Accreditation

Section III: Evidence for Meeting Each Standard

STANDARD IV: DIVERSITY

.

Prev Page / Table of Contents

.

.

As noted in the Conceptual Framework, Theme 3, preparing educators for diverse and inclusive communities of learners, including systematic exposure to heterogeneous populations, Towson's commitment to diversity permeates all levels of the University, and is reflected in the campus commitment to intentional institutional efforts that drive, reinforce, and extend the unit's efforts. (See Exhibit 76 for the University's Diversity Plan). Diversity-related activities are regularly sponsored by the institution and the unit to promote and support faculty and candidate development of knowledge of diversity in the United States and in the world; dispositions that reflect and value differences; and skills for working in diverse settings.

.

Numerous intentional university activities have been and continue to be undertaken to raise the faculty and university community's awareness, knowledge, and commitment to diversity issues. For example, the Multicultural Institute (which includes numerous unit faculty as committee members) holds multiple events each year, including an annual Multicultural Conference for faculty. Most recently, the March 2006 Conference, Reflections on Diversity at Maryland's Metropolitan University, was the initial event for the University's Reflective Process for Diversity campaign to frame campus thinking for ensuring a diverse academy. (The reflective process is based on the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Now is the Time: Meeting the Challenge for a Diverse Academy; Exhibit 77).

.

The institution also co-hosts, with the Baltimore County government, an annual Human Relations Commission Forum for faculty, students, and the community (e.g., November 2005, Diversity: Education, Public Policy, and Employment; Exhibit 77). These intentional actions, as well as the additional and specific focus on diversity brought to the campus since President Caret's arrival, and the long-standing efforts of the College of Education's Diversity Committee (Exhibit 78) reiterate and demonstrate the University's and unit's commitment to diversity issues.

.

Diversity-related data consistently confirm that candidates have acquired the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn.

.

Standard IV. Element 1: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences

Curricula, coursework, and accompanying field and clinical experiences are designed, implemented, and evaluated to ensure that candidates develop both an awareness of the importance of diversity in teaching and learning, and the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to adapt instruction and/or services for diverse populations. Diversity proficiencies are incorporated into curricula and measured by assessments in order to improve candidates' abilities to improve student learning by incorporating diversity into their lessons and establishing a classroom/school climate that values diversity.

.

Standards-based, Diversity-related Candidate Performances/Proficiencies
All candidates are expected to know and demonstrate diversity-related proficiencies which are aligned to the Conceptual Framework as well as to professional standards and the unit's Essential Dispositions for Educators, as delineated in Table 63. Diversity proficiencies are assessed through unit dispositions assessments (see Standard I, p. 63), through SPA assessments, and through midpoint and/or completion point course assessments identified by advanced preparation programs.

.

Table 63. Primary Alignment of Diversity Proficiencies to Standards

.

Diversity proficiencies are also aligned to and assessed in required coursework and field and clinical experiences as follows:

Initial Preparation Programs
Each baccalaureate candidate is required to complete the University's diversity-related General Education requirements which are extended through program-specific requirements. Candidates are required to take coursework in two specific, diversity-related General Education categories, II.C.3: Cultural Plurality and Diversity, and II.D. Global Awareness - Non-Western Cultures. Reflecting the uniqueness of professional preparation programs, each has an individualized checklist of degree requirements which identifies required and/or recommended courses within each General Education category/subcategory that support program-specific and unit-wide, diversity-related knowledge, skills, and dispositions (Exhibit 33). All initial preparation programs are based on the INTASC Principles, and each program developed a program-specific matrix documenting the alignment of required courses and content with the INTASC Principles primarily addressed in each course (See State Program Reports, and respective syllabi). While diversity-related proficiencies are implicit in all of the INTASC Principles, Principles 2, 3, and 7 are most explicit in their inclusion of diversity-related performances/proficiencies which candidates are required to know and demonstrate:

.

Principle 2: The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support a child's intellectual, social, and personal development.
Principle 3: The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
Principle 7: The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

.

Initial preparation candidates learn about exceptionalities and inclusion through SPED 301, Introduction to Special Education K-12, a universal requirement for all undergraduate initial preparation programs. (SPED 637, Inclusion for the Classroom Teacher, is the requirement in the MAT initial preparation program). The field experience associated with the courses ensures that candidates interact with students with exceptionalities early in their professional programs.

.

