UAH - Education

Standard 2: Clinical Partnerships and Practice

The provider ensures that effective partnerships and high-quality clinical practice are central to preparation so that candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to demonstrate positive impact on all P-12 students’ learning and development.

Partnerships for Clinical Preparation

2.1 Partners co-construct mutually beneficial P-12 school and community arrangements for clinical preparation, including technology-based collaborations, and shared responsibility for continuous improvement of candidate preparation. Partnerships for clinical preparation can follow a range of forms, participants, and functions. They establish mutually agreeable expectations for candidate entry, preparation, and exit; ensure that theory and practice are linked; maintain coherence across clinical and academic components of preparation and share accountability for candidate outcomes.

Clinical Educators

2.2 Partners co-select, prepare, evaluate, support and retain high quality clinical educators, both EPP and school-based, who demonstrate a positive impact on candidates’ development and P-12 student learning and development. In collaboration with their partners, providers use multiple indicators and appropriate technology-based applications to establish, maintain and refine criteria for selection, professional development, performance evaluation, continuous improvement, and retention of clinical educators in all clinical placement settings.

Clinical Experiences

2.3 The provider works with partners to design clinical experiences of sufficient depth, breadth, coherence and duration to ensure that candidates demonstrate their developing effectiveness and positive impact on all students’ learning and development. Clinical experiences, including technology-enhanced learning opportunities, are structured to have multiple, performance-based assessments at key points within the program to demonstrate candidates’ development of the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions, as delineated in Standard 1, that are associated with a positive impact on the learning and development of all P-12 students.

Standard 2 Narrative

2.1 PARTNERSHIPS FOR CLINICAL PREPARATION

The EPP establishes and maintains mutually beneficial partnerships with diverse P-12 schools for high-quality clinical preparation of candidates. Without the support and efforts of effective partnerships, it is impossible to offer quality programming for an educator preparation program. The EPP has established strong collaborative relationships with many school districts, but our three primary school district partners are Huntsville City Schools, Madison City Schools, and Madison County Schools (2.1.S UAH P-12 School Partners (LEAs) and Major Employers of Completers). These partnerships rely on effective communication to construct experiences with shared expectations for candidate outcomes. The EPP provides dedicated resources to support and foster relationships with the districts for clinical placements with one full-time employee who serves as Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences. We collaborate with and respond to our partner school districts as we strategically place candidates in classrooms with experienced and dedicated mentor teachers. Even after candidates complete their programs, UAH offers a “teacher warranty”. For a period of two years after the valid date of the initial teaching certificate, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, through the College of Education, offers a warranty and provides remediation at no cost to graduates who are evaluated to be unsatisfactory or deficient in any area of preparation. Remediation in professional education and/or teaching field departments is provided by appropriate faculty members, and it is based upon recommendations from the performance evaluations conducted by public school administrators.

While most partnerships are long established, relationships with districts evolve under new leadership and the EPP actively seeks partnerships with districts that may provide candidates opportunities for additional experiences with diverse students or opportunities for candidates to explore innovative practices and technologies. For example, recent meetings with Madison City Schools, one of our key partner districts, has generated discussion concerning possible redesign of field experiences which might include instructional rounds. Meetings have been scheduled with administrators at an identified middle school to plan and pilot this option.

Maintaining partnerships for the benefit of candidates and all stakeholders is ongoing. The EPP communicates with stakeholders throughout the semester for all levels of field experience, and meets each semester with the Teacher Education Advisory Council (TEAC), comprised of alumni who are teaching in partner districts, teachers, principals, superintendents and district personnel. Additionally, the Dean of the College of Education and Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences meet at the end of each academic year with leadership from primary partnering school districts to discuss and address emerging challenges, questions, or needs. For example, a meeting with Madison County Schools led to discussion around the need for gifted and talented educators and middle school mathematics educators while a conversation with Madison City Schools administrators provided information about their district-wide initiative to include foreign language learning at all grade levels. Faculty members provide specific guidelines to cooperating teachers in partnering districts detailing the candidates’ experiences and responsibilities. Communication between faculty and mentor teachers continues as candidates are placed in the schools each semester. As another example, the special education faculty meet regularly with the special education director in Madison City Schools to discuss field experience expectations and responsibilities of candidates assisting with the summer extended learning option in the district. Candidates enrolled in EDC 302 work in collaboration with licensed teachers in Madison City Schools and an EPP faculty member across several weeks, three to four hours per day, to serve students with high needs/low incidence disabilities in a summer program.

The EPP, school partners, and other professional community members assist in designing, delivering, and evaluating field experiences and clinical practice. As the major stakeholder advisory committee for the EPP, TEAC gives advice regarding curriculum, field experiences and clinical practice, and assessment practices. TEAC meets each semester and discusses educational issues, completes surveys, reviews the educator preparation and program courses, and advises on selected topics. Recently, the Council assisted with review and completion of the EPP-created dispositions survey (Lawshe Method). As another layer of communication with this valuable partner, the EPP developed the TEAC website in 2019 to provide a technology-based venue for distribution of resources, updates, and relevant information. Other opportunities for community involvement and participation of UAH faculty and staff include the ALSDE Curriculum and Instruction meetings which occur three times a year, ALSDE-sponsored LEA workshops, as well as the principals’ panel and first year teachers’ panel hosted by UAH once a semester.

