Components of Candidate Assessment Systems. Tier I Entrance Interview

Transcription

1 Components of Candidate Assessment Systems Educational Administration & Leadership 1 st Key Point Admissions Application to Graduate School and Credential Program Tier I Entrance Interview Department and School Review of Application (See Attachment E for an overview of criteria used to evaluate candidate s application.) 2 nd Key Point: Advising and Assistance Meeting with advisor and review of candidate s profile and potential for success through program (Note faculty who have reviewed candidate s file communicate strengths and concerns to the advisor prior to this meeting.) Intern Cred. Verification of position meeting with district including general review of candidate s dispositions and overall abilities.

2 3rd Key: Continuation in Credential Programs (includes fieldwork) Review of candidate s performance in formal courses as demonstrated by grades and coursework.( Faculty score certain key assignments using established rubrics. These can be seen in syllabi (seen in syllabi contained in Attachment I, in Part II of this Report, and, as separate rubrics in Attachment M0 Candidates are expected to have average scores of 3.5 or better on the assignments that are scored with the rubrics. Average scores on assignments that are scored with rubrics are aggregated by course and term. These data are reviewed semi annually by program faculty and used to make program revisions..) Assessment of Learning Portfolio to determine if candidate is demonstrating his/her capacity to meet the CPSELs. (See Attachment D for rubric used to assess fieldwork./learning portfolio) 4 th Key Point: Exit from Programs Field Experience Verification of Educational Leadership Performance Standards Form (See attachment F for Verification of Educational Leadership Performance form.) Exit Interview Display of Portfolio and exit questions (See Attachment G for exit interview format) Exit surveys Candidates/ Supervisors Recommendation for a Preliminary Credential or Certificate of Eligibility 5 th Key Point: One year follow up Graduates and employers are surveyed one year after program completion (See Attachment L for sample surveys.) Admissions

3 Each candidate's application is reviewed on criteria related to academic, leadership, and energy potential. Candidates admitted to the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program all hold a qualifying credential. In addition, candidates must complete all requirements to be admitted to the Graduate School. This includes appropriate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a two page statement on the purpose of pursuing the credential or degree. If a candidate is pursuing a credential as part of his/her doctoral program, he/she is also required to submit an office score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). These documents provide preliminary evidence of the candidate s record of professional accomplishment. If questions concerning the candidates leadership potential surface, references will be contacted as will with the candidate's immediate supervisor if needed. Candidates are interviewed by department faculty to determine the candidate's potential for administrative service. Faculty evaluate the candidate's poise, basic conceptual skills, communication skills, and perceived commitment to education. At this initial meeting career opportunities in educational administration are discussed along with the individual's motives for seeking a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. Further, the candidate is made aware of the requirements for the Professional Administrative Services Credential (Tier II). Candidates who are judged to be unsuitable for administrative services will be counseled on other career options and not admitted to the program. Advice and Assistance Each candidate who is accepted to an Administrative Services Credential Program is assigned an advisor at the time of admission. Faculty communicate with this advisor if they note any concerns or particular strengths in the candidate and he/she assumes primary responsibility for ensuring that the candidate is progressing in an acceptable way. Each semester every candidate is required to meet with the advisor to obtain his or her signature in order to register for courses. Prior to or during the advising meeting, faculty advisors review the candidate's progress in the program including a review of the candidate's learning portfolio. During the advising meeting, any difficulties or concerns are highlighted, and a remediation plan is developed. The faculty member must be assured that the candidate is qualified for classes before signing the registration form thus permitting the candidate to continue with the program. During the semester all candidates are encouraged to make regular appointments with their advisor to discuss course progression, field experiences, and research interest. Faculty in the Department of Educational Administration and Leadership are available to meet with candidates during office hours and at most other times by appointment. Continuation in the Program

4 As noted above, an advisor from the Department of Educational Administration and Leadership meets with each candidate prior to the start of each semester. At this meeting, course schedules are reviewed, adjustments are made, candidate progress is reviewed, and the GPA is checked. At this time student learning portfolios are reviewed and individuals are counseled on strengths and deficiencies. If deficiencies are identified, a remediation plan is developed in cooperation with the candidate, university advisor, the department chair, and could include the district supervisor. This plan is monitored and evaluated on a periodic basis. Recommendation to issue the preliminary credential are not made until any identified deficiencies are remediated to the satisfaction of both the university and district supervisors. Candidates are also evaluated throughout their professional coursework and field experiences. Evaluations consist of candidate's performance in each course, passage of written and/or oral examinations, oral presentations and/or written papers which demonstrate mastery of competencies covered in classes, and candidate's interactions with peers and faculty. A learning portfolio is maintained to provide further evidence of candidate proficiency. Candidate performance is further evaluated throughout field experience. Periodic meetings are held with the university supervisor, site supervisor and the candidate to provide the candidate with encouragement and suggestions for improvement. Since careful screening is done before admitting a candidate to the program, seldom are candidates requested to withdraw from the program. Rather than not retain a candidate who demonstrates potential for success as an administrator, remediation plans described above are provided and additional coursework may be required until a candidate meets program competencies. In the event of serious problems, which suggest that a candidate does not have the potential for success as an administrator, the candidate is counseled out of the program. Exit from the Program When a candidate completes all required coursework with a grade or B or better and completes his/her fieldwork satisfactorily (as judged by performance on the Fieldwork/Learning Portfolios and Verification of Educational Leadership Performance Standards (Attachments D and F), he/she participates in a final display of portfolio and exit interview. At times, this occurs individually, but most often this occurs in a group context. During this final event, candidates are asked to reflect, orally, on all that they have learned. The Program Coordinator, program faculty, and unit administrators participate and evaluate candidate performance during this final assessment. The format of the exit interview can be seen in Attachment G. Faculty evaluate candidates performances during the exit interviews. At this point in time, no candidate will be asked to leave the program because of poor performance, a candidate might, however, be asked to participate in a second interview if h/her responses raise concerns. Faculty make notes regarding candidates responses during the final displays and exit interviews. These notes also inform faculty discussions of program revision. After a candidate participates in the portfolio displays and exit interviews, the Program Coordinator, with the assistance of the departmental administrative assistant, reviews each candidate s file and recommends him/her to the BSE Credential Coordinator. This individual

5 does a second check to be certain that each candidate has met all credential requirements. If the record is satisfactory, the credential officer recommends the candidate for the credential. Once a candidate has been recommended for a credential, he/she and his/her supervisor are given surveys in which they are asked their perception of the candidate s competence/ performance in relationship to the Unit s core values, to CTC standards, and to standards identified by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the BSE s national accrediting body. These surveys also have sections where candidates and supervisors are invited to add qualitative comments about their experiences. These surveys are returned to the assessment coordinator for entry into a cumulative database, analysis, and reporting. The dean, Program coordinator, and program faculty review the results of these surveys biannually and use the results and other data to make decisions about program revision. One Year Follow Up The final assessment point of the Preliminary Administrative Services Program comes one year after each candidate completes his/her program and is recommended for the credential. This assessment takes the form of a follow-up survey that is sent to each program completer and to an individual identified by each completer as his/her supervisor. These surveys query candidates and their supervisors about candidates in relationship to the Unit s core values, to CTC standards, and to standards identified by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the BSE s national accrediting body. These surveys are returned to the assessment coordinator for entry into a cumulative database, analysis, and reporting. These surveys also include sections where candidates and supervisors are invited to offer comments about the quality of their experiences in the BSE program. The dean, Program coordinator, and program faculty review the results of these surveys biannually and use the results and other data to make decisions about program revision.