Oregon Teacher Preparation Practices: Perceptions and Proactive Planning

1. Oregon Teacher Preparation Practices: Perceptions and Proactive Planning Hilda Rosselli, Dean College of Education Western Oregon University rossellh@wou.edu February 27, 2009 Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

2. Context for this presentation • ODE and TSPC sponsored a four hour forum in May 2008 • Audience included • Over 120 teachers and administrators • One representative from each Oregon teacher preparation program • Participants identified strengths, challenges, and areas for development through a facilitated list making process Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

3. Final Report • Disseminated by ODE in late November 2008 • Sent to all participants • To be shared with OACTE, TSPC, State Board of Ed, and Superintendent Susan Castillo • To be posted on TSPC and ODE web pages • Suggestions to be incorporated into TSPC’s review of educator programs standards Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

4. Today’s agenda • Review highlights of the lists generated last May by the participants • Acknowledge and share areas of strength • Identify areas where we as a profession can and should clarify misperceptions held by others • Identify additional challenges facing teacher preparation that are not already clearly identified • Outline potential actions that could engage teacher preparation and PK-12 collaboratively support teacher preparation in Oregon Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

5. My “take away” from the report • There are silos that characterize our work and disconnected systems that need stronger bridges. Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

6. My “take away” from the report • Limited resources and lack of time limit the professional development meetings where classroom teachers in our local schools can interact with teacher education faculty and vice versa. Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

7. My “take away” from the report • Campus consortium meetings, TSPC meetings, and the visits made by university supervisors don’t offer sufficient windows into each others’ worlds. Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

8. My “take away” from the report • Clinical fieldwork has slipped in its importance for many school personnel due to the increased pressures they face. Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

9. Typical Interactions FORMAL INTERACTIONS* • Brief encounters in the classrooms/schools where they supervise teacher candidates • Interactions with teachers and school administrators during select professional development trainings that higher ed faculty may be providing • Involvement in focused research activities that may involve schools or teachers INFORMAL INTERACTIONS • Personal memories of our own experiences as teachers or administrators (Most have at least 3 years experience) • Professional literature—usually journals, books, and listservs • Anecdotal perspectives shared by teacher candidates and teachers who return for graduate classes Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

10. If we had more time… • Identify ways in which your teacher preparation faculty currently interact with schools • Discuss what barriers need to be removed to increase a shared responsibility for clinical experiences • Identify what all school personnel should know about teacher preparation in Oregon Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

11. 220 Strengths (on blue paper) • Differentiated Instruction/Cultural Competency • Grade Authorizations • Technology preparation • Candidate Content Knowledge • Program Design and Implementation • Teacher Work Samples • University faculty • Student Teaching/Practicum Experience • Partnerships and Collaboration • Candidate Quality • Best Practices Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

12. Grade Authorizations • Students can get authorized at two levels • Student teachers experience multiple levels of grades • Programs focused on developmental learning at ECE; ELEM; ML; HS Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

13. Differentiation/Cultural Competency • Candidates are required to demonstrate instructional differentiation • Social justice and equity focus • Offering bilingual and language learning programs • Each program has a Consortium of practicing educators • Emphasis on planning for diverse needs Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

14. Program Offerings • Dual endorsements are available-short period of time • Satellite programs help bring ED to more communities • Innovation – double degree; statewide reading; PRISM • On-line availability of classes is strong • Option for a degree as a reading coordinator • Programs accommodate older students returning for second career Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

15. Work Samples • Student teacher work samples (pain in the rear but worth it) • Formative assessment piece in work samples • Work sample integrated around literacy • Work sample links standards to student learning gains Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

16. Content Knowledge • Know their subject area well • Knowledge of Oregon standards in content areas • Good knowledge of theory • Comprehensive coverage of material needed in schools Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

17. University faculty • Knowledgeable instructors (not just professors, but teachers teaching) • Attracts world class faculty • Faculty research Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

18. Student Teaching/Practicums • Experience at all levels – K-5, 6-8, 9-12, etc. • Strong evaluation component for students and for teacher education programs • September to June experience for student teachers • Diversity of teacher education mentoring settings (inner city, suburban, etc.) • Frequent visits by college supervisor to student teachers Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

19. Candidate Quality • Screen out weakest candidates before they enter the schools • More open to being coached • Strong commitment to continuing professional development • Graduate programs produce candidates with more age maturity • There are more ESL/ESOL endorsed • Not all – but some colleges have higher admission criteria – better success rate Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

20. School District Partnerships • School districts have mentorship programs in districts • Higher education professors collaborate with districts • Good will among the institutions • Geographical placement of programs throughout the state • Programs are built around increasing contact with schools Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