Recent revisions of programs and curriculum further ensure candidates' knowledge of exceptionalities. The ELED and SPED departments collaborated to develop new coursework as well as a new initial preparation program. Effective 2003, ELED added SPED 401, Curriculum and Methods of Inclusion, as a required Level III internship course. Based on the CEC and INTASC standards, incorporating Maryland's VSC and the JPTAAR lesson plan format, the course is designed as a "second level" special education course for ELED candidates focused on evidence-based instructional strategies utilized to differentiate and individualize instruction. Implemented in 2002, a new degree in Integrated Elementary Education and Special Education (EESE) was collaboratively designed to combine the standards of both programs and prepare candidates as elementary classroom teachers and special education teachers in grades 1-8.

.

A review of the State Program Reports (Exhibit 30) documents the program-specific alignment of required coursework/content and related field and clinical experiences to national standards identified as preparing candidates to meet the needs of diverse and inclusive communities of learners. These standards-based outcomes also serve as the basis for direct assessment of candidates' demonstrated diversity-related knowledge and ability to perform, as defined by the standards.

.

All initial preparation, continuing preparation, and programs for other school personnel include and assess diversity proficiencies in their content, professional, and pedagogical coursework. (See Standard IV, Element 4, pp. 75-78 for the diversity of field and clinical experiences). These elements of diversity-addressed through assignments, presentations, projects, exams, etc., enable and require candidates to develop awareness of the importance of diversity in teaching and learning and the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to adapt instruction and/or services for diverse and inclusive communities of learners. (See interns' portfolios for specific INTASC 2, 3, and 7 examples; also see Exhibit 80 which provides a partial, representative list of program-specific courses and examples of diversity emphases).

.

Continuing Preparation Programs and Programs for Other School Personnel

Each continuing preparation program (e.g., M. Ed. in SPED) and program for other school personnel (e.g., M. Ed. in Reading) also developed a program-specific matrix documenting the alignment of required courses with professional, state, and program-specific diversity-related proficiencies/standards. (See State Program Reports, Exhibit 30. Exhibit 81 provides a partial, representative list of program-specific courses and examples of diversity emphases. See Exhibit 82 for reading candidates' demonstration of diversity-related standards). Individual program standards are also assessed through the SPA process, and National Recognition Reports for each SPA document that our programs meet national program standards related to diversity (Exhibit 23).

.

Essential Dispositions
The unit purposefully chose to embed standards-based, diversity-related proficiencies in its development of the Essential Dispositions for Educators, reflecting diversity proficiencies from professional standards (specifically SPA, INTASC, NBPTS, NCATE) and literature regarding culturally responsive teaching (specifically, Darling-Hammond and Bransford (2005), Gollnick, and Chinn (2006)). (See Standard I, Element 6, pp. 31-33; also see Exhibit 83 for alignment of the Essential Dispositions for Educators with diversity-related proficiencies from professional standards and literature regarding culturally responsive teaching). The development of the Essential Dispositions for Educators was a yearlong, inclusive effort (Exhibit 15), and resulted in each program developing its own comprehensive implementation plan which identifies multiple learning opportunities and assessment points for the Essential Dispositions for Educators (Exhibit 16). The common scoring guide comprises observable behaviors which are aligned to diversity proficiencies. All candidates must achieve a minimal level of competency for successful completion of their programs. (See Table 45 for performance data and Exhibit 25 for unit and program-specific data).

.

Intentional Unit Curricular, Co-Curricular, and Programmatic Diversity Experiences and Efforts
In addition to the University's ongoing efforts, the unit also promotes, supports, and pursues a wide variety of diversity-related experiences and efforts to support faculty's and candidates' development of knowledge of diversity, dispositions that reflect and value differences, and skills for teaching all children effectively. Representative examples include: .

