lsu school of education student teaching guidelines pk · pdf filelsu school of education...

PK-3 Program of 78__rev 8-23-15

LSU School of Education

Student Teaching Guidelines

PK – 3 Education Program

2015 – 2016

EDCI 4481 & EDCI 4381


Contents List of Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 4

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5

Louisiana State Mandate .............................................................................................................................. 6

University Collaborative Partners................................................................................................................ 6

Memo of Understanding .......................................................................................................................... 6

Terms of Agreement with PDS Sites ....................................................................................................... 6

Responsibilities of the School ................................................................................................................. 6

Responsibilities of the Classroom Mentor Teacher ..................................................................................... 7

Responsibilities of the LSU Teacher Candidate/Intern(s) ........................................................................... 8

Classroom Mentor Teachers ...................................................................................................................... 10

The PK-3 Student Teaching Program at LSU ........................................................................................... 11

Teacher Candidate/Internship Placement .............................................................................................. 11

University Supervisors/Clinical Faculty ................................................................................................ 11

Before the Semester Begins ....................................................................................................................... 12

Parking ................................................................................................................................................... 12

Day One of the Student Teaching Semester .............................................................................................. 12

Student Teaching/Internship Activities and Expectations ......................................................................... 13

Observation ............................................................................................................................................ 13

Outside Observations ......................................................................................................................... 13

Participation ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Teaching ................................................................................................................................................ 14

Full-Day Teaching ............................................................................................................................. 14

August Experience ................................................................................................................................. 15

Documentation of Hours ........................................................................................................................ 15

Reflective Practice ................................................................................................................................. 15

Planning ................................................................................................................................................. 16

Professional Meetings ................................................................................................................................ 17

Seminars ................................................................................................................................................ 17

Cohort Meetings .................................................................................................................................... 17

Teacher Candidate/Internship Absences .................................................................................................... 18

Emergency Preparedness ........................................................................................................................... 20

Evaluation of the Teacher Candidate/Intern .............................................................................................. 22

Assessment Team Meetings .................................................................................................................. 22

Submission of Documentation ............................................................................................................... 23

Teacher Certification ................................................................................................................................. 25


Procedures for Transfer of a Teacher Candidate ....................................................................................... 26

Procedures for Termination of a Teacher Candidate ................................................................................. 27

Requirements of the PK-3 Student Teaching Practicum ........................................................................... 28

Classroom Binder Guidelines ................................................................................................................ 28

Portfolio Contents For The 1-3 Semester .............................................................................................. 29

Portfolio Contents For The Pk-K Semester ........................................................................................... 29

Presentations & Conference Proposal ................................................................................................... 29

Feedback .................................................................................................................................................... 30

List of Appendices ..................................................................................................................................... 31


List of Appendices

Appendix A Consent To Use Images……………………………………………... 31

Appendix B Emergency Contact Information……………………………………. 32

Appendix C Daily Time Log……………………………………………………... 33

Appendix D-1 Lesson Plan Format…………………………………………………. 34

Appendix D-2 Assessment of Student Learning……………………………………. 35

Appendix E Outline for Outside Observations…………………………………… 36

Appendix F-1 Teaching Work Sample Guidelines…………………………………. 37-46

Appendix F-2 Teaching Work Sample Rubric……………………………………... 47-51

Appendix G Assessment Portfolio Project Grading Rubric………………………. 52-55

Appendix H CLASS Observation Sheet for PK-3………………………………. 56

Appendix I Student Teacher Grade Contract…………………………………….. 57-59

Appendix J Mentor Teacher Evaluations ….…………………………………….. 60

Appendix K-1 Standards Checklist………...……………………………………….. 61

Appendix K-2 Assessment Rubric Criterion……………………………………….. 62-66

Appendix L Concern/Problem Documentation Form……………………………. 67

Appendix M Advocacy Project Rubric (EDCI 4381)…………………………….. 68

Appendix N Matrix of Responsibilities for CMT and US/CF……………………. 69-70

Appendix O-1 Feedback on US/CF and CMT by Teacher Candidate (Mid-Sem)…. 71-72

Appendix O-2 Feedback on US/CF and CMT by Teacher Candidate (End of Sem).. 73

Appendix O-3 Feedback on US/CF by CMT……………………………………….. 74

Appendix O-4 PK-3 Program Feedback – Sample Survey…………………………. 75-76


Introduction

Congratulations! You are nearing the end of your pre-service teacher education program. Your student teaching

experience will be the culmination of that preparation, an extended opportunity for you to combine your content

knowledge with your knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and school-aged learners.

For clinical experiences in LSU’s teacher preparation program, candidates are placed in public schools in the

school districts surrounding LSU (East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, Livingston,

Zachary, Central, West Feliciana, and Baker) and in the LSU Laboratory School. School placement decisions are

made individually and based on information found in Teacher Candidate profiles. The goal is to ensure that

candidates experience a variety of grade levels, school types, and students throughout their program of study.

LSU has three professional development schools with a focus on special education in which the strong

collaboration between LSU and school personnel promote the learning of P-12 students, university students, P-12

school personnel, and university faculty. Teacher Candidates are placed in these partnership schools for fieldwork

related to special education courses. Some Teacher Candidates are placed in these sites for clinical experiences as

well.

The School of Education’s Conceptual Framework is based on three guiding principles: reflective practice,

inquiring pedagogy, and effective professionalism. Throughout the teacher education program, candidates are

encouraged to think reflectively and to be analytical in considering readings, activities, and past experience in

schools. An emphasis on reflective analysis continues during the student teaching semester as a pattern to be

continued throughout the teaching career.

In the School of Education’s Teacher Preparation Programs, the three Conceptual Framework principles are

closely linked. Reflection on teaching and learning leads to inquiring pedagogy as one contemplates problems,

issues, and assessment outcomes. These reflections in turn lead to deeper inquiry into the content area as well as

professional research-based pedagogical knowledge. Included in this cycle are attention to national and state

standards and participation in content-specific professional organizations. Such practices contribute to the

teacher’s becoming a more effective professional.

You should feel confident as you enter this final phase of your program. Traditionally, our Teacher Candidates

have been very well prepared for student teaching and for entry into the teaching profession. Feel secure in

knowing that your preparation will be well supplemented by a strong, collaborative network to assist you as a

beginning, developing teacher. Expect to be well supported as a Teacher Candidate by an excellent and sensitive

School of Education staff and by your carefully selected University Supervisor and Classroom Mentor Teacher.

You should anticipate becoming another fine example of the best and most visible products the LSU School of

Education has been historically proud to claim. We wish you well in your efforts to distinguish yourself as you

learn and as you teach.


Louisiana State Mandate

Louisiana House Bill 733 mandates an all-day student teaching program. Specifically, the law states the

following:

That the applicant shall have spent a minimum of 270 clock hours in student teaching with at least 180 of such hours

spent in actual teaching. That applicant shall have completed a substantial portion of his 180 hours of actual student

teaching on an all-day basis.

LSU student teaching requirements far exceed these minimum state standards. The LSU PK-3 program

candidates student teach two semesters, one in Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten and one in grades one

through three. During each semester, candidates are required to teach a minimum of 180 hours and 15

full days with five of these days being consecutive. This will result in far more than the required

minimum number of hours.

University Collaborative Partners

Memo of Understanding

Louisiana State University has entered into agreements with each school district/charter school, which

accepts our Teacher Candidates. The “Memo of Understanding” serves as the official contract between

Louisiana State University and the school systems. This contract delineates responsibilities of all

participants in the student teaching/internship semester and includes descriptions of roles and

expectations. Currently LSU has agreements with the following school districts: East Baton Rouge,

West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, Zachary, Central, Baker, West Feliciana, Livingston,

Children’s Charter and National Heritage Charter.

Terms of Agreement with PDS Sites

Louisiana State University has entered into agreements with the West Baton Rouge Parish School

System for the formation of Professional Development Schools (PDSs). The document entitled “Terms

of Agreement” serves as an official contract between the LSU School of Education and these PDSs. This

contract delineates responsibilities of all participants in the student teaching semester and includes

descriptions of roles and expectations.

Responsibilities of the School

The participating schools retain legal responsibility for the safety and welfare of the students. It also has

the responsibility of ensuring that the Teacher Candidates, in addition to the Classroom Mentor Teacher,

understand and follow school system/school policies. The placement of a Teacher Candidate in the

classroom does not relieve the Classroom Mentor Teacher or the school of the ultimate responsibility for

the operation of the classroom.

The school shall not use the Teacher Candidate as a substitute teacher during the student teaching

semester.


Responsibilities of the Classroom Mentor Teacher

to insure the safety and welfare of pupils

to insure that pupils receive effective instruction

to inform the Teacher Candidate/intern(s) of all parish and school policies regarding classroom

management and discipline

to mentor and supervise the Teacher Candidate in collaboration with the University

Supervisor/Clinical Faculty

to collaborate with the Teacher Candidate in planning, and teaching, and share classroom

materials with the Teacher Candidate/intern when appropriate

to guide and support the Teacher Candidate in gradually assuming teaching responsibilities, from

a preliminary period of observation and participation, to full time teaching for at least 15 days

to review, provide feedback/recommendations and approve all lesson plans prior to teaching

(Teacher Candidates/interns should not be allowed to teach until lesson plans have been

approved.)

to observe the candidate’s teaching and provide ongoing feedback (written and oral) to the

candidate and the university supervisor/clinical (Written feedback varies by program)

o to provide regular updates to the University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty regarding the

progress and/or concerns about growth and development of Teacher Candidate(s)

(particularly with regard to areas requiring immediate attention, such as punctuality,

attendance, preparedness, lack of ability, etc.)

to collaborate with the University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty in evaluation processes (both

informal and formal) per program requirements

to document the candidate’s punctuality and attendance and report the information to the

University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty in a timely manner

to contact the University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty and/or the Office of Field Experiences if

problems arise


Responsibilities of the LSU Teacher Candidate/Intern(s)

to provide her/his own transportation to and from the assigned school(s)

to conduct self as a professional manner at all times (speech, manner, dress, and actions

including punctuality and preparedness)

o Have students refer to you as Mr. or Ms. “Last Name”

o Never exchange personal information with students, and do not contact them outside of

school through social media or any other means

o Refrain from eating, drinking and chewing gum in class

o Refrain from using a cell phone, pager or other communication device in class

participate fully in daily and weekly school activities per certification program requirements

