RUBRIC TO ASSESS GENERAL EDUCATION

BACCALAUREATE COMPETENCIES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

In Special Education the four general education competencies are assessed in theculminating Intern Seminar and its co-requisite field/intern experience during the fourth year of the program. The attached documentation describes the ratings for each of the four competencies.

Critical Thinking / Social Responsibility / Knowledge Integration / Communication
Excellent
Proficient
Adequate
Limited
Deficient

Critical Thinking

CRITICAL THINKING: demonstrates the ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information from multiple perspectives, to solve problems, argue logically, apply scholarly and scientific methods, use terminology accurately, and employ information literacy skills.

In the Special Education program, this competency is assessed in the special intern seminar and its co-requisite field-intern experience course during the final (fourth) year of the program. The following criteria apply:

  1. demonstrates the ability to identify appropriate topics to teach
  2. demonstrates the ability to draw upon appropriate content information from relevant discipline(s) related to topics selected
  3. demonstrates the ability to select a variety of pedagogically sound instructional approaches and strategies to teach designated topics effectively
  4. demonstrates the ability to choose appropriate resources suitable to the topic and students taught
  5. demonstrates the ability to use creatively personally developed and adapted instructional material
  6. demonstrates the ability to employ a variety of approaches and techniques to assess learning

Excellence in Critical Thinking: The student consistently identifies appropriate topics to teach, given designated grade level(s) and student characteristics. The student consistently draws on appropriate content from relevant disciplines to provide thorough, accurate, and insightful treatment of the topics taught. The student consistently uses a wide range of high quality, pedagogically sound instructional approaches and strategies to teach designated topics. The student consistently chooses high quality, age-appropriate resources of various kinds (print, non-print, technology-based) well suited to the topic and students taught. The student consistently uses personally developed and adapted instructional material in creative ways. The student consistently employs an appropriate range of approaches and techniques to assess learning.

Proficiency in Critical Thinking: The student usually identifies appropriate topics to teach, given designated grade level(s) and student characteristics. The student usually draws on appropriate content from relevant disciplines to provide sufficient and accurate treatment of the topics taught, with no important omissions. The student usually employs a diverse range of high quality, pedagogically sound instructional approaches and strategies to teach designated topics. The student usually chooses high quality, age-appropriate resources of various kinds (print, non-print, technology-based) suited to the topic and students taught. The student usually uses personally developed and adapted instructional material in creative ways. The student usually employs an appropriate range of approaches and techniques to assess learning.

Adequacy in Critical Thinking: The student tends to identify appropriate topics to teach, given designated grade level(s) and student characteristics. The student often draws on appropriate content from relevant disciplines to provide sufficient and accurate treatment of the topics taught, though with occasional omissions. The student often employs a limited range of high quality, pedagogically sound instructional approaches and strategies to teach designated topics. The student tends to choose satisfactory, age-appropriate resources for the topic and students taught, though those choices vary in quality and are limited in type (print, non-print, technology-based). The student at times uses personally developed and adapted instructional material in creative ways. The student often employs an appropriate, but narrow range of approaches and techniques to assess learning.

Limited in Critical Thinking: The student occasionally identifies appropriate topics to teach, given designated grade level(s) and student characteristics. The student occasionally draws on appropriate content from relevant disciplines to provide sufficient and accurate treatment of the topics taught and often has important content omissions. The student consistently uses a range of pedagogically sound instructional approaches and strategies to teach designated topics, though the quality varies widely. The student occasionally chooses age-appropriate resources, though most often choices are of varying quality and of limited kinds (print, non-print, technology-based) for the topics and students taught. The student occasionally uses personally developed or adapted instructional material in creative ways. The student occasionally employs an appropriate range of approaches and techniques to assess learning.

Deficient in Critical Thinking: The student rarely identifies appropriate topics to teach, given designated grade level(s) and student characteristics. The student seldom draws on appropriate content from relevant disciplines to provide sufficient and accurate treatment of the topics taught and often has important content omissions. The student rarely uses a range of pedagogically sound instructional approaches and strategies to teach designated topics. The student rarely chooses age-appropriate resources. Most often, choices are of varying quality and of limited kinds (print, non-print, technology-based) for the topic and students taught. The student rarely uses personally developed or adapted instructional material in creative ways. The student rarely employs an appropriate range of approaches and techniques to assess learning.

Social Responsibility

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: demonstrates competence in applying knowledge and skills gained through the undergraduate experience for the advancement of society.

