Northern Michigan University

School of Education

Continuing Accreditation Report

March, 2001

Interim Associate Dean for Teacher Education, and

Interim Director, School of Education

Dr. M. Cameron Howes

Prepared by:

Dr. James D. Hendricks

1

STANDARD ONE

Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other professional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Assessments indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

1.0 TEACHER EDUCATION: BASIC AND ADVANCED PROGRAMS

1.1Standards for Knowing and Demonstrating the Content, Pedagogical, and Professional Knowledge Skills, and Dispositions

1.1AMichigan Guidelines/Standards and Teacher Education Preparation

The Northern Michigan University Professional Education Unit requires that teacher education candidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to assure teaching and to support the learning of all students.

The State of Michigan has standards from which the Unit derives the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be demonstrated by teacher education candidates. Among these standards are:

  • The Michigan Entry-Level Standards for Teachers
  • The Michigan Standards and/or Rules for College/University Teaching Endorsement (Content) Approvals
  • The Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC), e.g., Basic Skills Tests, Michigan Content Endorsement Test Objectives (e.g., teachable majors/minors), Content Certificate Endorsement Tests
  • The Michigan K-12 Curricular Frameworks and Benchmarks
  • The Michigan Standards for Teaching and Learning
  • The Michigan Certification Rules, (e.g., General Education for Provisional Certificate, Professional Studies for the Provisional Certificate, Professional Education Certificate)

1.1BNorthern Michigan University Unit’s Rubrics: Content, Professional/Pedagogical Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

The following table presents the Professional Education Unit’s summary of the Michigan Entry-Level Standards for Teachers. Per the Michigan State Department of Education, Entry-level Standards encompass and embrace standards developed by the Interstate New Teachers Assessment Support Consortium (INTASC), see Exhibit # 1.1. The Michigan Standards function as rubrics to guide: 1) the development of the Unit’s teacher education programs; 2) the evaluation of programs; 3) the evaluation of teacher education candidate’s performance as they progress through the program to completion; 4) the development of the Northern Michigan University Teacher Induction/Mentoring Program for the Upper Peninsula; and 5) the link to the Conceptual Framework (e.g., subject matter as a medium [2.0 below]).

1

Teacher Entry-Level Performance Rubrics
Table 1.1
State of Michigan
Entry-Level Standards and State Certification Rules /

Target Performance

1.0 / Knowing the economic, social, political, legal, and organizational foundations and functions of schools / Candidates understand the NMU School of Education’s conceptual framework and derivatives for teacher education, particularly as these statements embody the ethical and aesthetic values, as well as the social and political dynamics, of the profession. Moreover, the candidates understand and respect individual differences, including those of culture, race, gender, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, as well as individual commonalities, including those of heritage and environment. The candidates understand the role the teacher plays in the promotion and achievement of social justice.
2.0 / Knowing the subject matter and pedagogy / Candidates create learning environments that promote critical and higher order thinking. They help students use information, technology, and other resources to become independent learners and problem solvers. They use high expectations for optimal achievement to foster excellence in all students. They practice teaching as both an art and a science. Understanding that subject matter is the medium for education, they integrate and transfer knowledge across subject areas and encourage the same among students. They engage students in practical activities, including substantive conversation and an emphasis on depth of knowledge and connections beyond the classroom, that demonstrate the relevance, purpose, and function of subject matter. They use updated information and procedures.
3.0 / Committing to student learning and achievement / Candidates apply knowledge of human growth, development, and learning theory to the teaching process. They develop the whole student, including an emphasis on the development of character and sound habits of judgment, and understand the extent to which their personal values may affect the instructional process. They create safe and orderly learning environments and accommodate diverse student backgrounds. They use multiple approaches to assess student abilities and needs to plan instruction and to promote access to knowledge.
4.0 / Participating in learning communities with commitment / Candidates understand and use community and home resources to enhance school programs. They design learning activities that involve representatives of volunteer groups, civic and social organizations, and public service agencies. They know the various communities in which the teacher is a member, including the professional community, and local, state, national and international communities. They involve professional educators, support personnel, and other stakeholders in collaborative and cooperative planning, decision-making, and implementation to improve educational systems at all levels. They interact with parents to maximize the learning of students at school, home and in the local community.
5.0 / Knowing how to organize teaching practices and learning from experiences / Candidates identify, understand, and use current research in both the subject field and in other areas of practice in the profession. They exercise good judgment in planning and managing time and other resources to attain goals and objectives. They engage students in meaningful learning experiences. They accept teaching as a lifelong learning process and continue efforts to develop and improve. They interact successfully with other teachers, parents, students, administrators, counselors, and other support personnel to benefit students and to advance their own professional development. They discuss and debate the evolution of education and the teacher’s role in a changing society. They engage in meaningful self-evaluation and reflect on the professional practice of colleagues.
6.0 / Knowing how to manage and monitor student learning / Candidates understand and use different cognitive, affective, and psychomotor strategies to maximize learning and to accommodate differences in the backgrounds, learning styles, aptitudes, interests, levels of maturity and achievement of students. They use a variety of teaching methodologies and techniques, (e.g., lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, cooperative learning, small-group activities) and can assess their effectiveness. They involve and work effectively with all support personnel, parents and/or guardians to create opportunities for student achievement and success. They differentiate between assessment and evaluation procedures and use appropriate procedures. They define and accept the legal and ethical responsibilities of teaching.
7.0 / Using technology to enhance learning as well as enhance personal and professional productivity / Candidates understand, design, develop and implement student-learning activities that integrate information technology for a variety of student grouping strategies and diverse student populations. They identify and apply resources for staying current in applications of information technology in education. They know how to use multi-media, hypermedia, telecommunications, and distance learning to support teaching/learning. They demonstrate knowledge about instructional management resources that assist in such activities as writing and updating curriculum, creating lesson plans and tests, and promoting, reinforcing, and organizing data regarding student performance. They use information technologies to support student problem solving, data collection, information management, communications, presentations, and decision-making including word processing, database management, spreadsheets, and graphic utilities. They demonstrate appreciation of equitable, ethical, legal, social, physical, and psychological issues concerning use of information technology. They use information technology to enhance continuing professional development as an educator.

