering the ECED Phase II
Early Childhood Program. The State of Arkansas mandates a 100% passing rate.
Recommendations: Continue to advise students, monitor, and remain current
with any changes in the PRAXIS I series.
Phase I
To be addressed:
Collection and storage of portfolios and data results that provide specific
feedback.
Recommendations: Continue to monitor and store artifacts and assessments
in TaskStream. Contact TaskStream to discuss changes in the way ATU needs data
to be reported.
To be addressed: (a)
There have been problems in receiving all student field evaluations from
mentoring teachers, (b) Although the videos of candidates teaching are valuable
for faculty to view, personal visits by faculty to public classrooms would be
“realistic” and of greatest value to both faculty and ATU candidates.
Recommendations: (a) An
electronic survey software program will be used to collect data on field
evaluations. (b) One or two days will be scheduled each semester as ECED
faculty/candidates on-site experiences in early childhood settings.
Recommendation: The faculty will develop written assignments for the practicums
so that mentoring teachers are aware of candidates’ skills in using electronic
technology in the classroom; furthermore, promoting the candidates use of
technology.
Recommendation: No changes are
needed at this time. Continue to monitor and adjust as needed.
To be addressed: When
the case studies are introduced, some students have difficulty understanding
how to set objectives and assessments for an academic vs. a behavior case
study.
Recommendation: The professors from both courses will meet together in
class with students to clarify the requirements including similarities and
differences of each case study.
Recommendation: Two faculty members will research methods that are in use
in larger institutions and report their findings to the ECED faculty on how
large classes are managed. In addition, it is recommended that course
enrollment above 40 students per class be split into two classes.
Research Findings and Future Projections:
Innovations in Student Assessments— The faculty examined the online Haberman Star Teacher Evaluation as an instrument to measure
candidates’ dispositions. The results did not give insight into the
dispositions needed for early childhood teachers. The results brought the
faculty to a new level of awareness as to the widening gap between what is
being taught in the ECED courses and the realties for candidates who will be
moving into the public school culture.
Through the use of the Haberman Evaluation, the faculty has become aware of the need
to conduct further research to discover what experiences would benefit the ECED
candidates to reduce attrition rates as shown by national averages. Recent
research conducted by master level students revealed a new premise for high
attrition rates in the field of education. In current research, the primary
reasons given by area teachers for leaving the field of teaching were related
directly to the stress of dealing with
paperwork and administrators’ demands; not higher teachers’ salaries or
classroom management as have been reported in the past.