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Education

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences

Candidates can access information regarding "expectations of candidates" during their studies at CSC. The unit conceptual framework highlights issues of diversity, and lists clear proficiency outcome expectations of candidates
(Candidate Proficiency Outcome Expectations). In the Knowledge category of initial candidate proficiencies, support criteria related to diversity include 5, 6 and 7; Skills category of candidate proficiencies are supported in 15, 16 and 19; Dispositions related to diversity are 20, 21, 22, 23 and 26. In addition, candidates can access the core concepts of the Teacher Education Program in the 2005-07 CSC General Bulletin where the Visionary Leader Model is referenced (CSC 2005-07 General Bulletin, p.160). Lastly, the Visionary Leader concepts are highlighted in syllabi for courses within the unit, and also in courses taught in subject areas where the focus is on the methodology/pedagogy for a content area or endorsement (see course syllabi file in Documents Center). As candidates progress through program "gateways" (outlined in Standard 2), the assessment process provides them with feedback concerning their progress in all areas, of which diversity issues remain an important constant. Dialog between candidate and faculty, candidate and internship supervisor or supervising in-service teacher, and candidate and peers provide continuous reference to knowledge, strategies and attitudes for helping all students learn.

Undergraduate Program:

General Studies Curriculum:

Diversity is infused throughout the curriculum at Chadron State College (CSC). All candidates at CSC complete the General Studies Program curriculum requirements (CSC 2005-2007 General Bulletin, p. 30 – 31 and p. 36-37). Various courses listed within these requirements address issues of diversity. Candidates are thus initially exposed to diversity issues during their General Studies program at CSC, where they are given choices as to which courses are available to them for the completion of their General Studies Program. In all areas of the General Studies program, courses addressing diversity, or infusing diverse content, are available. The CSC 2005-07 General Bulletin, p. 30-31 identifies and discusses these offerings. Course syllabi and matrices allow faculty to indicate where students will interact with materials related to diversity. Table 4.1 identifies those initial courses within the initial program that infuse diversity content.

Specialty Studies Curriculum:

In specific endorsement/content areas, candidates are exposed to elements of diversity. Specific examples are outlined in Table 4.2: Specific Examples of Program Diversity Measures.

Diversity is also the focus of several courses within the CSC Education Unit curriculum. The courses most notable are SPED 230: Introduction to the Exceptional Learner; EDUC 415: Human Relations/Multicultural; and PSYC 231: Educational Psychology. EDUC 300/320: Observation and Participation requires candidates to observe the nature of all student learning during their 75/100 hour school-based field experience. All courses highlight differences in students, student learning, and general populations (professional studies course syllabi). These courses are required of all candidates as a prerequisite for, or entry to, the Professional Year.

Professional Studies Curriculum:

Learning styles are a primary focus in PSYC 231: Educational Psychology. Special methods courses teach content and various methodologies for use with different learning styles, cultures and needs. Special Education coursework addresses the exceptional learner. The commonality is the shared goal of ‘helping all students learn’. Elementary candidates again work with learning styles during EDUC 413: Curriculum and Counseling (professional studies course syllabi, Teacher Work Samples, student portfolios).

For Initial candidates, the most concentrated level of instruction in cultural diversity occurs in the Professional Semester/Year programs. In the Human Relations education course, EDUC 415, instructors and candidates consider the influence of human relationships upon learning, growth, and development as related to exceptional populations. Candidates receive training in the development of interpersonal skills, classroom climate, and in meeting the emotional needs of all students in a pluralistic society (EDUC 415/415S course syllabi). In EDUC 415, candidates develop and teach lessons that incorporate and reflect a value on diversity.

Preparing students to work with a broad continuum of exceptionalities is specifically addressed in the course, SPED 230: Introduction to the Exceptional Learner, and is also integrated and reinforced later in the curriculum in both the EDUC 431s: Special Methods and EDUC 412s: General Methods courses (SPED 230, EDUC 412S, 431 course syllabi).

Field placements for teacher internships are arranged to provide each candidate with the broadest base of experiences possible. However, since the CSC service region does not provide for all ranges of diverse settings, additional efforts are made to enhance exposure to a wide variety of environments through class speakers, conference attendance, special projects, field experiences and other events. Table 3.1 shows the wide range of populations represented and schools available for field experiences in the Chadron State Service Region.