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with partnering districts have been drafted based on conversations and shared input from stakeholders and are currently under review by the UAH Office of Legal Counsel. With clearly established roles and responsibilities, these MOUs will provide needed support to benefit candidates, P-12 schools, and the EPP in varied partnerships. These MOUs will be reviewed and revised annually to assure they represent the current status of partnerships and evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of all stakeholders. Each MOU states clinical experiences are recognized as a joint professional responsibility of the EPP and partner school districts (2.1.J Memorandum of Understanding Example).

Numerous mechanisms provide ongoing opportunity for partners to share insights into programs and candidate preparation. For example, EPP coordinators, faculty, and staff regularly conduct site visits and meetings with partner districts. Program faculty are engaged in a continuous evidence-based program revision process to strengthen the preparation of candidates. Monthly faculty meetings are conducted during the academic year and an annual retreat to review program-level data, assessments, and instruction will be piloted in the fall 2019 semester. Faculty routinely discuss program innovations and pilot studies, analyze alignment of program vision and goals with current practices, identify problems of practice and possible solutions, and address themes and practices intended to improve coherence across the program, including field experiences. Most recently, faculty have engaged in redesign and implementation of the internship observation form, as well as curricular redesign of the secondary education program to afford more opportunities for candidates to engage in field experiences prior to internship.

The EPP examines and evaluates survey results to inform program and process modifications to support continuous improvement and quality assurance. As candidates progress through required courses and field experiences, the EPP surveys all mentor teachers. Mentor teachers complete a dispositions survey for their assigned candidates at the end of each academic semester (1.1.E Student Dispositions Scored by Cooperating Teachers). Additionally, in the internship semester, the EPP surveys each intern, the university supervisor, and the mentor teacher at the conclusion of each placement (9-weeks placement and 6 weeks placement). (2.1.K Cooperating Teacher Surveys Summary of Interns)

Mentor teachers provide feedback on interns, supervisors, and perceptions of the EPP program. Each item allows respondents to select from options on a four-point scale of 4- Very prepared, 3-Somewhat prepared, 2-Somewhat unprepared, and 1-Totally unprepared. An analysis of mentor teacher survey responses from 2016 through 2018 revealed the majority of mentor teachers perceive the EPP interns as well-prepared for success in internship. Percentages of those mentors indicating interns were prepared ranged from 82% to 100% across the semesters, with an average of 93.78% across all responses. Consistently, interns were rated the highest in content knowledge as well as ability to work with all teachers and staff. Opportunities for growth, as indicated from survey data from mentors, include interns’ use of strategies for the improvement of reading comprehension appropriate to the subject and/or grade level as well as the use of technology to appropriately improve instruction.

Additionally, mentor teachers evaluate the level of satisfaction with university support offered during internship with several items specifically focus on the university supervisor. The four-point scale of 4-Very satisfied, 3-Satisfied (2), Moderately dissatisfied (3), and 1-Very dissatisfied is employed. Mentor teachers’ evaluations of support provided by the university are overwhelmingly positive with only one respondent in any given data set from 2016 through 2018 indicating “moderately dissatisfied”. With 108 responses received from mentor teachers in 2016-2018, only 5% indicated they were “moderately dissatisfied” with the support offered by UAH during the internship. Specifically, the data reveal mentor teachers were very satisfied with the availability of the university supervisor and timely attention to issues that arose during internship. Identified opportunities for growth revealed by survey responses include orientation meetings at the beginning of the internship and ongoing conferences/support during internship. The EPP noted the mentor responses in 2016-2018 align with the pilot and implementation of edTPA. This initiative challenged us to consider additional ways to offer support to our valued mentor teachers so they felt better equipped to assist and guide assigned interns.

In addition to surveys deployed by the EPP to mentor teachers, many also utilize email, direct messaging on social media outlets, or informal conversation to share observations, feedback and ideas to support continuous improvement. For example, mentor teachers and administrators have been instrumental in determining future topics for internship seminars, suggested curricular changes or needed content, or professional development opportunities that would prove helpful for candidates. Mentor teachers and school administrators also share their interests and expertise in professional development opportunities, such as participating in a principals’ panel, first year teachers’ panel, participating in teacher research, presenting a guest lecture or completing university coursework.

Another form of data results from administration of hard-copy surveys to all interns at the conclusion of the internship experience. Although the overall intern responses are very positive, there may be specific information shared by interns which inform continuous improvement. With the recent pilot and implementation of edTPA, intern responses indicated some had concerns with timing of edTPA specific seminars or boot camps, needed assistance with technology and technical aspects of video/audio recording, or would have appreciated more assistance in unpacking and analyzing the tasks and rubrics. These are the types of suggestions the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences will take into account when organizing seminars and support for future semesters (2.1.R Survey of Interns).

All educator preparation programs at UAH share a common set of commitments communicated in our mission statement and core values. We regularly share these with our school-based partners and ask for their expertise in helping our candidates achieve success in their field placements and internships. The EPP ensures candidates have active clinical experiences progressing from a participant/observer role to an active engaged educator role (Supporting Evidence: Progression of Field Experiences). Faculty members and the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences work collaboratively with district partners, supervisors, and cooperating teachers to clearly outline expectations and plan opportunities for candidate placements.

