Program approval/program accreditation annual report

              T 550.3 P964a 2003/04 e.l
Oklahoma Commission
for
Teacher Preparation
PROGRAM APPROV ALl
PROGRAM ACCREDITATION
ANNUAL REPORT
2003-2004
Student Success Through Quality Teaching
Program Approval
The program approval area of OCTP oversees all teacher education program accreditation activities. In this
capacity, OCTP is responsible for: (a) conducting assessments of teacher education programs, (b) providing
training and assistance on accreditation and program standards, and (c) monitoring changes in program quality.
Unit Accreditation
Every five to seven years, each teacher preparation program is evaluated for accreditation purposes based on
state requirements and the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). At
institutions that are affiliated with NCATE, the accreditation process includes both national and state evaluation
teams; trained state educators evaluate institutions seeking only state accreditation. Because both the state and
national teams use NCATE standards for evaluation purposes, even schools that are not affiliated with NCATE
are measured against national standards.
The accreditation process ensures that teacher preparation programs are providing teacher candidates with a
knowledge-based education that includes multiple performance measures. It also provides a means of assessing
the quality of faculty members serving in the teacher education unit, the diverse learning opportunities available to
our teacher candidates, and the caliber of students being admitted for teacher candidacy.
Oklahoma City University
Continuing State Accreditation
Accreditation Decisions
2003·2004
Northeastern State University
Continuing State/NCATE Accreditation
Bacone College
Provisional State Accreditation
Northeastern State
University
Northeastern State University originated in 1846 from an authorization of the Cherokee National
Council to establish a National Male Seminary and a National Female Seminary in order to fulfill a
treaty requirement that public and higher education be provided for the Cherokees. Today,
Northeastern is the fourth largest public university in Oklahoma with a spring 2003 enrollment of 8378
students. Northeastern employs eight hundred full-time faculty and staff members on its main
campus in Tahlequah and at its branch campuses in Broken Arrow and Muskogee. Students may
take classes interchangeably at the three campuses, and faculty from the main campus may be
assigned to teach in classes at the branches.
The College of Education houses four departments that offer a total of twenty-five certification
programs at both the initial and advanced levels. The NSU Teacher Education program is currently
the largest in Oklahoma with 1,922 education majors (fall 2003). The visit was a joint
Oklahoma/NCA TE visit conducted by five NCA TE BOE members and a three-member state team.
The team report highlighted the following:
• Candidates, in both initial and advanced programs, exhibit a high level of knowledge and skills in
their content area and the delivery of instruction and other school services.
• The unit utilizes an assessment system that generates multiple data on candidate qualifications
and performance, as well as on unit operations, which is used for program improvement.
• The reflective journals of candidates in field experience document varied activities that promote
growth. Evaluative instruments are clearly aligned with the conceptual framework.
• The Native Scholars Program has recruited candidates from nine different Native American tribes
from Oklahoma to work with Native American students in public schools.
• The Northeastem Center for Teaching and Learning provides service to more than 700 students
on the NSU branch campuses via videoconference delivery.
At its March 21-Apri11, 2004 meeting, the Unit Accreditation Board (UAB) of the National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education (NeATE) granted continuing accreditation to the College of
Education at Northeastern State University at the initial and advanced levels. In their letter, the UAB
offered "special congratulations" to NSU because no official areas for improvement were cited by the
Board relative to any of the standards. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation also
congratulated NSU on its accomplished performance at its accreditation hearing in June 2004.
Bacone College
Bacone College, a four-year private institution affiliated with the American Baptist Church, was
chartered in 1880 under the direction of missionary leader, Almon C. Bacone. A model of ethnic
diversity, Bacone prides itself on its central commitment to serve the educational needs of Native
American students. The four words on the institution's visual model summarize the Bacone mission:
faith, wisdom, service and heritage. At the time of the visit in spring 2004, Bacone College offered
initial teacher preparation programs in Early Childhood, Elementary and Health and Physical
Education.
The accreditation visit resulted in Provisional State Accreditation. Five of six NCA TE/State standards
were met and nine of the ten state requirements were met. Since the unit was in the early stages of
operation, it was unable to provide all the data required by the NCATE/State transition plan for
Standard One. A focused visit on this standard will be conducted in spring 2006. At this point, a
cohort of candidates will have completed the programs, and necessary data should be available.
The accreditation team noted the following findings:
• Candidates have satisfactorily fulfilled the requirements for Checkpoint One related to Standard 1.