(vary by program, including schedules varying from full-day to combination of full-days and

half-days and from five-day weeks to combination of four- and five-day weeks)

to prepare fully and in advance for the duties assigned by the Classroom Mentor Teacher and the

University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty

to request assistance from the faculty team (clinical faculty, Classroom Mentor Teacher and

graduate faculty member) when teaching activities assigned may present an element of risk to the

students or result in uncertainty as to how to proceed

to submit all lesson plans to the Classroom Mentor Teacher in sufficient time to allow for a

review of the plans, for discussion of suggestions and any necessary modifications, and for the

implementation of changes as appropriate (Teacher Candidates/interns will not be allowed to

teach until lesson plans have been approved.)

to provide effective instruction

to teach the required hours throughout the student teaching/internship practicum devoting a

substantial portion (fifteen days during the semester), to full-day teaching responsibilities. At

least five full days of the total fifteen should be in succession. The remainder should be

interspersed throughout the student teaching/internship assignment.

to participate in those professional activities expected of the Classroom Mentor Teacher, such as

faculty meetings, teacher in-services, grade level meetings, content meetings, and open

house/parent night, provided such activities do not conflict with cohort meetings or other

scheduled requirements of the LSU School of Education

to attend scheduled Reflective Practice Cohort Seminars facilitated by the University

Supervisor/Clinical Faculty and to complete all required assignments in a timely and thoughtful

manner

to collaborate with the faculty team in informal and formal self-evaluation and other evaluation

processes

to handle the discipline of students with the guidance and consent of the Classroom Mentor

Teacher. Under no circumstances will the Teacher Candidate/intern administer corporal

punishment.


Responsibilities of the LSU University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty

act as a liaison between the participating school and the School of Education, conferring with the

Classroom Mentor Teacher and school administrators throughout the practicum, as well as when

requested by the Teacher Candidate, the Classroom Mentor Teacher, principal, or other school

personnel

collect and submit feedback from the Classroom Mentor Teacher to the Office of Field

Experiences

collaborate with classroom mentor teacher on formal evaluations of the Teacher Candidate’s

performance

conduct formal observations of Teacher Candidate and provide written feedback to Teacher

Candidate, Classroom Mentor Teacher and Office of Field Experiences

confer with Teacher Candidate following each classroom observation

collaborate with the Classroom Mentor Teacher in identifying areas of improvement for

candidates in danger of failing the practicum

to organize and facilitate the cohort seminars for the Teacher Candidates


Classroom Mentor Teachers

According to Louisiana Administrative Code, §787, a classroom teacher can serve as a supervisor of

student teaching if he/she satisfies any one of the following conditions:

1. Valid Type A or Level 3 Louisiana certificate in the field of the supervisory assignment;

2. Valid Type B or Level 2 Louisiana certificate in the field of the supervisory assignment and

successfully complete the three semester-hour course in the supervision of student teaching;


successfully complete assessor training through the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and

Assessment Program; or


National Board Certification in the field of the supervisory assignment.

5. Valid Type B or Level 2 Louisiana certificates in the field of the supervisory assignment and

recommendation of the School Principal and/or designee based on annual achievement of

successful effectiveness standards.

Outstanding teachers, who meet the state criteria for hosting Teacher Candidates, are recommended to

the Office of Field Experiences by school administrators. Teachers who are currently hosting

candidates, members of professional organizations, professors who work with teachers through grants,

and field experiences, and school district personnel often serve as sources of leads for potential

classroom mentors. Additionally, lists including Teachers of the Year for local school districts, and

Nationally Board Certified teachers are also used as sources in selecting potential Classroom Mentor

Teachers.


The PK-3 Student Teaching Program at LSU

The School of Education’s Conceptual framework is based on these three tenants: reflective practice, inquiring

pedagogy, and effective professionalism. Throughout your teacher education program, you have been encouraged

to think reflectively. You have learned to be analytical in considering your readings, your course activities, and

your previous experiences in schools. It is quite appropriate for that reflective analysis to continue throughout

your student teaching semester and, indeed, throughout your teaching career. You can expect continued assistance

and encouragement as you learn to be even more reflective and as you learn to sharpen further your analytical

skills in school settings. Reflection in teaching and learning naturally leads to inquiry as one contemplates

problems, issues, or assessment outcomes below expectations. This results in the cycle of investigating ways to

improve the teaching and learning, implementing the plan, and then assessing and reflecting on the results of the

action. Through this process, a teacher seeks professional, research-based information, using the national and state

standards and content-specific professional organizations as a guide. This is at the heart of effective

professionalism.

Teacher candidates in the PK-3 Program will have two semesters for student teaching with one semester in a Pre-

Kindergarten or Kindergarten and one semester in grades one, two, or three.

Candidates will have Reflective Practice Cohort Meetings scheduled by the PK-3 faculty team. These seminars

are the equivalent of a three credit-hour course and are included within the 12 credit hours candidates receive for

student teaching. During these seminars, student teachers will have the opportunity to reflect critically on their

teaching experiences with their peer group and to integrate the theoretical and practical knowledge gained

throughout undergraduate course work and teaching experiences. The university supervisor will work closely in a

collegial manner with both candidates and classroom mentor teachers. This faculty team (PK-3 faculty and

classroom mentor teacher) will offer the candidates guidance, support, knowledge, and reflective feedback as they

prepare to enter the teaching profession.

Teacher Candidate/Internship Placement

Teacher Candidate placements are carefully selected using available candidate, school, and teacher information.

Information considered includes, but is not limited to teacher pedagogical and mentoring abilities, credentials, and

eligibility; candidate school history, past field experiences if applicable, preference of subject matter if applicable,

residential location; and school demographics. Candidates are notified via email of their student

teaching/internship placement prior to the start of the semester. When possible, this occurs during the semester

prior to the student teaching/internship semester, thus allowing the candidate to meet the teacher in advance. The

school principal will receive notification of candidates assigned to teachers by email. Teachers should receive

notification of candidates assigned to them by their building principals or the Lead School Contact person.

Questions related to school and teacher assignments should be directed to the Office of Field Experiences at LSU

(578-2557 or [email protected]).

University Supervisors/Clinical Faculty

University Supervisors/Clinical Faculty members are accomplished professionals in their area of certification and

are trained to use the COE Teacher Candidate assessment tools and in mentoring teachers and Teacher

Candidates. Their knowledge, teaching experience, and expertise benefits candidates through feedback during

observations and during Reflective Practice cohort seminars. In addition to serving as the guide and facilitator of

discussions for cohort seminars, University Supervisors support candidates by conferring with the Classroom

Mentor Teacher in assessing a Teacher Candidate’s needs and abilities.


Before the Semester Begins

The candidate should:

Register for the appropriate practicum /student teaching course and other required courses.

Prepare your Emergency Preparedness Form as outlined in Appendix B to present to the

Classroom Mentor Teacher and the University Supervisor at the onset of the semester.

Complete the “August Experience Observation” in your assigned school if possible. If not,

obtain permission to complete this focused observation in a public school in your certification

area.

After attending the initial afternoon cohort meeting with your University Supervisor,

purchase the textbook that will be used for cohort meetings. Textbooks are available at local

bookstores. Since supervisors have a choice of texts, students should postpone purchasing their

textbook until after the University Supervisor advises them of the required text.

Parking

All Teacher Candidates must register their vehicles with the LSU Office of Parking, Traffic, and

Transportation. Candidates enrolled in student teaching/internship only may obtain a special semester

permit. Students enrolled in student teaching/internship, and an additional class(es), must obtain a

regular university parking permit. Teacher Candidates assigned to the LSU Lab School will be allowed

to park in Lot X-60 with their assigned hangtag appropriately displayed. (Lot X-60 accepts all

hangtags.)

Day One of the Student Teaching Semester

ALL Teacher Candidates attend Seminar I: Overview of Student Teaching, which is from 8:30 a.m. until

12:00 noon in the Student Union on the first day of classes. Small group cohort meetings take place on

campus in the afternoon. The location of small group meetings will be announced at the morning

seminar.


Student Teaching/Internship Activities and Expectations

Field experiences will vary by cohort, by peer partner team, and by individual throughout each

practicum experience according to the program planned by the faculty team. Varied experiences will

allow each Teacher Candidate/intern to assume increasingly more instructional responsibility for more

students. The student teaching practicum/internship consists of three components: observation,

participation, and teaching. Each one is described below.

Observation

(Typically the first 1-2 days of the semester in a classroom)

“Observation” is defined as watching and recording impressions of teaching methods/practices used in

an educational setting involving a teaching-learning situation. Areas for observation include not only

the assigned placements, but also other classes and related areas/activities in the assigned school and in

other schools (outside observations).

Outside Observations

1-3 Fall Semester: If you leave your school to observe other teachers, you must write a reflective

response for those observations. Observations of teachers within your assigned school do not require

written responses.

PK-K Spring Semester: Students should complete 2 outside observations over the course of the

semester. A list of recommended places to observe will be given to you by the PK-3 faculty member. At

least one of these observations should be from this recommended list. A 2-3 page reflection of each

observation will be written and emailed to your supervisor.

For various reasons, additional outside observations may be scheduled to meet particular needs of the

student teacher. The university supervisor will assist with observations, as needed. These observations

should be scheduled around classroom responsibilities. Observations scheduled away from the assigned

school must receive the approval of the classroom mentor teacher and the university supervisor. Prior

arrangements, including permission of the school and/or teacher must be made for the visit. A

STUDENT TEACHER SHOULD NEVER GO UNANNOUNCED FOR AN OBSERVATION, except

to the LSU Lab School. Format suggestions are included in Appendix E.

Participation

“Participation” is defined as the performance of any phase of a teacher’s responsibilities EXCEPT direct

teaching. (Typically, Teacher Candidates participate in lessons soon after the first few days of the

semester and continue throughout in addition to teaching.)

Activities identified as “participation” are those in which the Teacher Candidate is NOT directly

responsible for instruction, but does participate in the instructional activity. Participation should be

related to the improvement of the educational environment. Examples of participation include routine

housekeeping (attendance, etc.); planning instruction; sharing duty with the classroom mentor teacher;

and attendance at meetings; assisting when the teacher is teaching.