Candidates are systematically assigned to field experience placements in various settings within the three area school systems (Undergraduate and Alt-A). While these experiences vary by program and by candidate, all candidates are expected to complete at least 210 clock hours of classroom observation, participation and instruction prior to applying for internship. Block I candidates are typically assigned to Huntsville City Schools, a school system which, of the three partnering districts, has the highest minority population and the highest eligibility for free or reduced lunches. In Block I, candidates complete their field experiences in an urban, Title I school in Huntsville City Schools. Candidates typically complete Block II field experiences in Madison County Schools, which includes both suburban and rural schools. During Block III, candidates usually are assigned to a school in the suburban Madison City School System and then are assigned to internships sites in Huntsville City Schools, Madison City Schools or Madison County Schools (2.1.C UAH Undergraduate Handbook Field Experiences Pages 26-29 and 2.1.D UAH MAT (Alt-A) Handbook Field Experiences Pages 25-26)

Additionally, some candidates engage in other field experiences, such as serving as a camp counselor at Camp Autism Smiles, participating in Early Start, or shadowing an Early Intervention Home Visitor. Supporting its goal of preparing educators who are equipped to help all students be successful learners, the EPP works diligently to assure all candidates are placed in multiple environments, including a Title I school, a rural school, and a suburban school. Placement data are maintained by the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences. Further, candidates are assigned to a variety of grade levels within their selected licensure area. For example, early childhood candidates complete experiences with infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and primary grades while secondary candidates have experiences in both middle grades (6-8) and high school grades (9-12).

The EPP seeks to provide a wide range of opportunities for teacher candidates to engage in meaningful interactions with P-12 students and mentor teachers. This is evidenced by programs such as Early Start which allows candidates scheduled to intern in the spring semester to experience the first two weeks of school alongside a licensed mentor teacher prior to the beginning of the university fall semester (schools in our area typically open the first week in August). Early Start candidates participate in professional development workshops offered by the school district, assist teachers in setting up classrooms, and gain an understanding and first hand experience in the processes used by teachers to establish classroom routines and procedures at the beginning of the school year. Candidates participating in Early Start are allowed to remain in the placement to complete the required hours for the fall semester field experience and sometimes elect to return to the Early Start placement in the internship semester. Data from Fall 2018 Early Start mentor teachers who hosted a candidate indicated all were very pleased with the Early Start experience. For example, mentor teachers responded to the item “In the future, I would recommend that other faculty members at my school or other schools consider hosting an Early Start UAH student,” with an average score of 3.875 on a 4.0 scale. In fact, all survey items resulted in mean scores of 3.5 or higher indicating strong satisfaction of mentor teachers with the Early Start experience (2.1.Q Early Start Survey Data Fall 2018).

The EPP recently designed and implemented ED 360, a practicum course for early childhood and elementary education candidates, to provide an opportunity for consistent, prolonged engagement in a classroom setting prior to internship. Additionally, because faculty recognized the need for candidates to have a more sustained field experience in classrooms and school district partners echoed that need, on-campus education classes are suspended for one week each semester. This allows candidates enrolled in Blocks I, II and III to be in a classroom for five consecutive days for the entire day each semester prior to internship. Candidates complete relevant assignments, observe, participate, assess and teach to fulfill responsibilities and assignments in their respective subject-specific methods courses. Recently, proposed curricular changes were submitted for all secondary education licensure programs to require two subject-specific methods courses (instead of just one) to enhance opportunities in classroom settings. This will allow faculty members to craft teaching activities for our secondary students that “ramp up” during the two methods courses. The EPP anticipates these changes are will be implemented in Fall 2020.

UAH educator preparation programs work in collaboration with clinical partners to provide candidates rich and diverse clinical field experiences to support the development of their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to assure they are prepared to be effective educators upon completion of their preparation programs. All programs evaluate teacher candidate progress through direct observations and assignments aligned with program standards. Candidates are evaluated through numerous assessments throughout their internship. In both placements, the mentor teacher completes a midterm evaluation (around week 4) and a comprehensive final evaluation. The final evaluation is composed of three instruments: EDUCATE Alabama (pg. 78-79), Internship Observation Form (pg. 69-76), and the Subject Area Rubric (95-ff). Throughout the internship, the university supervisor completes a minimum of five (5) formal observations which includes a written report and debriefing session for each observation. If either the university supervisor or mentor teacher identifies area of concern, it is addressed collaboratively with the intern and necessary supports provided. If concerns persist, the university supervisor consults with the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences to determine the most appropriate action plan. The Professional Development Plan is used to facilitate ongoing supports for the intern, as well as needed remediation or action steps (2.1.L Intern PDP).

At the end of the internship, the university supervisor completes the summative internship form and the EDUCATE Alabama assessment. Effective in the 2018-19 academic year, all programs piloted use of the Danielson Framework Classroom Observation Form to assess teacher candidates’ planning, instruction, communication, and professionalism. Each program also enhances the performance evaluation with a discipline-specific evaluation form that aligns more closely with the respective professional standards. Evaluation forms completed, reviewed, and discussed during these times provide feedback and evidence of candidate development and impact on P-12 student learning and candidates' progress and growth. All candidates must earn a qualifying score on the appropriate edTPA, as well as successfully complete a project during their second internship placement designed to assess impact on P-12 student learning. This project was also piloted in the 2018-19 academic year. A review of summative internship data for 2017-2018 revealed both university supervisors and mentor teachers consistently rated interns highest in dispositions. An area where interns were rated lower by university supervisors in both semesters was assessment. The data from the first semester of implementation of the Danielson Framework in Fall 2018 revealed consistency in lower scores noted by both mentor teachers and university supervisors in Domain 2 related to managing student behavior and managing classroom procedures. A strength of all interns was evident in Domain 4, Professional Development. It should be noted that classroom management and procedures are often identified as challenges for novice educators, but further data generated from use of the Danielson Framework will help the EPP determine if this is an ongoing area of concern. (2.1.P Internship Observation Scores).