21. 280 Challenges (on yellow paper) • Student Teaching/Practicum • Candidate Quality • Academic versus Practical • Work Samples/Pedagogy • Coordination/communication w/Districts • University Faculty • Candidate Preparedness and Pedagogical Knowledge • Candidate Content Knowledge • Candidate Professionalism • Candidate Knowledge of and Use of Technology • Candidate Knowledge of Differentiated Instruction/Cultural Competency • Classroom Management Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

22. “ Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”Winston Churchill Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

23. Attributed to State • SPED and content requirements for HQ at secondary • Social studies could be broken into segments for licensure • A need for a louder voice of teacher prep faculty in policy making • Changes are happening faster in K-12 than higher education’s ability to keep up • No organized Career Technical Ed teacher prep in Oregon Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

24. Candidate Quality • Graduating students who are actually not ready to teach • Helping student teachers establish realistic expectations about the inherent challenge of teaching • Unsatisfactory teachers not being weeded out Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

25. Student Teaching/Practicums • Need student teaching for a longer period of time • Identifying cooperating teachers who are strong in using best practices • Mentor teachers don’t know what student teachers have had in prior coursework • Teachers unwilling to take on student teachers due to high stakes tests Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

26. Programs • Too much theory and not enough practicality • Need to practice teaching on peers • Too much to do in too little time • Inconsistent timelines and requirements between different colleges/universities • Length of program doesn’t increase with increasing curricular demands (e.g. SIOP, etc) • Little feedback to higher education about performances of graduates Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

27. Work Samples • Work samples is a slow and deliberate process … does not reflect real world for teachers • Work samples: authentic form of assessment vs. “jumping through the hoops.” • Skill: on going modification of unsuccessful lessons • How do they assess teaching and then re-teach need tools and strategies – grading Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

28. Communication/Coord.w/School Districts • Finding supervisors to match content/authorizations • Limited communication between higher education and K-12 • We don’t go to the same meetings • Limited funding and incentives for higher education and school district partnerships • Lack of connection to K-12 classrooms for high education faculty Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

29. University Faculty • New research in education not coming down to teacher prep • College professors not using best practices when teaching a class • College instructors paid too little; hard to attract quality educators sometimes Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

30. Student Teacher Placements • Don’t place student teachers with low quality teachers • Not a lot of value placed on the role of cooperating teacher • As cooperative teacher not a lot of guidance of what student teacher needs to be taught • Administrators need to be educated to what a cooperative teacher’s qualities are Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

31. Pedagogical Knowledge • More education beyond a one year program for elementary • Interventions with parents • Pre service programs need to teach DATA analysis and formative analysis • Insufficient prep regarding SPED • Student teachers not knowing what to do with assessment data • Dissonance between what’s learned in teacher prep and culture (realities) in schools • Not prepared for “political” culture of schools Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

32. Differentiation/Diversity • Inefficient prep for understanding needs of students in poverty • Tools (strategies) for implementing differentiated instruction • Lack strategies to work with ELL students • Lack strategies to deal with reluctant learners • More training needed to mainstream spec. ed kids – (dyslexia, autism, brain research) Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

33. Report’s Insights about Results • Repetitive concepts • Items fit more than one category • Items that appear as both strengths and challenges • Results reflect confusion about role of state and federal government on policies • Forum offered opportunity to express personal frustrations about teacher preparation programs-underscoring need for continued conversations Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

34. Categories appearing on both lists • Candidate Knowledge of Differentiated Instruction/Cultural Competency • Candidate Knowledge and Use of Technology • Candidate Content Knowledge • Teacher Work Samples • University faculty • Student Teaching/Practicum Experience • Candidate Quality Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

35. Recommendations for Future Work • 45 priorities identified • Clustered into five categories • Teacher Shortages • Candidate Preparation • Student Teaching • Professionalism of New Teachers • Continuing the Work Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

36. Our Choice • Avoid defensiveness • Focus on where we need to provide more clarity about how programs are organized • Focus on proactive steps that teacher preparation programs are willing to take Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

37. Increased Understanding • Identify 3 – 5 challenges identified for which your program could provide positive examples and evidence that show how the challenge is being addressed. AND • Share the idea with your school or college dean or director and ask for their support in helping to tell your program’s story. AND • Email your examples to rossellh@wou.edu Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

38. Ways to disseminate our resulting report • Email to all participants from last year’s meeting • Send to TSPC commissioners • Present at future ODE conference INDIVIDUALLY • Post on your individual program website • Share copies with your local school district partners through university supervisors Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009

39. Last thought… Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead Rosselli/ORATE/Feb2009