Unit Assessment Plan

1. Weber State University’sTeacher Preparation Program Unit Assessment Plan

2. Assessment Plan: Five Collection Points • Provisional Program Admission • Professional Core Levels • Formal Program Admission • Program Completion • Post-Graduation Follow-up

3. Provisional Program Admission • GPA: • 3.0 or higher in general ed/3.25 last 30 hours • CAAP test: • reading, writing, essay, mathematics • Faculty Interview: • 40 points from 3 faculty members • University Competencies: English, communication, computer literacy, quantitative literacy.

4. Professional Core Levels • Minimum GPA requirements: • 3.0 in college work • B- or above in professional core courses • Critical Performance Indicators (CPIs) based on INTASC Standards: • Program Disposition evaluation • Level defined performances • Portfolio evaluation

5. Program Dispositions • NCATE defines dispositions as the “values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities and affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth.” • There are nine dispositions adopted by the WSU Teacher Education Program. • Candidates are evaluated at the end of each level by the level faculty and in clinical practice by the university supervisor, content supervisor, and collaborating teacher.

6. Program Dispositions • Positive Attitude • Caring/Responsive • Ethical/Responsible • Inclusive • Flexible • Collegial • Reflective/Resourceful • Poised • Teachable

7. Critical Performance Indicators (CPIs) • Each of the program levels have defined critical performances based upon INTASC Standards that candidates should meet upon completion of the level. • These indicators look at candidates’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the level as a whole. • While the artifacts used for identifying student performance come from individual requirements for level course work, they do not replace grades in the level courses.

8. Teacher Work Sample (TWS) • Enables teacher candidates to demonstrate teaching performances directly related to planning, implementing, assessing student learning and evaluating teaching and learning for a standards-based instructional unit. • Provides opportunity for candidates to develop, organize, implement, assess, and reflect upon instruction in their assigned subject and grade level. • Focuses on student achievement and competence in knowledge and skills and provides credible evidence of a candidate’s ability to facilitate learning of all students. 

9. Components of the Teacher Work Sample • Contextual Factors • Objectives/Learning Outcomes • Assessment Plan • Design for Instruction • Instructional Decision-Making • Analysis of Student Learning • Reflection and Self-Evaluation

10. Use of the Teacher Work Sample • In all levels the TWS, or its individual components, are used to evaluate candidates’ performance of level CPI’s. • Required components in each level are tied to course content and design of field experiences. • The teaching of at least one complete TWS is required during clinical practice.

11. Formal Program Admission • State defined content area Praxis tests(Required for USOE licensure). • Candidates in all disciplines must take Praxis II content test in both academic majors and minors prior to admission to clinical practice.

12. Program Completion • Clinical Practice Final Evaluations based on INTASC Standards • Development and teaching of at least one TWS in clinical practice classroom • INTASC Portfolio designed around the INTASC Standards • Program Exit Surveys

13. Post-Graduation Follow-up • Graduate survey • Based on the INTASC Standards assessed during clinical practice. • Mailed to graduates first three years after graduation from program.