• The Diversity Committee, a standing committee in the College of Education, has as one of its primary goals to facilitate inclusion of issues related to diversity into curriculum and instruction, enabling education faculty to integrate scholarship which reflects diversity and commonalities in a global society (Exhibit 78). Specific results of the committee's work include the development and 2001 implementation of a new General Education course, Teaching and Learning in a Diverse Society (EDUC 203), and the development and implementation of the Diversity Fellowship Program (Exhibit 84). Additionally, the Diversity Committee planned and sponsored two major events for all unit students, faculty, and the metropolitan community - the May 2004 celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, and the October 2005 Holocaust Commemoration (Exhibit 85).
• Student organizations focus on numerous diversity-related topics and experiences to support teaching all children effectively (Exhibit 86).
• With the specific intent of building a "grow your own" recruitment pipeline to increase the diversity of initial and advanced candidates, the unit initiated a much more significant and long-term engagement with the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS). These efforts build on Towson 2010, and the Top Ten Percent Scholars program, and the president's and provost's public commitment to Towson's role as a "premier, metropolitan institution" that will respond to the educational issues of our region, particularly the increasingly critical educational needs of Baltimore City. (A specific outcome of Towson 2010 is the 2004 establishment of the University's Top Ten Percent Scholars program as a demonstration of the University's commitment to enhance student diversity (Exhibit 87). This successful initiative provides scholarships and ongoing supports to students from Baltimore City and Baltimore County public high schools that completed a college preparatory curriculum and graduated in the top ten percent of their class. In fall 2004, only twenty-five new freshmen from Baltimore City public schools entered Towson University and only six (6) of those individuals were ranked in the top ten percent of their graduating classes. In fall 2005, ninety-seven (97) Baltimore City Top Ten Scholars enrolled for fall 2005. Of these, seventy (70) are African-American and, seven (7) are other minorities). Of the fall 2005 cohort, eleven declared education as a major. In spring 2007, 26 of the Top Ten Percent Scholars were declared education majors.
• Since 2003, these unit initiatives with BCPSS include:
  - a major teacher professional development initiative for teachers in Title I schools, focusing on mathematics and special education (Exhibit 88)
  - the establishment of professional development schools as part of the BCPSS restructuring plan for the schools
  - partnering with three high schools to develop and implement high school Teacher Academies (a pathway to a "grow-your-own" pipeline of future teachers with emphasis on the Top Ten Percent Scholars Program as a recruitment incentive (Exhibit 89); campus visits and summer workshops have engaged unit wide faculty.
  - leading a multi-year, University-wide Cherry Hill Learning Zone Initiative, in collaboration with BCPSS, the Cherry Hill Ministerial Alliance, and the Baltimore City Mayor's Office to improve simultaneously the Cherry Hill area's schools and family, community, health, and economic quality of life (Exhibit 90).

.

Assessment System Standards-Based Diversity-Related Data

Initial Preparation
As noted, INTASC Principles 2 (child development), 3 (diversity), and 7 (planning) are most explicit among the INTASC Principles in their focus on diversity-related proficiencies. Standards-based, diversity-related data confirm that initial preparation candidates know and demonstrate standards-based, diversity-related knowledge, skills, and dispositions and can develop meaningful learning experiences for all students. (Standards-based diversity-related data for other INTASC Principles included in Table 63 (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) are found in Tables 34-40, and provide evidence that candidates know and demonstrate these INTASC performances). These data also address the Maryland Redesign criteria, e.g., proficiency in developing and implementing differentiated learning experiences for diverse student needs.

.

Tables 64-66 show six semesters of unit performance data from mentor teachers, University supervisors, graduating interns' program evaluations, and P-16 portfolio reviewers. These data consistently document and confirm candidates' ability to work effectively with diverse and inclusive communities of learners, with all mean scores exceeding 4 on a 5 point scale for six consecutive semesters. (See Exhibit 25 for program-specific data.)

.

As indicated in Tables 67 and 68, unit data from graduates at the end of their first and third years of teaching confirm that the unit was successful in preparing candidates to work effectively with diverse and inclusive communities of learners. (See Exhibit 25 for program-specific data). All cohorts earned mean scores above the satisfactory score of 3 on a 5 point scale.

.

Additionally, in survey data collected since 2000, graduates one year following program completion are asked-in light of their teaching experience-to assess the extent to which they believe that their preparation programs prepared them to:
        (Q 13): Work effectively with students from different backgrounds
        (Q 14): Work effectively with learners with special needs.
Table 69 provides additional confirmation that the unit was successful in preparing candidates to work effectively with diverse and inclusive communities of learners. The Unit mean score for the period of F 00/S 01 to F 04/S 05 exceeds the satisfactory score of 3 on a 5 point scale.

.

For the Employer Survey, questions were modified to reflect actual teaching; INTASC 3 was modified and asked employers to assess their first year teachers' (identified graduates of Towson University) ability to "create instructional opportunities that are differentiated for diverse learners." As indicated in Table 70, three years of employer data on first year teacher performance provide strong confirmation that graduates knew and were able to demonstrate the diversity-related knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn, with mean scores exceeding 4 on a 5 point scale.

.

