4a.1. What proficiencies related to diversity are candidates expected to develop and demonstrate?

Teaching is filled with intricate challenges that require broadly educated teachers, administrators, and other school personnel who understand and are sensitive to the many ways diversity is presented in the classroom, and who see themselves and their students as citizens of a larger global society. With this in mind, candidates completing the initial and advanced teacher education programs, as well as other school professionals, are required to demonstrate the following diversity-related knowledge, skills, and dispositions appropriate to best teaching practices:

• Knowledge K3. Enhance Learning: Recognize effective teaching and learning, evidence-based strategies, successful integration of technology, and procedures to facilitate learning for all students.

• Knowledge K5. Accommodate & Collaborate: Display knowledge of both the need and the procedures for accommodating all learners as well as for collaborating to improve teaching and learning.

• Skill S3. Enhance Learning: Enhance and facilitate learning for all learners through masterful delivery of standards-based instruction, full command of content, effective communication and evaluation, and appropriate modifications and use of technology.

• Skill S5. Accommodate & Collaborate: Accommodate for external influences, learning and performance differences, psychosocial needs, and diversity and collaborate to improve teaching and learning.

• Disposition D3. Enhance Learning: Value and facilitate active and continuous learning lifelong for all students and for self, with responsiveness to diverse learning styles and multiple intelligences.

• Disposition D5. Respect: Show respect and appreciation for human diversity and capabilities, all constituents of the teaching and learning process, and the education profession through actions, honesty, integrity, tolerance, acceptance, fairness, appropriate caring, and concern for all individuals.

These proficiencies are part of the Unit’s Conceptual Framework (Exhibit C1.1 Conceptual Framework Description Document) and align with NCATE’s definition of diversity: “differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographic area” (NCATE, 2006, p. 53). In addition, these six proficiencies are embedded in the curricula of all initial and advanced programs (see Exhibit 2a3.3 Matrix of Courses & Syllabi) and align with program specific standards related to diversity in Counseling, Curriculum and Instruction Specialty areas, Educational Leadership and Psychology (Exhibit 4a1.1 Diversity Proficiencies)

The Unit’s focus on diversity as part of the educational process is also reflected in the Conceptual Framework in which the words “Accommodate and Collaborate” are part of an ongoing process that leads to “Learning Facilitators …Serving a Diverse World.” In addition, unit policies and practices support the development of the knowledge, skills and dispositions to adapt instruction and/or services for diverse populations; the Handbook for Undergraduate Teacher Candidates and Supervisors states: “Strategic interaction with students in diverse learning environments is the most essential and valuable learning experience that can be offered a teacher” (Exhibit 4a1.2 Unit Diversity Statement).

4a.2. What required coursework and experiences enable teacher candidates and candidates for other school professional roles to develop:

Teacher candidates and school personnel are made aware of the importance of diversity in three main ways: 1) required courses in each degree program (initial and advanced) that focus exclusively on issues related to diversity; 2) diversity issues that are infused into courses throughout the degree program 3) field and clinical experiences that consciously place students in diverse settings. (Exhibit 4a2.1 Coursework and experiences on related to diversity)

Second, the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to adapt instruction and/or services to diverse populations are embedded in the coursework and assessment systems for all programs in the unit In particular, those knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to address linguistically and culturally diverse students and students with exceptionalities are infused throughout each program so that candidates progress from simply knowing about diversity-related issues, to developing the skills to address these issues, and finally to practicing dispositions that value diversity. This dual approach to diversity provides candidates with multiple avenues to develop the proficiencies necessary to adequately address diversity in educational settings, while providing at least one course in each program that focuses on all six of the proficiencies (Exhibit 4a2.1 Coursework and experiences on related to diversity)

All undergraduate teacher candidates must take Educational Foundations (EDFN 201) during the freshman or sophomore year. Formal observations on Multicultural Classrooms and Societal Diversity in this course infuse diversity issues into weekly assignments. As undergraduate candidates enter the professional education program, they build on these early observations in courses that directly addresses diversity issues (CURR 450; SPED 202; CURR 303; CURR 302, CURR 386) and also as part of the methods coursework (CURR 340, CURR 341; READ 418) and classroom management courses (CURR 375 A/B). During CURR 386 candidates interact with international students from other degree program on campus, they also attended a one hour seminar on international communication and ESL. Also during the practicum semester,(the semester before student teaching) candidates are placed in a classroom with an ESL student. Candidates have to create a lesson plan and teach a lesson in this setting providing an experience teaching an ESL student and also learning from the classroom supervisor. Candidates in the MAT programs learn about special needs and learner differences as part of coursework prior to entering the classroom (CURR 500 A/B, CURR 545 A/B). Once in the classroom, candidates participate in a monthly seminar that discusses diversity-related issues, and take a course, Individualizing Instruction (CURR 556), about differentiating instruction. Furthermore, the lesson plan template that is used in both undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs explicitly addresses diverse learners in both the Special Needs and Enrichment sections. (Exhibit 1c1.1 Undergraduate Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data, Exhibit 1b1.1 MAT Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data)

