Integrated Teacher Education Program
Professional Education Portfolio
Teacher Candidate Instructions
Rationale
For several reasons, the ITEP program requires teacher candidates to develop and maintain a portfolio as they progress through the program. The portfolio is a communication tool that will:
· Help you develop as a professional by engaging you in continuous reflection about what you are learning and doing in your courses (Levels I & II) as well as fieldwork and student teaching (Level III ).
· Provide you with a formative assessment instrument that will provide you and your professors with constructive feedback about evidenced of your strengths and weaknesses.
· Give you the ongoing opportunity to communicate evidence of your ability to teach diverse populations, including English Language Learners and learners with special needs.
· Serve as the final, summative evidence of your accomplishments and development as a teacher candidate based on the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs) and meeting the Teacher Performance Assessment guidelines created by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Structure
Developmental Process
The process of creating this portfolio as well as the portfolio structure has been designed to meet and reflect your developmental needs. This means that the artifacts and reflections that you will include in the portfolio will illustrate varying levels of knowledge and competency as you acquire understanding and skills. The portfolio process is designed to deepen your reflective skills as you progress through the ITEP program. Both the Developing and Final Portfolios should show your growth as a teaching professional. Any lesson plans and lessons selected for inclusion in the Portfolio should reflect the California Content Standards for various subject areas and/or the California Frameworks for various subject areas.
In keeping with a developmental approach, the rubrics which have been designed to assist you as you develop your portfolio work will reflect different levels of your mastery of content and skills as well as of your mastery of the reflection process.
Reflection
A critical skill and habit of effective teachers is the ability to continuously reflect upon the planning and implementation of teaching and learning. Teachers must be able to use research-based theory and practices to make decisions about designing and implementing instruction and creating a learning community. Teachers must also analyze and evaluate their teaching practices as well as their impact on student learning. To do this teachers need to regularly obtain and examine data about their students’ academic progress and use these data to consider subsequent decisions about their students’ needs and what pedagogical practices best address these needs. Teachers must continually think about their decisions, reflect and evaluate upon these decisions and whether they have improved student learning and performance. In addition, teachers must also use multiple sources of information and support to inform the decisions. The sources include consultations with colleagues, professional literature, and state-adopted academic content standards for students and curriculum frameworks. The portfolio process is one which promotes this reflective process as well as collegial communication with peers and faculty to promote effective professional practice.
Levels of Proficiency with the Teaching Performance Expectations
In keeping with the developmental design of the portfolio, the artifacts you include must represent one of three levels of mastery of the Teacher Performance Expectations:
Level I: The DEVELOPING Portfolio--The artifact demonstrates that the candidate has acquired knowledge and understanding of the research-based information, concepts, theories, and skills addressed by the TPE elements.
Level II: The DEVELOPING Portfolio--The artifact demonstrates that the candidate has applied the TPE elements to observational data such as case studies, learning scenarios, and student profiles.
Level III: The PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PORTFOLIO--The artifact demonstrates that the candidate has implemented the TPE elements through active decision-making in a real classroom setting.
During student teaching, collect only artifacts that are at Level III!
Portfolio Format
1. Use a large three-ring binder with an insert for a Title Page. The title page must include your name, contact information, and the date.
2. Letter to the Reader. In this letter you will essentially welcome the reader to your portfolio. This is a brief three-to-four paragraph piece that helps your reader understand the structure and purpose of your portfolio.
During semesters in which you are enrolled in coursework you will be asked to prepare your portfolio for formative evaluation by a professor. For this Developing Portfolio you will be asked to select, analyze and reflect upon a specified artifact that provides evidence of meeting a key TPE (and any others that are relevant ) and include a written reflection on your analysis.
During the final two semesters in which you are enrolled in student teaching, you will be asked to complete the final stage of your portfolio as it becomes your Professional Teaching Portfolio. At this time you will use the final portfolio rubric which will assist you in the selection of key artifacts of Level III performance that meets the Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) guidelines created by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. While using the portfolio assessment matrix you will select and analyze artifacts of teaching that provide clear and compelling evidence of mastery of all thirteen Teacher Performance Evidence. Each artifact will be presented with a written reflection that describes this evidence and “tags” that identify the location of evidence and notes to readers as to why accompanying pieces are included. This portfolio will be assessed by two readers as the final step in the credential approval process.