Teaching

“Teaching” is defined as the student teacher instructing or facilitating an activity, lesson, center, group,

individual etc. Although the ultimate goal is for each student teacher to assume full responsibility for

classroom instruction (planning, instruction, management, evaluation), teaching is not restricted solely

to a full-class setting. A variety of approaches to teaching will enrich the practicum experience.

Examples of approaches the student teacher might employ include the following:

using the classroom mentor teacher’s plans to teach an individual or small group (beginning of

semester only. Student teachers are expected to plan their own lessons);

working with individual students from the assigned class;

transitioning from one activity or area to another

working with children at recess time

working with a small group while the classroom mentor teacher (where applicable) works with

the rest of the class;

team teaching with the classroom mentor teacher (where applicable);

planning and teaching lessons to the whole class or small groups, and

managing centers/stations.

Full-Day Teaching

A minimum of fifteen days of each student teaching semester will be devoted to full-time teaching. Five

of these days should be consecutive. To insure uniformity during the all-day teaching period, all student

teachers/interns will count 6.5 hours per day as teaching hours; the remainder of the day will be

counted as participation hours. Early dismissal days may not be counted as full days.

PK-3 student teachers will attend one day of class at LSU most weeks and spend four days in the

schools. The day of week may vary by semester. The public school calendars and the LSU calendar will

guide the student teaching practicum scheduling. Student teachers will follow the public school

calendar, not the LSU calendar, for holidays. The student teacher is required to follow the arrival-

departure schedule required of the school faculty, as well as to participate in before school and after-

school planning sessions as required. The student teacher is expected to participate in the professional

activities at the school site, including faculty meetings, workshops, conferences, parent nights, and

teacher in-service. Because of the rigorous expectations of the PK-3 program and in concern for student

health, safety, and well-being student employment is very strongly discouraged. Additionally, no

student teacher may schedule any other semester credit hours of course work in addition to student

teaching. Any supervising teacher who has questions concerning the length of the student teacher’s

workday should contact the university supervisor.


August Experience

Student teachers are required to attend all teacher workdays scheduled by the school prior to the

beginning of the school year as well as the first day of school with the children. This is a minimum

requirement. Students are expected to attend school as much as possible prior to the beginning of the

LSU semester. Not only does this provide a valuable experience, it encourages the children to view the

student teacher as one of their teachers from the start. Student teachers should make it clear to their

teacher if they will not be there every day before the LSU term. Students should use this time to plan the

semester with their mentor teacher, select their Assessment Portfolio subjects, and begin planning the

unit for their Teacher Work Sample.

Schedule summer work and vacations to accommodate for the August Experience. Any student who

absolutely cannot complete the experience in their assigned placement must contact the faculty team

well in advance to discuss possible solutions or alternatives.

Turn in a well-written reflective response, connected to the standards, to the faculty team at the meeting

on the first day of classes.

Documentation of Hours

The Louisiana State Department of Education requires for certification an accounting of the hours

accrued in observation, participation, and teaching, therefore the student teacher must keep an accurate

record of total time spent in each activity.

Hours must be documented in whole numbers or as .25, .5, or .75 on all paperwork.

The Excel document of hours must be submitted electronically to the Office of Field Experiences via the

university supervisor at mid-semester and the end of the semester. The Daily Time Log (Appendix C)

provides an efficient method of computing weekly time spent in each activity. Transfer the hours at the

end of each week to the Excel document of hours. The total hours will also be listed in a chart on the

grading rubric at the ATM meeting. This documentation is evidence of a candidate’s meeting the

minimum standards that are required by the state (270 clock and 180 teaching hours).

Reflective Practice

Reflection in teaching is critical because the events of teaching and one’s reflection on those activities

influence future teaching and planning of activities and assessments. Candidates are required to submit,

in writing, a reflective response for at least one lesson taught during the current week before planning

the next week’s lessons. Additionally, candidates are required to reflect about broader aspects of

teaching not directly related to a lesson. University Supervisors/Clinical Faculty will provide guidelines

for the lesson reflections and for the topics and format for weekly reflections.


Planning

Student teaching requires advanced planning on the part of both the student teacher and the classroom

mentor teacher. This planning should not only relate to semester/weekly/daily plans, but also to the

scheduling of specific lessons, centers and units taught by the student teacher. Written lesson plans are

required for all lessons for which the student teacher assumes responsibility to plan, develop, and

teach.

Specific planning techniques should accommodate the style, the expectations, and the experience of the

classroom mentor teacher. Additionally, state standards, curriculum, and individual student needs must

be considered when planning. At first, planning should be a cooperative venture between the student

teacher and the classroom mentor teacher to insure understanding and ability.

At the beginning of the semester, the classroom mentor teacher should share with the student teacher

sample plans (daily, unit, semester, and year) and instructional materials. As the student teacher gains

proficiency in planning, he/she should be given greater responsibility for this area of teaching. To

benefit fully from the experience of the classroom mentor teacher throughout the semester, the student

teacher must give the teacher a detailed written lesson plan prior to every lesson taught. The classroom

mentor teacher will then review the plan and discuss it with the student teacher, allowing sufficient time

for the student teacher to make any necessary adjustments prior to the teaching of the lesson. The

student teacher is encouraged to profit from, and incorporate as appropriate, suggestions from the

classroom mentor teacher.


Professional Meetings

Teacher Candidates/interns will participate in several types of seminars and meetings. These gatherings

are intended to provide information to satisfy state mandated in-service requirements and to provide

Teacher Candidates the opportunity to reflect upon the practicum experience by dialoguing with

university faculty, guest speakers, and peers.

Seminars

PK-3 student teachers must attend two large group seminars, organized by the Office of Field

Experiences, during the fall semester. These include:

Presentations from professional organizations

Information sessions on resume preparation

Information sessions and a panel discussion regarding interviewing

A Legal Issues seminar

A presentation regarding working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students and

parents

Initial Teacher Certification

Cohort Meetings

Student teachers will meet with their university supervisor and peers in bi-weekly Reflective Practice

Cohort Meetings. Attendance at all such meetings is mandatory. Punctuality is expected. If a student

knows in advance that she must either miss or be late to a meeting, s/he should contact the university

supervisor.


Teacher Candidate/Internship Absences

Teacher Candidates/interns must assume the same responsibility for absences expected of a regularly

employed teacher. Unless there is an emergency or illness, an absence must be approved by the

University Supervisor and/or the Office of Field Experiences. The Classroom Mentor Teacher, the

University Supervisor, and the Office of Field Experiences MUST be notified when Teacher

Candidates/interns are going to be absent.

Following is an excerpt from the LSU General Policy PS 22.

LSU GENERAL POLICY PS 22

Class attendance is the responsibility of the student. The student is expected to attend all classes. A student who finds it

necessary to miss class assumes responsibility for making up examinations, obtaining lecture notes, and otherwise

compensating for what may have been missed. The course instructor will determine the validity of a student's reason(s) for

absences and will assist those students who have valid reasons. Valid reasons for absences include:

1. Illness

2. Serious family emergency

3. Special curricular requirements such as judging trips or field trips

4. Court-imposed legal obligations such as subpoenas or jury duty

5. Military obligations

6. Serious weather conditions

7. Religious holidays

8. Participation in varsity athletic competitions or university musical events

The student is responsible for providing documentation of the reason for absence, if such is required by the instructor. Should

the instructor and student disagree over the validity of a reason for an absence, the student has the right to appeal the

instructor's decision according to the general appeal procedure in PS-48.

Following the above policy limits absences to those that are absolutely necessary. Classroom Mentor

Teachers who encounter problems with the attendance or punctuality of a Teacher Candidate/inter

should immediately contact the University Supervisor. The faculty team should intervene and, if needed,

involve the Office of Field Experiences.

Absences from student teaching for reasons other than illness or emergencies are very rare. In all

instances, except medical emergencies, prior approval is required when it is necessary for the Teacher

Candidate/intern to be absent. To secure approval for any absence other than emergency or illness the

candidate must receive permission from the Classroom Mentor Teacher, the University

Supervisor/Clinical Faculty, and the Coordinator of Field Experiences. Teacher Candidates/interns may

be excused from school on the day of a final exam if there has been no previous attendance problem.

Prior permission must be obtained from the faculty team.

Make-up time for candidates who have unexcused absences for three or more days during the semester

will be arranged by the University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty and the Coordinator of Field Experiences

with input from the classroom teacher. Make-up time for multiple partial absences can be expected.

Since there are few days between the end of student teaching semester and graduation, candidates should

take precautions to ensure wellness and prevent absences that could stop them from completing the

semester requirements for successful completion of the practicum.


Classroom Mentor Teachers wishing to include Teacher Candidates/interns in after-school activities

(such as club meetings, field trips, conventions, festivals) at times when Teacher Candidates have a

scheduled university class or meeting should submit a written request in advance to the University

Supervisor/Clinical Faculty. University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty will consult with the Office of Field

Experiences as needed concerning the advisability of such involvement.

There is a scheduled Teacher Interview Day during the semester. On that day, representatives of school

systems from throughout the United States will be on campus for the purpose of interviewing Teacher

Candidates for job openings. Teacher Candidates/interns planning to interview at that time should be

released from school. Student teachers not interviewing will report to school on Teacher

Interviewing Day.

Professional Work Days (Spring Only)

Two professional leave days may be taken for work on projects. Student teachers must gain permission

from their classroom teacher and university supervisor at least one day in advance. These are in addition

to absences for conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.

Professional Conferences

PK-3 student teachers are encouraged to attend professional conferences and workshops, especially the

annual NAEYC conference. Those who do so will be excused from their schools on those days.

Permission must be granted by both your university supervisor and mentor teacher. Notify your

mentor teacher and university supervisor in writing (email is acceptable) at least two weeks in advance

of any professional meeting you plan to attend.


Emergency Preparedness

Candidates enrolled in coursework during student teaching should consult the university website

www.lsu.edu or dial 578-4636 (LSU-INFO) to inquire about the cancellation of classes. As a teacher

candidate functioning in the role of the teacher, LSU students assigned to schools are expected to remain

in school during the same time as teachers. Student teachers and interns will follow procedures and

expectations of their assigned schools paying particular attention to requirements for teacher reporting to

school and not simply school closures. Complete the Emergency Contact form and give to your

university supervisor. (Appendix B)

Preparation

University Supervisors

University Supervisors should collect candidate contact information. See the attached form. Included in

the information should be local contact information (address, email, and phone numbers) as well as the

names and numbers of family or other people a candidate might relocate with in the event of an

emergency. Likewise, university supervisors should provide the same sort of contact information to their

student teachers and interns.