All candidates must achieve the minimal level of competency (2 for initial preparation and 3 for advanced preparation) on a summative dispositions assessment (See Standard I, Element 6 for a full description of this process. Table 45 documents that candidates across the unit meet those diversity-related disposition standards.

.

Continuing Preparation and Other School Personnel
As noted in Standard I, while the Unit Assessment System is applicable to all programs, assessment at the advanced/graduate program level is much more program specific than at the initial level, as is the data collection and decision making. As a result, data presented are primarily program-specific. Through the Unit Assessment System, diversity-related proficiencies are also assessed at both the midpoint through a required course assessment and at completion through a capstone experience. Additional data for each program, descriptions of program-specific assessment tools, scoring tools, and data are found in SPA reports (ECED) or in graduate program-specific assessment notebooks (Exhibit 31).

.

Consistent with the SPA requirement for an identified minimal level of competence, Table 71 identifies specific coursework and/or assessments that document the percent of candidates achieving minimal competence on program-specific assessments of diversity proficiencies. Scores range from 83.3 percent to 100 percent, confirming that candidates demonstrate those diversity proficiencies.

.

Standard IV. Element 2: Experiences Working with Diverse Faculty

As affirmed in the Conceptual Framework, the University and the unit strive for diversity in the composition of faculty, staff, and student body. Table 72 (NCATE-required template) provides a profile of the race/ethnicity and gender demographics of AY 06-07 unit and university faculty. The data confirm that candidates interact in diverse ethnic, race, and gender groups. Moreover, faculty backgrounds reflect diversity (e.g., linguistic, religious, socio-economic, age, gender orientation, and geographic experiences) that statistics do not always capture.

.

Table 72. Fall 06 Unit and University Faculty Demographics*

* NCATE provided table per NCATE directions, faculty may be counted in both initial preparation and advanced programs if they teach at both levels.

.

The unit adheres strictly to the University's "Faculty and Professional Librarian Hiring Procedures" (2006-2007 Faculty Handbook, pp. 3-8 ~ 3-16; Exhibit 91), which directly and unequivocally affirms the value of diversity and provides evidence of good faith efforts to increase faculty diversity. The required checklist for search activities designed to ensure that each step of university and unit hiring practices includes efforts to ensure fair hiring practices, including - but not limited to - required minority and female representation on search committees, approval of the position vacancy announcement by the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Equal Opportunity, required posting of the vacancy in two or more outreach venues, such as journals targeted at traditionally underrepresented groups (e.g., Diverse, Hispanic Outlook), and approval of applicants for on-campus interviews by the Special Assistant. At the conclusion of each academic year, an audit of faculty search results is conducted "to evaluate the compliance of search activities" with the University's goal to increase faculty diversity. Annual audit reports are incorporated into the institution's annual Affirmative Action Plan; results are housed in the office of the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

.

Experiences Working with Diverse P-12 Faculty
Candidates regularly interact with P-12 faculty from diverse ethnic, racial, and gender groups during field and clinical experiences. Data on P-12 faculty demographic profile in the unit's PDS, confirming the diversity of the sites' faculties, are found in Exhibit 92.

.

Faculty Have Knowledge and Experience Related to Preparing Candidates to Work with Diverse and Inclusive P-12 Students

Almost all professional education faculty have P-12 experience in diverse and inclusive settings (e.g., as teacher, reading specialist, administrator). Faculty are committed to enhancing their knowledge of and experience with diverse and inclusive learners, and they continue to gain additional knowledge and experience through numerous professional development initiatives, including but not limited to:

• supervision of candidates in field and clinical experiences in the diverse sites required by unit guidelines,
• service on and/or participation in the activities of the University and College standing committees dedicated to diversity-related issues (e.g., the Multicultural Institute, the Diversity Committee, Exhibits 77 and 78),
• attendance at diversity-related conferences (e.g., National Association of Multicultural Education),
• travel: Early Childhood faculty and candidates' regularly travel to Reggio Emilia, Italy, to study about and learn from the exemplary municipal preschools and infant centers in that city (Exhibit 93),
• participation in grant activities, including GEAR-UP and E=MC2 (which partner with Baltimore City Public Schools and selected diverse high schools in other school systems), the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy (a self-sustaining vehicle for increased family literacy among Head Start families), and grants involving Education and History faculty-- 2006 USDOE grant, Exploring China: Empowering Teachers to Transform Curriculum in K-12 Classroom, and Foreign Language and Education faculty--2005-2006 & 2006-2007 Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad/Program in Mexico-Partners in Education; Exhibits 89 and 94), and
• participation in the Cherry Hill Learning Zone Initiative (Exhibit 90).