During academic years 2001-02 and 2002-03, EDUC 300/320: Observation & Participation candidates (Junior level) participated in a two-day multicultural Hispanic oriented field experience as part of the Nebraska Partnership for Quality Teacher Education Project—a grant project which provided monies to support preservice training efforts. In year one, candidates traveled to schools in North Platte River Valley communities, where they observed in P-12 schools with large populations of Hispanic students. This trip included a visit to the North Platte Hispanic Cultural Center, with a presentation from the Center Director on issues affecting Hispanic immigrants. In the Year 2 experience candidates traveled to Colorado with visitations in Greeley, CO schools (large Hispanic population) and to Denver, CO schools (large Hispanic and African American populations), thus providing an urban education field experience for the elementary and secondary students. These field experiences were designed to give candidates an experience with a diverse student population in an urban setting. The Spring 2006 semester will once again find O&P (Junior level) candidates participating in a similar field experience to the North Platte River Valley community schools. A field experience itinerary may be found in the Documents Center (Hispanic Multicultural Field Experience Itinerary).

In 1994 the Education Unit restructured its preservice curriculum to include a two-day cultural immersion field experience on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 45 miles to the north. This field experience is a requirement for all professional year preservice candidates and is part of the Human Relations/Multicultural Education course (EDUC 415 syllabi). This required course gives candidates cause to consider the influence of human relations upon learning, growth and development. Discussion includes an examination of significant problems in education as they relate to multi-ethnic and special needs student populations. Emphasis is placed on the development of interpersonal skills, classroom climate, and in meeting the emotional and learning needs of all student learners. The associated field experience works as a means for increasing personal and professional sensitivity to other cultures.

Prior to this two-day cultural enrichment field experience, preservice candidates are provided with a pre-departure orientation program where they participate in individual and group activities structured to enhance their sensitization to diverse populations and cultures. One such activity is a multicultural role-playing simulation called "BaFa, BaFa," where candidates are divided into one of two segregated communities, each with its own language, culture and prejudices. Participants must infiltrate the other group with the purpose of becoming "accepted" and "fitting in." Lack of success for the outsiders is inherent, and is due to lack of knowledge regarding the correct contextual rules. Participants thus experience the feelings of bias, prejudice, and scorn. This exercise provides personal experience to candidates in the respect for and importance of customs and cultural norms as they differ between societies.

In addition to these activities, candidates are assigned specific reading materials, discuss current and past policy regarding the education and governance of Native Americans, identify and evaluate contemporary stereotypes and beliefs pertaining to Native American's (i.e., culture, social values, religion, behavioral norms). This pre-departure orientation program works to establish a group dynamic as well as a critical mind-set essential for objective observation, assessment, and evaluation.

During the actual field experience, candidates spend their days touring and observing at public and private elementary, secondary and post-secondary reservation schools- the former of which are administered by the U.S. Bureau for Indian Affairs (BIA), independently through BIA contracts, or by religious orders such as the Catholic Church. Candidates meet with P-12 school administrators, teachers, students, and parents in an effort to learn if and how things are done differently in reservation schools. Candidates observe classes within their discipline, content area, and grade-level, and frequently assist in the delivery of instruction. In the evening, candidates hear presentations from a variety of speakers on such topics as Lakota culture and religion, the dying art of Lakota storytelling, and participate in a traditional Native American meal. In addition, candidates visit Holy Rosary Mission and its renowned Heritage-Cultural Center, and then travel to the site of the historic Wounded Knee Massacre of 1889. This field experience creates an awareness of differences between and among societies and causes our candidate’s to think more concretely about culture and how it impacts learning. One significant difference identified in reservation schools is the actual incorporation of the Native American culture directly into the learning process.

Prior to the pre-departure orientation program, candidates are asked to respond to questions/items on a Pine Ridge Multicultural Field Experience Survey, asking about their feelings (dispositions), their knowledge of the culture (stereotypical and otherwise), and about their past experiences relative to Native Americans and Native American culture. Upon return from the field experience, candidates jointly meet for an afternoon of debriefing, where issues, observations and feelings are discussed and debated. One week later, candidates are asked to provide a second response to questions on the same survey. Surveys are completed voluntarily, and candidates are asked to provide the same code number on the top of both surveys. Survey item responses may then be summarized individually and collectively, thus providing the unit with an indication of any resulting attitudinal shift or change based on course participation. Table 1.25 shows aggregated survey data results from 2002 through the 2005 academic year.