In the Special Education program, this competency is assessed in the intern seminar and its co-requisite field-intern experience during the final (fourth) year of the program. The following criteria apply:

  1. demonstrates commitment to fundamental democratic values and principles
  2. demonstrates commitment to the public good in personal, professional, and civic situations
  3. demonstrates commitment to personal competence and life-long learning
  4. demonstrates the ability to establish appropriate relationships and the ability to work effectively with others in personal, professional, and civic situations
  5. demonstrates the ability to understand and act consistent with ethical obligations in personal, professional, and civic situations
  6. demonstrates the ability to function effectively in diverse cultural and socio-economic settings

Excellence in Social Responsibility: The student consistently demonstrates commitment to fundamental democratic values and principles. The student consistently demonstrates commitment to the public good in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student consistently establishes appropriate relationships and works effectively with others in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student consistently understands and acts in accordance with ethical obligations in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student consistently functions effectively in diverse cultural and socio-economic settings.

Proficiency in Social Responsibility: The student usually demonstrates commitment to fundamental democratic values and principles. The student usually demonstrates commitment to the public good in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student usually establishes appropriate relationships and works effectively with others in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student usually understands and acts in accordance with ethical obligations in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student usually functions effectively in diverse cultural and socio-economic settings.

Adequacy in Social Responsibility: The student often demonstrates commitment to fundamental democratic values and principles. The student often demonstrates commitment to the public good in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student often establishes appropriate relationships and works effectively with others in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student often understands and acts in accordance with ethical obligations in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student often functions effectively in diverse cultural and socio-economic settings.

Limited in Social Responsibility: The student occasionally demonstrates commitment to fundamental democratic values and principles. The student occasionally demonstrates commitment to the public good in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student occasionally establishes appropriate relationships and works effectively with others in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student occasionally understands and acts in accordance with ethical obligations in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student occasionally functions effectively in diverse cultural and socio-economic settings.

Deficient in Social Responsibility: The student rarely demonstrates commitment to fundamental democratic values and principles. The student rarely demonstrates commitment to the public good in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student rarely establishes appropriate relationships and works effectively with others in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student rarely understands and acts in accordance with ethical obligations in personal, professional, and civic situations. The student rarely functions effectively in diverse cultural and socio-economic settings.

Knowledge Integration

KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION: demonstrates the ability to fuse information and concepts from multiple disciplines for personal, professional, and civic enhancement, to evaluate critically one’s own views and those of others, and to access, judge, and compare diverse fields of knowledge.

In the Special Education program, this competency is assessed in the intern seminar and its co-requisite field-intern experience during the final (fourth) year of the program. The following criteria apply:

  1. demonstrates the ability to identify appropriate connections among various disciplines of study to achieve specific purposes in diverse personal, professional, and civic settings
  2. demonstrates the ability to draw on appropriate content and pedagogical resources from diverse sources and disciplines to address specific personal, professional, and civic needs
  3. demonstrates, in both planning and spontaneous circumstances, the ability to provide accurate and appropriate content information from relevant disciplines in response to specific personal, professional, and civic situations
  4. demonstrates the ability to assess accurately the strengths and weaknesses of views expressed and positions taken by oneself and by others

Excellence in Knowledge Integration: The student consistently identifies appropriate connections among various disciplines of study, orally and in writing, to achieve specific purposes in diverse personal, professional, and civic settings. The student consistently draws on appropriate content and pedagogical resources from diverse disciplines to address specific personal, professional, and civic needs. In both planned and spontaneous circumstances, the student consistently provides accurate and appropriate content information from relevant disciplines in response to specific personal, professional, and civic situations. The student consistently assesses accurately the strengths and weaknesses of views expressed and positions taken by himself/herself and by others.

Proficiency in Knowledge Integration: The student usually identifies appropriate connections among various disciplines of study, orally and in writing, to achieve specific purposes in diverse personal, professional, and civic settings. The student usually draws on appropriate content and pedagogical resources from diverse disciplines to address specific personal, professional, and civic needs. In both planned and spontaneous circumstances, the student usually provides accurate and appropriate content information from relevant disciplines in response to specific personal, professional, and civic situations. The student usually assesses accurately the strengths and weaknesses of views expressed and positions taken by himself/herself and by others.

Adequacy in Knowledge Integration: The student tends to identify appropriate connections among various disciplines of study, orally and in writing, to achieve specific purposes in diverse personal, professional, and civic settings. The student often draws on appropriate content and pedagogical resources from diverse disciplines to address specific personal, professional, and civic needs. In both planned and spontaneous circumstances, the student tends to provide accurate and appropriate content information from relevant disciplines in response to specific personal, professional, and civic situations. The student tends to assess accurately the strengths and weaknesses of views expressed and positions taken by himself/herself and by others.