The EPP assesses teacher candidates’ dispositions and professionalism. The EPP-created dispositions survey is first completed by faculty members who have taught the candidate and submitted by each candidate when applying for admission to the program. An aggregate or composite score for each candidate is calculated and discussed by the faculty when considering the candidate for program admission. Further, each admitted candidate’s faculty advisor discusses results during the admission interview process. If there are any areas where the candidate was rated 1 or 2, the faculty advisor develops a Professional Dispositions Plan (PDP) with the candidate to address the issue and inform improvement plans or outcomes in the following semester(s). However, a multiplicity of low rating scores may lead to the student not being admitted to the EPP. Candidates with whom a PDP was developed during Block 1 are monitored and provided supports by the assigned faculty advisor. As candidates move through field experiences, mentor teachers provide individual candidate feedback using the dispositions survey each semester (2.1.I Professional Dispositions Plan Form).

Finally, in the internship semester, both the mentor teachers and university supervisors assess candidate dispositions and competencies. The program uses the internship assessment instrument and the EDUCATE Alabama items that relate to candidate dispositions to guide plans for improvement or future professional development. Candidates are continuously challenged to self-evaluate and reflect on their growth. While candidates are continually assessing their performance, they are formally assessed at entrance and end of the program to demonstrate development of knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions (2.1.E Internship EDUCATE Alabama Instrument, 2.1.F Internship Observation Form, 2.1.G Internship Observation Form, and 2.1.H Subject Area Rubrics).

In addition to partnerships with districts and assuring our field placements support development of candidates' knowledge, skills, and dispositions, relationships with varied stakeholders extend from the pre-professional programs through the internship semester and beyond. The EPP partners with the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI), as well as the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI). AMSTI is the Alabama Department of Education’s initiative to improve math and science teaching statewide, and UAH serves as a regional center for north Alabama. Its mission is to provide all students in Grades K-12 with the knowledge and skills needed for success in the workforce and/or postsecondary studies (college and career ready). ARI is a statewide K-12 initiative committed to supporting the development of high-quality instruction that will prepare all students with the literacy skills needed to meet or exceed grade-level standards. The goal of the ARI is to significantly improve reading instruction and ultimately achieve 100% literacy among public school students. All initial certification candidates have ARI content imbedded in their reading and literacy coursework and AMSTI training imbedded in their mathematics and science methods courses. Other community-based partners also provide important collaborations with our programs and support our candidates during their field experiences and transition into the profession. Some of our community-based partners include Alabama Early Intervention, the UAH Regional Autism Network, the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB), United Way of Madison County, Community Action Partnership of North Alabama, and Alabama Office of Early Learning. One faculty member in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is an active member of the International Society of Huntsville and actively publicizes and encourages student participation and engagement in events sponsored by the organization.

We also recognize that candidates' development is impacted by their consistent use of laptop computers and digital tools across the program. It is commonplace for many candidates to bring laptops/tablets to class sessions. In methods courses and field experiences, candidates use digital tools (e.g., blogs, video analysis, podcasts or webcasts, etc.) to support their development as teachers. Faculty and candidates utilize Canvas, the learning management system adopted by UAH (as well as some of our partnering school districts), document cameras, interactive whiteboards, classroom response clickers, and cell phone applications in their teaching and learning. Local P-12 partners use a variety of approaches to integrating technology, including a digital 1:1 initiative in Huntsville City Schools and Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) in Madison City Schools and Madison County Schools. As candidates are immersed in field experience and internship placements, they utilize a variety of digital tools and technology resources, such as classroom response systems, interactive whiteboards, document cameras, virtual labs and manipulatives, Makerspace resources, 3D printers, web 2.0 tools, and more.

Planning, implementing and videotaping lessons for analysis and self-reflection is required for all initial licensure candidates in EDC 311, Instructional Strategies. This provides a technology-enhanced learning opportunity for instruction in the early stages of preparation and for self-reflection as candidates move toward becoming teachers. Cooperating teachers are critical partners in the preparation of teacher candidates. Effective mentor teachers provide positive impact on candidates’ development, which, in turn, increases P-12 student learning and development.

SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

EVIDENCE 2.1.A UAH Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Handbook

EVIDENCE 2.1.B UAH MAT (Alt-A) Teacher Education Program Handbook

EVIDENCE 2.1.C UAH Undergraduate Handbook Field Experiences Pages 26-29

EVIDENCE 2.1.D UAH MAT (Alt-A) Handbook Field Experiences Pages 25-26

Supporting Documentation: 2.1.E Internship EDUCATE Alabama Instrument

Supporting Documentation: 2.1.F Internship Observation Form (Fall 2017-Spring 2018-Previous Form)

Supporting Documentation: 2.1.G Internship Observation Form (Fall 2018-Danielson Framework)

Supporting Documentation: 2.1.H Subject Area Rubrics

Supporting Documentation 2.1.I Professional Dispositions Plan Form

Supporting Documentation 2.1.J Memorandum of Understanding Example

EVIDENCE 1.1.E Student Dispositions Scored by Cooperating Teachers

EVIDENCE 2.1.K Cooperating Teacher Surveys Summary of Interns

Supporting Documentation 2.1.L Sample Intern Professional Development Plan

EVIDENCE 2.1.M Internship Handbook

Supporting Documentation 2.1.N 2018-2019 Internship Impact on Student Learning Assignment

Supporting Documentation 2.1.O Field Experience Letters to Cooperating Teachers

EVIDENCE 2.1.P Internship Observation Scores

EVIDENCE 2.1.Q Early Start Survey Data (Fall 2018)

EVIDENCE 2.1.R Survey of Interns

Supporting Documentation: 2.1.S UAH P-12 School Partners (LEAs) and Major Employers of Completers