University supervisors should create a phone tree for their cohort for quick dissemination of information

should the Internet or the emergency hotline not be functioning.

Candidates Candidates should provide the emergency contact information to university supervisors during the first

week of the semester. See the attached form. An emergency kit should be assembled with the items

listed below.

Copy of the phone tree contacts with instructions on who he or she is responsible for

contacting

Important phone numbers (university supervisor, classroom mentor teacher, school…)

Medications

Extra set of car keys

Driver’s license, campus identification, social security card, proof of residence, insurance

policies, and important documents (wills, deeds, and birth and marriage certificates, tax

records…)

Canned food and can opener

Bottled water (3 gallons per person)

Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries

Supply of cash

Laptop computer

Back up data/documents from computer hard drive

Lesson plans, textbooks, roll book …

Immediately Before the Storm

University Supervisors University supervisors should make sure they have updated contact information for each candidate

including the plan of action each student will take if they plan to evacuate. Additionally, they should

remind candidates of the sources of information about school closures and reporting to schools. Finally,

supervisors should remind candidates to contact them after the storm passes so they are be informed of

the candidates’ safety and location.


Candidates Candidates should contact their university supervisor to ensure that all emergency information is

updated including the plan of action to be taken. Likewise, candidates should inform their parents of the

plan of action, also. To inquire about reporting to school, candidates should contact their classroom

mentor teacher to find out if they are required to report to school. Note that in some instances teachers

are required to report even when students are not. The Office of Field Experiences serves as a source of

information by sending email notices to candidates regarding reporting. University supervisors serve as

another source of information for candidates about reporting to schools.

After the Storm

University Supervisors

University supervisors should contact teacher candidates to inquire about their well-being. Additionally,

they should determine the return date for candidates for their respective schools and communicate this

information to students.

Candidates

Candidates should contact their university supervisors to inform them of their well-being and to inquire

about the date to return to school. The student teachers should also be in touch with their classroom

teacher to inquire about the date to return to school.


Evaluation of the Teacher Candidate/Intern

The Teacher Candidate will receive formative assessments in the form of reflective feedback throughout

the semester from his/her faculty team. The Classroom Mentor Teacher and the University

Supervisor/Clinical Faculty will offer, on a regular basis, oral and written informal assessments noting

the Teacher Candidate’s strengths and areas in need of improvement.

Weekly Mentor Teacher Feedback: Each week your mentor teacher will give you feedback about your

classroom performance. The decision to meet formally or informally, do written or oral debriefings and

reviews, meet daily or weekly, or any other arrangements is up to you and your mentor. Keep careful

notes of his/her feedback. At the end of each week, type the notes and go over them with him/her, to

make sure you understood him/her points clearly. Email a copy to your teacher and your university

supervisor by Friday of each week. You will date and add your new feedback each week to keep an

ongoing feedback document.

In addition to ongoing, informal feedback, the university supervisors will complete three formal

observations with written feedback during the semester. (Appendix H) These will be scheduled in

advance.

Negotiated Grade Contracts

At the beginning of each semester, you will receive Grade Contract (Appendix I) course rubric of the

practicum and course requirements for each grade of A, B, or C. You will determine the grade you wish

to work for and sign a contract for that grade. Students may request renegotiations within two weeks of

the original contract date. You will meet with your university supervisor and, if necessary, your

instructor at mid-semester, using the Mid-Semester Mentor Teacher Evaluation (Appendix J) to evaluate

your contract. You may revise it at this time. It may be necessary to design an action plan for students

who are not meeting the requirements.

Using all information gathered during the semester and the Final Mentor Teacher Evaluation, the

instructor will determine your final grade in the course.

Quality Measures:

Letter grades may be qualified by the addition of plus or minus grades. This will be subjectively

determined by the instructor and/or other program faculty during the assessment team meeting at the end

of the semester.

Minus Grade Plus

Satisfactory completion of all

of the requirements for the

grade contracted. May have

had a single item missing

(must have turned in the

Teacher Work Sample and

Assessment Portfolio), but the

majority of the contract was

fulfilled.

Successful completion of all


grade contracted.

Exemplary completion of all


grade contracted.


Assessment Team Meetings

The assessment team meetings are designed to bring together the PK-3 faculty and the student teacher

for the purpose of assessing the student’s program progress. During the meeting, each member,

including the student, will give input regarding the student teacher's work and progress on the PK-3

Standards Checklist (Appendix K-1). Information from the checklist and the Student Teacher Grade

Contract (Appendix I) will be used to identify the student teacher’s strengths and weaknesses.

The meeting was designed to model the way in which one might assess children’s progress- multiple

perspectives, multiple measures of competencies, etc. Instead of focusing on individual skills performed

at one moment in time (i.e., an individual lesson or paper), the team considers the student teacher’s

performance in multiple contexts and evaluates his/her competency in the five program areas. Through

modeling appropriate assessment with the students, they will have a better understanding of appropriate

and authentic assessment with young children.

Terms:

PK-3 Standards Checklist (Appendix K-1): One-page list of program objectives with columns for four

semesters

Full Assessment Rubric (Appendix K-2): Multi-page text description of performance at the basic,

proficient, and advanced stages aligned to NAEYC, COMPASS, and the SOE Conceptual Framework

Student Teacher Grade Contract (Appendix I): Course rubric that includes both the practicum and

course.

Submission of Documentation

Mid-semester

The mentor teacher will submit a digital copy of the Mentor Teacher Mid-Semester Evaluation

(Appendix J) to the university supervisor and the student.

The student teacher will submit a digital copy of the Excel Weekly Time Log to his/her university

supervisor who will file it with the Office of Field Experiences.

End-of-Semester

The mentor teacher will submit a digital copy of the Mentor Teacher Final Evaluation

(Appendix J)to the university supervisor and the student.

The student teacher will submit a digital copy of the Excel Weekly Time Log to the university

supervisor before the Assessment Team Meeting.

The university supervisor will submit to the Office of Student Services in the School of

Education a digital copy of the Excel Weekly Time Log

The course instructor will submit to the Office of Student Services a digital copy of the PK-3

Standards Checklist and the final grade for the course along with program documentation.

The School of Education will retain evaluations as formal records of the student teacher’s

performance during the practicum. Candidates are encouraged to upload their evaluations along

with their résumés with Career Services at LSU.


Teacher Certification (Spring Semester)

The Louisiana State Department of Education is the state’s certifying agency. Successful completion of

student teaching and other required coursework, a 2.5 grade point average, and appropriate PRAXIS

scores presently entitle a student to a Louisiana provisional teaching certificate.

Teacher Candidates will complete and submit applications for certification. When all requirements have

been met, the School of Education will file applications with the Louisiana Department of Education.

Individual applications must include a personal check or money order for $50.00, payable to the

Louisiana Department of Education. All certification processing fees are nonrefundable.

The Louisiana Department of Education Division of Certification, Leadership, and Preparation will no

longer print and mail Louisiana teaching and/or ancillary certificates. Teacher graduates can verify

issuance and print a copy of the certificate via Teach Louisiana at www.teachlouisiana.net by clicking

“Verify Teaching Certificate.” For further information regarding certification, students should contact

the Office of Student Services in the School of Education (578-2331 or [email protected]).

http://www.teachlouisiana.net/


Procedures for Transfer of a Teacher Candidate

On extremely rare occasions, transferring a Teacher Candidate/intern is considered. A transfer is

considered (not always granted) under the following conditions:

The Classroom Mentor Teacher cannot meet the responsibilities of the student teaching

experience because of absences, illness, jury duty or other extenuating circumstances.

The school administrator or teacher requests the removal of the Teacher Candidate. (If the

candidate’s removal is requested because the candidate is not contributing to the continual

development of student learning or lack of professionalism, the candidate will have to withdraw

from the practicum.)

A strike (work stoppage) occurs in the school system.

Extenuating circumstances prevent the Teacher Candidate from functioning in the assigned

setting.

The Coordinator of Field Experiences, in consultation with the University Supervisor, the Classroom

Mentor Teacher, the Director of the School of Education, and possibly the School of Education

Advisors/Counselors, will determine if a transfer is advisable. If a transfer is the recommended

action, the Teacher Candidate will be transferred only IF ANOTHER CLASSROOM TEACHER IS

AVAILABLE AND WILLING TO ACCEPT THE TRANSFERRED CANDIDATE.

Procedures for a transfer are as follows:

1. Transfer of Teacher Candidates must have prior approval from of the Office of Field

Experiences.

2. The Office of Field Experiences Coordinator and manager will handle notification of all

significant parties, including the affected teachers and school administrators.


Procedures for Termination of a Teacher Candidate

The Office of Field Experiences may terminate a Teacher Candidate from the student teaching program

under the following conditions.

1. The Teacher Candidate violates policies of the participating school or school system.

2. The Teacher Candidate violates School of Education policies concerning the student

teaching/internship program.

3. The actions of the Teacher Candidate are clearly detrimental to the welfare of the pupils and can

include, but are not limited to documented excessive tardiness or absences; content weakness;

lack of ability to demonstrate an effective use of pedagogical skills; and/or dispositions that are

not reflective of a professional teacher.

Procedures for termination are as follows:

1. The Coordinator of Field Experiences will present reasons for termination to the Teacher

Candidate.

2. The Coordinator of Field Experiences will conduct a meeting providing the Teacher Candidate

an opportunity to be heard and to discuss the specifics regarding the recommendation for

termination. The University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty and, when possible, the Classroom

Teacher will attend the meeting.

3. The Coordinator of Field Experiences will consult with the Director of the School of Education

for Teacher Preparation regarding the termination.

4. The Director of the School of Education will make the final decision concerning termination of

the Teacher Candidate.


Requirements of the PK-3 Student Teaching Practicum

The university supervisor and classroom mentor teacher will work collaboratively with the student

teacher in defining the specific aspects of the student teaching experience. There are some general

guidelines and requirements that apply to all who are engaged in student teaching in the schools, but

school placement and specific needs of PK-3 students will guide the experience.