Throughout their program, candidates are assessed on their knowledge, skills and dispositions pertaining to diversity. Grades are included as a measure related to specific proficiencies, but other measures include teacher intern (student teacher) evaluations by the cooperating teacher (Mid-term & Final Cooperating Teacher Evaluation Forms) and CSC faculty supervisor’s Teacher Intern Checklist, analysis of lesson plans, practice teaching and the Teacher Work Sample (TWS, Rubric), as examples. Introduction to the Exceptional Learner (SPED 230 syllabi) emphasizes special needs and strategies for meeting those needs; the Assessment component of our Visionary Leader model deals with candidate proficiencies in assessment of student learning; and Special Methods EDUC 431coursework focuses on alternative approaches to teaching content information and methods of differentiating the curriculum. The Teacher Work Sample completed during the internship semester assesses the ability of each candidate to use assessment data to help P-12 students learn.

Candidates are assessed and their performance is then jointly reviewed. This reflection/assessment procedure occurs throughout the path of the teacher education curriculum, in various ways and settings. Student performances are assessed during the Professional "Block" Semester through use of rubrics and criteria sheets. This feedback is then shared with candidates while interning. Included in the practice are several diversity pieces/activities such as "Develops and maintains effective teacher/student relationships," and "Promotes a climate that embraces elements of diversity", as found on the Teacher Intern Checklist. The level of achievement for these criteria is made by college supervisors, cooperating teachers, and candidates themselves (i.e., Intern Self-Assessment Form). Specific examples of demonstrated candidate performance are: micro lessons-video; lesson presentations-video; Teacher Work Sample (TWS, Rubric) ; and student portfolios. These items may be found in the Documents Center.

During the internship semester, each candidate conducts and presents a Teacher Work Sample (TWS). Candidates give evidence of the ability to adapt instruction so all students can be successful in learning. Demographic data of the internship site community and school is considered in the TWS. Table 3.1 illustrates the types of schools/community contextual factors candidates may encounter during their experience.

Advanced Programs

All graduate students are required to take SPED 530: Characteristics of Mild/Moderate Disabilities. This course examines social, behavioral and emotional disabilities of learners. Identification of disability areas and special needs characteristics are examined in this course as well as all aspects of the total environment in which these learners are educated (SPED 530 Syllabi).

Administration

Two of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards for school administrators address diversity. A majority of the courses in CSC Educational Administration programs contain elements relative to diverse issues and information. ISLLC Standards 4.0 and 6.0 speak specifically to diversity. These ISLLC standards were adopted by our administration program in 2002, and their influence is reflected in advanced program course curricula and assessment measures. EDAD 639: Elementary and Secondary Administration contains items on the Evaluation Summary that relate to issues of diversity. In the Specialist Program (School Superintendent), the course EDAD 631: Public and Human Relations, taken by all candidates, addresses the State of Nebraska requirement for human relations. The content of EDAD 631 focuses on the analysis of administrative and leadership principles; practices and materials that facilitate the adjustment and interpretation of schools to their internal and external publics; processes to organize, administer and evaluate the district human resources program; and development of a school district public relations plan (EDUC 631 syllabi). Table 4.4 identifies specific program diversity standards and their interpretation as required knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

Teaching

In Curriculum and Instruction -- Elementary and Secondary, many courses have at least one objective focusing on diversity. EDCI 638: School Law, is required in both the elementary and secondary education programs, deals with legal issues and state constitutional provisions and the rationale for the judicial interpretations of legal mandates—many of which fall under the realm of diversity. (EDCI 638 syllabi). Other examples include reading courses: READ 535: Reading and the At-Risk Student, covers diversity and reading issues in depth. READ 635: Diagnosis and Correction, focuses on individual differences and the correction of reading problems. READ 533: Approaches and Techniques for Teaching Reading, includes a large focus on ELL/ESL issues, as well as techniques specific for teaching exceptional populations. (READ 533, 535, 635 syllabi)

School Counseling

In School Counseling candidates must complete COUN 535: Multicultural Counseling, which specifically addresses issues of diversity. Diversity is also addressed in COUN 541: Counseling Theories, and in COUN 632: Career and Lifestyle Development, where the review of the major theoretical constructs in counseling and psychotherapy, with incorporation of multicultural relevance in the treatment of each theory, are discussed (COUN 535, 541, 632 syllabi).