2.2 CLINICAL EDUCATORS

The EPP works collaboratively with district stakeholders to place candidates with effective mentor teachers and university supervisors. The EPP ensures the qualifications of clinical educators through a systematic and multi-tiered process. Based on Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) requirements, mentor teachers have been identified who have earned a master’s degree and have successfully completed at least three years of teaching. In rare instances, a waiver is required if the teacher does not meet the degree requirements. Candidates are placed with a mentor teacher licensed and experienced in their same certification area. Documentation of the qualifications for clinical educators is monitored and maintained by the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences. Clinical educators have a record of experience in public schools and are carefully chosen through a collaborative process with the professional community. The Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences, in collaboration with school administrators and district personnel, works to provide each candidate with a placement that fits school and program needs. Additionally, faculty also inform the selection process. Candidates are placed in content specific classrooms based on their anticipated licensure.

To prepare and support high-quality mentor teachers, the EPP provides on-sight training to each mentor teacher by the assigned university supervisor. Additionally, training and supplemental resources are provided via an online module in Canvas, the learning management system adopted by the University. Resources related to various models of co-teaching, as well as effective instructional feedback strategies, are provided to maximize learning opportunities in classroom settings. In any clinical placement setting, a mentor teacher who is interested in hosting and mentoring a teacher candidate must be approved by the building administrator and district superintendent or designated administrator. As the number of programs continues to grow, and the number of mentor teachers increases, the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences plans to also host on-site training at a central location each semester in each of our partnering school districts effective Fall 2019.

Candidate placements are determined by the university and school district partners. Districts who host candidates have informed the collaborative development of MOA agreements. Through these agreements, stakeholders collaborate and discuss the criteria for hosting interns, identify candidate requirements for internships, describe roles and responsibilities, and identify mechanisms for communication and placement. The process for identifying and matching mentor teachers and candidates varies by district partnership and program context. In some districts, the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences can work directly with school administrators while others require communication through a central office. For some programs, faculty may assist in identifying and coordinating placements with districts. Regardless of the individual district model, the selection of mentoring teachers is a collaboration between the EPP and districts.

Mentor teachers work closely with university supervisors or faculty to establish partnerships to support candidates during their field experiences and internships. All teacher candidates are provided resources to assure clarity in expectations. For example, they are provided orientation materials, field experience handbooks, internship handbooks, and assignment calendars. At the beginning of each semester, EPP faculty and staff hold meetings with interns and supervisors to assure shared understanding of expectations, requirements, and assignments. Additionally, a reception is held at the end of each semester in which mentor teachers, university supervisors, interns, and partnering school district administrators are acknowledged and recognized for their achievements, support and excellence (2.1.A UAH Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Handbook and 2.1.B UAH MAT (Alt-A) Teacher Education Program Handbook).

Knowledge about district partners, potential mentor teachers, and candidates are weighed as placements are considered and made. Unique needs of partner districts are also considered. For example, some school districts request more interns in the fall semester or communicate their capacity to support candidates within clinical sites may vary year to year based on the number of qualified mentor teachers available. We accommodate such districts’ requests by strategically sorting our teacher candidates based upon semester and available placements.

University supervisors serve as the liaison between the University, mentor teacher, and the candidate. Their role is to support and guide the teacher candidate by providing assistance and feedback to both the teacher candidate and mentor teacher. The teacher candidate and mentor teacher depend upon the University Supervisor as the primary university contact. The mentor teacher also plays a critical role in the professional development of the teacher candidate. The EPP is fortunate to have a consistent cadre of university supervisors. The majority of university supervisors were initially identified and trained by the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences in a collective meeting in Spring 2018. As additional university supervisors have been added, they meet individually or in small groups with the Coordinator to complete onboarding and training. In collaboration with the Coordinator, one veteran university supervisor serves in a lead role to provide ongoing support for novice university supervisors. The orientation serves as a platform for professional development and training on new processes and technology-based applications. Recent orientations have focused on the implementation of the edTPA and piloting of a new intern observation assessment instrument based on the Danielson Framework. The Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences discusses changes to curriculum, university updates regarding travel and payment processes, observation forms and our evaluation system. Additionally, university supervisors engage in edTPA training alongside their assigned interns during the first semester of employment. Many supervisors also respond to invitations to attend edTPA Boot Camp along with their assigned interns.

SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

EVIDENCE 2.1.A UAH Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Handbook

EVIDENCE 2.1.B UAH MAT (Alt-A) Teacher Education Program Handbook

2.3 CLINICAL EXPERIENCES

Candidates are provided with opportunities to develop through a continuum of experiences which allow for observation, personal reflection, and some professional responsibilities to full professional responsibilities under the guidance of highly qualified clinical educators. All candidates are provided a variety of field-based and clinical experiences. Candidates seeking state licensure have field experiences as a component of their preparation. All programs have clearly defined placement processes, candidate expectations, and supervisory roles. Programs specific requirements and expectations for candidates participating in a field or clinical experience are outlined in field experience or internship handbooks or described in course syllabi. Programs are intentional about clinical placements, ensuring there is a documentable process verifying each candidate is placed with a qualified mentor teacher in the field. To ensure candidates receive a series of diverse placements, the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences maintains a Clinical Experience Database. Each semester clinical data, such as school, teacher, and grade level, is entered and candidates’ progress is tracked to confirm each placement is meaningful and relevant. Factors such as school size, low socioeconomic status, special education, race and English language learners are all taken into account to assure all candidates participate in a variety of clinical experiences across multiple school districts, grade levels, and diverse settings.

