All syllabi have been updated to reflect changes for 2024-2025

Program Alignment to Standards and Requirements

A. Narrative Summary of Preliminary Findings

Program Alignment Process: The EPP stated that the Director of Teacher Education is responsible for staying updated on changes to major standards and sharing this information with stakeholders. In addition, faculty members review and integrate the standards into their instruction and assessments and provide feedback to program coordinators and department chairs.

Program Alignment Matrices or Tables: The EPP provided one matrix that indicates candidates at the undergraduate level take five courses and all NCTE, InTASC, and TN Literacy Standards are covered in these five courses with two of the courses being field experience and student teaching. On the same matrix there is a list of seven courses for the post-baccalaureate program. It is unclear if these courses are for the post- baccalaureate student teaching or job-embedded program. Programs are aligned to the CAEP Standards, but this alignment is not required. CAEP Standards alignment are not needed on the matrices. It is difficult to determine what standards are addressed in the InTASC, Tennessee Literacy, and NCTE columns, as they are listed by number only. The standard language was not provided. There is no student teaching course listed on the matrix for post-baccalaureate candidates. The EPP should submit revised matrices that provide the full written standard on the left column and needed components across the top. 

For example: See Table after the narrative.

Note: A row is needed for each InTASC Standard, NCTE Standard, and TN Literacy Standard.

Program Components: The EPP did not provide a narrative describing how the program components are addressed within the program using the Literacy and Specialty Area Standards for Educator Preparation Policy 5.505.

B. Evidence Consistent with Meeting the Expectations

• Program alignment process narrative

C. Evidence Inconsistent with Meeting the Expectations

• Program alignment process narrative

• Evidence Inconsistent with Meeting the Expectations

• ENGL6_12_ProgramMatrix

• ProgramofStudyENGL

• ENGL 4724-01 Syll pdf

• 2023-24 English Studies Narrative

• CoED Departmental Recruitment and Retention Plan ENGLISH

• CAEP Standards included on matrix

• CEC Exceptional Students Standards included on matrix

• ISTE Standards included on matrix

Program Components Narrative

D. Additional Evidence Requested

• Provide a revised matrix that clearly indicates what InTASC Standards, Tennessee Literacy Standards, and NCTE Standards are aligned to the undergraduate student teaching program.

• Provide a revised matrix that clearly indicates what InTASC Standards, Tennessee Literacy Standards, and NCTE Standards are aligned to the post-baccalaureate student teaching program.

• Provide a revised matrix that clearly indicates what InTASC Standards, Tennessee Literacy Standards, and NCTE Standards are aligned to the post-baccalaureate job-embedded program.

• Provide a narrative describing how the program components are addressed for English Language Arts Education 6-12 undergraduate student teaching program. The program components can be found on in the Literacy and Specialty Area Standards for Educator Preparation Policy 5.505.

• Narrative describing how the program components are addressed for English Language Arts Education 6-12 post-baccalaureate student teaching program. The program components can be found in the Literacy and Specialty Area Standards for Educator Preparation Policy 5.505.

• Narrative describing how the program components are addressed for English Language Arts Education 6-12 post-baccalaureate job-embedded program. The program components can be found in the Literacy and Specialty Area Standards for Educator Preparation Policy 5.505

E. Preliminary List of Interview Questions

1. What is the process for ensuring programs are aligned with current standards and state policies?

2. What standards are the English 6-12 programs aligned with?

3. How does the EPP ensure all candidates complete a major in English?

4. How does the EPP ensure all candidates have six semester hours of college-level world language instruction or the equivalent, as determined by the EPP?

5. Do candidates in the post-baccalaureate student teaching program complete student teaching?

The science programs are all cohort-based online, hybrid, or face-to-face learning by design and flexible for students who do not meet the requirements to continue with their cohort. The program faculty believes there is greater value to candidates learning from their peers and learning collaboratively. Since many candidates work within the primary partnership (PP) as science teachers, the cohort model offers a rich collaborative approach between the PP and faculty. 