The State’s entry-level achievement descriptions are:

0 (pre-preparation) - No awareness

1 (awareness) - The ability to describe, not yet applied

2 (basic) - Minimal achievement, appropriate to situations

3 (proficient) - Consistent, appropriate application, a solid performance

4 (advanced) - Superior performance, consistently applied at all appropriate times

To be recommended to the State of Michigan Office of Professional Preparation and Services, the Unit’s target is that each candidate demonstrate achievement level 3 (proficient: consistent, appropriate application, a solid performance” for each of the above groupings) or above, e.g., level 4 (advanced: “superior performance, and consistently applied at all appropriate times”). For evaluating the candidates’ performance, the Unit uses multiple measures.

1.2Knowing and Demonstrating Content, Pedagogical, and Professional Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

1.2A Basic Skills and General Knowledge Studies

In accord with the State mandate, the candidates are required to demonstrate the possession of basic skills appropriate to being a teacher. The candidate must have a passing score on the Basic Skills Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC). To afford a comparison with other states’ candidates in teacher education programs across the United States, the University mandates that the candidate have minimum scores on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics at the 25th percentile level for admission into the Teacher Education Program, excepting when the candidate has equivalent ACT or SAT scores in English, reading and mathematics. See Exhibit # 1.2.

Per the State’s Certification Code and the Michigan Entry-Level Standards, the candidates are required to complete a general education program of 40 semester credits. The Northern Michigan University Liberal Studies program is in the Undergraduate Bulletin (See Exhibit # 1.3). In accord with state or national guidelines standards, the teacher education curriculum designates specific courses, e.g., candidates in the elementary program are required to complete 8 credits of natural sciences courses as opposed to mathematics courses inasmuch as the candidates are required to complete 10 credits in mathematics regardless of choice of the major and/or minor for their elementary teaching certificate (for example, see Exhibit # 1.4). The secondary teachable curriculum has specific courses in the liberal studies program depending on the candidates’ teachable majors and minors (for an example, see Exhibit # 1.5, CS 120: Computer Science I). The Professional Education candidate’s admission to the methods phase of teacher education requires a grade point average of 2.5 in 32 credits in the Northern Michigan University Liberal Studies program.

A minimum knowledge level is also expected in the areas of English composition, social studies, and science for all students in elementary education and special education programs. No grades below “C” are allowed.

1.2B Content Knowledge Studies

Michigan has a partnership agreement with NCATE. Therefore the Michigan State Board of Education continues updating standards for approving college and university teachable majors and minors programs. The standards are then submitted to NCATE for review by specialty organizations. Many standards were approved within the last 8 to 10 months and others are under development and/or revision.

The Michigan Certification Code requires: 1) all elementary teachers to have a teachable content major or two teachable content minors coded on their teaching certificate; 2) all secondary teachers to have a teachable content major and minor coded on their teaching certificate. The teachable majors and minors for both elementary and secondary may be “straight” majors or minors or “group” majors or minors (i.e. interdisciplinary). The State Code also stipulates: 1) 36 credits for a group major; 2) 24 credits for a group minor; 3) 30 credits for a straight major; and 4) 20 credits for a straight minor. Regardless of whether it’s a major or minor, group or straight, the requirements for the major and minor must comply with the approved State Content Standards. The State Content Standards are the same for majors and minors.

The University is approved by the State to recommend candidates for teachable majors and minors in: 1) 10 subject matter content fields for the K-8 elementary teaching certificate in addition to all subjects K-5, 2) 24 subject matter content fields for the 7-12 secondary teaching certificate, 3) 7 subject matter content fields for the K-12 secondary teaching certificate and 2 K-12 endorsement areas of special education (mental impairments and emotional impairments). See Exhibit # 1.6 for the listing.

The University requires candidates to have a minimum GPA of 2.7 in majors and minors without any grade of “C-” or below, and with only one repeat permitted in the majors and one in the minors. The Director, Teacher Education Student Services, monitors each semester to ensure candidates’ compliance with the GPA and repeat policies as applied to both admission and as the candidates progress through the program.

