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Education

Student Learning for Other Professional School Personnel

Candidates for other professional school roles have an adequate understanding of the professional knowledge expected in their fields and delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards. They know their students, families, and communities; use current research to inform their practices; use current technologies in their practices; and support student learning through their professional services.

The other professional school personnel programs offered by Chadron State College are:

Master of Education in Education Administration--Elementary

Master of Education in Education Administration--Secondary

Master of Education--School Counseling

Candidates for the Master of Education in Education Administration (Elementary and Secondary), Master of Education--School Counseling, and the have completed a degree(s) and requirements for initial certification and/or advanced certification prior to being admitted to the program. Each program requires certification and experience in the school setting and recommendations from appropriate personnel. Theses requirements are designed to assure that candidates meet initial professional competencies.

The appropriate focus on student learning for each program is developed through specific coursework required in each program and through selection of elective coursework with the approval of the candidate’s advisor and committee members. The ability of candidates in Education Administration and School Counseling programs to positively impact student learning are specifically related to Chadron State College, Nebraska Department of Education, and national standards. Course syllabi validate that student learning as an important focus is related to the conceptual framework and applicable standards.

Education Administration [EDAD] and School Counseling degree program focus on student learning is integrated into coursework and field experiences. Focus on student learning by EDAD and School Counseling candidates is demonstrated through the NDE evaluation of other school personnel programs, and is assessed much the same as content knowledge, professional knowledge and skills, and dispositions. Assessments include course assessments, field experiences graduate portfolio, comprehensive oral exam, exit GPA requirements, and follow up studies.

All Education Administration and School Counseling candidates are required to complete an advanced field experience activity. Field experiences for advanced candidates are defined as an internship or a practicum. These include demonstrations contained in field experience/practicum portfolios of the candidate’s ability to positively impact student learning. The master’s level Education Administration practicum professor evaluates the evidence using a checklist. Table 1.35: Education Administration Candidates’ Ability to Positively Impact Student Learning as Demonstrated by Practicum Portfolio in Field Experiences and Activities provides examples of practicum experiences related to student learning linked to the ISLLC Standards.

Candidates are supervised and evaluated by practicing school professionals. Data provided in Table 1.36: Mean Ratings of Education Administration Candidates’ Ability to Positively Impact Student Learning as Demonstrated in Field Experience Activities (Documents Center) that master’s level EDAD candidates are well prepared to positively impact student learning. On observed items supervisors rated candidates as 4.54 (5-point scale) for items related to student learning. Aggregated comments also indicate that candidates are meeting or exceeding the expectations of practicing school professionals during the practicum experience.

School Counseling field experiences prepare counselors to positively impact student learning (See NCATE Standard 1-A for internship procedures and policies.) Competencies practiced and evaluated in internship experiences are summarized in Table 1.10: Content Knowledge, Professional Knowledge and Skills Demonstrated by School Counseling Candidates in Field Experience Activities. These competencies also prepare School Counseling graduates to positively impact student learning.

Education Administration and School Counseling candidates are required to demonstrate a focus on student learning through a formal comprehensive oral examination and presentation of a professional portfolio. (See previous sections for detailed description of requirements and procedures.)

Focus on student learning of Education Administration and School Counseling programs are assessed by grade point averages of coursework taken as a part of their programs. Because almost all coursework taken at the advanced level contains student learning components as well as content knowledge, professional knowledge and skills, and dispositions the overall GPAs of program graduates provide evidence of student learning focus. Table 1.11: Mean Exit GPA for Other Professional School Personnel Graduates shows candidate GPAs at the time of graduation for Education Administration and School Counseling programs.

Assessment of the quality of programs and graduates of Education Administration programs is conducted using follow-up studies. Graduates and employers of Education Administration and School Counseling programs are surveyed. Items that relate to the ability to positively impact student learning are listed and data summarized in Table 1.37: Mean Ratings of Education Administration Graduates’ Ability of to Positively Impact Student Learning from Graduate and Employer Follow-up Studies (Documents Center). Item clusters are based on ISLCC cluster components (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy, 2001)

Table 1.37a: Mean Ratings of Education Administration Graduates’ Ability to Positively Impact Student Learning from Graduate and Employer Follow-up Studies (Summary)

Scale 5-high: 1-low

EDAD:

55 self-evaluations sent and 15 returned (27%).

7 supervisor evaluations sent and 5 received (71%).

School Counseling graduates and program are assessed through collecting data from the oral examination using a rubric based on CACREP (2001) standards. Results relating to a candidate’s ability to impact student learning are described in Table 1.38: Focus on Student Learning as Demonstrated by School Counseling Graduates through Oral Examination (2002, 2003, 2004, & 2005) (Documents Center). Results on the five items relating to focus on student learning indicate a range of results. Program emphasis has increased on these areas and results for the 2005 year show a positive trend with candidates’ performance in the average to superior levels.