Rubrics and procedures are in place to collect the required data for Checkpoints I-IV.
• The conceptual framework is thoroughly and consistently embedded in the assessment system,
and in the individual assessment components designed by the unit.
• All candidates complete 85-100 hours of field experience prior to a sixteen-week student teaching
internship. The field experience sites assure a variety of diverse experiences.
• Bacone is one of the most diverse higher education institutions in the United States. Of the total
student population, 39% of students are American Indian, 35% are white, 21 % are African-
American, and 4% are Hispanic. 47% of the general education faculty self-identified minority
ethnic status.
• Faculty in the unit are well qualified and have extensive higher education and public school
experience.
Areas for Improvement Identified in the site visit report include:
~ Data is inadequate to meet the transition plan (for Standard 1), and the unit is unable to prove
that candidates have the necessary knowledge, skills and dispositions to help all students learn.
~ Present library holdings hinder the unit's ability to prepare candidates to meet the institutional,
state and program standards.
.I
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, a private United Methodist-related institution, attracts
students from 48 states and 67 countries. The university traces its roots to Epworth
University that was chartered three years prior to statehood in 1904. OCU offers a low
student/faculty ratio and prides itself on the delivery of a quality, personalized higher
education experience to its students. Housed in the Petree College of Arts and Science,
the OCU Department of Education offers 12 initial level programs with an enrollment
of more than 70 candidates.
The accreditation visit resulted in continuing state accreditation with all six
NCATE/state requirements met, and nine of ten state requirements met.
The accreditation team noted the following observations during the site visit:
• Documents and interviews provided evidence that the OCU faculty prepare
candidates to be well prepared teachers and leaders.
• OCU candidates perform well on the certification examination.
• Candidates have a wide variety offield experiences in multiple settings that include
both urban and suburban settings with diverse student populations.
• The Department of Education is committed to preparing candidates who are ready
to teach in a multicultural and ethnically diverse world, and who are prepared to
meet the needs of all students.
• OCU is a GEAR-UP partner with four middle schools in the Oklahoma City Public
Schools district. OCU faculty participate in tutoring and mentoring public school
students on a regular basis.
• The OCU leadership team is committed to addressing the financial issues that have
challenged the unit in past years.
The team cited the following Areas for Improvement:
~ The unit does not have a fully developed assessment system to regularly and
systematically analyze data to evaluate and improve the unit programs.
~ No connection is made between the field experience and conceptual framework in
the assignments or the course syllabi.
~ No evidence was available to document that faculty development is and has been
occurring throughout the unit.
Accreditation Status Report
Institution Status Next Site Visit
Bacone College (BC)* State Provisional
Cameron University (CU) Continuing
East Central University (ECU) Continuing
Langston University (LU) Continuing with
Conditions
Mid-America Christian University (MACU)'" State Continuing
NCATE Initial
Northeastern State University (NSU) Continuing
Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) Continuing
Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) Continuing
Oklahoma Christian University (OC) Continuing
Oklahoma City University (OCU)"'''' State Continuing
Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) State Continuing
NCATE Continuing
First Revisit
Oklahoma State University (OSU) Continuing
Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OW)"'''' Continuing
Oral Roberts University (ORU) Continuing
Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU) Continuing
Southern Nazarene University (SNU) Continuing with
Conditions
Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) Continuing
St. Gregory's University (SGU)'" State Continuing
University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Continuing
University of Oklahoma (OU) Decision Pending
University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) Continuing
University of Tulsa (TU) Continuing
'" State Accreditation only
"'''' Institutions currently holding State Accreditation and seeking National Accreditation
Focused Visit
Standard 1
Spring 2006
Fa112007
October 23-27,2004
Spring 2005
Fall 2005
Fall 2010
November 6-10, 2004
Fa112008
Fall 2005
Spring 2009
Fall 2008
Spring 2006
Spring 2008
Fall 2006
Spring 2009
Focused Visit Fall 2004
Fall 2006
Fall 2007
Spring 2008
Pending
Fall 2008
Fall 2005
Portfolio Assessment
As part of each teacher candidate's educational experience, a portfolio is developed that emphasizes Oklahoma's
15 General Competencies for Licensure and Certification. Candidate portfolios provide an opportunity for teacher
candidates to critically evaluate what teachers need to know to be successful and to consider different types of
learners and school environments. The activities and field experiences, which are described and reflected on in a
candidate's portfolio demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions teacher candidates acquire during their
teacher preparation.