The teachable subject matter endorsements require each Northern Michigan University teacher education candidate to have the State’s passing score on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC). The University’s passing score rates are set forth in Exhibit # 1.7. The scores that are not passing are scores recorded at the end of the semester in which practice teaching was completed; therefore, the University does not forward a recommendation to the State until the candidate achieves a passing score. In each of the State’s endorsement areas excepting German, the University’s record of passing scores is above the State’s average. The passing rate on the German test is 60% for NMU versus 69% for the State, i.e., 5 candidates took the test and 3 passed at the time they completed practice teaching. The minimum scores for each of the teachable endorsement areas are the same for majors and/or minors, elementary and secondary, e.g., the candidates with an elementary mathematics minor will have the same test items and the same minimum passing score as a secondary mathematics major. The Director, Office of Teacher Education Student Services, monitors the University’s passing rates on the MTTC.

1.2C The Pedagogical/Professional Knowledge Studies, Skills, and Dispositions

The Professional Education Unit’s rubrics for pedagogical and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions are in Table # 1.1, page 2. For example, the performance rubrics equate to the NCATE definitions: the first set of rubrics to professional knowledge, the second set to pedagogical knowledge linking content and pedagogy, and the third through seventh categories of rubrics to professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

With intent to avert conceptual and pragmatic issues related to forming a master list of dispositions or values as a noun, the proposition is that dispositions are best discussed in terms of disposition as a verb. Namely, how the candidate -- through planning, instructing, conducting activities, creating and managing learning environments, reflecting upon his/her practice, etc. in situations -- is “disposing” him or herself in differing situations toward learning, learners, the community of learners, and professionals. The focus is thereby upon how professionally the candidates are disposing themselves as they progress through the program, e.g., particularly encouraging, caring, attending to equity among their students and professional peers, holding themselves to high expectations, etc.

The pedagogical and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions are the base of the Northern Michigan University professional education studies program, [1] interning and supporting course requirements for the Michigan Provisional Certificate, and for the teacher’s continuing education, e.g., new teacher induction/mentoring, the Michigan Professional Education Certificate, and the Professional Education Certificate renewal. The progress toward proficiency for each candidate is reviewed at the end of each semester as the candidate proceeds through the Professional Studies sequence, unless situations arise during the semester warranting a special review before the end of the semester (See page 9).

PHASE I

The Professional Knowledge Studies:

Discoursing and Preparing for Interning

In Phase I, the candidate begins the discourse about teaching and learning within the framework of Israel Scheffler’s definition of education, and the areas embraced by the conceptual frames. These include habits of judgment and development of character, art and ethics of teaching, diversity, technology, legal and organizational dimensions of education. Others are the school and classroom issues affecting teaching and learning, etc. as set forth in the course descriptions, objectives, and syllabi in Exhibit # 1.8. The course objectives cite various ethical, theoretical, research, legal, and organizational professional knowledge-bases/frames for the discourse, however, rooted in supporting field experiences in the schools.

The discoursing is through the mediums of discussion (including small peer group discussions), writing, and/or presentations. Thereby candidates express the development of the habits of judgment, understanding of the ethical dimensions of teaching and diversity, etc. Depending on what the classroom teachers permit, the candidate will observe, assist the teacher, tutor and work with small groups. In Phase I, the candidates prepare for interning, e.g., protocols for the schools related to decorum/attire, honoring commitments as to time, place, etc. (See the Field Experiences and Student Teaching Handbook, Appendix, Field Experience Student Agreement)

The integrating of the professional education discoursing and interning continues into Phases II, III, and Phase IV attending to the performance rubrics such as knowing the economic, social, political, legal and organizational foundations of schools per the Michigan Certification Code Rule # 390.1123 in Exhibit # 1.9. Progression to Phase II requires the necessary GPAs in the major/minor(s) and limited number of repeats, particularly a GPA of 2.7 and a total of no more than one repeat in the Professional Education Sequence, Phase I and subsequent phases combined.

Phase I
The Professional Knowledge Studies:
Discoursing and Preparing for Interning

Elementary / FieldHrs / Secondary / FieldHrs
Courses at the University w/
Supporting Field Experiences / Courses at the University w/
Supporting Field Experiences
ED 201/301 integrated under one instructor:* / ED 201/301 integrated under one instructor:*
ED 201: Introduction to Education (2 cr) / 0 / ED 201: Introduction to Education (2 cr) / 0
ED 301: Dimensions of American Education (2 cr) / 2-3 / ED 301: Dimensions of American Education (2 cr) / 2-3
Course in Schools w/
Supporting Field Experiences / Course in Schools w/
Supporting Field Experiences
ED 230: Teach. and Learn. in the Elem. Class. (4 cr) / 30 / ED 231: Teach. and Learn. in the Sec. Class. (4 cr) / 30
* The conjunction is to maximize the time between faculty and candidates and among peers for discoursing and depth of discourse.
ED 201/301 sections are taught by two instructors who ensure comparability by sharing course syllabi, notes, etc.

PHASE II