Classroom Binder Guidelines

The binder will document practicum experiences and facilitate communication among all involved in the

practicum. The binder should be current and available to the university supervisor at all times. The

following must be typed and included in a large binder. Separate each section with labeled dividers.

Calendars/Teaching Schedules

Daily Time Log (Appendix C)

Keep the current week on top for ease of review. Each Time Log must be initialed by the mentor

teacher.

Lesson Plans (Appendices D-1 and D-2)

Arrange with your classroom mentor teacher a time each week when your lesson plans for the following

week will be due. The typed lesson plans must be approved and initialed by the classroom mentor

teacher prior to teaching. Your teacher will ask you to make changes as needed.

Daily Meeting

“Responsive Classroom” is a research- and evidence-based approach to community building in

elementary classrooms that leads to greater teacher effectiveness, higher student achievement, and

improved school climate. The basis of this approach to classroom climate is the daily meeting.

Candidates are required to implement a daily meeting in the classroom. Informal plans for the daily

meeting and a response journal are to be kept in the last section of the binder. More information may be

found at www.responsiveclassroom.org.

Portfolio Guidelines

In addition to the classroom binder, an electronic portfolio with the following work must be kept by the

student. Portfolios will progress from a working portfolio where students keep all of their work as it is

being done. The classroom binder is considered part of this portfolio and the working portfolio will

develop each semester. The assessment portfolio (where students summarize their best work, linking it

to the program standards at the end of the semester in preparation for the assessment team meetings),

and presentation portfolio (where the student summarizes all their work from the program into a brief

format that is suitable for job searches) will be completed during the capstone seminar.

The portfolio contents vary depending on the semester experience in which you are currently enrolled.

Listed below are the content requirements for the 1-3 semester and PK-K semester, respectively.

Adjustments may be made to these requirements throughout the semester and will be communicated to

you by the PK-3 faculty members.

http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/


Portfolio Contents for the 1-3 Semester

Teacher Work Sample (Appendix F-1: Guidelines and Appendix F-2: Rubric)

A teacher work sample that includes all the components in the Renaissance Example (Analysis of

contextual factors, Learning goals, Assessment plan, Design for instruction, Instructional decision-

making, Analysis of learning results, Reflection and self-evaluation) (one videotaped lesson included on

DVD or CD, clearly labeled) Student teachers are encouraged to collaborate with grade level peers to

create the project. Lesson plans must be labeled with the name of the person who wrote them. Due

dates are listed on the course schedule.

Authentic Assessment Project (Appendix G)

You will complete one authentic assessment project that documents a child’s progress in all content

(curriculum) areas and developmental domains. It should be completed for a typically developing child.

Due dates are listed on the course schedule. Before your assessment team meeting, sit down with the

family of each child and explain the child’s growth that you documented.

Portfolio Contents for the PK-K Semester (Some assignments are being revised.)

Readings

Students will read two texts to be discussed during cohort meetings and class. Reflections will be written

on each chapter of the text that is assigned for class.

Teaching Work Sample (Appendix F-1: Guidelines and Appendix F-2: Rubric)

A teacher work sample that includes all the components in the Renaissance Example

(Analysis of contextual factors, Learning goals, Assessment plan, Design for instruction, Instructional

decision-making, Analysis of learning results, Reflection and self-evaluation) (one videotaped lesson

included on DVD or CD, clearly labeled) . The topic chosen must be different from units created in

previous semesters. Students will create a website to display their TWS.

Authentic Assessment Projects (Appendix G)

An assessment project will be completed as well. Information will be provided in class.

Conference Attendance

Seniors will attend one regional, state, or national professional conference. Conferences that are

recommended include: the Louisiana Department of Education’s Kindergarten conference (not held

every year); Louisiana Early Childhood Association’s state conference (in October); National

Association for the Education of Young Children (in November). Training workshops will not

substitute for the attendance at a regional, state, or national conference.


Feedback

Feedback on Classroom Mentor Teachers and University Supervisors

Teacher Candidates will provide feedback on Classroom Mentor Teachers and University Supervisors at

the end of the semester using an electronic format. Classroom Mentor Teachers will evaluate University

Supervisors each semester through an electronic survey. Likewise, University Supervisors and Clinical

Faculty evaluate Classroom Mentor Teachers each semester using an electronic survey. These

evaluations provide Classroom Mentor Teachers and University Supervisors with information

concerning their own supervisory practices and effectiveness. All results are aggregated before

dissemination and respondents remain anonymous. Evaluations of the University Supervisors and the

Classroom Mentor Teachers are used to provide feedback for self-reflection of one’s mentoring skills.

Additionally, this information is used to make decisions about whether to continue employing the

services of individuals to mentor LSU candidates. Representations of the electronic feedback surveys

can be found in Appendices O-1 through O-4.


List of Appendices

Appendix A Consent To Use Images……………………………………………... 31

Appendix B Emergency Contact Information……………………………………. 32

Appendix C Daily Time Log……………………………………………………... 33

Appendix D-1 Lesson Plan Format…………………………………………………. 34

Appendix D-2 Assessment of Student Learning……………………………………. 35

Appendix E Outline for Outside Observations…………………………………… 36

Appendix F-1 Teaching Work Sample Guidelines…………………………………. 37-46

Appendix F-2 Teaching Work Sample Rubric……………………………………... 47-51

Appendix G Assessment Portfolio Project Grading Rubric………………………. 52-55

Appendix H CLASS Observation Sheet for PK-3………………………………. 56

Appendix I Student Teacher Grade Contract…………………………………….. 57-59

Appendix J Mentor Teacher Evaluations ….…………………………………….. 60

Appendix K-1 Standards Checklist………...……………………………………….. 61

Appendix K-2 Assessment Rubric Criterion……………………………………….. 62-66

Appendix L Concern/Problem Documentation Form……………………………. 67

Appendix M Advocacy Project Rubric (EDCI 4381)…………………………….. 68

Appendix N Matrix of Responsibilities for CMT and US/CF……………………. 69-70

Appendix O-1 Feedback on US/CF and CMT by Teacher Candidate (Mid-Sem)…. 71-72

Appendix O-2 Feedback on US/CF and CMT by Teacher Candidate (End of Sem).. 73

Appendix O-3 Feedback on US/CF by CMT……………………………………….. 74

Appendix O-4 PK-3 Program Feedback – Sample Survey…………………………. 75-76


APPENDIX A

Consent to Use Images

Due to the nature of the projects and the electronic data gathered for use, the LSU School of Education requires consent to

use images forms to be signed by legal caregivers of each child in the student teacher’s class. This form must be collected

from each child in the class even if the school has permission from parents to use images.

CONSENT TO USE IMAGE(S) I (parent/legal guardian’s first and last name)____________________________ authorize the Louisiana State University College of Human Sciences and Education to use photographs and audio/video recordings of my child, (child’s first and last name)_________________________, taken during educational activities and events related to student teaching. By signing this document, I consent to the college’s use of these images, audio, and video in print/online communications and marketing materials. ___________________________ Child in Photograph(s) (Printed Name) ___________________________ Parent/Legal Guardian of Child (Printed Name) ___________________________ ________________________ Parent/Legal Guardian of Child Date of Signature (Signature)


APPENDIX B Emergency Contact Information

Name _____________________________________________________________ Program ___________________________________________________________ University supervisor_________________________________________________ School _____________________________________________________________ Classroom Teacher___________________________________________________ Baton Rouge Address_____________________________________________________ Email_______________________________________________________________ Local Phone______________________________ Cell Phone______________________ Names and Contact Information of People Likely to Relocate with if Leaving B.R.

Name Relation phone

Name Relation phone

Name Relation phone Who Should the College Contact in Case of Emergency?

Name Relation phone Should a hurricane come into the Baton Rouge area, what will be your plan of action? Will you remain in the area or will you be leaving the Baton Rouge area?


APPENDIX C

Daily Time Log

Student Teacher Week of Teacher’s Initials

Day/Date Observation Participation Teaching Daily Total

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Weekly Total Hours

Previous Cumulative Total

Hours

Cumulative Total Hours

Required Format: .25=15min.; .50=30min.; .75=45min.; 1=1hr.


APPENDIX D-1

Lesson Plan Format

Mentor Teacher’s Initials _____

Name: Grade Level: Date: Group Size: Subject/Lesson Topic: Objectives: (TLW:) Short term, specific and observable Standards/GLEs: List number and text. Teacher Materials/Resources: List everything the teacher and students will need for

this activity including materials, supplies and equipment.

Student Materials/Resources: Technology Integration: Include technology in the lesson, if possible. Pre-Assessment: What data did you use to plan for instruction that meets children’s interests, needs, and abilities? This may be formal or informal. Lesson Procedure and Activities: (the format will depend on the type of lesson such as ELA or science)

Introduction: A brief activity that will introduce the lesson by activating students’ prior knowledge and/or experience, interests them in the lesson, and sets a purpose for the lesson. (About 5 minutes)

Activities: This is a detailed, step-by-step list of the activities. Include questions you may ask the students, if applicable. Be very specific so anyone can follow the directions to conduct the lesson.

Closure: Briefly summarizes, reviews, or wraps up the experience. (About 5 minutes.)

Differentiation: How will you organize and manage instruction to meet the needs of each student? (special needs, behavior needs, different ability levels, cultural differences)

Formative Assessment/Evaluation: How will you determine if the objectives were met? This may be formal or informal.


APPENDIX D-2

Assessment of Student Learning

The purpose of assessment is to determine whether the children are learning. Assessment should be used to adjust instruction as needed. It may be necessary to change your teaching plans if children are not engaged/responsive to your teaching.

A. Tell what student evidence will be collected to determine whether or not the objectives were attained and the standards met. B. Assessments should be anchored in performance tasks that involve application of student learning and provide:

1. valid and reliable measures of student learning 2. opportunities for students to exhibit their understanding through authentic performance tasks 3. sufficient and varied information to support inferences about each student’s degree of

understanding, knowledge, and skill C. Authentic Assessment

1. A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills.

2. Student performance on a task is typically scored on a rubric to determine how successfully the student has met specific standards.

