Revised 4-5-06
Program Report Format
Speech/Theatre
Kansas State Department of Education
COVER SHEET
Institution: Wichita State University
Accredited By: KSDE NCATE
Date Submitted: 8/16/08
Name of Preparer(s): Steve Peters and Tom Frye
Unit Head Name: Sharon Hartin Iorio
Unit Head Phone Number: 316-978-3301 Unit Head Email:
Level of the Program: Initial Advanced
Grade levels for which candidates are being prepared:
6-12
Is this program being offered at more than one site? Yes No
If yes, please list the sites at which the program is offered:
Program Report Status:
New Program Continued Program Rejoinder Dormant Program
SECTION I—CONTEXT
1. Program of Study:
· Field and clinical experiences
Wichita State University (WSU) is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents and is one of three Kansas state universities designated as a research university. WSU is committed to providing comprehensive educational opportunities in an urban setting. Through teaching, scholarship, and public service, the University seeks to equip both students and the larger community with the educational and cultural tools they need to thrive in a complex world, and to achieve both individual responsibility in their own lives and effective citizenship in the local, national, and global community (complete statement available on the University Website).
The mission of the College of Education at WSU is to prepare education and other professionals to benefit society and its institutions through the understanding, the facilitation and the illumination of the learning process and the application of knowledge in their disciplines.
At WSU, field experiences and clinical practice provide the opportunity for candidates to apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they are studying in program coursework. Field experiences associated with professional preparation courses lead to a full semester student teaching experience. In all cases, candidate learning is integrated into field placements, and reflection and professionalism are critical components of each candidate’s experience. Through field experiences and clinical practice, initial program candidates enhance and extend their professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills. These experiences occur under the watchful eye of clinical partners and program faculty, working together to define, implement, and evaluate these experiences as well as guide candidates.
Unit and clinical faculty have collaborated to redefine pre-student teaching field experience requirements. Clinical partners have opportunities not only to evaluate and provide feedback to candidates through the pre-student teaching and student teaching observation forms, but to provide feedback to unit faculty and relevant advisory councils on the particulars of field experience requirements. Unit faculty and administrators have held dinner meetings with cooperating teachers prior to the start of each semester for more than 20 years. The agendas for these dinner meetings typically include presentation and understanding of the conceptual framework, schedule, forms, expectations for all parties and seeking feedback on the teacher education programs. Cooperating teachers also meet with their candidates’ university supervisors to share questions/answers and have general discussion. Feedback from these meetings has provided valuable information about the conceptual framework (CF) and the importance of curriculum inclusions (e.g., classroom management).
Within initial teacher education curricula, field experiences are required across the four-semester program, beginning with the CI 311 Intro to Diversity Field Experience (1 credit hour) course and continuing each semester until the culminating student teaching semester. These field experiences have been designed with input from program advisory councils, cooperating teachers, other school personnel, alumni, and faculty. A brief overview of these requirements and the progression within the school setting is described in Table 1.
Table 1: Field Experiences and Clinical Practice Requirements for the Speech/Theatre Program
Program Component(Course/s) / Type of Activity / Setting / FE Hours
Throughout Entire
Semester
Core I, Part I and II: Field Experiences
(CI 311 & 318, 1 cr. hr. each) / Experiences are provided in multicultural (race, culture, special needs, ESOL) settings. Includes focused observation, tutoring students, assisting teachers if needed, enhanced understanding of contextual factors, involvement in school activities and more. Candidates also complete a literacy practicum to apply the strategies and skills introduced in CI 317 Literacy Strategies in the Content Areas. / Inclusive middle and secondary classrooms, special
education day
schools; community cultural events. / 40 hours
Core II, Part 1 and II: Secondary Education Practicum and Pre-student Teaching (CI 424 and 413, 1 cr. hr. each.) / Allows candidate to spend time in a classroom setting working with a cooperating teacher to plan, implement, and assess instruction aligned with state and/or district standards and complete a Practice Teacher Work Sample during the CI 413 experience. / Secondary school classrooms. / Approximately 60 hours in each field experience.
Core III: Student
Teaching (11 cr. hrs, 15 weeks) / Self reflection, observation by Cooperating Teacher (CT) and university supervisor (US), planning, assisting, tutoring, school extracurricular participation, mentoring, teaching, assessing, parent meetings
and/or conferences, Teacher Work Sample completion. / Secondary school classrooms. / 40 hrs/week for 15 weeks in the classroom with outside planning and preparation.
