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Unit Assessment System Development Overview. The unit faculty believes that assessment is not just an accreditation issue. Having a systematic way of assessing programs not only addresses accreditation; it serves the unit well by informing staff about program quality and about any needed changes. The primary goals of the unit assessment system are comprehensive enough to: 1) measure content and pedagogical knowledge/skills and dispositions of students as they are admitted to the unit’s programs; 2) measure student status in these areas at major transition points; 3) measure student success at the end of their first and fourth years of experience as practicing professionals or, in the case of advanced candidates, one and four years after they receive their advanced degrees; and 4) evaluate the effectiveness of programs and the unit as a whole. To that end, the unit—
Assessment system development work was undertaken in four phases.
Program Assessment System Development Overview. Program assessment systems are organized around four transition points: admission, knowledge acquisition, field experience, and exit. (In some advanced programs, in which students are engaged in practicums and internships throughout the program, transitions are more fluid.) Each program area determines what performance-based evidence of the knowledge and skills proficiencies of its teacher candidates to collect, relative to standards included in the Teacher Education and Licensure (TEAL) Regulations and Teaching Standards for Kansas Educators, national standards, and transition points. Once the determinations are made, each program area develops a program assessment plan that describes how and when assessment information is collected and analyzed, for which transition point each assessment is used, and to which TEAL standards each assessment aligns.
All programs collect and report candidate information, program completer information, and faculty information to the unit. All programs also provide the unit with data from a minimum of eight assessments from the program assessment plan, the type or form of each assessment, and when the assessment is administered as well as rubrics, scoring guides, or other criteria used to measure candidate progress. The unit requires that four assessments be included in each initial program assessment plan: ETS PRAXIS scores (PRAXIS II Content and PLT), Summative Assessment ratings, Lesson or Unit Plan ratings, and Practice KPA ratings. Most programs also use course grades and teaching portfolio ratings in their assessment systems. Advanced program assessments are more diverse, but they all require research and field experiences (internship and/or practicum), which are scored with rubrics; and all but one require the PRAXIS II. (There is no PRAXIS II for Gifted at the advanced level.) Most advanced programs also use competency examinations and course grades in their assessment systems. Each assessment is described later in this section.
Programs use multiple sources of data at each transition point to assess an individual candidate's proficiencies. This collection of data is then used to make admission decisions, to track candidates' progress, and to make licensure decisions.
Relationship of Program Assessments to the Unit Assessment System. The unit assessment system is also organized around four transition points and is based on state and national standards. It is designed to evaluate overall program and unit quality. Since program assessments alone cannot provide convincing evidence of the quality of the unit, a variety of forms of assessments (e.g., student self-reports, employer feedback, faculty evaluations, personnel data, resource evaluations) supplement the data from program assessments and are used to provide a composite view upon which to assess the quality of graduates and to predict their success as early career practitioners. The Kansas Performance Assessment (KPA), completed by candidates within the first two years after completing the program, will be added to the myriad of assessments when data are available and will be key to evaluating the readiness of graduates for their professional careers and the adequacy and validity of current assessments.
Personnel information collected in the system includes demographic data about all unit faculty and staff, performance reviews, promotion and tenure decision data, vitae, and data from course evaluations. It also includes the same data for clinical supervisors (school- or district-based faculty who oversee the candidates’ student teaching, internship, and practicum experiences). Resource data include data on budget, technology, and facilities.
Oversight of Assessment System Development and Revision. Changes in staffing since the 2002-2003 academic year have led to changes in the unit’s governance structure, leading to changes in the program and unit assessment system process. Prior to the fall of 2006, program area coordination committees developed program assessment systems and had their chairs sign off on the systems. Assessment data from each program area were entered into one of the unit’s applications (e.g., STARS), but there were only general guidelines about what data to report and how to report it. Program assessment plans were not shared with a unit-wide committee. Therefore, unit assessments were selected without thorough knowledge by unit administrative staff or by the Teacher Education Committee (TEC) of what was collected in each program area.
In the 2006-07 academic year, the assessment sub-committee of the TEC, chaired by the assessment coordinator, will develop more specific guidelines for the program and unit assessment systems. Once the guidelines are approved by TEC, the guidelines will be shared with program area coordination committees. These committees will still select and/or develop program assessments for each transition point, assessment timelines, and passing ratings/scores for each assessment for their assessment plans and send the plans to their chairs. However, they will do so with direction from new guidelines. Once approved by the chair, the program assessment systems will be implemented. The assessment coordinator will work with TEC to gain an understanding of all program assessment systems, establish unit transition points, integrate program assessments into the unit assessment system, and add other assessments to the unit assessment system as needed.