.

Standard IV. Element 3: Experiences Working with Diverse Candidates

The unit and the University have a diverse student body that includes males and females from various racial and ethnic groups, and students with exceptionalities. The Office of Disability Support Services reported that, for fall 2006, fourteen teacher education candidates had declared disabilities. While Table 73 (NCATE-required) provides a demographic profile of the unit and University enrollments for fall 2006, candidates represent diverse linguistic, religious, socio-economic, age, gender orientation, and geographic backgrounds and experiences that statistics alone do not capture.

.

Table 73. Candidate Demographics: Fall 2006

.

As important, Table 74 confirms that the unit has been successful in addressing Maryland's recognized shortage of minority teachers. Latest available MSDE data document that the unit is graduating increasing numbers of minority candidates (race and ethnicity as defined by MSDE), at a growth rate that far exceeds the state's growth rate, and has consistently increased its share of the state's total pool of minority initial certification graduates (Exhibit 95).

.

Table 74. Minority Graduates for Initial Certification from Maryland Approved Education Programs (Source: MSDE; latest data available as of 6/4/07)

.

Efforts to Recruit and Retain Diverse Candidates
Grounded in the University's Diversity Action Plan (Exhibit 76), Towson University and the unit share a strong commitment to equality of educational opportunity and educational outcomes, leading to a vigorous intellectual life based on scholarship and learning. A fundamental premise of the academy is respect for each individual's rights to participate and learn. Accordingly, Towson University is affirmative in its actions to recruit and retain diverse, highly qualified initial and advanced candidates. Recruitment of diverse candidates is a collaborative endeavor, involving primarily the Office of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid, the Center for Student Diversity, the Division of Student Life, and the Office of Disability Support Services.

.

Initial preparation programs in the unit are primarily "upper division;" thus, the initial admission and affirmative procedures rely primarily on the University admission process. However, University efforts are endorsed, supported, and enhanced by the unit through its interlocking and mutually supportive affirmative recruiting and retention efforts. Towson University/University System of Maryland regulations prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, disability, and sexual orientation.

.

Financial Aid and Scholarships
Towson University utilizes a number of financial aid, scholarship programs, and other incentives and affirmative procedures that provide incentives for attracting unit candidates with high academic and other qualifications. Included in these offerings are programs based on academic merit, financial need (or a combination of both), and cultural diversity. In 2005-2006, 34% of all financial aid was received by minority students; 66% of all financial aid was awarded to female students (Exhibit 96).

.

Incoming students with high potential who have declared majors in professional education programs are eligible for University financial aid and a number of scholarships. See pp. 56-57 in the 2006-2007 Undergraduate Catalog. The University also offers a number of financial aid and scholarship programs for advanced program candidates. See pp. 18-24 of the 2006-2007 Graduate Catalog. Financial aid programs are administered by the Financial Aid Office. The Scholarship Unit of the office has developed and administers a web-based "Scholarship Seeker", a comprehensive, interactive tool that allows candidates to personalize searches for scholarships (e.g., Towson University, Maryland State Scholarships; Exhibit 96).

.

Unit Level Scholarships
The unit enhances the University's incentives and affirmative procedures by offering a number of its own scholarships (Exhibit 97). In addition to the previously described University scholarships to attract culturally diverse candidates, a number of specific unit scholarships target the recruitment and retention of diverse candidates (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, and geographic diversity).

.

Unit Level Recruitment Initiatives
The Office of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid, the Center for Student Diversity, the Division of Student Life, and the Office of Disability Support Services have primary responsibility for recruitment and admission of initial and advanced candidates. The unit endorses, supports, and enhances the efforts of these administrative units. The College of Graduate Studies and Research has primary responsibility for recruitment of advanced level candidates. Among its efforts are holding College of Graduate Studies and Research Information Sessions/Open Houses, participating in minority-centered recruitment fairs at regional higher education centers, and colleges (including those sponsored by three Maryland historically black colleges and universities), and corporate sites.

.

The Admissions Office's Diversity Plan and Diversity Activities (Exhibit 98) identify the University's recruitment, admissions goals, and plans for recruiting candidates of diverse ethnic backgrounds, as well as nontraditional adult students. The efforts of the Admissions Office are supported by unit faculty and staff through participation in the information and academic sessions during open houses and recruitment events held on and off campus.