3. Examples of Authentic Assessment 4. Gather students' work and assessing this work using some kind of grading rubric that is based on

lesson objectives. (writing sample) 5. Replicate some of the activities practiced as part of the lesson, without providing the same level of

guidance as during the lesson. (naming letters) IMPORTANT

1. Be sure to provide students with the opportunity to practice what you will be assessing them on. 2. Never introduce new material during assessment. 3. Avoid asking higher-level thinking questions if students have not yet engaged in such practice

during the lesson. 4. Example: If you expect students to apply knowledge and skills, they should first be provided with

the opportunity to practice application.


APPENDIX E

Outline for Outside Observations Briefly answer the following questions based on your observations. Type the questions and answers followed by a reflection on the teaching you observed, relating it to the information you’ve learned from your courses, class discussion, and your own experiences. Your reflection should be a total of 2-3 pages. In a short paragraph, give the name of the school, grade level(s) observed, and years of experience of the teacher(s). 1.Describe what you observed in the classroom. What was the teacher doing? What were the children doing? 2. What is the tone of the classroom? Is there evidence of an integrated curriculum? How can you tell? Did the teacher create a positive environment? How did the tone affect the instruction? 3. Is there a classroom library? If yes, how are students allowed to use it? If not, do students have access to books for independent reading in the school? How are students encouraged to read independently? 4. What types of text were students reading? (predictable, phonics based, controlled vocabulary, fiction, non-fiction, etc.) How did the teacher handle miscues in students’ reading? How did students react? 5. What kinds of comprehension questions were asked, and what kinds of responses were expected? Classroom Management Make anecdotal notes about at least one example of guidance you observe. Describe in detail the context, child’s behavior, and the interaction between the teacher and the child. Then reflect on the teacher’s choices for guidance and how her response to the child’s behavior fit with your own guidance plan. Would you have handled the behavior in the same way, or is there something you would have done differently? Evaluation criteria:

_____ Questions are answered completely and give a clear view of the class observed.

_____ Connections are made and compared to other sources (course readings, class discussion, professional literature, and personal experience).

_____ Conclusions drawn demonstrate a synthesis of class, readings and observation.

_____ Comprehensiveness and depth of responses and discussion

_____ Discussion of personal beliefs about teaching as they relate to the observations is included. _____ Professional writing – careful attention to editing is evident


APPENDIX F-1

The Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality Teacher Work Sample: Performance Prompt

Teaching Process Standards Scoring Rubrics

The Teacher Work Sample was revised in fall 2010 by the PK-3 faculty at LSU to meet the needs of our student teachers. During the fall PPB3 (1-3 student teaching) students will design a set of lessons that demonstrates their understanding of the teaching learning cycle. This assignment will build upon the Lesson Planning Assignment they completed as part of the PPB2 Pedagogy Project during the second semester of their junior year. This modified TWS assignment will in turn be expanded during PPB4 (PK-K student teaching) with a TWS completed using an integrated thematic unit (study starter, project).

The Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality is a Title II federally funded project with offices at Western Kentucky University. Director: Roger Pankratz [email protected] Notice: The materials in this document were developed by representatives of the Renaissance Partnership Institutions and may not be used or reproduced without citing The Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality Project http://fp.uni.edu/itq

Overview of Teacher Work Sample (TWS)

The Vision

Successful teacher candidates support learning by designing a Teacher Work Sample that employs a range of strategies and builds on each student’s strengths, needs, and prior experiences. Through this performance assessment, teacher candidates provide credible evidence of their ability to facilitate learning by meeting the following TWS standards:

The teacher uses information about the learning-teaching context and student individual differences to set learning goals and plan instruction and assessment.

The teacher sets significant, challenging, varied, and appropriate learning goals.

The teacher uses multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student learning before, during, and after instruction.

The teacher designs instruction for specific learning goals, student characteristics and needs, and learning contexts.

The teacher uses regular and systematic evaluations of student learning to make instructional decisions.

The teacher uses assessment data to profile student learning and communicate information about student progress and achievement.

The teacher reflects on his or her instruction and student learning in order to improve teaching practice.


Assignment The TWS contains seven teaching processes identified by research and best practice as fundamental to improving student learning. Each Teaching Process is followed by a TWS Standard, the Task, a Prompt, and a Rubric that defines various levels of performance on the standard. The Standards and Rubrics will be used to evaluate your TWS. The Prompts (or directions) help you document the extent to which you have met each standard. Before you teach, you will describe contextual factors, identify learning goals based on your state or district content standards, create an assessment plan designed to measure student performance before (pre-assessment), during (formative assessment) and after (post-assessment), and plan for your instruction. After you teach the lessons, you will analyze student learning and then reflect upon and evaluate your teaching as related to student learning. Fall Semester Grades 1-3 You are to design and teach a set of lessons (referred to in this document as a lesson cycle) for one subject (ELA, Math, Science, or Social Studies). While research clearly supports an integrated curriculum, we feel this assignment will provide a bridge between the projects completed during PPB2 and PPB4. You may work with other student teachers placed in your grade level to complete this assignment; however certain portions are to be completed independently. Spring Semester Grades PK/K You are to design and teach an integrated thematic unit (study starter, project) to your children that will integrate as many subjects as possible. You will use this as the basis for your Teacher Work Sample. This assignment is to be completed independently. You may not work within a group. Format Ownership Complete a cover page that includes your name(s), date submitted, grade level taught, subject taught (PPB3) or unit topic (PPB4). Table of Contents Provide a Table of Contents that lists the sections and attachments in your TWS document with page numbers. Charts, graphs and attachments Charts, graphs and assessment instruments are required as part of the TWS document. You may also want to provide other attachments, such as student work. However, you should be very selective and make sure your attachments provide clear, concise evidence of your performance related to TWS standards and your students’ learning progress. References and Credits (not included in total page length) If you referred to another person’s ideas or material in your narrative, you should cite these in a separate section at the end of your narrative under References and Credits using the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Anonymity In order to insure the anonymity of students in your class, do not include any student names or identification in any part of your TWS. You may identify your students by number or initial

40

Teaching Processes Assessed by the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample Teaching Processes, TWS Standards, and Indicators

Contextual Factors The teacher uses information about the learning-teaching context and student individual differences to set learning goals and plan instruction and assessment.

Knowledge of community, school, and classroom factors

Knowledge of characteristics of students

Knowledge of students’ varied approaches to learning

Knowledge of students’ skills and prior learning

Implications for instructional planning and assessment

Learning Goals The teacher sets significant, challenging, varied and appropriate learning goals.

Significance, Challenge and Variety

Clarity

Appropriateness for students

Alignment with national, state or local standards

Assessment Plan The teacher uses multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student learning before, during and after instruction.

Alignment with learning goals and instruction

Clarity of criteria for performance

Multiple modes and approaches

Technical soundness

Adaptations based on the individual needs of students

Design for Instruction The teacher designs instruction for specific learning goals, student characteristics and needs, and learning contexts.

Alignment with learning goals

Accurate representation of content

Lesson and unit structure

Use of a variety of instruction, activities, assignments and resources

Use of contextual information and data to select appropriate and relevant activities, assignments and resources.

Use of technology

Instructional Decision-Making The teacher uses ongoing analysis of student learning to make instructional decisions.

Sound professional practice

Adjustments based on analysis of student learning

Congruence between modifications and learning goals

Analysis of Student Learning The teacher uses assessment data to profile student learning and communicate information about student progress and achievement.

Clarity and accuracy of presentation

Alignment with learning goals

Interpretation of data

Evidence of impact on student learning

Reflection and Self-Evaluation The teacher reflects on his or her instruction and student learning in order to improve teaching practice.

Interpretation of student learning

Insights on effective instruction and assessment

Alignment among goals, instruction and assessment

Implications for future teaching

Implications for professional development


Contextual Factors

TWS Standard The teacher uses information about the learning-teaching context and student individual differences to set learning goals and plan instruction and assessment. Task Discuss relevant factors and how they may affect the teaching-learning process. Include any supports and challenges that affect instruction and student learning. Prompt To be completed by each group member for their individual classrooms. In your discussion, include: Community, district and school factors Address geographic location, community and school population, socio-economic profile and race/ethnicity. You might also address such things as stability of community, political climate, community support for education, and other environmental factors. Classroom factors Address physical features, availability of technology equipment and resources and the extent of parental involvement. You might also discuss other relevant factors such as classroom rules and routines, grouping patterns, scheduling and classroom arrangement. Student characteristics Address student characteristics you must consider as you design instruction and assess learning. Include factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, special needs, achievement/developmental levels, culture, language, interests, learning styles/modalities or students’ skill levels. In your narrative, make sure you address student’s skills and prior learning that may influence the development of your learning goals, instruction and assessment. Instructional implications Address how contextual characteristics of the community, classroom and students have implications for instructional planning and assessment based upon the theories of child development.. Include specific instructional implications for at least two characteristics and any other factors that will influence how you plan and implement your unit.


Learning Goals TWS Standard The teacher sets significant, challenging, varied and appropriate learning goals. Task Provide and justify the learning goals for the lesson cycle or unit based upon the contextual factors and the individual needs of your students. Prompt List the learning goals (not the activities or Grade Level Expectations) that will guide the planning, delivery and assessment of your lesson cycle or unit. These goals should define what you expect students to know and be able to do at the end of the lesson cycle or unit. The goals should be significant (reflect the big ideas or structure of the discipline) challenging, varied and appropriate. Number or code each learning goal so you can reference it later. Show how the goals are aligned with local, state, or national standards. (identify the source of the standards). Describe the types and levels of your learning goals. Discuss why your learning goals are appropriate in terms of development; pre-requisite knowledge, skills; and other student needs.