The Teacher Education Program is designed for Biology majors pursuing a teaching career in secondary education. Program goals include preparing caring and competent professionals with a strong knowledge of content and pedagogy for the biology classroom. All candidates for certification in secondary education must complete a minimum of 122 semester hours, which includes a general education core (42 hours), a professional education core (36 hours, including a 9-hour course in enhanced student teaching), and a major concentration of content and knowledge courses (44 hours). The required courses in Biology are 1110, 1111, 1120, 1121, 2110, 2111, 2120, 2121, 3010, 3011, 4120, 4121, 4300, 4301, 3710, 4724 and 4170. Completing this program provides graduates with licensure to teach Biology in grades 6-12 in secondary schools. 

For admission to Teacher Education, students must complete the application process with the College of Education. The link below provides access to the application and requirements for admission.?https://www.tnstate.edu/teachered/SP21%20SU21%20UG%20Admissions%20Application.pdf? 

The College of Education (CoED) has a standard process in alignment with the University based on the quality assurance system (QAS) The CoED created a QAS; however, an internal audit found some improvements that are imperative to greater strength and consistency. Unfortunately, the data indicates there was no implementation with fidelity, misalignment of practices, gaps in processes and procedures, and silos. In the spirit of continuous improvement or PLAN, DO, CHECK, ACT (Bernhardt, 2015), this allowed for enhancements to the system that will shape the CoED, which has prompted broad support within the CoED from faculty and staff. Specifically, the CoED found standards alignment practices were not instituted with fidelity. The process is now annual based on the results of the candidate outcomes.

The CoED created the QAS Management Process Review based on the facilitation, which operates independently. It must regularly perform quality review activities (internal audits) to ensure compliance with standards and practices (Manghani, 2011) that are coordinated by the deans of assessment and accreditation,  and program coordinators for each specialty area. This process utilizes the faculty program coordinators responsible for each program and uses the data to determine what standard areas candidates do not perform. The process is managed in the Nuventive platform the University uses for SACSCOC. Specific licensure courses are aligned to the various standards using national standard alignment documents (e.g., TESOL aligned with CAEP). The matrix is included to show alignment with the preparation standards.

The sciences programs are currently being mapped and aligned to the BIOL and CHEM Methods of Teaching courses in mock teaching, written reports, journals, universal lesson plans, and lesson planning. The CoED is awaiting the mapping for these courses.

• BIO3710

• BIO 4724

1. Biology Program of Study

The plan was developed based on the 2022-2024 data regarding enrollment and retention.

• Recruitment and Retention Plan

Residency I

The Residency Year comprises the final two semesters of the senior year. Candidates enter Residency I as a cohort and are engaged in authentic field-based experiences for fifty percent of their semester credit load. The remainder of the semester is designated for participation in professional studies and continued involvement in Problem-Based Learning and other effective instructional delivery methods. Candidates are engaged in coursework and experiences designed to develop general and content-specific pedagogy. During Residency I, Candidates initiate efforts toward completion of Task 1(Planning), Task 2(Instruction), and Task 3 (Assessment) of the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA). In addition, Candidates successfully submit a minimum of one Signature Formative)] Assessment (SFA) as a requirement for admission to Residency II. During Residency I, candidates spend 90-100 residential hours in a K-12 classroom. Candidates are placed with a classroom teacher, two (2) full days a week, who will serve as their Mentor Teacher during the year-long clinical placement. The program is structured to scaffold greater responsibility, sequenced observations, and participatory experiences, culminating in full-time cohort teaching in Residency II.

Residency II / Student Teaching

Residency II occurs in the spring semester of the senior year. It begins after Mandatory Spring Orientation. Candidates spend all day in the classroom five days a week co-teaching. They follow the same schedule as the mentor teacher and the calendar of the assigned school district. Residency II provides candidates with culminating opportunities on which to transition into the profession as competent and caring educators. Candidates are engaged in authentic experiences that will include co-teaching and problem-based learning.