One of the tasks of the assessment coordinator is to advise the program coordination committees and TEC as they set the transition points and resulting assessments, and determine how and when results from the assessments will be submitted, analyzed, and disseminated. The Administrative Council, because of its role in accountability and in data-based decision making, is advisory to the various committees and to the assessment coordinator throughout the process.
Once the program area and unit assessments plans are approved and implemented, changes can only be made during formal annual reviews. Assessment system changes generally originate from faculty and staff, and are based on a review of assessment data, recent research, and changes in regulations and/or standards. Faculty and staff must provide a rationale for any changes to the system. If the recommendation is for a significant change to one or more program areas (e.g., change in curricula or course sequence), it must be approved by the School Assembly.
Figure 2.1: Unit Assessment System Development/Revision
It is the responsibility of program area coordination committee members to make faculty aware of the assessment plan for the program area; it is the responsibility of the assessment coordinator to make all staff and faculty in the unit aware of the unit assessment plan. The assessment coordinator must:
Relationship of Unit Assessment System to Conceptual Framework: The primary mission of the School of Education is to prepare Educators as Leaders, as stated in the School Code. Within the University, the School of Education serves Kansas, the nation, and the world by (1) preparing individuals to be leaders and practitioners in education and related human service fields, (2) expanding and deepening understanding of education as a fundamental human endeavor, and (3) helping society define and respond to its educational responsibilities and challenges. The components of preparing educators as leaders that frame this mission for the initial and advanced programs are Research and Best Practice, Content and Pedagogical Knowledge, and Professionalism.
Initial Programs Assessments. Assessment in the various programs is decentralized to some degree, with coordination committees in the various program areas making decisions on using various direct and indirect measures. The committees consider the Conceptual Framework as well as state and professional standards and, beginning with the 2006-07 academic year, unit assessment guidelines when developing their assessment systems.
The initial teacher education program includes multiple opportunities to assess the developing teaching practice of the candidates. The candidates participate in field experiences in courses throughout the teacher preparation program, beginning with T&L 100 (often during the freshman year) and ending with the internship during the last semester of their professional year. T&L 100 requires a minimum of eight hours of observation in a K-12 setting where candidates work directly with students and teachers in educational activities. Candidates receive an urban experience through the Multicultural Education class (T&L 325). Students are asked to write an essay about their experiences in these areas when they apply for admission to the unit. The essay rating is one measure used in making admission decisions. Thus, the field experiences in these courses impact directly on the candidate’s preparation for admission into the School of Education.
After admission to the professional teacher preparation program, each program area offers a series of graduated and focused field experiences that commonly include classroom observation, work as tutors and classroom assistants, small-group instruction, collaborative teaching, and teaching large group lessons. During the professional year, candidates spend six weeks student teaching (eight weeks in 2006-2007) with a licensed professional teacher during the fall semester. In the spring semester, candidates spend 12 weeks as a student intern with a licensed professional teacher. Observation feedback forms and face-to-face feedback are used by clinical and university supervisors throughout the program. However, the two assessments that are most comprehensive in assessing the teaching practice of the candidates are the Summative Assessment forms completed by their clinical and university supervisors at the end of the student teaching experiences during the fall of their professional year and at the end of the internship during the spring of the professional year. Graduate Licensure Program (GLP) candidates participate in one 13-week student teaching experience and the same process and forms are used to provide observation feedback.
Initial program areas use the PRAXIS II, PLT, Summative Assessments, Action Research/Practice KPA, and content-related course grades in their systems, which allows assessment aggregation across programs. Each program area must use eight or more assessments to evaluate programs and monitor candidate performance. In addition, students applying for admission must pass the PPST and the GPA (cumulative, core, and in major) requirements. They must also have documented hours of experience working with children; and they must have acceptable recommendation letters and essays related to those experiences. Once they are admitted, they are assigned to an advisor who explains the requirements of the program and monitors the candidate’s progress. Required and most frequently used assessments in initial program assessment plans are described below.