.

The unit is also engaged in incentives and affirmative procedures for attracting diverse initial program candidates to teacher education:

• partnering with three Baltimore City Public School high schools to develop and implement Teacher Academies (a Career and Technology pathway to a "grow-your-own" pipeline of future teachers), and emphasizing the Top Ten Percent Scholarship program as an incentive within the Teacher Academies (Exhibits 87 and 89),
• establishing professional development schools as part of the BCPSS restructuring plan for the schools, and
• leading a multi-year, University-wide Cherry Hill Learning Zone Partnership, in collaboration with BCPSS, the Cherry Hill Ministerial Alliance, and the Baltimore City Mayor's Office to improve simultaneously the Cherry Hill area's schools and family, community, health, and economic quality of life. One of the goals of the effort is to create a Professional Development School Neighborhood involving all of the Cherry Hill K-8 and high schools (Exhibit 90).
• developing Associate of Arts and " 2 & 2" articulation agreements with community colleges to facilitate the seamless transfer and pursuit of education degrees (Exhibit 99),
• working with Future Educators of America chapters, hosting campus visits by students from high schools with highly diverse populations,
• directing the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP; see Exhibit 99 and also see Exhibit 94). GEAR UP is jointly led by faculty in English and Secondary Education, and targets multiple high schools in Baltimore City and a Harford County high school with a large minority enrollment. It is a unit-secondary school partnership with students and their parents to support and encourage young people to have high expectations, study hard, and follow an academic program that will provide a strong foundation for further education at institutions of higher learning. The program also focuses on informing future students and their families about college options and financial aid, and
• sponsoring the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics "Women in Science Annual Forum" which includes a focus on female science and math teachers and females interested in science and math (Exhibit 99).

.

The unit has also initiated successful recruitment and programming efforts to attract, and admit, and retain diverse advanced program candidates, including:

• the Teachers for Tomorrow program (TFT; Exhibit 100) - an advanced level program in collaboration with the Baltimore City Public Schools. A recipient of the Southeastern Regional Association of Teachers Educators Innovation in Teacher Education Award, the TFT is designed as an incentive to the recruitment of new teachers and to support retention of new teachers in BCPSS by providing them with the support they need to meet the challenges of the urban classroom as they earn a master's degree in exchange for two years of service after completion of the degree.
• the Towson Learning Network (TLN; Exhibit 73) - an innovative and entrepreneurial outreach operation involving unit faculty (e.g., Fisher College of Science and Mathematics, College of Education). Its decade old mission is to meet the ongoing professional development needs of school systems (e.g., Baltimore City, Prince Georges' County, Montgomery County), including initiatives related to federal (e.g., NCLB), and state (e.g., Reading, PDS) legislation as well as Maryland's shortages of teachers and other school personnel. The significant TLN incentive is the agreement regarding tuition and payment for off-campus graduate coursework. The University accepts the school system's negotiated tuition reimbursement to its employees as full graduate tuition. Additionally, the agreement includes "lump sum billing" to the school system, thereby eliminating "up front, out of pocket" payments by the candidates.
• the unit's Maryland Writing Project (MWP) has numerous efforts underway in systems with increasingly diverse students and faculty (e.g., Baltimore City and Baltimore County Public Schools), including (Exhibit 101):
  - offering the 6-credit Summer Teacher Institute (SCED 605) as a contract course for Baltimore City teachers;
  - mentoring new teachers in Baltimore City, Montgomery and Prince Georges' County, and - offering contract courses for BCPSS (e.g., EDUC 734, Teacher as Researcher), Praxis I Preparation Strategies classes, Praxis II Preparation in English, Write to Learn Saturday workshops, and Beginning Teachers' Survival: Surviving the Second Year and Beyond.
• designing a major teacher professional development initiative with BCPSS Title I schools in the area of mathematics, special education, and for school improvement teams (Exhibit 88).

.

Graduate enrollments have increased a result of these programming, outreach, and financial incentives which have increased access to the unit's advanced level programs. These efforts have increased candidate racial, ethnic, and regional/geographic diversity in the unit.

.

Other Affirmative Retention Efforts
The unit endorses, supports, and enhances the University's efforts, specifically the Center for Student Diversity, the Office of Disability Support Services, and the Campus Diversity resources within the Division for Student Life (Exhibit 102), designed to develop and maintain an environment conducive to the recruitment, success, and retention of a diverse student body. These wide-ranging initiatives foster a climate that promotes diversity, celebrates cultural differences, and increases the awareness of social justice issues. As a result, these initiatives play a crucial role in attracting and retaining candidates from culturally diverse backgrounds and candidates with exceptionalities.