The following institutions participated in
successful portfolio assessments in 2003-2004:
A team of trained evaluators assesses each institution's portfolios on a 5 to 7-year rotating basis. The evidence of
the 15 General Competencies of this assessment is to determine if the philosophy of the teacher education
program is being realized in the students' educational experiences and to ensure that institutions are providing
candidates with the necessary knowledge base to be a successful teacher.
Oklahoma State University
Program Review
Each program area (e.g., math, reading, etc.) within a teacher education unit is required to submit a review as part
of the assessment process. Individual programs are evaluated based on the standards of national learned
societies and/or state approved standards. For example, the International Reading Association (IRA) has created
a set of competencies that should guide all reading programs in Oklahoma. The standards of the IRA were then
integrated with the Oklahoma State Competencies and an assessment measure for reading programs was
created. For each learned society that is affiliated with NCATE this process has occurred. When a program is not
directly affiliated through NCATE (e.g., driver's education), state standards were utilized as the foundation for
program review.
Prior to the initiation of this assessment process, only five programs in the State of Oklahoma were nationally
recognized. Currently, there are 286 teacher preparation programs at universities in the state of Oklahoma.
Those meeting state and/or national standards are listed below. As the assessment process continues, it is our
goal for all NCATE affiliated schools to have multiple programs receive national recognition.
One complete five-year cycle of program review was finished in December of 2002. Institutions now complete
program reviews on a five or seven-year cycle. Please note that many programs are still under review. Listings
do not reflect the total number of programs that may be in compliance since some reviews are still in progress.
Program Areas in Compliance with
National and/or State Standards
Cameron University
Art
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Foreign Language
Mathematics
Music
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Mid-America Christian University
(non-NeATE)
Elementary
English
Mathematics
Music
East Central University
Art
Business
Early Childhood
Education Administration
Elementary
English
Family and Consumer Science
Library Media (Advanced)
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Reading
School Counseling
School Psychology
School Psychometry
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Speech and Drama
Northeastern Oklahoma State University
Business
Driver's Education
Early Childhood (Initial)
Early Childhood (Advanced)
Education Administration
Elementary
English
Foreign Language
Library Media (Advanced)
Mathematics
Music
Reading
School Counselor
Science
Special Education
Special Education (Advanced)
SpeechlDramalDebate
Speech Pathology
Technology Education
Langston University
Early Childhood
Elementary Education
English
Family and Consumer Science
Mathematics
Music
Technology Education
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Business
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Foreign Language
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Reading
School Counseling
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Speech and Drama
OkJahoma Baptist University
Art
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Mathematics
Social Studies
Special Education
Speech and Drama
School Psychology
School Psychometrist
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Speech & Language Pathology
Oklahoma Christian University
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Mathematics
Music
Social Studies
Special Education
Speech and Drama
Oral Roberts University
Art
Business
Early Childhood
Education Administration
English
Foreign Language
Health
Mathematics
Music
Science
Social Studies
Oklahoma City University
(non-NCATE)
Early Childhood
Elementary
Music
Science
Oklahoma Wesleyan College
Business Education
Elementary
English
Mathematics
Music
Science
OkJahoma Panhandle State University
Agriculture
Business
Elementary
English
Mathematics
Music
Science
Social Studies
Saint Gregory's University
(non-NCATE)
English
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Oklahoma State University
Agriculture
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Library Media (Advanced)
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Art
Business
Elementary
English
Mathematics
Music
Reading
School Counselor
School Administration
Spanish
Special Education
Southern Nazarene University
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Foreign Language
Mathematics
Music
Speech and Drama
Speech & Language Pathology
Trade and Industrial
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Art
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
History
Mathematics
Music
School Counselor
School Psychometrist
Social Studies
Special Education
Technology Education
University of Oklahoma
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Foreign Language
Library Media (Advanced)
Mathematics
Music
Reading
School Counselor
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Speech Pathology
University of Central Oklahoma
Allied Health
Art
Business
Driver's Education
Early Childhood
Early Childhood (Advanced)
Education Administration
Elementary
English
Family and Consumer Sciences
Foreign Language
Health
Library Media (Advanced)
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Reading
School Counselor
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Speech
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Art
Business
Deaf Education
Early Childhood
Elementary
English
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Science
University of Tulsa
Art
Deaf Education
Elementary
English
Foreign Language
Mathematics
Middle Level Education
Music
School Counselor
Science
Social Studies
Speech Pathology