Content Area Program Review Worksheet
Institution Name: IPFW
Program Reviewed:Social Studies
DIRECTIONS: Below you will find evaluative statements to guide your judgments regarding the adequacy of the content area program you are reviewing. Please read each statement carefully to make your determinations.
1. To what degree are the state content standards adequately addressed within this program?
XGreat degreeAll standards are addressed multiple times in
multiple courses.
XModerate degreeAll standards are addressed, but may not be
covered in more than one course.
Minimal degreeSome standards are addressed within
courses.
Not evidentNo standards are addressed within courses.
2. Which, if any, content standards are not sufficiently addressed in the program?
Comments/Rationale:
(Great degree): Standards addressed in numerous courses throughout the program. One exception is Standard 3.3, which appears to be addressed only in course H105.
(Moderate degree): Course work and assessment is Standards Based and data supports the faculty efforts in the program. Evidence of success is clear when preparing students for teaching in content specific course at the high school level. One notable exception is preparing for teaching Middle School at grades six and seven in the area of Social Studies/Geography. Efforts to improve PRAXIS II scores in this area, according to the report, focus on additional assignments, reflection in course work, and directing students to appropriate course work to prepare for the Exam. No evidence in changes in the course content stated.
- To what degree are the state content standards adequately assessed within this
program?
Great degreeAll standards are assessed multiple times in
multiple courses.
XXModerate degreeAll standards are assessed, but may not be
covered inmore than one course.
Minimal degreeSome standards are assessed within courses.
Not evidentNo standards are assessed within courses.
- Which, if any, content standards are not assessed in the program?
(Moderate degree): Standards preparing for high school level instructions appear to assessed in a variety of course work, while content standards necessary for sixth and seventh grade Social Studies (i.e. Earth’s physical and human patterns in relationship with physical environment) appear to be assessed less often.
(Moderate degree): All the content standards except Standards #3 (Geographic perspectives) are adequately assessed in the program. More various types of assessment activity, however, seem to be needed in content area courses. Only Praxis II and multiple choice exam were presented as assessment activities. If candidates are asked to learn and use various types of assessment activity, they will need to experience those not only in education courses but also in content area courses.
5. To what degree does the program prepare candidates in pedagogical content?
XGreat degreeCourse work prepares candidates very well
in theseareas.
XModerate degreeCourse work prepares candidates moderately
well inthese areas.
Minimal degreeCourse work insufficiently prepares
candidates in these areas.
Not evidentCourse work does not prepare candidates in
these areas.
- To what degree does the program prepare candidates in professional and
pedagogical knowledge and skills?
XXGreat degreeCourse work prepares candidates very well
in theseareas.
Moderate degreeCourse work prepares candidates moderately
well inthese areas.
Minimal degreeCourse work insufficiently prepares
candidates in these areas.
Not evidentCourse work does not prepare candidates in
these areas.
- How effectively does the coursework provide a candidate the content needed to
impact P-12 student learning as it relates to the Indiana Academic Standards?
XX Highly effectiveCourse work prepares candidates very well
to impact P-12 student learning as related to
the Indiana Academic Standards.
Moderately effectiveCourse work prepares candidates moderately
well toimpact P-12 student learning as
related to the Indiana Academic Standards.
Somewhat effectiveCourse work prepares candidates
insufficiently to impact P-12 student learning as related to the Indiana Academic Standards.
Not effectiveCourse work does not prepare candidates to
impact P-12 student learning as related to the Indiana Academic Standards.
Rationale:
(Highly effective): Course descriptions provided include a wide variety of P-12 Academic Standards. Most standards are addressed in more than one course description.
(Highly effective): The program provides courses where a candidate can complete required courses in content areas such as history, economics, government, psychology, and sociology. According to the course descriptions and Indiana Academic Standards, these courses seem to teach the content a candidate needs to know in order to teach secondary students.
- Do the program assessment data summaries indicate that the program completers
are wellqualifiedto teach the content to P-12 students?
Very well qualifiedData indicate that at least 90% of the
candidates meet all of the assessment
expectations of the program.
X Well qualifiedData indicate that at least 80% of the
candidates meetall of the assessment
expectations of the program.
X Somewhat qualifiedData indicate that at least 70% of candidates
meet all of the assessment expectations of
the program.
Not well qualified Data indicate that 69% or fewer candidates
meet all ofthe assessment expectations of
the program.
Rationale:
(Somewhat qualified): Praxis II Middle School scores are at 79% in comparison to Social Studies Content Knowledge of 91%.
Student Teaching Lesson Evaluation by University Supervisors in INTASC Standards range from 3.2 - 3.92 on a 4 point scale with 5 Standards below 3.62.
Reported 73% pass rate for the PSY 235 Exam.
Performance Based Assessment of Student Teaching average score of 3.68 out of 5.
(Well qualified): Students' Praxis II scores have increased over the past three years (2004-2007). Specifically, students' scores in all the content areas but one (i.e., geography) are above national average.
9. Does the program offer a variety of field experiences for candidates?
XXYESNO
Rationale:
(YES): Field experience connected to four courses, as well as Middle School Practicum and Student Teaching.
(YES): The program requires candidates to take 4 early field experience courses (M101, M201, M301, and M401) before they enter student teaching. Rubrics for student teaching (e.g., rubric for performance-based assessment of student teaching and artifacts in relation to student teaching in Portfolio assessment) are aligned with both the program's Conceptual Framework and INTASC standards.
10. Are program faculty adequately trained in the content field?
XXYESNO
(YES): All faculty at the PhD level, but only four have more than one year of P-12 experience.
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Now that you have reviewed the data presented by the educator preparation program for this content area, do you have additional comments to share with the program faculty?
Course work and assessment is Standards Based and data supports the faculty efforts in the program. Evidence of success is clear when preparing students for teaching in content specific course at the high school level. One notable exception is preparing for teaching Middle School at grades six and seven in the area of Social Studies/Geography. Efforts to improve PRAXIS II scores in this area, according to the report, focus on additional assignments, reflection in course work, and directing students to appropriate course work to prepare for the Exam. No evidence in changes in the course content stated.
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This program appears to provide a solid preparation for candidates to teach social studies in secondary school settings in terms of both content and pedagogical content knowledge. My only concern is the lack of geography courses where students can learn the content knowledge about geography. Given the fact that candidates need to teach World Cultures which heavily rely on geographic perspectives if they are to teach in middle schools, offering and having candidates take at least one geography course would be a crucial preparation for them to teach in middle schools.
DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF STATE REVIEWERS IN THIS CONTENT AREA, THIS PROGRAM WAS REVIEWED BY ONLY TWO CONTENT EXPERTS.