Assessment Plan TWS Standard The teacher uses multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student learning before, during and after instruction. Task Design an assessment plan to monitor student progress toward learning goal(s). Use multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student learning before, during, and after instruction. These assessments should authentically measure student learning and may include performance-based tasks, paper-and-pencil tasks, or personal communication. Describe why your assessments are appropriate for measuring learning. Prompt Provide an overview of the assessment plan. For each learning goal include: assessments used to judge student performance, format of each assessment, and adaptations of the assessments for the individual needs of students based on pre-assessment and contextual factors. The purpose of this overview is to depict the alignment between learning goals and assessments and to show adaptations to meet the individual needs of students or contextual factors. Use a visual organizer such as a table, outline or other means to make your plan clear. Describe the pre- and post-assessments that are aligned with your learning goals. Clearly explain how you will evaluate or score pre- and post-assessments, including criteria you will use to determine if the students’ performance meets the learning goals. Include copies of assessments, prompts, and/or student directions and criteria for judging student performance (e.g., scoring rubrics, observation checklist, rating scales, item weights, test blueprint, answer key). Make sure your pre- and post-assessments measure the goals in the same manner. Discuss your plan for formative assessment that will help you determine student progress during the unit. Describe the assessments you plan to use to check on student progress and comment on the importance of collecting that particular evidence. Although formative assessment may change as you are teaching the unit, your task here is to predict at what points in your teaching it will be important to assess students’ progress toward learning goals.

Example of Assessment Plan Table: Kindergarten Learning Goals Assessments Format of Assessment Adaptations

Learning Goal 1 Example: The student will link wild animals with their habitats.

Pre-Assessment Formative Assessment Post-Assessment

Checklist: game with animal masks & centers representing habitats (tree, lake, burrow, cave) animal puppets and habitats (e.g., bird and nest) anecdotal records RE Q & A picture journals Checklist: game with animal masks & centers representing habitats

Repeat and modify instructions, as needed. Demonstrate and assist with cutting, gluing, etc. Provide model of a mask and model how to move to habitat centers. Keep all activities high-interest and brief. Provide concrete models and assistance with fine motor tasks, as needed. Provide multiple explanations and model performances. Process writing (i.e., dictations) when needed. Provide verbal cues and plenty of wait time for Q & A.


Design for Instruction TWS Standard The teacher designs instruction for specific learning goals, student characteristics and needs, and learning contexts. Task Describe how you will design your lesson cycle or unit instruction related to goals, students’ characteristics and needs, and the specific learning context. Prompt Results of pre-assessment After administering the pre-assessment, analyze student performance relative to the learning goals. Depict the results of the pre-assessment in a format that allows you to find patterns of student performance relative to each learning goal. Y Use a table, graph, or chart. Describe the pattern you find that will guide your instruction or modification of the learning goals. Lesson Cycle (PPB3) or Unit (PPB4) overview Provide an overview of your lesson cycle or unit. Use a visual organizer such as a block plan or outline to make your plan clear. Include the topic or activity you are planning for each day/period. Also indicate the goal or goals (coded from your Learning Goals section) that you are addressing in each activity. Make sure that every goal is addressed by at least one activity and that every activity relates to at least one goal. Activities Describe at least three activities (in formal lesson plans) that reflect a variety of instructional strategies/techniques and explain why you are planning those specific activities. Students working in groups during PPB3 should provide three lesson plans each labeled with your name. In your explanation for each activity, include: - How the content relates to your instructional goal(s). - How the activity stems from your pre-assessment information and contextual factors. - What materials/technology you will need to implement the activity. - How you plan to assess student learning during and/or following the activity (i.e. formative assessment). Technology Describe how you will use technology in your planning and/or instruction. If you do not plan to use any form of technology, provide your clear rationale for its omission. Technology should be used in at least one lesson in Plan


Instructional Decision-Making TWS Standard The teacher uses on-going analysis of student learning to make instructional decisions. Task (To be completed by each group member.)Provide two examples of instructional decision-making based on students’ learning or responses. Prompt I. Think of a time during your lesson cycle or unit when a student’s learning or response caused you to modify your original design for instruction. (The resulting modification may affect other students as well.) Cite specific evidence to support your answers to the following: - Describe the student’s learning or response that caused you to rethink your plans. The student’s learning or response may come from a planned formative assessment or another source (not the pre- assessment). - Describe what you did next and explain why you thought this would improve student progress toward the learning goal. II. Now, think of one more time during your lesson cycle or unit when another student’s learning or response caused you to modify a different portion of your original design for instruction. (The resulting modification may affect other students as well.) Cite specific evidence to support your answers to the following: - Describe the student’s learning or response that caused you to rethink your plans. The student’s learning or response may come from a planned formative assessment or another source (not the pre- assessment). - Describe what you did next and explain why you thought this would improve student progress toward the learning goal.


Analysis of Student Learning TWS Standard The teacher uses assessment data to profile student learning and communicate information about student progress and achievement. Task (To be completed by each group member.) Analyze your assessment data, including pre/post assessments and formative assessments to determine students’ progress related to the unit learning goals. Use visual representations and narrative to communicate the performance of the whole class, subgroups, and two individual students. Conclusions drawn from this analysis should be provided in the “Reflection and Self-Evaluation” section. Prompt In this section, you will analyze data to explain progress and achievement toward learning goals demonstrated by your whole class, subgroups of students, and an individual student. Whole class To analyze the progress of your whole class, create a table that shows pre- and post-assessment data on every student on every learning goal. Then, create a graphic (line graph) summary that shows the extent to which your students made progress (from pre- to post-) toward the learning criterion that you identified for each learning goal (identified in your Assessment Plan section). Summarize what the graph tells you about your students' learning in this lesson cycle or unit (i.e., the number of students met the criterion). Subgroups Select a group characteristic (e.g., gender, performance level, socio-economic status, language proficiency) to analyze in terms of one learning goal. Provide a rationale for your selection of this characteristic to form subgroups (e.g., girls vs. boys; high- vs. middle- vs. low-performers). Create a graphic (line graph) representation that compares pre- and post-assessment results for the subgroups on this learning goal. Summarize what these data show about student learning. Individual You will analyze pre-, formative, and post-assessment data of the child you chose for the Assessment Portfolio. Include examples of the student’s work to draw conclusions about the extent to which s/he attained the learning goals. Graphic representations are not necessary for this subsection.

Note: You will provide possible reasons for why your students learned (or did not learn) in the next section, “Reflection and Self-Evaluation.”


Reflection and Self-Evaluation TWS Standard The teacher analyzes the relationship between his or her instruction and student learning in order to improve teaching practice. Task (To be completed by each group member.) Reflect on your performance as a teacher and link your performance to student learning results. Evaluate your performance and identify future actions for improved practice and professional growth. Prompt Select the learning goal where your students were most successful. Provide two or more possible reasons for this success. Consider your goals, instruction, and assessment along with student characteristics and other contextual factors under your control. Select the learning goal where your students were least successful. Provide two or more possible reasons for this lack of success. Consider your goals, instruction, and assessment along with student characteristics and other contextual factors under your control. Discuss what you could do differently or better in the future to improve your students’ performance. Reflection on possibilities for professional development Describe at least two professional learning goals that emerged from your insights and experiences with the TWS. Identify two specific steps you will take to improve your performance in the critical area(s) you identified.


APPENDIX F-2

Teacher Work Sample Rubric

Name: Total:

Color Key Dark Blue: Contextual Factors Section (CF) Purple: Learning Goals Section (LG) Orange: Design for Instruction (DI) Light Blue: Instructional Decision Making (DM) Red: Analysis of Student Learning section (AL) Green: Assessment Plan (AP) Brown: Reflection and Self- Evaluation (SE)

Standard 2: Building Family & Community Partnerships

Unsatisfactory Acceptable Excellent Rating

(CF)

Teacher displays minimal, irrelevant, or biased knowledge of the characteristics of the community, school, and classroom.

Teacher displays some knowledge of the characteristics of the community, school, and classroom that may affect learning.

Teacher displays a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of the community, school, and classroom that may affect learning.

Standard 1: Promoting Child Development & Learning


(CF)

Teacher displays minimal, stereotypical, or irrelevant knowledge of student differences (e.g. development, interests, culture, abilities/disabilities).

Teacher displays general knowledge of student differences (e.g., development, interests, culture, abilities/disabilities) that may affect learning.

Teacher displays general & specific understanding of student differences (e.g., development, interests, culture, abilities/disabilities) that may affect learning.

(CF)

Teacher displays minimal, stereotypical, or irrelevant knowledge about the different ways students learn (e.g., learning styles, learning modalities).

Teacher displays general knowledge about the different ways students learn (e.g., learning styles, learning modalities).

Teacher displays general & specific understanding of the different ways students learn (e.g., learning styles, learning modalities) that may affect learning.

(CF)

Teacher displays little or irrelevant knowledge of students’ skills and prior learning.

Teacher displays general knowledge of students’ skills and prior learning that may affect learning.

Teacher displays general & specific understanding of students’ skills and prior learning that may affect learning.

(LG)

Goals are not appropriate for the development; pre-requisite knowledge, skills, experiences; or other student needs.

Some goals are appropriate for the development; pre-requisite knowledge, skills, experiences; and other student needs

Most goals are appropriate for the development; pre-requisite knowledge, skills, experiences; and other student needs.

(DM)

Modifications in instruction lack congruence with learning goals.

Modifications in instruction are somewhat congruent with learning goals.

Modifications in instruction are congruent with learning goals.


Standard 3: Observing, Documenting & Assessing


(CF)

Teacher does not provide implications for instruction and assessment based on student individual differences and community, school, and classroom characteristics OR provides inappropriate implications.

Teacher provides general implications for instruction and assessment based on student individual differences and community, school, and classroom characteristics.

Teacher provides specific implications for instruction and assessment based on student individual differences and community, school, and classroom characteristics.

(AP)

The assessments contain no clear criteria for measuring student performance relative to the learning goals.

Assessment criteria have been developed, but they are not clear or are not explicitly linked to the learning goals.

Assessment criteria are clear and are explicitly linked to the learning goals.

(AP)

The assessment plan includes only one assessment mode and does not assess students before, during, and after instruction.

The assessment plan includes multiple modes but all are either pencil/paper based (i.e. they are not performance assessments) and/or do not require the integration of knowledge, skills and reasoning ability.

The assessment plan includes multiple assessment modes (including performance assessments, lab reports, research projects, etc.) and assesses student performance throughout the instructional sequence.

(AP)

Content and methods of assessment lack congruence with learning goals or lack cognitive complexity.

Some of the learning goals are assessed through the assessment plan, but many are not congruent with learning goals in content and cognitive complexity.

Each of the learning goals is assessed through the assessment plan; assessments are congruent with the learning goals in content and cognitive complexity.

(AP)

Assessments are not valid; scoring procedures are absent or inaccurate; items or prompts are poorly written; directions and procedures are confusing to students.