The PRAXIS II Content Exam is a multiple choice test that covers important content in the various program areas. The exam is required by KSDE to align with state teaching standards. Examinees have completed a bachelor’s degree program in education and completed the professional year, which includes graduate coursework and student teaching and internship experiences. Test questions cover the breadth of material a new teacher needs to know and assess knowledge of both principles and processes. Some questions assess basic understanding of curriculum planning, instructional design, and assessment of student learning. Many questions pose particular problems that teachers might routinely face in the classroom, and many are based on authentic examples of student work. Although some questions concern general issues, most questions are set in the context of the subject matters taught in school.
The Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) assessment is required by KSDE and aligns with and contributes to the assessment of all of the pedagogy-related standards. The PLT is designed to assess a beginning teacher’s knowledge of a variety of job-related criteria. Such knowledge is typically obtained in undergraduate preparation in areas such as educational psychology, human growth and development, classroom management, instructional design and delivery techniques, evaluation and assessment, and other professional preparation. The test includes four case histories, each presenting a particular teaching situation. For each case history, the examinee responds to three short-answer questions related to the teaching situation described in the case history. Questions may require the examinee to do any of the following: demonstrate understanding of the importance of an aspect of teaching, demonstrate understanding of the principles of learning and teaching underlying an aspect of teaching, or recognize when and how to apply the principles of learning and teaching underlying an aspect of teaching.
Summative Assessments (also used formatively) are completed by one or more (depending on the candidate’s number of teaching area majors/minors) clinical and university supervisors during a candidate’s student teaching and internship experiences. Students are expected to participate as teaching professionals in the school setting, gradually assuming more responsibility for teaching. During the field experiences, the candidates are observed in the classroom by the supervisors on at least two different occasions, at which time Summative Assessment forms are completed. The Summative Assessment was designed by the KU teacher education faculty to align directly with the 13 Kansas professional education standards and compare the quality of teaching across levels and subject areas. Candidates must receive a rating of satisfactory performance to receive a "C" or better in the course and to be recommended for licensure. If a candidate receives an unsatisfactory grade on the Summative Assessment, the student must repeat the experience and receive a satisfactory mark to complete the approved program.
An Action Research Project/Practice KPA is completed during the professional year. For the project, the candidate is to examine an aspect of curriculum, instruction, or assessment that would impact student learning. The project requires candidates to conduct a study of teaching and learning during their student teaching and then develop a 15-page paper (minimum) that includes:
Candidates learn about the KPA in their pedagogy courses during the 10 weeks in the fall semester of the professional year following student teaching and in the 2 weeks of intensive instruction prior to their internship in the spring semester of the professional year. They obtain information about the context of their teaching assignment for their spring internship and use that information to develop a draft of the first sections of the KPA report. (Candidate ratings on the KPA will be compared to practice KPA ratings as soon as KPA data are available.) Candidates must submit a satisfactory practice KPA to receive a "C" or above for T&L 738 (Applied Research in the Classroom) and to be recommended for licensure. The KPA rubric is used to score the practice KPA.
Teaching portfolios assess the candidates’ ability to construct and deliver an instructional unit; align the unit’s objectives to the state standards; construct meaningful student assessments and use assessment results to modify instruction; modify instruction according to the needs of diverse learners; and reflect on what they learned through delivering the unit. They are often the culminating assignment for methods courses.
The PRAXIS I Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) is a general assessment of the candidate’s writing, reading, and mathematics knowledge and is used to determine if a student is ready to be admitted to the unit as a teacher education candidate.
Inquiry-Based Unit Plans require candidates to demonstrate their ability to plan instruction. In many cases, candidates must develop an inquiry based unit plan that will last for three to six weeks and will be implemented during the candidate’s internship. The instructor expects a candidate to use the textbook or instructional materials provided by the clinical supervisor in the unit. The instructor expects that the candidate will adapt and enrich the core materials as necessary to produce a solid unit plan. The candidate is to videotape the unit, post multiple reflections about the implementation of the unit on the course BlackBoard site, and collect examples of student work. The unit must identify and describe at least one special needs student; provide a detailed plan of accommodations to instruction, learning activities, and assessment made for the student; include content enhancement tools used to accommodate the instruction (e.g., content mastery routine, content comparison routine, anchoring routine); and, include an assessment plan, linked to the unit outcomes.