3. A Portfolio Assessment Matrix in the front of the portfolio, after your letters, noting the TPE’s that each artifact addresses. You will want this matrix to be reflective of the strong way in which you have met each TPE therefore, your analysis of each artifact should ideally reflect 3-5 TPE’s that are met.
4. Provide typed and tabbed dividers for each section of the portfolio. The purpose of this requirement is to help the reader easily identify and access the different components of your portfolio as he or she evaluates the document. Organize the tabs by Artifact Name and be certain to reflect the organization of the matrix and Table of Contents. Ex.: Artifact 1: Reading Lesson Plan; Artifact 2: Physical Room Environment
5. Be sure to review and edit your portfolio (also by a peer) to ensure that it is free of errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics. Final Professional Teaching Portfolios with significant mechanical errors will be returned for correction. Poorly written portfolios are not acceptable at this level.
5. Portfolio Sections
I. Cover sheet – Name, Date of submission, contact information (change this every semester)
II. Letter to the reader Keep old letters behind the new letter.
III. Table of Contents
IV. Philosophy Statement
V. Induction Goals
III. Teaching Performance Expectations Matrix
There are 13 TPE's. Identify which TPE’s and what level of use (Level I,II, III), each portfolio artifact represents.
IV. Portfolio Artifacts
A. Artifact Reflection Sheet – Name the artifact (Ex: Inclusion Case Study). List the TPE’s (with Level of Use) that the artifact demonstrates mastery of. Discuss which elements of the TPE the artifact addresses, why the artifact was selected, what you learned as a result of creating the artifact, and how the artifact reflects your development as a teacher.
B. The Artifact -- This is an artifact that you will be required to include in the portfolio, as indicated by your professor. The pre-selected artifacts from methods courses will be used as benchmarks to show evidence of development in the Developing Portfolio. Self-selected artifacts should include a lesson and/or unit plans, a “record” of the lesson taught (pictures, notes from peer coaching, etc.), student product, and what was used for assessment of learning.
C. Artifact Tags – In order to provide ease of use for your readers, each of the artifacts should be “tagged” to identify the location of TPE evidence and to provide brief notes to the reader where additional material (such as student work samples) is included. Student names should be removed from any material and it is suggested that the student be described in terms of achievement, stage of learning, etc. (Ex: ELL, high achieving, average).
Portfolio Evaluation
Your portfolio and its components will be evaluated at several points as you advance through the program. You will begin the Developing Portfolio in EPC 315 by completing two artifacts.
In all methods courses you will develop artifacts that have been designated as "pre-selected" by the program and are required to be included in the portfolio. The professor of the course to which each artifact corresponds will evaluate each artifact and the accompanying reflection statement. You will also be encouraged to select a second “free pick” artifact that reflects TPE’s not addressed by the first one.
During the first semester Student Teaching Seminar, the Developing Portfolio will transform into a Professional Teaching Portfolio. It will be informally evaluated during a Peer Portfolio Showcase, the purpose of which is to communicate artifact selection and reflection with peers and seminar faculty. This review is considered formative and is designed to showcase highlights of each student’s accomplishments as well as to provide helpful feedback to peers. Faculty will also provide feedback regarding the design and general quality of the Professional Portfolio. Entries from earlier methods courses and the first student teaching experience can be included only if they reflect achievement at Level III. This showcase will take place at the end of the first student teaching semester.
During the second semester Student Teaching Seminar, the portfolio will become finalized as the Professional Teaching Portfolio. You will be expected to complete this portfolio in a manner that can be formally evaluated for mastery of the Teacher Performance Assessment guidelines created by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This portfolio must include clear and compelling evidence of meeting each of the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs). As in the first semester, you will be assisted in completing the updating of your prior portfolio as part of the EED 579 seminar. Upon the conclusion of student teaching you will also be asked to develop your Induction Goals that will become the basis of professional development in your first teaching position.
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Revised (11-20-05)