In the M.Ed in C&I, graduate candidates address diversity issues in the signature assessment of Educational Techniques for Diverse Learning in Inclusive Classrooms (CURR 545), and as part of data analysis and action plans for EDLE 500 & 505. The Ed.D program prepares graduate students to work with diverse groups in the following courses: LECF 704 Sociocultural Diversity, LECL 721 Effective Teaching and Learning and LECF 702 Program Evaluation. (Exhibit 1b2.1 M.Ed. Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data, Exhibit 1a3.5 LEC Signature Assessment Data, Exhibit 4a2.2 Doctoral Dissertations)

Diversity in school counseling is addressed in the following courses: COUN 663 Legal and Ethical Issues, COUN 650D-Counseling for Special Populations, COUN 566 School Counseling, COUN 565 Practicum, COUN 670 Internship. The M.Ed in Educational Leadership addresses diversity in EDLE 515 Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues, includes a diversity component where presenters discuss the implications of diversity ethically, legally, and differing viewpoints. EDLE 555 and 560 the Internship course, includes activities that center on diversity within field sites using ISLLC standards that address components of fairness, ethics, and diversity in the workplace. Diversity is addressed in the School Psychology program in PSYC 503 Advanced Child Psychology and PSYC 509 Intelligence Testing, candidates learn to identify and examine the impact of diverse characteristics on student development, assessment, and the effectiveness of strategies designed to improve student performance. Candidates in Educational Technology Leadership take CURR 518 which how to use technology to help all students learn. (Exhibit 1b2.1 M.Ed Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data)

4a.3. What key assessments provide evidence about candidates' proficiencies related to diversity? How are candidates performing on these assessments?

Initial and advanced teacher education candidates demonstrate their proficiencies related to diversity in two ways: 1)signature assessments that are related to diversity from various courses that they take throughout their program and 2)dispositions measured related to diversity as they progress through the program.

In the initial teacher education program, signature assessments addressing K3, K5, S3, S5, D3 and D5 are addressed in several courses. For example, candidates in the Secondary Education program take CURR 304, middle and secondary methods II, which address diversity in the classroom and CURR 302, Education of Children with Special Needs, which address special need students in the classroom. Candidates in CURR 304 create a teacher worksample that focuses on how they teach to candidates in a diverse classroom. The signature assessment in CURR 302 is a student referral that focuses on teaching a candidate with special needs. Candidates in the MAT in Elementary Education take ELED 511, advanced studies in elementary language arts and social studies, which address diversity in the classroom and CURR 545, Educational techniques for diverse learning in the inclusive classroom. The signature assessment for ELED 511 is a unit plan that focuses on multiculturalism. While CURR 545 signature assessment focuses on teaching students with special needs. Candidates in the M.Ed program also take CURR 545. Other school professionals have various courses such as COUN 650D, counseling with special populations, and EDLE 515, Legal Ethical and Regulatory Issues. Three year aggregated candidate average scores for example in the MAT in Elementary Ed indicated that candidates averaged a 2.19 or higher on all signature assessments related to diversity. Candidates in BS Health and Physical education had an average score of 2.00 or higher. Candidates in the M.Ed C&I with a concentration in Reading has an average score of 2.79 or higher. (Exhibit 1c1.1 Undergraduate Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data, Exhibit 1b1.1 MAT Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data, Exhibit 1b2.1 M.Ed. Signature Assessment Description, Rubrics and Data)

Dispositions. In addition to the signature assessment data, candidates in the initial and advanced teacher education programs are also evaluated at each portal by a professor as they move through the program as to how well they “value and facilitate active and continuous learning lifelong for all students and for self, with responsiveness to diverse learning styles and multiple intelligence” (D3) and “demonstrate evidence of respect and appreciation for human diversity and capabilities, all constituents of the teaching and learning process, and the education profession through actions, honesty, integrity, tolerance, acceptance, fairness, appropriate caring, and concern for all individuals” (D5). Summary data indicate that over the course of the program, candidates do indeed develop the attitudes and beliefs necessary to be effective in diverse educational settings. Three year aggregated candidate average scores for example indicated that candidates BS in Elementary Ed averaged a 2.37 or higher on disposition evaluations. Candidates in the MAT in Special Ed have an average score of 2.75, while candidates in the Educational Leadership program met all criteria on the disposition instrument. (Exhibit 1g1.1 BS, MAT, M.Ed Disposition Instrument & Data)

4a.4. (Optional Upload for Online IR) Tables, figures, and a list of links to key exhibits related to diversity proficiencies and assessments may be attached here. [Because BOE members should be able to access many exhibits electronically, a limited number of attachments (0-5) should be uploaded.]