NSTA Program Report Reviewing: Helping institutions continuously improve

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(No Transcript)
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NSTA Program ReportReviewing Helping
institutions continuously improve

• Erica M. Brownstein, Capital University
• NSTA Preservice Program Coordinator

For information contact ebrownst_at_capital.edu 614
.236.6390 work or 614.352.7526 cell
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Tensegrity
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Objectives

• Consider your role as a reviewer
• See the relationship between NSTA 2003 Standards
  and the NCATE Assessment System
• Compare documents with specific descriptors and
  general descriptors

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NCATE Assessments

• Maximum of 8 assessments
• Assessments 1 through 5 are the same for all
  SPAs
• Assessments fall into 3 categories
• Content
• Pedagogy
• K-12 Student Learning

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NSTA / NCATE Alignment
1. Sc. content
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Your role

• Comments
• Give comments even if met
• where and how it was met.
• Use comments attached as sample
• Need to adapt for situation and particular
  assessment
• Will only cover most common issues
• Audit team must verify
• descriptions help
• IHEs need feedback
• positive and constructive criticism
• Neutral
• Leave out agendas
• Only address NSTA 2003 Standards and requirements
  directly

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1 Content Praxis II or State
1. Sc. content
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1 Content Praxis II or State Past 3 years
completers

• Must include all completers
• 80 pass rate applies if 10 or more total (all
  science content tests for all 3 years),
• Data to include
• Mean scores for each science content test
• Range scores for each science content test
• Pass rates for state
• Sub-scores for each science content test
• Do not need to show content alignment if Praxis II

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2 Content Science Content Alignment
1. Sc. content
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2 GPA and Science Content

• Grade distributions or GPAs be disaggregated by
• licensure areas of the candidates (i.e., biology,
  general science, etc)
• distinct levels of licensure (middle level, high
  school, secondary, etc
• degree levels of preparation (undergraduate/post-b
  accalaureate/ masters)
• Provide grade data from all science courses taken
  by candidates in the program.
• Include science content alignment with the 2003
  NSTA Standards using the Content Analysis Forms

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2 Content Analysis Forms

• Available on the NCATE website
• Upload completed form with the program report
• Align the science content with the NSTA 2003
  Standards
• Must demonstrate a 90 alignment
• In each discipline cluster (core, advanced)
• Compare the submitted form with the original on
  NCATEs website
• of cells
• Compare the coursework submitted with the
  required courses
• Undergraduate
• Post degree
• Masters

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3 Pedagogy Unit Plan
1. Sc. content
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3 Pedagogy Unit PlanAt least one major
teaching unit (not just a single lesson plan)
that includes requirements for activities with
lesson plans and various assessments. The unit
must include

• Must also include
• Unifying Concepts
• Nature of Science
• Inquiry
• Issues in Science
• Sc. in the Community

• Science concepts principles
• Technology in Sc.
• Curriculum
• National and State
• Assessment

Must be SCIENCE specific Must meet all relevant
NSTA standards
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Pause3 Pedagogy Unit Plan

• What might this look like in programs?
• What if there is an generic Unit Plan will any
  of the dimensions be met?
• What if the scoring guide does not match the
  description given?

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4 Pedagogy Student Teaching Form
1. Sc. content
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4 Pedagogy Example A Student Teaching Form
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4 Pedagogy Example B
1 does not address standard 2 addresses but does
not meet standard 3 meets standard at acceptable
level 4 above minimum acceptable level 5 exceeds
standard
Scoring guide needs improvement
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4 Pedagogy Example C
Candidate are rated using the following
guidelines Unacceptable The candidate's
performance is not improving and is not
acceptable Acceptable The candidate's
performance meets the expectations for
pre-service teachers Target
The candidate's performance meets
expectations that would be characteristic of
an experienced teacher
Scoring guide needs improvement
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4 PedagogyStudent Teaching Form

• May be an addendum to regular form
• Generic form usually meets Standards 5 and 10
• Include science specific areas
• Safety
• Measurable scoring guides (for safety only)
• Instructions to students, cooperating teachers
  and university supervisors are included

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5 Evidence of K-12 Student Learning
1. Sc. content
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5 Evidence of K-12 Student Learning

• The most important component of the NSTA program
  report
• Science specific and address each applicable NSTA
  standard (TWS needs an addendum)
• Descriptors that are measurable

Minimum acceptable levels of performance are a
Basic or above.
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6 Content Safety Welfare
1. Sc. content
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6 Content Safety WelfareOperational terms

• Standard
• Know and practice safe and proper techniques for
  the preparation, storage, dispensing,
  supervision, and disposal of all materials used
  in science instruction.
• Better Criteria (discrete observable behaviors)
• In the safety workshop, the candidate
• Labels, stores and dispenses three different
  chemicals properly
• Uses approved techniques for the handling and
  preparation of four different chemicals
• Demonstrates three examples of disposing of
  chemicals in an approved manner

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7 Content Research in Science Discipline
1. Sc. content
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7 Content Research in Science Discipline

• Usually performed in the science content courses
• It is not how to do science but is a research
  in a science discipline
• A system will need to be in place that addresses
  candidates that are
• post degree or transfer in most science courses
• Action Research or science fair is not acceptable
• What would your science departments deem
  acceptable?
• Could be a short project that is embedded in a
  science course
• Environmental Science

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8 Content Contextual Content
1. Sc. content
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8 Content Contextual Content

• Content understanding of topics important to
  science educators
• Not generally in lesson plans or unit plans
• Unless some major demonstration of content
  required
• Not in observation forms

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When examining Assessments

• Does it meet the 5 things to keep in mind for
  scoring guides?
• Do the criteria adequately cover the important
  defining elements of the desired performance?
• Do the criteria distinguish the different levels
  of performance in observable ways?
• Are the variables in the criteria likely to be
  interpreted in the same way by different
  evaluators?
• Are the criteria just a rehash of the standard or
  do they define the standard in operational terms?
• Is there enough substance to the assessment to
  assure external reviewers that if the criteria
  are met, the candidate is prepared to teach to
  the standards?

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Tensegrity
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Life of an NSTA program

• Programs written
• Submitted to NCATE
• NCATE
• Posts
• chooses review teams
• Lead and 1 or 2 others
• Sends you an email

• You
• Contact other reviewer
• Read and review report
• Email to other reviewer post to NCATE
• Team
• Discuss the report
• Email or conference call
• Submit final report
• Audit team
• Audits reviews
• Final audit sent to NCATE
• NCATE
• Finalizes and sends to institutions

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Levels of decisions

• Met
• Nationally recognized until next review
• Meets all NSTA standards
• Met with Conditions
• Could be changed in 18 months
• Not met
• Not science specific
• Weak in several areas
• When in doubt go for not met and the audit
  team will re-consider