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Standard 2.0: Overview
Standard 2.1 Assessment System
Standard 2.2 Data Collection, Analysis, and Evaluation
Standard 2.3 Use of Data for Program Improvement
Standard 2: Recommendations/Summary
Exhibits and Displays for Standard 2

Overview of Standard 2

Since 2001, nearly all faculty and staff have been involved in designing and implementing a unit-wide assessment system that represents our beliefs about teacher education. The essence of these beliefs is that professional growth at all levels is developmental in nature and occurs over time; therefore, assessment too must be developmental, holistic and ongoing in order to reflect an understanding of how candidates learn. Data-based assessment systems offer considerable potential for candidate and program improvement although ability and achievement cannot be expressed simply in numerical terms and must not be based on a single instance or even a few instances.

Cognitive structural theory provides a framework for faculty to focus on how candidates think, reason, and make meaning of their experiences. Initial and Advanced programs allow candidates to grow over time through experiences of increasing complexity. Unit programs begin with foundational courses that introduce theoretical perspectives while at the same time integrating real world experiences that candidates connect back to the world of theory. As these theory-to-practice connections become more frequent, and as clinical practice intensifies, the candidate ultimately begins to connect the world of theory forward to the world of practice.

The process just described also characterizes the reflective judgment model of cognitive structural theory (King & Kitchener, 1994). Through the integration of multiple experiences and guided reflection, candidates form conclusions about complex problems such as poverty in the classroom, diversity and equity. As candidates learn, experience, and reflect, they move to a more advanced stage where they understand that data provide a solid basis for decisions but conclusions must be open to reconsideration as new information becomes available.

Based on these beliefs, the unit's programs have long been fashioned around the cycle of theoretical understandings, experiential understandings, and reflective understandings.

The cycle occurs over and over during the four program phases: foundational courses, emphasis courses, field experiences, and clinical practice. The unit assessment system, consequently, was designed to correspond to the same four phases-plus one additional phase befitting a reflective judgment model, alumni and employer follow-up after program completion.

The following pages describe the design and implementation of the system, processes for data collection and analysis, and recommendations for program improvement.

Reminder: Readers who would like a brief reference guide to accompany this section should refer to Assessment System-Reference Guide.


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