All candidates progress through a series of courses with field experiences with increasing responsibilities. A letter is presented to the mentor teacher to clearly identify the specific responsibilities of candidates in each block of course (2.1.O Field Experience Letters to Cooperating Teachers). In Block I courses, candidates engage with learners in a Title I school in the Huntsville City Schools. Each candidate is placed in a classroom with a cooperating teacher in the selected licensure area. Candidates gradually progress from an observer/participant role to an instructional role for learning segments. In Blocks II and III, candidates participate in Madison County Schools and Madison City Schools. Each candidate is placed in a classroom with a cooperating teacher in the selected licensure area, taking care to assure experience in a wide variety of grade levels or settings is achieved. Candidates gradually assume more instructional responsibility in these two semesters. Finally, candidates complete the internship semester in Block IV (2.1.M Internship Handbook).

While in their placements, candidates are expected to focus their efforts on positively impacting P-12 student learning. Candidates work closely with their mentor teachers as they transition over the field experience to effectively leverage foundational content knowledge and employ varied pedagogies in order to impact student learning. All Block 1 candidates enrolled in ED 307, Multicultural Foundations of Education, participate in a collaborative research project focused on special student populations which culminates in creation of a research poster presented at the College of Education Research Day In ED 308, Educational Psychology, candidates participate in a “Study Buddy” experience where tutoring is provided to an individual student. In EDC 311, Instructional Strategies, candidates plan, implement, videotape and then analyze and reflect on their instruction in the assigned field experience classroom.

In Blocks 2 and 3, while the key assessments may vary according to discipline or licensure area, candidates continue to strengthen their knowledge and skills and demonstrate their ability to positively impact P-12 student learning. For example, early childhood education and elementary education candidates all complete ED 360, Early Childhood Education Practicum. Candidates complete a child observation case study where they gather data on one target student over the course of the semester based on identified needs (e.g., challenging behavior, identified disabilities, social skills, etc.) and then create 3 goals with corresponding strategies to support attainment of the goals. All secondary education candidates will complete two methods courses with associated field experiences (starting in Fall 2020). Candidates are assigned to classrooms with licensed mentor teachers and, over an academic semester, engage in co-teaching as they design and implement instruction for students.

The case study project in ED 375, Teaching Reading in the Primary Grades, requires early childhood and elementary initial licensure candidates to complete a case study of an individual student in their assigned K-2 classroom which includes administration of an informal reading inventory, analysis of oral reading and fluency measures, and other measures to identify the student’s strengths and opportunities for growth, along with creation of suggested supports and interventions to be implemented by the classroom teacher and the parents and/or family members. Candidates enrolled in EDC 351, Behavior Analysis and Intervention, design, implement, and assess a single-subject intervention or measure with a student. Each candidate creates and presents evidence in a poster session. These opportunities provide opportunities to positively impact P-12 learning as the teacher candidates establish baselines, implement interventions, monitor progress, gather, analyze and synthesize data.

During the internship semester, all initial licensure candidates submit the edTPA in the first placement and then complete a project during the second internship placement focused on impact on student learning. The project was designed by faculty in the 2017-18 academic year and is currently being piloted in the 2018-19 academic year. Each candidate’s project is reviewed and assessed by the University Supervisor. The project assesses candidates' ability to use student assessment and data sources to inform decision making and instructional planning and implementation of learning experiences to address individual learners’ needs. The plans vary in length, but all provide a coherent set of lessons to intervene with a student(s) in a developmentally appropriate manner to teach and gather evidence of the outcome. Candidates employ effective uses of technology to support student learning. They assess student learning through multiple methods to inform instructional decisions. They modify instruction and differentiate instruction as necessary based upon effective student assessment. (2.3.F Impact on Student Learning and 2.3.G Rubric for Impact on Student Learning)

In addition to collective performance on edTPA and the impact on student learning project, survey results indicate candidates have the ability to differentiate instruction for individual learners. While edTPA did not become consequential until Fall 2018 for initial licensure candidates, the EPP began requiring all candidates to submit edTPA in Fall 2017. A review of edTPA data aggregated across the last three semesters revealed Task 2 (Instruction) is persistently the most challenging for initial licensure candidates. It was also noted in Fall 2018 (the first semester edTPA was consequential) that elementary candidates scored higher on edTPA Task 1 (Planning) and Task 3 (Assessment) than secondary candidates. This may reflect the fact that elementary candidates complete more semester credits in the College of Education during their program since secondary education candidates are required to complete an academic major in their selected discipline and therefore have fewer professional education courses. Also noted was the higher performance on rubrics of secondary English candidates which may reflect their strong writing proficiencies.

The UAH educator preparation program strives to prepare candidates equipped to effectively teach all students anywhere in Alabama and beyond. All candidates have opportunity to work with students from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds, as well as additional opportunities for diversity experiences in the classroom through specific course assignments and assessments. For example, EDC 302 is a course that provides candidates with opportunities to observe and participate in an extended school year (ESY) learning program serving students with moderate or profound disabilities in a partnering school district. During this program, students provide direct instruction through a thematic unit. Additionally, many candidates participate as a volunteer at the annual Camp Autism Smiles event. Every elementary education candidate must complete at least nine semester credits in diversity electives. These can be used to complete coursework in collaborative (special) education, English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), or candidates may choose to enroll in other designated diversity courses. Faculty plan and implement specific professional development opportunities to support diversity. Recently, an event was co-hosted by United Cerebral Palsy and the EPP to offer a simulation learning activity designed to better equip candidates to understand the challenges and issues often faced by individuals with disabilities and their families.