Course grades in the content courses required for each program area are used as a primary means to assess content knowledge and preparation of the candidates. When a single course addresses a particular standard, the grade point average of all students taking that course provides a measure of academic achievement of the content. For instances where more than one course includes content that addresses a particular standard, the cumulative grade point average is provided for the set of courses associated with the specific standard.
Candidate GPAs before admission to the unit are important to the unit assessment system. Candidates study for two years in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, a separate organizational entity that provides programs of study in the basic and liberal arts that constitute the foundations of general education. Study in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also provides candidates with the beginnings of subject matter mastery. Each of the licensure programs requires candidates to have a solid grounding in the content areas appropriate for that licensure, including courses in language/literature, mathematics, science and social science. Candidates typically complete the majority of their liberal education coursework before applying for admission into the licensure programs and are among the higher achieving students before they even begin teacher education studies.
An Assessment of Professional Dispositions Survey pilot was conducted during the 2005-2006 academic year. The survey was developed internally to measure Research and Best Practice, Content and Pedagogical Knowledge, and Professionalism. The instrument was not as robust as desired and will be modified before the next administration.
Advanced Programs Assessments. Candidate assessments in advanced programs are more diverse than those for initial programs. Each candidate is assigned an advisor, who works with a candidate to develop a program plan and clarify requirements. Before admission to an advanced program, candidates must meet GPA and degree requirements as well as any assessment requirements of the program area. Each advanced program requires satisfactory completion of at least one practicum or internship, achieving the required GPA, and satisfactory completion of program competency exams and/or a thesis or dissertation.
Candidate GPAs in undergraduate work are important to admission decisions. They have been found to be good predictors of success in graduate work.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) measures overall academic ability in the following areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing. The skills measured have been acquired over a student’s educational career and are not related to a specific field of study. Scores are used for admission decisions.
The Miller’s Analogies Test (MAT) is a high-level mental ability test requiring the solution of problems stated as analogies. It is designed to reflect a candidate’s analytical thinking abilities. Scores are used for admission decisions.
The PRAXIS II Content Exam is a multiple choice test that covers important content in the various program areas. The exam is required by KSDE to align with state standards. Most examinees have completed a graduate degree program in education. Test questions cover a breadth of material and assess knowledge of both principles and processes.
Summative Assessments (also used formatively) are completed by one or more clinical supervisors/mentors and university supervisors during a candidate’s practicum and/or internship experiences. Students are expected to participate as professionals in the school setting, gradually assuming more responsibility. During the field experiences, the candidates are observed by the supervisors on at least two different occasions, at which time Summative Assessment forms are completed. The Summative Assessments for advanced programs are based on program area standards, and each has its own rubric to assist with scoring. Candidates must receive a rating of satisfactory performance to receive a "C" or better in the course and to be recommended for licensure. If a candidate receives an unsatisfactory grade on the Summative Assessment, the student must repeat the experience and receive a satisfactory mark to complete the approved program.
Course grades in the courses required for each program area are used as a primary means to assess content knowledge and preparation of the candidates. When a single course addresses a particular standard, the grade point average of all students taking that course provides a measure of academic achievement of the content. For those instances where more than one course includes content that addresses a particular standard, the cumulative grade point average is provided for the set of courses associated with the specific standard.
Comprehensive examinations test the candidate's knowledge of their course work; the ability to reason, evaluate and draw supportable conclusions within the context of the subject area; and knowledge of current issues and trends within the subject field as documented in the contemporary literature. They are normally given at the end of the candidate’s course work.
A culminating research activity is required for all candidates in advanced degree programs. There are three options at the master's level: thesis with oral examination, master’s research project with oral examination, or written comprehensive examination on a longer academic program. Specialist candidates complete a research project. Doctoral candidates complete a dissertation. The dissertation's purpose is to study one administrative problem or specialty in depth. The student is expected to generate or clarify knowledge in a specialized field and contribute to resolving important problems or questions within the field of educational leadership.
Additional Unit Assessment System Components/Practices. Additional data in the unit assessment system include survey data from candidates (Educational Benchmarking Inventory, Undergraduate Satisfaction Survey, Fifth Year Student Survey, and Graduate Candidate Survey), graduates (Graduate Survey), and employers (KU Employer Survey); course evaluations (C&I Survey) completed by candidates; graduate licensure and placement data; unit personnel data; and unit operations data. The data are summarized by the assessment coordinator and provided to program area and unit faculty and staff.