.

Once admitted to the screened programs within the unit, candidates' performance is systematically monitored through the Intentional Advising Program in order to support their retention. Candidates' advisors, department chairs, and personnel in the CPP assume primary responsibility for monitoring candidate performance.

.

At the end of each semester, the candidate's GPA is recalculated and reviewed by advisors/department chairs/program coordinators to determine if the candidate remains eligible to continue in the program. Although conferences with advisors may be scheduled at any time at the request of the candidates or the advisor, unit candidates are required to meet with their advisors each semester prior to registration to assess their progress (grade point averages, course selection, testing requirements, and application deadlines) and plan for continuing their program. Because monitoring occurs regularly through the Unit Assessment System (See Standard II of this report for details), candidates are closely counseled and apprised of acceptable levels of performance required for program continuance and success. When faculty have concerns regarding the performance of a candidate or the suitability of a candidate for the education progression, individual counseling is provided by the academic advisor, department chair, or the Director of the CPP, and may also involve the campus' various academic support services.

.

For advanced candidates, good academic standing in a degree program requires a minimum 3.00 grade point average for all courses taken for graduate credit, whether or not they are required for the degree. Should the candidates' average fall below a 3.00, a letter of academic warning is sent by the College of Graduate Studies and Research. The grade point average must be restored to 3.00 within 9 semester hours, completed in a one-year period from the semester in which the GPA fell below 3.00. A student on academic probation who does not restore the GPA to 3.00 as required will be withdrawn from the degree program.

.

In summary, these wide ranging initiatives foster a climate that promotes diversity, celebrates cultural differences, and increases the awareness of social justice issues. In doing so, these initiatives serve a crucial role in recruiting, admitting, and retaining candidates from culturally diverse backgrounds and candidates with exceptionalities.

.

Standard IV. Element 4: Experiences Working with Diverse Students in P-12 Schools

.

Professional education programs at Towson incorporate varied, sequenced, and progressively responsible field and clinical experiences with diverse and inclusive communities of learners. Reflecting national and state standards (e.g., Redesign, NCATE and Maryland PDS Standards), these experiences are designed as opportunities for candidates to develop and practice their knowledge, skills, and dispositions for working with all students.

.

Initial Preparation
Multiple Experiences with Diverse and Inclusive P-12 Populations
Reflecting the Conceptual Framework and the specific objectives of individual departments/programs, the unit's programs and site selection policies for field and clinical experiences require and ensure that candidates have multiple field experiences which provide study and practice in a variety of diverse and inclusive communities of learners. (As shown in Standard III, Element 2, field experiences begin early in the professional sequence; for example, students in the ELED program have four significant field experiences).

.

Almost all field and clinical experiences occur in the Baltimore and Washington Metropolitan areas. The Baltimore metropolitan area includes Baltimore City, a large urban system of 88,500 whose pupils are predominately African American (89%), and which is characterized by the all too common urban problem of poverty and its impact on schooling. The remaining five county systems range from an increasingly diverse system of 107,701 pupils, Baltimore County which is 54% white, to a quasi-rural system of 28,792 Carroll County which is 94% white. The Washington metropolitan area includes the Prince Georges and Montgomery County public school systems, two large and extremely diverse settings. Table 75 provides a fall 2006 demographic description of the major school systems in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas, illustrating their diversity.

.

Table 75. Fall 2006 Diversity of the Baltimore and Washington Metropolitan Areas' School Systems

.

.Table 76 (also see Exhibit 66) provides demographic data on each of the unit's PDS; through the unit's paired-site(s) PDS model, all interns experience working with diverse students (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, SES, exceptionalities) in P-12 schools. In that exceptional populations have become part of the mainstream setting, the metropolitan areas' classrooms used for field experiences routinely provide initial and advanced level candidates with opportunities to interact with culturally diverse and exceptional communities of learners.

.

Candidates are provided with regular opportunities to interact with students with exceptionalities. SPED 301, Introduction to Special Education, is a universal requirement in all undergraduate initial preparation programs (SPED 637, Inclusion for the Classroom Teacher, for MAT), and includes a required observation/participation experience with exceptional learners.

.

INTASC-aligned Program Evaluation Data Self-Reported by Interns

.