During student teaching, candidates participate in planning and teaching lessons, participating in faculty meetings, working with media and technology, observing and reflecting on different teaching techniques with participating teachers, attending after-school meetings such as team, department, and grade-level and school meetings, participating in parent/teacher conferences, preparing teaching materials, and administering and correcting assessments as needed.
· Admission, retention, and exit from the program
A. TRANSITION I: ADMISSION TO TEACHER EDUCATION
1. Thirty-Five (35) Hours of General Education, including electives, and
a. Basic skills course requirements and minimum grade requirement of C or better. Basic skills courses include:
1) English Composition I
2) English Composition II
3) Basic Public Speaking
4) College Algebra or higher level mathematics course
b. Other general education course requirements (passing grade required)
1) General Psychology
2) Elementary Statistics
2. Standardized Test Requirement
Note: A prospective teacher education candidate must meet only one of the following four standardized test requirements. The basic skills test used to fulfill his/her admission requirements must have been taken within ten (10) years from the date of his/her application to the teacher education program.
a. Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) and minimum required scores
Reading: 173 Writing: 172 Mathematics: 172
** OR **
b. American College Testing Program (ACT) and minimum required scores
Reading: 22 English: 22 Mathematics: 22
** OR **
c. College Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) and minimum required scores
(Cowley County transfer students only)
Reading: 56 Writing: 55 Mathematics: 53
** OR **
d. College Basic Academic Subjects Examination (CBASE) and minimum required scores
Reading/Literature: 235 Writing: 235 Mathematics: 235
3. Introduction to the Teaching Profession Course
Prospective candidates must complete an introductory to the teaching profession course (e.g., CI 271/ 272) with an earned grade of B or better in the course and a “satisfactory” grade in the corresponding field experience component.
4. Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements
a. Overall GPA: 2.5
b. GPA in 35 hours of general education coursework: 2.75
c. WSU GPA: 2.5 (if applicable)
B. TRANSITION II: ADMISSION TO STUDENT TEACHING
1. 2.5 or better Content GPA
2. 2.5 or better Overall GPA
3. 2.5 or better WSU GPA
4. "B" or better in the program ISAM courses
5. Completed Application for Student Teaching made available on the COE website: http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=ESS&p=/studentteaching/studentteachingapplication/
a. Application
b. Attestation of Eligibility
c. Student Health Certificate/Physical
d. Completes all courses that are prerequisites for Student Teaching
e. Student Teaching Autobiography (signed by advisor)
6. Complete all courses that are prerequisites for Student Teaching
C. TRANSITION III: EXIT FROM CLINICAL PRACTICE (STUDENT TEACHING)
1. Student Teaching Course – “B” or Better
2. Student Teaching Seminar – “B” or Better
(Candidates must receive a 3 or higher on each item of the Final Student Teaching University
Supervisor Evaluation Form).
3. 2.5 or Better Overall GPA
4. 2.5 or Better WSU GPA
5. Successful Completion of All Degree Requirements
6. Final Student Teaching Supervisor Evaluation Form
(3 or better on each evaluation item)
D. TRANSITION IV: Degree Completion
1. Overall GPA – 2.5 or better
2. WSU GPA 2.5 or better
3. Meets all degree requirements
E. TRANSITION V: Program Completion and Conditional Licensure Recommendation
1. Passes common assessments for all program standards
2. 80% mastery or above on each section of the Teacher Work Sample
3. PLT score (161 or better)
4. Praxis II content test(s) completed
5. Licensure application, fee, and related paperwork
· Relationship of the program to the unit’s conceptual framework.
Wichita State University’s vision for preparing teachers and other school personnel is to prepare candidates who are competent, collaborative, reflective education professionals. This vision includes six guiding principles, which are fundamental to the Speech/Theatre program and the preparation of future speech/theatre candidate preparation is as follows:
Professionalism and Reflection. Uses a reflective model (e.g., What? Why? So What? Now what?) for improving professional practice. Knows and implements the legal and ethical practices of the profession.
Human Development and Diversity. Knows basic theories of human development and learning and understands diversity (e.g., ethnic, racial, socio-economic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographic area). Applies this knowledge to learning, teaching, guiding, and clinical situations.