Assessments are embedded and conducted on a continuing basis for use in advising individual candidates and strengthening the courses and experiences offered by the unit. The assessment system helps candidates learn, because candidates receive frequent, specific feedback; and it helps faculty and the unit understand more about student learning and success after graduation so that programs can be improved.
The unit is constantly working to broaden and refine the unit assessment system. New developments in the last two years include—
Fairness, Validity, and Reliability. To assure validity, the items in assessment instruments are linked directly to the standards. Reliability of ratings for such things as the application folio and unit/program-developed assessments is assured through careful training of faculty raters, who review the candidates’ application materials and the subsequent standard scores that are run on all applicants’ initial ratings. As stated previously, assessments are also validated through information gained from graduate surveys, from employer surveys, and soon from Kansas Performance Assessments. Faculty receive training on assessment best practice and on unit assessment rubrics to increase reliability and to minimize bias. Candidate data, disaggregated by important demographic variables, are analyzed to detect possible bias. Multiple assessments are used to make important decisions about candidates, and multiple professionals make those decisions.
All candidates are provided with specific feedback and are ensured they have the opportunity to revise sub-standard work until it meets an acceptable level. If a candidate does not complete a benchmark assignment at a passing level, that candidate is advised or required to redo the assignment; and, in some cases, the candidate is not allowed to advance in the program until assignments are satisfactory.
The faculty advisor, along with the Undergraduate Records office, reviews each candidate’s Academic Records Tracking System (ARTS) form each semester to monitor performance in education courses and progress completing academic content requirements. A passing grade (C or better) in education courses ensures the candidate has completed benchmark assignments at an appropriate level and has passed all co-requisite field-based experiences. All candidates are required to have a graduation check to confirm that grade point averages, course work, and associated assessment requirements have been met.
Concerted efforts are made to maintain an accurate database of program completers. The database is used to validate the accuracy of program assessments in the following ways:
The KSDE data and survey data are compared to unit assessment results to identify possible inconsistencies in results, possible gaps in program assessment systems, and possible gaps in the unit assessment system.
Use of Assessments: The graphics on the following pages help illustrate how the assessments described above are used. The first page shows initial program assessments and the second shows advanced program assessments.
Transition Point Overview. Transition for most initial program candidates is a very fluid process, as 77 percent of them matriculate through the integrated extended five-year program: Admission at the junior level, professional knowledge acquisition during the junior and senior years culminating in the awarding of the bachelor’s degree, admission to graduate school and the professional year for field-based work in year five, and summative assessments leading to recommendation for licensure at the end of year five. In the four-year programs in health/physical education and music, formal admission begins in the junior year, the knowledge component is in the junior and first semester of the senior year, the field-based component in the second semester of the senior year. Culminating assessments lead to program completion.
Initial Program Transition 1—Admission. Admission is the first transition point and occurs when a student expresses interest in a program, applies for formal acceptance, and may begin to take course work. For the initial programs, all deferred (non-admitted) students are provided opportunities to be counseled about choices and future plans.
Candidates are admitted to the traditional Teacher Education Program once a year for the following academic year. For admission, the applicant must--
Ratings from these activities help determine admission. Not all students who meet the minimal admission requirements are admitted.
Candidates are admitted into the Graduate Licensure Program (GLP) in mathematics, science, and foreign language each semester. All students who apply for admission to the GLP program must meet the following minimum requirements:
Initial Program Transition 2—Knowledge. A Knowledge Component is the second transition point and covers the period of time in which the candidate gains the professional knowledge and co-requisite field-based experiences. In each program there are multiple data sources used to track candidate academic progress.
Retention in the program from the period of admission until completion of the B.S.E. degree requires that the candidate maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in the teaching field and a minimum of a 2.75 overall. Candidates whose cumulative grade-point averages are below 2.5 at the end of any semester are placed on academic probation. If at the end of the following semester (spring or fall) the cumulative grade-point average is not 2.5 or above, the candidate is dismissed from the unit. Those candidates are dropped from all courses for the next semester and required to complete a Change of School form to enroll. They are not allowed to enroll in any courses restricted to unit candidates until they are reinstated. Candidates admitted provisionally who don't fulfill specified criteria for admission revert to the School in which they were previously enrolled. In these cases, only courses restricted for unit candidates are dropped from the schedule. Within one year of dismissal, if the cumulative grade-point average is at least 2.5, candidates are readmitted to the program to which they had been admitted. After one year, candidates who wish to follow the program to which they had been admitted must submit a petition to the undergraduate associate dean. If the petition is denied, the candidate must follow the current program (if different from the one to which they had been admitted).
