Standard 19: The unit must monitor each candidate's attainment of content and pedagogical knowledge and skills as required by parts 8710.2000 to 8710.8080, enactment of unit-determined professional dispositions, and progress toward completing the program by assessing each candidate:

 (2) through multiple assessments implemented throughout the program.

B.  Multiple Assessments Related to Pedagogical Standards of Effective Practice

 1. Signature assessments stated in PERCA that show alignment with SEPs

Required EDU and content methods courses in each licensure program have identified key assessments related to the SEPs as stated in EPPAS and in course syllabi. Teacher candidates complete assessments in their EDU courses and submit these key assignments in TaskStream where instructors assess candidates’ submissions using rubrics aligned with SEPs.

2. Course grades

Teacher candidates also have the opportunity to demonstrate attainment of required standards of pedagogical knowledge and skills in their required EDU courses and content methods courses by earning a grade of C or higher. These courses are aligned with SEPs as detailed in EPPAS and course syllabi. Course grades are monitored by faculty advisors by reviewing candidates’ transcripts and DARS reports.

3. EDU 450 Advanced Practicum Assessment of SEP Standards 2-10

Attainment of pedagogical knowledge and skills are formatively and formally assessed during the Advanced Urban Teaching Practicum (EDU 450) by cooperating teachers. Candidates’ scores on their overall evaluation related to all 10 SEPs are monitored by the EDU 450 instructor who is UED’s Director of Field Experiences.

4. Student teaching evaluations of SEP Standards 2-10

During student teaching, candidates are assessed for their attainment of required pedagogical knowledge and skills during at least 10 lesson observations and an overall evaluation completed in total by their cooperating teacher and university supervisor. They report any concerns about candidate pedagogical knowledge and skills to the Director of Field Experience. 

5. MTLE Pedagogy Exam

Candidates must attempt the MTLE pedagogy exam before student teaching and must pass the MTLE pedagogy exam for their fields prior to being recommended for Tier 3 licensure. 

6. edTPA Task 1, 2 and 3

Candidates attainment of licensure standards for pedagogical knowledge and skills is also assessed and monitored through Rubrics 2-15 for Tasks 1, 2 and 3 of the edTPA that they complete during student teaching.

C. Assessing Enactment of Unit-determined Professional Dispositions

The UED faculty, staff and stakeholders have identified dispositions that are important for UED teacher candidates and graduates to possess. As described below, the UED has multiple assessments of the professional dispositions expected of urban teacher candidates, including:

1.    Unit/Program Admission Criteria. A prospective teacher candidate must submit an essay and two recommendation letters as part of the requirements for admission. One recommendation must come from a college or university instructor and another from someone supervising or familiar with the prospective candidate’s field experience. The essay and recommendation forms include the following dispositions as admission criteria for admission:

• Commitment to teaching in an urban setting;
• Understanding of and respect for diverse urban learners and their communities; and
• Professional conduct for having positive interactions with urban youth, families, and educators.

In addition to these admission criteria, recommendation forms ask to assess candidates regarding their intellectual curiosity, passion or enthusiasm for the subject being studied or taught, willingness to put forth extra effort, dependability, and resiliency.

2.  EDU 311 Urban Teaching Practicum Overall Assessment. Part of the overall assessment by the cooperating teacher is assessing the candidate’s enactment of dispositions using the UED Urban Teacher Candidate Dispositions Assessment form. This completed form is uploaded in TaskStream, and monitored by the Director of Field Experiences who is the instructor for EDU 311.

3.    EDU 450 Urban Teaching Practicum Overall Assessment. Part of the overall assessment by the cooperating teacher is assessing the candidate’s enactment of dispositions using the UED Urban Teacher Candidate Dispositions Assessment form. This completed form is uploaded in TaskStream, and monitored by the Director of Field Experiences who is the instructor for EDU 450.

4.    Student Teaching Overall Assessment.  Part of the overall assessments by the cooperating teacher and university supervisor involves assessing the student teacher’s enactment of dispositions using the UED Urban Teacher Candidate Dispositions Assessment form. As shown in Figure 19.2, this completed form is uploaded in TaskStream, and monitored by the Director of Field Experiences.

Figure 19.2 TaskStream Screenshot of Disposition Assessment in Student Teaching

The comprehensive UED Professional Dispositions Assessment Form and the one-page UTP Assessment of Teacher Candidate Professional Conduct form are also available for faculty and staff to complete when they want to provide feedback (positive or concerns) about a candidate's dispositions, behavior or skills at any point throughout the program. If an instructor identifies a dispositional issue with a candidate, it is brought to the attention of their UED advisor. The UED Admissions or Advising Committee then discusses the issue as part of a standing agenda item of “Candidate Issues and Concerns”. If the concern is deemed so serious or has potential consequences so grave, the committee meets with the candidate and creates a Professional Development Plan to help the candidate demonstrate meeting disposition requirements by a certain date.