Professional Portfolio

1. Professional Portfolio North Central College Education Department

2. What is a professional portfolio? • A collection of artifacts • To be complete by all NCC student teachers in the elementary and secondary education program the term prior to the student teaching experience. • Based on the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards.

3. What is the purpose? • To give preservice teachers the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and/or skills gained throughout the teacher preparation program • Provides a “snapshot” of the preservice teachers’ knowledge and skills and his/her growth and development • By the conclusion of the student teaching experience, the goal is that preservice teachers will demonstrate the necessary knowledge and skills to be eligible for the Illinois Initial Teaching Certificate

4. What is required to be included in the portfolio? • Preservice teachers (elementary, secondary & K-12) will be expected to show evidence of artifacts for the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards 1 through 9 and 11 (excluding 10) PRIOR to the student teaching experience. • The Professional Teaching Standards are included in the Department of Education Handbook and the Student Teaching Handbook

5. What is considered an artifact? • Artifacts can be samples of work from courses and/or field experiences (e.g. lesson plans, unit plans, classroom management plans, tests developed by the preservice teacher, video tapes of lessons taught during student teaching, professional development plans, web pages developed by the preservice teacher, or reflections on the preservice teacher’s teaching performance • Artifacts will represent products professors have identified as requirements for the Professional Portfolio

6. How does the preservice teacher demonstrate knowledge or skills through the artifacts? • Artifacts by themselves do not demonstrate competency in a skill or knowledge base. • For each artifact, the preservice teacher will attach a cover sheet in which s/he will identify the specific knowledge or skill that is demonstrated through the artifact showing entry-level competency in the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard identified • The cover sheet will not only include a description of the artifact, but most importantly, a reflective statement explaining how the artifact serves as evidence of the knowledge or skill for that particular standard

7. What steps should be taken to complete a portfolio entry? • Identify artifacts that demonstrate your competence in the various Illinois Professional Teaching Standards—frequently, these are identified by your professors in each class • Examine the artifact in relation to the various knowledge and performance indicators of the standard, asking how the artifact demonstrates entry-level knowledge and skills for a particular standard indicator(s)

8. Steps (cont.) • Write a brief description of the artifact chosen • Reflect on how the artifact demonstrates entry-level competency of the indicator(s) • Complete the artifact cover sheet including all required information

9. Questions to ask when completing the reflection • The lesson plan, test/quiz, technology project, etc. could be used to demonstrate the preservice teacher has competency in knowledge or skills in which standard? • Which knowledge or skills indicators in the standard are most clearly demonstrated by the lesson plan? • Which knowledge or skills indicators in the standard are most clearly demonstrated by the test/quiz questions? • Which knowledge or skills indicators in the standard are most clearly demonstrated by the technology project?

10. The Cover Sheet • Preservice Teachers’ Name: This is YOUR name • Illinois Professional Teaching Standard: Write the number of one standard, the title and the entire description of the standard, including the knowledge or performance indicator the artifact is addressing. • Description of the Entry: Describe the artifact, including where and when you created the artifact and how you used it. • Reflective Statement: Explain how/why the artifact attached demonstrates that you have entry level proficiency in the knowledge or performance indicators of the standard, including: • How the artifact is an appropriate representation of the standard and how the artifact provides evidence of the standard. • What the artifact demonstrates about your growth and development as a teacher. • The reflective statement is the “heart” of the cover sheet. Your goal is to clearly communicate to the reader in one or two paragraphs that the artifact provides evidence that you have demonstrated particular knowledge or skills within the standard. • Date artifact developed:Date artifact submitted: • Course for which artifact is submitted: • Was this artifact submitted for review previously? Y N If yes, for which course?

11. When is the professional portfolio started? • The professional portfolio is started when the preservice teacher is enrolled in EDN 100 • As part of the requirements of this course, preservice teachers will minimally complete the following: • Obtain a 3-ring notebook that is professional in appearance. The notebook should be a minimum of 1 ½ inches thick. Consider a notebook with a clear front allowing the insertion of a front cover

12. Requirements (cont.) • Print the 11 Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, including the knowledge and skill performance indicators • Develop divider pages (professional in appearance) for each of the 11 standards. Consider the use of professional graphics, quotes and/or other ways to enhance the visual appeal of the divider pages. • Obtain tabs that will provide easy access for the reader to each of the eleven Illinois Professional Teaching Standards which comprise the sections of the portfolio. • You may consider using plastic protector sheets for each page to protect the artifacts from wear and tear once the portfolio is viewed by others. NOTE: Transfer and continuing education preservice teachers who take EDN 100 at an institution other than North Central College are required to complete the beginning stages outlined above prior to enrollment in their first methods course.

13. Use of the Portfolio Checklist • This checklist should be kept in your portfolio throughout your program at NCC • When you submit an artifact, your course instructor or student teaching supervisor will evaluate both the artifact and the cover sheet • A copy of the checklist is included in the portfolio requirements packet on the Education Department website at: http://northcentralcollege.edu/x18804.xml

14. Use of the Portfolio Checklist(cont.) • The course instructor or student teaching supervisor will determine: • If the artifact provides acceptable evidence of the preservice teacher’s competency in meeting the performance or knowledge indicator, evaluating the artifact as unacceptable, basic/acceptable, or competent. • If the cover sheet, provides acceptable evidence of the preservice teacher’s competency in meeting the performance or knowledge indicator, evaluating the cover sheet as unacceptable, basic/acceptable, or competent.

15. Presentation of the Portfolio—Wed. Week 10 4:00-6:00--mandatory When EDN 475 is taken before student teaching: • Preservice teachers (elementary, secondary & K-12) will be expected to show evidence of artifacts for the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards 1 through 9 and 11 (excluding 10) PRIOR to the student teaching experience. Artifacts with accompanying coversheets will be completed as part of courses and field experiences prior to student teaching. • A Minimum of Five rated as “Competent” and No More than Five rated as “Basic/Acceptable”: Preservice teachers should have a minimum of five of the ten artifacts and coversheets that have been rated as “competent” and no more than five artifacts and coversheets rated as “basic/acceptable”. At the time of submission, there can be no artifacts and/or coversheets with the rating of “unacceptable”.

16. When 475 is taken after student teaching • Preservice teachers (elementary, secondary & K-12) will be expected to show evidence of artifacts for the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards 1 through 9 (excluding 10 and 11) PRIOR to the student teaching experience. Artifacts with accompanying coversheets will be completed as part of courses and field experiences prior to student teaching. • A Minimum of Four rated as “Competent” and No More than Five rated as “Basic/Acceptable”: Preservice teachers should have a minimum of four of the ten artifacts and coversheets that have been rated as “competent” and no more than five artifacts and coversheets rated as “basic/acceptable”. At the time of submission, there can be no artifacts and/or coversheets with the rating of “unacceptable”.

17. What will happen if the cover sheet and/or artifact are evaluated as unacceptable? • In instances when an artifact and/or a reflective statement has been evaluated as “unacceptable” by the course instructor or college supervisor, the student is required to revise or resubmit the artifact and/or reflective statement according to the timeline specified by the instructor

18. What will I do with my portfolio when it is completed? • Be proud of your accomplishments! • Share your portfolio at the final portfolio event Wed. week 10 4:00-6:00 • Add your Impact on Student Learning Artifacts during student teaching • Modify your portfolio, if necessary, to use it when interviewing

19. What will happen if I do not have portfolio requirements complete by week 10 the term before student teaching? • Your student teaching experience will be postponed • You will be required to enroll in EDN 381, Individual Practicum Experience, and complete the remaining artifacts during that experience.