Direct feedback from teacher candidates provides additional confirmation that the unit's effort resulted in candidates having opportunities to practice and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and dispositions in working with all students. At the end of each semester, the Center for Professional Practice (CPP) conducts an INTASC-based program evaluation by graduating interns. Questions 12 & 13 ask candidates to evaluate their field and clinical experiences regarding: Q12 -the opportunity to work with students from diverse backgrounds. Q13 -opportunities for me to work with learners with special needs.

.

As indicated in Table 76, six semesters (Fall 03-Spring 06) of aggregated unit data of candidates' assessments consistently confirm that candidates recognized their opportunities to work with diverse and inclusive students.

.

Other School Personnel
By program design, the goals and required clinical experiences of preparation programs for other school personnel - Speech Pathology, Audiology, Reading and School Psychology - address diverse and inclusive populations. Reading provides additional specific data for this indicator. As indicated in Standard III, Element 2, all students have two required internships, (REED 626 and REED 726) in the on-campus Reading Clinic and/or at the off-campus Reading Clinic at various Baltimore City Public School sites. The on-campus Reading Clinic draws its client population from diverse families. For example, the 58 student clients in fall, 2006 included 42 African-American, 13 White, and 3 Asian children (Exhibit 103). Table 77 identifies the site(s) and client profile for the Summer Reading Clinic.

.

Table 77. Off-Campus Reading Clinic in Baltimore City Public Schools: Demographics.

.

School Media Generalist and Instructional Leadership Administrator I candidates also complete internships that prepare them for professional service and leadership in the metropolitan areas' diverse learning communities. Exhibit 104 documents the demographics of internship sites for those programs.

.

Feedback from Peers and Supervisors
Program-specific requirements for field and clinical experiences provide multiple learning opportunities which require feedback at identified transition points that helps candidates reflect on their practice in and with diverse and inclusive communities of learners. Representative examples include:

.

• Initial Preparation: SCED 341, Principles of Secondary Education (the first professional education course for all SCED interns), has a required field experience in which candidates must complete reflective observation logs-which become the subject of interaction with peers and faculty-on a variety of instructional topics that address diversity issues and their instructional impact (e.g., instructional adaptations for students with special needs).
• Advanced preparation: Candidates in the Reading Master's Program-which prepares K-12 Reading Specialists-are required to complete REED 626, Clinic Internship, and REED 726, Advanced Internship. A review of course syllabi and the IRA SPA confirms that both experiences are closely supervised and evaluated, and include ongoing feedback from peers and supervisors that enables candidates to reflect on and improve their ability to support learning by their diverse and inclusive clients.

.

As documented in the unit's handbooks and instructions for initial and advanced preparation field and clinical experiences, which are provided to University supervisors, mentor teachers, and candidates, the unit believes that supervision and evaluation of initial and advanced programs' field and clinical experiences are shared, formative, and summative processes involving the candidate, the field-based supervisor, and the University supervisor (Exhibit 67). Descriptive information provides detailed descriptions of the goals, objectives, and performance expectations. The responsibilities of each member of the team and assessment guidelines and forms for formative and/or summative feedback/evaluations are provided to all members of the supervising team.

.

In concert with these performance and role expectations, university faculty and school-based mentors in each program have significant responsibility for observing candidates and providing them with regular written and verbal feedback on an ongoing basis through frequent visits, observations, conferences, including formative and summative evaluations.

REDESIGN OF TEACHER EDUCATION

The unit assesses the proficiency of teacher candidates in developing and implementing integrated learning experiences for diverse student needs and in planning instruction, adapting materials and implementing differentiated instruction in diverse and inclusive settings practice through the INTASC and SPA-aligned internship evaluation. Tables 64-70 in Standard IV, Element 1 document the successful performance of interns on diversity-related INTASC Principles. See Assessment IV, Part C on individual SPA reports for data on performance on program -specific standards related to diversity and differentiating instruction. Graduate candidates' performance on diversity-related assessments is documented in SPA reports and/or in State Programs Reports.

.

During their internships, all candidates are expected to plan and teach collaboratively with specialized resource personnel. INTASC Principle 10 is the standard which is used to assess their performance. Performance data may be found in Tables 34-40, confirming interns' successful collaboration with other professionals. Collaboration is also assessed in each program through the unit's Essential Dispositions for Educators. Data on performance of both initial and advanced candidates on the disposition of collaboration may be found in Standard I, Element 6, Table 45.

.

Next Page / Table of Contents