Connection of Teaching Experiences and Assessment. Understands the cyclical and interactive processes of good teaching (e.g., analysis, preparation, instruction, assessment [qualitative and quantitative], and adjustment). Applies this understanding to learning, teaching, guiding, and clinical situations.
Technology. Demonstrates skills in the use of technology appropriate to the respective disciplines. Uses technology to enhance professional productivity in planning, teaching, learning, and assessment.
Content: Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and Alignment with Standards. Knows the content and continues to build knowledge in the disciplinary field(s). Applies this knowledge to teaching within the structure of the standards.
Collaboration. Knows processes to work and advocate collectively and professionally with students/clients and colleagues from different positions and/or organizations toward mutual goals. Collectively plans, builds, and gathers resources to create innovative solutions to existing problems.
Dispositions for all candidates, although not specifically addressed in this matrix, are also included in the conceptual framework and are directly related to the six guiding principles. Wichita State University’s candidates:
• Value knowledge and continuous learning (to improve professional practice),
• Respect and hold high expectations for all learners.
• Advocate for students/clients,
• Value working cooperatively with colleagues and others (e.g., parents, community agencies) to advance the best interests of students/clients.
The Speech/Theatre program documents, syllabi and assessment plan, focus on all six principles. Candidates learn the content traditionally found in the speech/theatre curriculum, and they learn the pedagogy of teaching this curriculum within the structure of the speech/theatre standards in courses and field experiences in area schools. Candidates learn to recognize developmental and cultural differences among learners and the differences in teachers and learners to select strategies that support development of all learners. Within speech/theatre coursework and field experiences, candidates address issues of professionalism and reflection, human development and diversity, connection of teaching experiences and assessment, technology, content, and collaboration.
Candidates’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions are subject to continuous assessment and are periodically reviewed with the intent to revise the program as needed. Speech/Theatre candidates address these philosophies through directing scenes, attending outside classroom theatrical productions and in class projects such as play readings, play writing, cold readings and play script analysis.
· Relationship of the program’s unique set of assessments to the unit’s assessment system
The unique set of assessments for the speech/theatre program’s standards is described in the Speech/Theatre Table 2, which is attached. Table 2 lists each of the speech/theatre standards and which assessments are used to determine whether candidates have met the appropriate standard. Each assessment is numbered in the first column of Table 2 according to the guidelines described in the KSDE Program Report Format, e.g., assessment #2 is the plan for instruction. Table 2 also describes the criterion for each assessment, where in the program the assessment is administered (e.g., course number and title, freestanding), transition point where it is used, the conceptual framework predominant proficiency or disposition, and the predominant type of knowledge (per NCATE Standard 1). The speech/theatre program committee developed its set of assessments. All program assessment plans were reviewed by the Undergraduate Teaching Programs Committee, the Assessment Coordinator and the Unit Head. The Assessment Coordinator supplied feedback to the committee.
In order to gauge program effectiveness, the Speech/Theatre program has determined that a minimum of 80% of candidates must pass each assessment. An 80% pass rate on each assessment is seen as evidence that the program is adequately preparing candidates to meet program standards. Should fewer than 80% of candidates pass the assessment, program faculty would take measures to change the program to better prepare candidates to meet the specific standard. Individual candidates are expected to pass all assessments. If they do not, they are provided remediation.
The Unit Assessment System (UAS) for the Professional Education Unit at Wichita State University consists of a review cycle and implementation mechanisms for the collection and examination of data/information about program candidate performance and unit operations to make judgments about and guide candidates, programs and the Professional Education Unit. Data and related data reviews in the UAS have two foci – one on program, the other on the Unit. In program level assessment, data relevant to individual candidates are reviewed in order (a) to make decisions and provide feedback to candidates on their program progress as well as (b) in the aggregate, to judge the efficacy of specific programs and guide program improvement. Unit level assessment utilizes data on overall unit operations and aggregate candidate performance to examine overall unit effectiveness and guide unit improvement.
Although conceptualized as a single assessment system, program and unit level assessments exist as interrelated subsystems that share data on candidate performance and unit operations. The results of program level assessments serve also as input for unit level assessment, and the results of unit level assessment may be directed toward individual programs. The unit’s Assessment Coordinator (in concert with the Unit Assessment Committee) reviews/monitors program assessments, both to ensure program assessment quality and to provide constructive feedback. Besides facilitating program and unit level assessments, Assessment Coordinator responsibilities include ensuring that unit and program assessments are in place and operational; providing support in the development and revision of program assessment plans.