Designing an Effective Process of Assessment in Your Program

Judy A. Abbott
Tracey C. Hasbun
Amanda M. Rudolph
Hayley C. Gillen
Purpose
 To share an example of an educator preparation
program assessment plan that focuses on
continuous improvement
 To share an example of using data to inform
program improvement (closing the loop)
 To share approaches to working with faculty and
students in an environment of accountability and
improvement
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The National Conversation
 Higher Education


American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. (2011). Transformations
in educator preparation: Effectiveness & accountability. Washington DC:
AACTE.
Darling-Hammond, Linda. (2000). Teacher quality & student achievement.
Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8(1):1-44. Retrieved from:
http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/392


DQC, AACTE, CCSSO, & NCATE. (2010). Leveraging state longitudinal data
systems to inform teacher preparation & continuous improvement. Washington,
DC: Data Quality Campaign.
Ewell, Peter T. (September, 2013). Principles for measures used in the CAEP
accreditation process. A paper presented at the CAEP Conference, Arlington, VA.
Retrieved from: http://caepnet.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/caep-measure-principles.pdf

Ewell, Peter T. (2009). Assessment, accountability, & improvement: Revisiting
the tension. Washington DC: National Center for Higher Education Management
Systems. Retrieved from:
http://www.learningoutcomeassessment.org/documents/PeterEwell_005.pdf
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The National Conversation,
cont.
 Educator Preparation
 Feuer, M.J., Floden, R.E., Chudowsky, N., & Ahn, J. (2013).
Evaluation of teacher preparation programs: Purposes,
methods, & policy options. Washington DC: National
Academy of Education. Retrieved from:
http://www.naeducation.org/xpedio/groups/naedsite/documents/webpage/naed_085581.pdf
 National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
(2010). Transforming teacher education through clinical
practice: A National Strategy for Prepare Effective Teachers.
Retrieved from: http://www.ncate.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=zzeiB1OoqPk%3d&tabid=715
 National Council on Teacher Quality. (2011). Student
teaching in the United States. Retrieved from
http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Student_Teaching_United_States_Executive_Summary_pdf &
http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Key_Ingredients_Strong_Student_Teaching_pdf
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History of our Assessment
 SACS accredited
 NCATE accredited since 1956
 College developed data management system in
FileMakerPro
 University adoption of TracDat for management of
PLOs and results
 College moved to LiveText in 2011
 University to adopt LiveText in Fall 2014
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Tools for the PCOE
TracDat
LiveText
Other
Systems
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Assessment System
 6 colleges in the university all connect to PCOE
 4 departments & one school
 27 undergraduate & graduate programs
 2 doctoral programs
 38 initial educator certifications & 8 advanced
 20+ sets of professional standards
 82+ sets of PLOs
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Process
•Fall Data Day
Early Fall •SACS Reports Due Oct. 15 (TracDat)
•CAOC Review of SACS Reports (TracDat)
Late Fall •Program & unit data entered by Dec. 31 (LiveText)
Spring
•SACS feedback to programs (via LiveText)
•Program & unit data entered by May 28 (LiveText)
• Compile assessment data in preparation for Fall
Data Day
Summer
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In LiveText
Spring 2014 Snapshot
 1090 course sections
 862 documents
 82 forms
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LiveText – Creating a Rubric –
Community Relations Plan
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LiveText – Creating an Assignment –
Community Relations Plan
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LiveText – Reporting – Community Relations
Plan – Spring 2012 & Fall 2013
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Faculty & Student Buy-In
 Faculty




Whole group introduction
Department/school overview
Program workshops
Individual coaching
 Student



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Whole group communication (letters, emails, webpages)
New student orientations & convocations
Course requirements
Individual support
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Process of Implementation
LiveText/SFA
• Phone
conferences
• Emails
• Onsite visits
• Webinars
• LiveText
Conference
Developmental
• Departmental
meetings
• Program
discussions
• Assessment
plans
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User Training
• Login
• Assessments
• Rubrics
• Reports
LiveText Training (Snapshot)
Developmental
User Training
October 2011—Human Services
January 2012—Student Teaching
(Demo)
Mentor Teachers/Supervisors
November 2011—Child Dev. &
Lufkin ISD; Student Teaching
Family Living; Fashion
Mentor Teachers/Supervisors
Merchandising
(Overall)
December 2011—Child Dev. &
Family Living
February 2012—Student Teaching
January 2012—Visually Impaired;
Supervisors in Nacogdoches ISD
Orientation & Mobility
February 2012—Speech Language
Pathology; Superintendent Prep
March 2012—ELL Prep; Kinesiology
April 2012—Health Science;
Physical Education
May 2012—Athletic Training
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LiveText Training (Snapshot, cont.)
Developmental
User Training
April 2012—Speech Language
Pathology
June 2012—Human Services
Program Coordinators (Review:
Part I & Part II); Secondary Ed/
Ed Leadership; Child
Development/Family Living;
Elementary Education
July 2012—Consumer Sciences;
Interior Design
September 2012—Program
Coordinators LiveText report
generation training
October 2012—Interior Design
Program Coordinators LiveText
report generation training
June 2012—New Student Teaching
Supervisor
August 2012—Student Teaching
Supervisors
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Recommendations &
Lessons Learned
 Gain faculty buy-in early in the process; solicit faculty input
in the selection of data management systems
 Leadership—develop a leadership team that meets
regularly
 Consistency—the critical nature of a dedicated position;
full-time & fully trained BEFORE meeting with faculty; plan
ahead before implementing
 Cross-train another person in the critical actions of the data
management system
 Establish priorities
 Phase the implementation; slow & steady is more
successful than wait & implement or than implement &
correct; one or two programs should launch or pilot
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Recommendations &
Lessons Learned, cont.
 Monitor implementation
 Provide on-going training—existing faculty,
program coordinators, & leaders; new
personnel & leaders
 Provide student “brown bag” lunches;
showcase benefits of LiveText & listen to
concerns; on-going training
 Reassure & reinforce
 Stay positive & exercise a non-reactive
countenance
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Our Next Steps
 Phasing implementation of the Field
Experience Module
 Supporting the campus-wide implementation
of LiveText to assess core curriculum
 Adopting of Analytics to enhance data
analysis
 Continuing evaluation and refining the
assessment system
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