The EPP strives to work collaboratively with partner schools throughout all of the field experiences. Compiling this report, along with preparing and submitting the state program approval documents required, challenged the EPP to critically review our programs and structures and, in many instances, led us to revise and reflect upon our assessments, communication strategies, and tracking and analysis of data to further strengthen and optimize field experience and internship opportunities for candidates.

SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

EVIDENCE 1.4.A edTPA scores (all rubrics)

EVIDENCE 2.3.A ED 308 Study Buddy Case Study Assignment and Rubric

EVIDENCE 2.3.B ED 360 Case Study Assignment and Rubric

EVIDENCE 2.3.C ED 375 Instructional Plan Case Study Assignment and Rubric

EVIDENCE 2.3.D EDC 351 Single-Subject Design Study

EVIDENCE 2.3.E EDC 302 ESY Thematic Unit

EVIDENCE 2.3.F Impact on Student Learning Project

EVIDENCE 2.3.G Rubric for Impact on Student Learning Project

Summary

UAH has developed guidelines to delineate the purposes of field-based and internship experiences, identify criteria for developing and implementing such experiences, and describe EPP and candidate responsibilities. The clinical experiences systematically provide opportunities for candidates to work in a variety of settings and are sequenced to allow for candidate development throughout the respective programs. Programs are expected to establish collaborative relationships with P-12 school and community partners to define the competencies which candidates must demonstrate in order to meet program entry, preparation, and exit requirements. The EPP has created and maintains positive, meaningful and relevant partnerships with P-12 and community partners. The collaboration between the EPP and members of its Teacher Education Advisory Council are imperative for successful preparation of teacher candidates. Conversations held at the various meetings regarding decisions about entrance, progression and graduation from the educator preparation program reinforces the coherence and accountability for candidate outcomes. Partnerships created with area schools support success and meaningful engaged experiences for our candidates. Additionally, the willingness of faculty and staff to address community needs has led to successful collaborations and a readiness to facilitate teacher candidates in the field. Our relationships with personnel in partnering school districts has created opportunities for school districts, schools and multiple state and private agencies to embed research based, best practices in the teaching learning components of area schools and school systems. The EPP has built a successful and effective teacher candidate placement process. The Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences works closely with school personnel to ensure each teacher candidate is given the opportunity to experience an effective internship placement. The criteria for selecting both university supervisors and cooperating teachers continue to evolve in response to needs of all stakeholders and are carefully monitored carefully. Additionally, we have clearly and intentionally outlined the expectations of the teacher candidate, as well as the roles and responsibilities of both the university supervisor and the mentor teacher.

CAEP Standard A.2: Advanced Preparation Clinical Partnerships and Practice

The provider ensures that effective partnerships and high-quality clinical practice are central to preparation so that candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions appropriate for their professional specialty field.

Partnerships for Clinical Preparation

A.2.1 Partners co-construct mutually beneficial P-12 school and community arrangements, including technology-based collaborations, for clinical preparation and share responsibility for continuous improvement of advanced program candidate preparation. Partnerships for clinical preparation can follow a range of forms, participants, and functions. They establish mutually agreeable expectations for advanced program candidate entry, preparation and exit; ensure that theory and practice are linked; maintain coherence across clinical and academic components of preparation; and share accountability for advance program candidate outcomes.

The EPP establishes and maintains mutually beneficial partnerships with diverse P-12 schools for high-quality clinical preparation of advanced candidates. Without the support and efforts of effective partnerships, it is impossible to offer quality programming. The EPP has established strong working relationships with three area school districts, including Huntsville City Schools, Madison City Schools, and Madison County Schools. These partnerships rely on effective communication to construct experiences with shared expectations for advanced candidate outcomes. The program provides dedicated resources to support and foster relationships with the districts for clinical placements with one full-time employee who serves as Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences. We collaborate with and respond to our partner school districts as we strategically place advanced candidates with consultation and guidance from the faculty member who coordinates each specialization area. While most partnerships are long established, relationships with districts evolve under new leadership and the EPP actively seeks partnerships with districts that may provide candidates opportunities for additional experiences with diverse students or opportunities for candidates to explore innovative practices and technologies. For example, recent meetings with a newer potential partnering school district has generated opportunities for collaboration, observation and professional development for ESOL advanced candidates in Decatur City Schools while the advanced collaborative (special) education candidates in EDC 660 have worked in an extended school year summer learning program for students with disabilities in Madison City Schools.

Maintaining partnerships for the benefit of candidates and all stakeholders is ongoing. The EPP communicates with stakeholders throughout the semester and meets each semester with the Teacher Education Advisory Council (TEAC), comprised of alumni who are teaching in partner districts, teachers, principals, superintendents and district personnel. Additionally, the Dean of the College of Education and Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences meet at the end of each academic year with leadership from primary partnering school districts to discuss and address emerging challenges, questions, or needs. For example, a recent meeting with Madison County Schools led to discussion around the need for gifted and talented teachers while a conversation with Madison City Schools prompted the question of when an Educational Leadership option or Class AA licensure option might be added. Faculty members provide specific guidelines to mentor teachers in partnering districts detailing the candidates’ experiences and responsibilities and communication between the faculty and mentor teachers identified to work with advanced candidates. The practica and internship are often achieved through job-imbedded assignments and field-based experiences throughout the licensure program since all advanced candidates are typically full-time contract teachers.

