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:

(1) at a minimum of three identified checkpoints, including at entry, midpoint through the program, and at exit; 

The UED intentionally monitors and assesses student’s attainment of content and pedagogy standards for their licensure area, as well as their enactment of UED professional dispositions. These checkpoints take place during what the UED calls UTP Progress Check #1, UTP Progress Check #2, and at the end of student teaching.

  i) UTP Progress Check #1

Once a student is fully admitted into the Urban Teacher Program and is taking the Urban Teaching Practicum and Seminar (EDU 311) course within their first two semesters, one of the requirements to pass EDU 311 is that a candidate must meet with their faculty advisor to complete Progress Check #1. A major topic on the standardized agenda is review of the candidate’s transcript and DARS and updating their Course Completion Worksheet that shows on one page what required, standards-based content and pedagogy courses have been completed and which remain. Candidates must do more than pass courses with a D, they must earn at least a C- in content courses and at least a C in pedagogy courses. Furthermore, among the list of topics to cover includes item #10 which asks whether or not the candidate is satisfactorily meeting licensure standards as determined by course-based signature assessments in TaskStream.

A separate form from their cooperating teacher assessing the candidate’s enactment of dispositions is uploaded in TaskStream, and monitored by the Director of Field Experiences who serves as the instructor for  EDU 311. If a student is not satisfactorily meeting standards for content and pedagogical knowledge and skills or for UED dispositions, then the advisor creates a Professional Development Plan for the student and may bring the student’s case with draft PDP to an ad-hoc student intervention team in the UED.

 ii) UTP Progress Check #2

Midpoint during their studies but no later than one or two semesters prior to student teaching, candidates must successfully complete the Advanced Urban Teaching Practicum and Seminar (EDU 450). In order to be allowed to student teach and to pass EDU 450, all candidates must meet with their faculty advisor to complete Progress Check #2: Assessing Readiness for Student Teaching. Part of this Progress Check #2 is assessing whether candidates are making satisfactory progress in meeting each of the ten Standards of Effective Practice (SEPs), including Standard 1: Subject Matter and pedagogical standards 2-10 as assessed in TaskStream through signature assignments in their courses. Their course Completion Worksheet is also updated that shows on one page what required, standards-based content and pedagogy courses have been successfully completed and which remain. Candidates must do more than pass courses with a D, they must earn at least a C- in content courses and at least a C in pedagogy courses.

Each candidate is formally observed teaching at least three whole group lessons using an observation form based on all ten Standards of Effective Practice (SEPs), including Standard 1: Subject Matter and pedagogical standards 2-10. An Overall Evaluation of their advanced practicum performance is completed by their cooperating teacher when assessing  content knowledge and pedagogical skills based on the 10 SEPs as well as the candidate’s enactment of UED-defined dispositions for urban teachers. These forms are uploaded in TaskStream, and monitored by the Director of Field Experiences who serves as the instructor for EDU 450. A teacher candidate must be meeting content, pedagogy and dispositional standards and expectations to be recommended to proceed to student teaching.

 iii) Student Teaching

All student teacher candidates are formatively assessed during each of 10 total observations by their cooperating teacher and university supervisor using a form that is aligned with all 10 SEPs. The summative Overall Evaluation of Student Teaching involves both the cooperating teacher and university supervisor assessing candidate’s competence for all 10 SEPs based on a total of 10 lessons taught and observed. Ultimately, they decide whether or not the candidate has demonstrated attainment of the content knowledge and pedagogical skills, as expressed in licensure standards, needed to pass student teaching. Part of the overall assessment by the cooperating teacher and university supervisor is also assessing the candidate’s demonstration of dispositions for urban teachers.

These forms are all uploaded in TaskStream, and monitored by the Director of Field Experiences. If a candidate doesn’t demonstrate effectiveness/competence, then they don’t pass student teaching. Such students will receive either an incomplete or unsatisfactory grade and must agree to and complete a professional development plan (e.g., more practicum placement, support and practice in lesson planning and delivery, etc.) in order to be eligible to student teaching again.

Figure 19.1 Monitoring Student Teaching