Initial Program Transition 3—Field Experience. A Field Based Component is the third transition point and refers to the period in which candidates are immersed in the field in a supervised experience. These may be one semester or two semester experiences of student teaching, internship, practicum, or clinical experience—depending upon the program of study. Often this field component serves as a candidate’s capstone experience. During this experience, multiple assessments are used to ensure candidates can demonstrate proficiency and satisfy each standard associated with this experience.
Depending upon the capstone experience, each candidate is formally observed by a university supervisor and in an ongoing manner by the clinical supervisor. After each observation, all candidates meet with their university supervisor and clinical supervisor to discuss the strengths and areas needing improvement. At the end of the student teaching and the internship, the university supervisor provides written feedback on the Summative Assessment.
Candidates in the traditional five-year programs must successfully complete the B.S.E. degree with an approved program of at least 124 hours and then be accepted into the Graduate School before beginning the field experience. The minimum grade point average for regular admission is 3.0. The minimum for probationary admission is 2.75. Additionally, candidates must apply, be accepted, and successfully complete a student teaching assignment. Admission to student teaching requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 in the teaching field, a minimum overall grade-point average of 2.75, no grade lower than a C in any course in professional education, and completion of appropriate methods courses in the teaching field. Students must complete student teaching with a grade of C or higher to continue with their internship. Additionally, candidates must successfully complete the academic requirements in courses taken in the second half of the first semester of the professional year. During the spring semester, candidates must complete the internship with a grade of C or higher and successfully complete the coursework, teaching portfolio, and practice KPA requirements taken in concert with the internship in order to be recommended for licensure.
Candidates in the Graduate Licensure Program (GLP) must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to remain in the program. The candidates must also apply, be accepted, and successfully complete a 12-week student teaching assignment. Students must complete student teaching with a grade of C or higher and successfully complete assignments as part of the student teaching course (e.g., teaching portfolio and practice KPA) to be recommended for licensure.
Initial Program Transition 4—Exit from Program. Candidates in the traditional five-year program who successfully complete the professional year sequence exit the teacher preparation program with a B.S.E. and 15 hours toward a M.S. degree in curriculum and instruction. Candidates who successfully complete the professional year and receive a passing score on the PLT and the appropriate content area PRAXIS II meet the requirements for teacher licensure in the State of Kansas.
Candidates who successfully complete the GLP earn as many as 29 graduate credits toward a M. S. degree in curriculum and instruction. Candidates who successfully complete the Graduate Licensure Program and produce a passing score on the PLT and the appropriate content area PRAXIS II meet the requirements for teacher licensure in the State of Kansas.
Advanced Program Transition 1—Admission. Admission has two main requirements. First, candidates have to apply and be accepted into the university’s graduate school. Generally, acceptance requirements include an adequate cumulative grade point average, recommendations, a Bachelors degree in an appropriate field from an accredited institution, and—in some programs—acceptable scores on standard measures, most commonly the Graduate Record Examination and Miller’s Analogies Test.
Admission to graduate school does not mean that a potential candidate is admitted to a degree program in the unit. Degree program admission requirements and processes are above and beyond graduate school admission requirements. Program admission decisions are made by faculty at the academic department level, based on the following.
Advanced Program Transition 2—Knowledge. In the advanced programs, this transition point refers to capstone assessments that satisfy requirement for the master’s degree, doctorate, added endorsement, or licensure. All advanced candidates must successfully complete comprehensive exams—written, oral or both. Candidates must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or greater.
Advanced Program Transition 3—Field Experience. Each candidate is formally observed by a university supervisor and in an ongoing manner by the clinical supervisor during practicum and/ or internship experiences. After each observation, all candidates meet with their university and/or clinical supervisor to discuss strengths and areas needing improvement. A satisfactory rating on the supervisor completed summative assessment is needed to complete field experience.
Advanced Program Transition 4—Exit. Program exit occurs when candidates successfully complete transition 4 requirements, which include appropriate research experiences and, in many cases, the state required PRAXIS II examination. Recommendations for licensure occur after these academic and state-mandated standard measure requirements are met.