Limited in Knowledge Integration: The student occasionally identifies appropriate connections among various disciplines of study, orally and in writing, to achieve specific purposes in diverse personal, professional, and civic settings. The student occasionally draws on appropriate content and pedagogical resources from diverse disciplines to address specific personal, professional, and civic needs. In both planned and spontaneous circumstances, the student occasionally provides accurate and appropriate content information from relevant disciplines in response to specific personal, professional, and civic situations. The student occasionally assesses accurately the strengths and weaknesses of views expressed and positions taken by himself/herself and by others.

Deficient in Knowledge Integration: The student rarely identifies appropriate connections among various disciplines of study, orally and in writing, to achieve specific purposes in diverse personal, professional, and civic settings. The student seldom draws on appropriate content and pedagogical resources from diverse disciplines to address specific personal, professional, and civic needs. In both planned and spontaneous circumstances, the student rarely provides accurate and appropriate content information from relevant disciplines in response to specific personal, professional, and civic situations. The student seldom assesses accurately the strengths and weaknesses of views expressed and positions taken by himself/herself and by others.

Communication

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: demonstrates competence in aural, visual, and language arts and the ability to use communication resources and technology for personal and professional expression.

In the Special Education program, this competency is assessed in the intern seminar and its co-requisite field-intern experience during the final (fourth) year of the program. The following criteria apply:

  1. demonstrates the ability to understand and respond appropriately to written products, formal and informal, of various types and for diverse purposes
  2. demonstrates the ability to produce appropriately written products for diverse purposes (e.g., class assignments, teacher-created student materials) and in diverse settings (e.g., secondary classrooms, university courses)
  3. demonstrates the ability to understand and respond appropriately to oral communications in diverse settings
  4. demonstrates the ability to convey information orally in appropriate ways in diverse settings
  5. demonstrates the ability to obtain and convey information appropriately in electronic formats in diverse settings

Excellence in Effective Communication: The student consistently understands and responds appropriately to written products of various kinds (e.g., textbooks, assignment directions, regulations), published and unpublished, for diverse purposes (e.g., in role of student, in role of teacher) and in diverse settings. The student consistently produces appropriately written products of high quality for diverse purposes and in diverse settings. The student consistently understands and responds appropriately to oral communications of various kinds in diverse settings for diverse purposes. The student consistently conveys information orally in appropriate ways (e.g., succinctly, with proper grammar) for diverse purposes and in diverse settings. The student consistently obtains and conveys information appropriately in electronic formats.

Proficiency in Effective Communication: The student usually understands and responds appropriately to written products of various kinds (e.g., textbooks, assignment directions, regulations), published and unpublished, for diverse purposes (e.g., in role of student, in role of teacher) and in diverse settings. The student usually produces appropriately written products of high quality for diverse purposes and in diverse settings. The student usually understands and responds appropriately to oral communications of various kinds in diverse settings for diverse purposes. The student usually conveys information orally in appropriate ways (e.g., succinctly, with proper grammar) for diverse purposes and in diverse settings. The student usually obtains and conveys information appropriately in electronic formats.

Adequacy in Effective Communication: The student often understands and responds appropriately to written products of various kinds (e.g., textbooks, assignment directions, regulations), published and unpublished, for diverse purposes (e.g., in role of student, in role of teacher) and in diverse settings, but experiences difficulties at times. The student often produces appropriately written products of sufficient quality for diverse purposes and in diverse settings, but experiences some difficulties at times. The student often understands and responds appropriately to oral communications of various kinds in diverse settings for diverse purposes, but experiences some difficulties at times. The student often conveys information orally in appropriate ways (e.g., succinctly, with proper grammar) for diverse purposes and in diverse settings, but experiences some difficulties at times. The student often obtains and conveys information appropriately in electronic formats, but experiences some difficulties at times.

Limited in Effective Communication: The student at times understands and responds appropriately to written products of various kinds (e.g., textbooks, assignment directions, regulations), published and unpublished, for diverse purposes (e.g., in role of student, in role of teacher) and in diverse settings, but often experiences difficulties with this. The student at times produces appropriately written products of sufficient quality for diverse purposes and in diverse settings, but often experiences difficulties with this. The student at times understands and responds appropriately to oral communications of various kinds in diverse settings for diverse purposes, but often experiences difficulties with this. The student at times conveys information orally in appropriate ways (e.g., succinctly, with proper grammar) for diverse purposes and in diverse settings, but often experiences difficulties with this. The student at times obtains and conveys information appropriately in electronic formats, but often experiences difficulties with this.