3c. Candidates’ Development and Demonstration of knowledge, skills, and dispositions to help all students learn
3c1. What are the entry requirements for clinical practice? How many candidates are eligible for clinical practice each semester or year? How many complete successfully?
Field experience and clinical practice occurs a minimum of three times during the student’s program. While some programs have more clinical practice (see dual licensure program) the minimum entry requirements for each phase of clinical practice are as follows:
Entry to Phase 2 field experiences:
Minimum GPA of 2.75, based on at least 12 credits, passing scores on at least two of the three parts of the PPST, attendance at a Phase 1 meeting designed to provide an overview of the Unit Assessment System.
Entry to Phase 3 field experiences:
Admission to Professional Education:
- Pass all three portions of the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST).
- Attend Phase 2 Meeting: Professional Education Orientation
- Pass each course of the Foundations Block with a C/S or better
- Pass the Phase 2 portfolio
- Pass Speech 110 with a C/S or better
- Complete a minimum of 40 credits
- Achieve a combined cumulative 2.75 GPA
- Verified Experiences with Learners – a minimum of 350 hours beginning with Freshman year in high school.
Entry to Phase 4 clinical practice:
Admission to Student Teaching:
- Minimum grade point average of 2.75
- Passing score on the appropriate PRAXIS II content exam
- A minimum grade of “C” in all methods courses
- Pass Phase 3 Portfolio
- Negative result of a tuberculosis test
- Completion of a background check, if required
- Attend Phase 3 Meeting: Introduction to Student Teaching
- Completion of TeacherInsight assessment instrument, if required
- Interview with prospective cooperating teacher, if required
The following table details the number of students and their success rate for Phase 4 clinical practice:
Spring, 2007 |
Fall, 2007 |
Total |
|
| Total student teachers | 201 |
161 |
362 |
| Withdrawal - probationary | 1 |
3 |
4 |
| Withdrawal - without prejudice | 2 |
1 |
3 |
| Withdrawal - terminal | 1 |
0 |
1 |
For additional information on advanced programs please refer to the national program reports.
3c2. What is the role of candidates, university supervisors, and school-based faculty in assessing candidate performance and reviewing the results during clinical practice?
Candidates, university supervisors and cooperating teachers each play a role in assessing candidate performance. Candidates create a lengthy portfolio during all field and clinical experiences with self-evaluations in the form of reflective narratives throughout their experiences. Portfolios are evaluated by the university supervisor (Phase 2) or cooperating teacher and/or university supervisor (Phases 3 and 4) depending on program. The university supervisor assesses candidate performance throughout the clinical experience and makes a minimum of two (Phase 3) or four (Phase 4) structured observations that are written and discussed with the candidate and cooperating teacher. The cooperating teacher evaluates the candidates’ performance using a midterm and final evaluation instrument. Some cooperating teachers ask candidates to do a self-evaluation at the same time. The university supervisor also writes a formal statement of reference for all candidates and recommends the student for passing the experience. While these practices differ slightly depending on the program and number of experiences required, the above adequately describes the minimum required of all initial licensure programs. Advanced programs are described further in individual program reports.
3c3. How is time for reflection and feedback from peers and clinical faculty incorporated into field experiences and clinical practice?
As stated above, all candidates create a three phase portfolio during their clinical experiences in each program. Reflection, in the form of philosophy statements and reflective narratives are embedded in this practice. Almost all programs require students to submit weekly reflective emails or journals detailing their experience and learning during clinical practice. Additionally, student teacher exit surveys from 2003 to 2007 (n=177) suggest that students use reflection and feedback (as outlined in the conceptual framework) with average scores of 4.63 out of a possible 5 on the question “I believe that I am a reflective facilitator who continually evaluates the effects of my choices and actions on pupils, parents, and professionals in the learning community and others who seek out opportunities to grow professionally.”
3c4. What data provide evidence that candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions for helping all students in field experiences and clinical practice?
Disposition 7 (demonstrates equitable treatment and respect for all individuals) specifically targets preservice teacher mastery of fairness and belief that all students can learn. The mean rating for this disposition on the spring 2007 regular and modified IPDI ranged from a 3.54 to a 3.66 for all surveyed. This indicates solid consensus that our students believe in fairness and that all students can learn. As stated in 1.d.1, student teacher exit surveys from 2003 to 2007 (n=177) also suggest that candidates are well prepared to assess and analyze student learning and create positive learning environments. Average ratings on the question “I believe I have attained an appropriate level of proficiency to be expected of a beginning teacher in terms of adapting instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities are 4.23 out of 5 possible points. Exit surveys also indicate an average score of 4.51 out of 5 possible points on the question “I believe I have attained an appropriate level of proficiency to be expected of a beginning teacher in terms of creating a positive learning environment.”
In addition to the IPDI, students must reflect on WTS that embed the idea that all students can learn. Candidates in field experiences must include artifacts that demonstrate mastery of some (Phase 2 & 3) or all ten (Phase 4) WTS. Please refer to Standard 1 of this report for more information on candidate mastery of this content area.
3c5. What is the process for candidates to collect and analyze data on student learning and reflect on those data and improve learning during clinical practice?
While individual programs differ slightly, all students must reflect upon and demonstrate mastery of the WTS as part of the three-phase portfolio. WTS standards 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 specifically deal with the collection and analysis of student learning data in the classroom. For detailed analysis of mastery in these areas, please refer to Standard 1 of this report for more information.
3c6. What differences, if any, exist in the ways candidates develop and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions to help all students learn in field experiences and clinical practice in programs for other school professionals, off-campus programs, and distance learning programs?
There are few differences between initial and advanced programs in the way candidates develop their knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions to help all students learn between initial and advanced programs. In initial licensure programs the WTS standards are largely used to assess mastery of this area through the three-phase portfolio. Some programs (Special Education and Early Childhood Education) also use SPA standards in the student assessment. Clinical experiences in advanced programs assess the WTS standards, and the Wisconsin Educator Standards for Pupil Services as well as their specialty content standards. Please refer to their national program reports for more detail in this area.
Optional
1. Exemplary Practice Related to Standard 3
The Unit has multiple, interlocking and diverse field and clinical experiences for all candidates as they progress toward initial licensure. There is a direct link between the field and clinical experiences and standard 3 whereby the Unit and "...its school partners have designed, implemented and evaluated field experiences and clinical practices so that teacher candidates and other school personnel develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to help all students learn." Field experiences and clinical studies are well organized, diverse and multiple. Candidates are graded and assessed using multiple approaches, but all are assessed using a Unit rubric based on the WTS. Portfolios are required of all candidates at all levels of their licensure programs approved by a ballot of the Teacher Education Committee. Technology skills are assessed in multiple ways throughout the integrated program.
2. Research Conducted by Unit Related to Standard 3
Please refer to faculty research document in support area.