Context 

Teacher candidates have regular and consistent opportunities to observe and practice in various settings (within and across schools, during different times of day, across different types of instruction, and school/classroom composition) to cover the breadth of the endorsement adequately. Specifically, TSU Educator Preparation Program candidates complete two years of preparation. The first year is considered Pre-Residency, whereby candidates take block courses that require field observations (including some tutoring) at selected school sites. These field experiences are designed to expose candidates to diverse settings (i.e., students with special needs). The second year is the Residency Year (R1 in the first semester, requiring 50% clinical time, and R2 in the second semester, requiring full-time teaching with the school-based provided educator). The Residency Year follows a co-teaching model in which the candidate and the school-based clinical educator are equally responsible for instruction, planning, and assessment. 

Depth. Educator candidates (teacher candidates) can observe, tutor through individual and small group delivery, deliver instruction, and review and collect assessment data in frequent, varied, intentionally planned experiences. Beginning in the Pre-Residency Year, candidates are primarily observed in clinical settings, and continuing to the Residency Year, in which candidates are fully engaged in co-teaching, candidates’ knowledge and skills are progressively developed. Coursework, such as classroom management and differentiated instruction, prepares candidates for managing the classroom and individualizing instruction. Formative feedback from school-based and provider-based clinical educators assists the candidates in developing requisite competencies. 

Coherence. Attention to the goals of each field/clinical experience is sequenced to ensure the developmental progression of the educator candidate (teacher candidate) across the continuum of their program. Coursework develops the requisite knowledge and skills to prepare candidates to become effective educators in their selected areas. Clinical and field experiences allow the candidates to practice the theories obtained from coursework and to receive mentoring and feedback from school-based clinical mentors and provider-based clinical educators to enhance their skills. The culminating assessment, edTPA®, provides evidence to determine the candidates’ mastery and the program’s effectiveness. 

Breadth. EPP faculty, with the support of LEA partners, designs/develops clinical experiences that include teaching and professional experiences reflecting appropriate content and pedagogical models across diverse school/classroom communities and curriculums. Pre-Residency and Residency allow candidates to experience various settings and address the instructional needs of diverse students. Candidates prepare lessons that require an extensive understanding of the content area. Moreover, candidates must differentiate instruction, teaching students with learning challenges and gifted students. As further evidence of competency, candidates are expected to demonstrate meaningful and effective utilization of technology to facilitate learning among their students using the TEAM evaluation. 

Duration. Field experiences are designed and varied in terms of time in various settings based on the goal of preparing successful first-year teachers. Field and clinical experiences span a two-year period, ranging from limited classroom observations to full-year co-teaching. Candidates will complete a full-year residency in a school setting. In the Pre-Residency Year, candidates will observe/participate in selected school sites depending on the subject course taken at the time (e.g., Exceptional Children). 

Diversity. Teacher candidates have regular opportunities to observe and practice in various settings (across different schools, classrooms, types of instruction, and times of day) to adequately cover the breadth of the endorsement and ensure exposure to varied school communities. Candidates have experience in different classrooms and with diverse students starting in the Pre-Residency Year and extending into the Residency Year. Before candidates even reach their Residency Year, courses require them to observe classrooms that include students with different needs and diverse backgrounds. Working with the MNPS, the TSU field placement and clinical experience coordinator identifies school settings that provide candidates with these diverse experiences. 

Program Matrix Updated (literacy standards)

• 2023-24_Biology Summary & Data Analysis

• Data Profile of the entire college is conducted annually and is an opportunity for individual programs to report.  The programs are required to report annually, which includes feedback from candidates and partners regarding the clinical experiences in ALL programs.   

• EPP Data [21-24]

• Teacher Education Checkpoints - these are designed to provide the specifics of how candidates progress to clinical experience. 

• Revised Teacher Handbook - Teaching and Learning revised the handbook to explain the clinical experience further as the team works to update the process and better support candidates in secondary programs.  

  • EXAMPLE: Clinical Experience, and Matrix Updates 

• Residency Booklet Revised Residency Handbook for Clinicians and Supervisors (teacher education only).  The purpose was to ensure all clinicians and supervisors have a reference guide after training.