Standard 1

Element 2: Content Knowledge for Other Professional School Personnel (OPSP)

The KSDE/NCATE protocol requires that programs submit standards-based reports to the state for approval. SPA approval is not required for program approval, nor is it required for unit accreditation. However, in most cases, state standards are based upon those of the various learned societies. KSDE program reports on KU’s programs are available at http://soe.ku.edu/ncate/program-reports. The unit offers four OPSP programs—Educational Administration at the building level, Educational Administration at the district level, School Psychologist, and Reading Specialist. The Conceptual Framework themes of Research and Best Practice, Content and Pedagogical Knowledge, and Professionalism are reflected in each program.

To be admitted to an OPSP program, candidates must have completed state approved programs. Candidates are admitted to three of these four programs as licensed teachers. As such, they have already been judged professionally competent by KSDE (or in some cases the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education—DESE). They have also been judged to be academically competent by the University’s graduate school, based upon their prior performances. The fourth OPSP program—School Psychology—is accredited by NASP, and it is among the most selective of all of the unit’s programs. To be admitted, applicants must also have satisfactory recommendation letters and high faculty ratings on their Statement of Purpose for Graduate Work. Admission standards for all OPSP programs can be found at the following: School Psychology - http://soe.ku.edu/pre/admissions.php, Reading Specialist - http://soe.ku.edu/ct/admissions.php, Educational Administration (building and district) - http://soe.ku.edu/elps/edadmin/.

Each OPSP program in the unit is required to have at least eight assessments on candidates in its program assessment plan. At least four of the assessments measure content knowledge mastery. The first assessment is the appropriate PRAXIS II content exam, the second is course grades on content courses, the third is a summative assessment of candidate performance in field experiences/internships, and the fourth is a comprehensive exam. The PRAXIS II became a licensure requirement in Kansas in 2005-06. All OPSP candidates who took the test in that year passed.

The following bullets provide additional information concerning the unit’s four OPSP programs.

• Reading Specialist. Practicing teachers are eligible to apply for the Reading Specialist endorsement. The state program standards are modeled after those of the International Reading Association. All reading coursework and field experiences can be imbedded in the master’s degree program in Curriculum and Teaching. Successful completion of the program, two years of successful teaching experience, and passing scores on the PRAXIS II content examination for Reading Specialist are required for the endorsement. The unit recommended 11 candidates for endorsements in FY 2005.
• Building-level Educational Administration. This masters-level program, preparing principals, requires candidates to have teaching licenses. Candidates complete approved programs that have state standards that are modeled after the Educational Leadership Constituent Council’s (ELCC) Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Leadership. Program completers pass the appropriate PRAXIS II content test and have master’s degrees. A requirement for conferral of the degree is an examination (written and/or oral), scored by members of the graduate faculty in educational administration.
• District-level Educational Leadership. This Doctoral-level program, preparing superintendents, requires candidates to have master’s degrees. The state’s standards are also modeled after ELCC’s work. Program completers have yearlong internships, pass their doctoral comprehensive examinations, and are successful on the PRAXIS II content test.

ELCC standards cannot be categorized only under the element of “content knowledge,” or “professional and pedagogical knowledge,” or “student learning.” An example of a standard that has aspects of all three elements is, “The district level administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by assuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.” The internship assessment rubric for candidates in this program assigns candidates to one of three levels of competency. Among the spring 2006 completers, only one (of 12) achieved at Level One—“The candidate understands the basic management tasks essential for creating and maintaining a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment but does not indicate a clear understanding of the specific role of the district leader in creating the systems that are required.” The other 11 clearly met the standard’s expectations for content knowledge. Remediation is required for candidate 12.


• School Psychology. The education specialist-level licensure program is accredited by NASP. A Ph.D. program in school psychology is also available and is accredited by both NASP and APA. Admission is highly competitive, and job placement rates are 100 percent. One of the NASP standards relates to diversity, one to technology, and one to research; the other nine clearly relate to content, professional, and pedagogical knowledge.

All candidates who are recommended for licensure in these advanced programs were admitted into competitive programs, have met rigorous academic standards, have completed research courses and comprehensive examinations appropriate to the degree programs that they finish, and have passed state licensing exams as appropriate. All licensure and endorsement programs require practicum or internship experiences.