The EPP, school partners, and other professional community members assist in designing, delivering, and evaluating field experiences and clinical practice. As the major stakeholder advisory committee for the EPP, TEAC gives advice regarding curriculum, field experiences and clinical practice, and assessment practices. TEAC meets each semester and discusses educational issues, completes surveys, reviews the educator preparation and program courses, and advises on selected topics. As another layer of communication with this valuable partner, the EPP developed the TEAC website in 2019 to provide a technology-based venue for distribution of minutes, data, and relevant information. Other opportunities for community involvement and participation of UAH faculty and staff include the ALSDE Curriculum and Instruction meetings which occur three times a year, ALSDE-sponsored LEA workshops, and community outreach efforts and events hosted for inservice teachers.

The collaborations and partnerships that are formed during a teacher candidate’s internship and practicum experiences are vital. With few exceptions, candidates enrolled in advanced programs are fully employed professionals with several years of experience and with previous student teaching/practicum/internship experience. Each advanced program has a faculty coordinator. That individual works with P-12 partners, in collaboration with the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences, to assure clearly defined roles and procedures are developed for a collaborative process for placement in clinical and field experiences. This collaboration requires the participation of faculty, district or school personnel, and the candidate. Individual course syllabi describe required field experiences, practica or internship requirements (A2.2.A ESOL Internship Requirements and A2.2.B Reading Specialist Internship Crosswalk)

In some programs, such as elementary or secondary education, candidates who already hold a teaching certificate, may complete the experiences within their own school or classroom if the appropriate population of students is available. These placements are made with the approval and assistance of district and school personnel. In other situations, the Coordinator of Field and Clinical Experiences and/or faculty for the advanced program collaborates with school district personnel to place candidates for internship and practicum experiences within the partner school districts.

Each program has responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the clinical experience. The university requires program reviews be completed on an ongoing basis. Every five years, programs are reviewed by the Board of Trustees. During the program review process, assessment data, including clinical assessment data, is analyzed in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the program and determine plans for addressing the weaknesses.

SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

EVIDENCE A2.2.A ESOL Internship Requirements

EVIDENCE A2.2.B Reading Specialist Internship Crosswalk

A.2.2 The provider works with partners to design varied and developmental clinical settings that allow opportunities for candidates to practice applications of content knowledge and skills that the courses and other experiences of the advance preparation emphasize. The opportunities lead to appropriate culminating experiences in which candidates demonstrate their proficiencies through problem-based tasks or research (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, action) that are characteristic of their professional specialization as detailed in component A.1.1.

The TEAC and partnering school district personnel, school administrators, and teacher mentors or specialists in the fields of specialization help inform development and implementation of field-based assignments, experiences, and expectations as advanced candidates move from teacher practitioner to teacher researcher. The regional partner school districts have been active participants in the development of the advanced programs (M.Ed.) at UAH since the beginning of the program. Before creating the program, UAH met with local school leaders to determine unique needs for the area. From these meetings, it was determined that specialized concentrations in areas such as autism spectrum disorders were greatly needed in the area. From there, UAH conducted a survey of school systems in north Alabama to determine potential needs and interest. Initially, the advanced programs launched with two concentration options: elementary education and autism spectrum disorders. With each additional concentration, the local school partners have been engaged to determine need and interest in the programs.Therefore, the local school districts are aware their faculty are completing our program. Most of the coursework assignments are completed within the candidates’ classrooms and/or school building.

Our most recently developed concentration in visual impairments provides a distinct example of the type of partnerships we attempt to create. UAH collaborated with the The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB) to create an advanced concentration for visual impairments, the only one in the state. As part of the partnership, AIDB allows us to host face-to-face meetings at their facilities located around the state to showcase the large array of services and technologies for this population. The practicum for this program is completed during the summer at the AIDB Summer Camp program and during the UAH/AIDB Cybersecurity for Students with Visual Impairments Camp hosted on the UAH campus. This partnership allows advanced candidates to have authentic field-based experiences with students with visual impairments from across the state.

Field-based assignments and assessments require candidates to apply content knowledge and skills emphasized in the program coursework proficiencies through a variety of assessment types, such as problem-based tasks or research activities characteristic of their professional specialization.All advanced candidates explore and build understandings of research in a core course (ED 535: Introduction to Action Research), but the capstone course, ED 690: Action Research Project, allows them to demonstrate proficiency and apply their understandings of their specialization. Candidates are required to determine an academic and/or behavioral “issue” within their own classroom that they determine needs to be addressed. They then develop a “problem statement” for the course instructor that focuses on the context and major issue under investigation. Candidates then use what they have learned in their courses to conduct a thorough literature review to determine possible evidence-based interventions to address the identified issue within the classroom. After the faculty member approves the intervention and methodology, the candidate then collects pre-intervention data, implements the intervention to fidelity, and then collects on-going or post-intervention data. At this point, the candidate must determine the effectiveness of the intervention.

It must be noted that, before Fall 2018, students were only required to create a “proposal” and not carry out the research. However, faculty members determined candidates would be better served by actually completing the action research component. Therefore, the evidence only provides “impact” data for the Fall 2018 semester. Overall, candidates earned an average score of 12.03 (80%). When disaggregated by advanced licensure area, it was noted the lowest overall scores were earned by ESOL candidates while the highest overall scores were earned by Reading Specialist candidates. A trend was noted that most candidates scored lower on graphic representations of student data. Interestingly, scores were strongest in Analysis of Student Performance and Patterns of Learning. This suggests advanced candidates are proficient in gathering and analyzing student learning and patterns, but there is opportunity for growth in visually displaying and translating that data for various audiences (A1.1A Advanced Programs Action Research Project Summary).