Assessments appear to have some validity. Some scoring procedures are explained; some items or prompts are clearly written; some directions and procedures are clear to students.

Assessments appear to be valid; scoring procedures are explained; most items or prompts are clearly written; directions and procedures are clear to students.

(AP)

Teacher does not adapt assessments to meet the individual needs of students or these assessments are inappropriate.

Teacher makes adaptations to assessments that are appropriate to meet the individual needs of some students.

Teacher makes adaptations to assessments that are appropriate to meet the individual needs of most students.

(DM)

Teacher treats class as “one plan fits all” with no modifications.

Some modifications of the instructional plan are made to address individual student needs, but these are not based on the analysis of student learning, best practice, or contextual factors.

Appropriate modifications of the instructional plan are made to address individual student needs. These modifications are informed by the analysis of student learning/performance, best practice, or contextual factors. Include explanation of why the modifications would improve student progress.


(AL)

Presentation is not clear and accurate; it does not accurately reflect the data.

Presentation is understandable and contains few errors.

Presentation is easy to understand and contains no errors of representation.

(AL)

Analysis of student learning is not aligned with learning goals.

Analysis of student learning is partially aligned with learning goals and/or fails to provide a comprehensive profile of student learning relative to the goals for the whole class, subgroups, and one individual.

Analysis is fully aligned with learning goals and provides a comprehensive profile of student learning for the whole class, subgroups, and one individual.

(AL)

Interpretation is inaccurate, and conclusions are missing or unsupported by data.

Interpretation is technically accurate, but conclusions are missing or not fully supported by data.

Interpretation is meaningful, and appropriate conclusions are drawn from the data.

Standard 4: Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families


(DI)

Little variety of instruction, activities, assignments, and resources. Heavy reliance on textbook or single resource (e.g., work sheets).

Some variety in instruction, activities, assignments, or resources but with limited contribution to learning.

Significant variety across instruction, activities, assignments, and/or resources. This variety makes a clear contribution to learning.

(AL)

Analysis of student learning fails to include evidence of impact on student learning in terms of numbers of students who achieved and made progress toward learning goals.

Analysis of student learning includes incomplete evidence of the impact on student learning in terms of numbers of students who achieved and made progress toward learning goals.

Analysis of student learning includes evidence of the impact on student learning in terms of number of students who achieved and made progress toward each learning goal.

(DI)

Technology is inappropriately used OR teacher does not use technology, and no (or inappropriate) rationale is provided.

Teacher uses technology but it does not make a significant contribution to teaching and learning OR teacher provides limited rationale for not using technology.

Teacher integrates appropriate technology that makes a significant contribution to teaching and learning OR provides a strong rationale for not using technology.

(DM)

Many instructional decisions are inappropriate and not pedagogically sound.

Instructional decisions are mostly appropriate, but some decisions are not pedagogically sound.

Most instructional decisions are pedagogically sound (i.e., they are likely to lead to student learning).


Standard 5: Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum Unsatisfactory Acceptable Excellent Rating

(LG)

Goals reflect only one type or level of learning.

Goals reflect several types or levels of learning but lack significance or challenge.

Goals reflect several types or levels of learning and are significant and challenging.

(LG)

Goals are not aligned with national, state or local standards.

Some goals are aligned with national, state or local standards.

Most of the goals are explicitly aligned with national, state or local standards.

(LG) Goals are not stated clearly and are activities rather than learning outcomes.

Some of the goals are clearly stated as learning outcomes.

Most of the goals are clearly stated as learning outcomes.

(DI)

Teacher’s use of content appears to contain numerous inaccuracies. Content seems to be viewed more as isolated skills and facts rather than as part of a larger conceptual structure.

Teacher’s use of content appears to be mostly accurate. Shows some awareness of the big ideas or structure of the discipline.

Teacher’s use of content appears to be accurate. Focus of the content is congruent with the big ideas or structure of the discipline.

(DI)

The lessons within the unit are not logically organized organization (e.g., sequenced).

The lessons within the unit have some logical organization and appear to be somewhat useful in moving students toward achieving the learning goals.

All lessons within the unit are logically organized and appear to be useful in moving students toward achieving the learning goals.

(DI)

Instruction has not been designed with reference to contextual factors and pre-assessment data. Activities and assignments do not appear productive and appropriate for each student.

Some instruction has been designed with reference to contextual factors and pre-assessment data. Some activities and assignments appear productive and appropriate for each student.

Most instruction has been designed with reference to contextual factors and pre-assessment data. Most activities and assignments appear productive and appropriate for each student.

(DI)

Few lessons are explicitly linked to learning goals. Few learning activities, assignments and resources are aligned with learning goals. Not all learning goals are covered in the design.

Most lessons are explicitly linked to learning goals. Most learning activities, assignments and resources are aligned with learning goals. Most learning goals are covered in the design.

All lessons are explicitly linked to learning goals. All learning activities, assignments and resources are aligned with learning goals. All learning goals are covered in the design.

(SE)

Does not connect learning goals, instruction, and assessment results in the discussion of student learning and effective instruction and/or the connections are irrelevant or inaccurate.

Connects learning goals, instruction, and assessment results in the discussion of student learning and effective instruction, but misunderstandings or conceptual gaps are present.

Logically connects learning goals, instruction, and assessment results in the discussion of student learning and effective instruction.


Standard 6: Becoming a Professional


(SE)

Provides no rationale for why some activities or assessments were more successful than others.

Identifies successful and unsuccessful activities or assessments and superficially explores reasons for their success or lack thereof (no use of theory or research).

Identifies successful and unsuccessful activities and assessments and provides plausible reasons (based on theory or research) for their success or lack thereof.

(SE)

Provides no ideas or inappropriate ideas for redesigning learning goals, instruction, and assessment.

Provides ideas for redesigning learning goals, instruction, and assessment but offers no rationale for why these changes would improve student learning.

Provides ideas for redesigning learning goals, instruction, and assessment and explains why these modifications would improve student learning.

(SE)

Provides no professional learning goals or goals that are not related to the insights and experiences described in this section.

Presents professional learning goals that are not strongly related to the insights and experiences described in this section and/or provides a vague plan for meeting the goals.

Presents a small number of professional learning goals that clearly emerge from the insights and experiences described in this section. Describes specific steps to meet these goals.

(SE)

No evidence or reasons provided to support conclusions drawn in “Analysis of Student Learning” section.

Provides evidence but no (or simplistic, superficial) reasons or hypotheses to support conclusions drawn in “Analysis of Student Learning” section.

Uses evidence to support conclusions drawn in “Analysis of Student Learning” section. Explores multiple hypotheses for why some students did not meet earning goals. l

ALL

Assignment turned in late Didn’t accept &/or use constructive criticism Didn’t collaborate well with group Assignment is low quality with many grammatical and spelling errors

Turned in assignment on time Accepted & used constructive criticism Collaborated well with group Assignment is good quality with few grammatical and spelling errors

Turned in assignment early to get feedback. Accepted constructive criticism & used it to improve instruction. Took a leadership role in group High quality product with no spelling or grammatical errors.

Comments:

Scale: Exemplary = 8.37 - 9.0 Commendable = 7.74 - 8.36 Satisfactory = 7.11 - 7.73


APPENDIX G

Assessment Portfolio Grading Rubric

Name ______________________________ Student:__________________________(hi) (typical)

Criteria Unsatisfactory Acceptable Excellent Rating


Does not show progress clearly or accurately Subjective words used to describe children

Shows progress but is either not complete, clearly described, or accurate Descriptions of children are mostly clear & objective

Documents progress for each subject and developmental area clearly and accurately Descriptions of children are very clear & objective


Nothing from or about family/community

Some evidence about child provided from family/community members Some information about the family/community context

Family/community contributed artifacts, work samples, or anecdotal material Family/community contributions were acted upon or planned from by PK-3 student Clear indication of a bi-directional information exchange between teacher and family/community


Includes same types of artifacts No/few children’s quotes Includes only a few subject/ developmental areas Includes few artifacts for each area Shows no evidence of thoughtful selection of artifacts Descriptions are brief Descriptions are subjective Artifacts inaccurately support statements No/few dates or descriptions of context on artifacts No cross-references to artifacts

Includes some different types of artifacts Several children’s quotes support statements Includes several subject/developmental areas Includes several artifacts for each area (3-4) Shows some evidence of thoughtful selection of artifacts Descriptions are usually detailed Descriptions are usually objective Artifacts usually accurately support statements Dates and context on most artifacts Some cross-references to artifacts

Includes wide variety of types of artifacts (see back) Many children’s quotes to support statements Includes all subject/developmental areas (see back) Includes many artifacts for each area (>4) Shows thoughtful selection of rich, complex artifacts All descriptions are detailed/specific/thorough All descriptions are objective Artifacts always accurately support statements Dates and context on all artifacts Many cross-references to artifacts

Standard 4: Using Developmentally Effective Approaches

No instructional strategies suggested Strategies do not emerge from artifacts

Some instructional strategies are presented Some strategies emerge from artifacts Some strategies are explicit and specific

Implications for teaching for all areas Implications are explicit and specific Implications logically emerge from artifacts


Standard 5: Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum

Standards, Benchmarks or Grade Level Expectations are seldom included Links between Standards, Benchmarks, or GLEs are unclear or not stated

Standards, Benchmarks or Grade Level Expectations are always included

Standards, Benchmarks or Grade Level Expectations are always included and linked clearly to the artifacts


Blurred pictures/too dark/too light copies Not easy to read/navigate Unorganized or poorly formatted Assignment turned in late Didn’t accept &/or use constructive criticism Didn’t collaborate well with group Assignment is low quality with many grammatical and spelling errors

Acceptable pictures/copies Fairly easy to read/navigate Fairly organized and formatted Turned in assignment on time Accepted & used constructive criticism Collaborated well with group presentation is of adequate quality with some grammatical errors

Clear pictures/copies Very easy to read and navigate, not too much on a page Well-organized & good formatting Turned in assignment early to get feedback. Accepted constructive criticism & used it to improve instruction. Took a leadership role in group Exhibits a high level of professional quality

Other Comments:

Scale: Exemplary = 8.37 - 9.0 Commendable = 7.74 - 8.36 Satisfactory = 7.11 - 7.73


The purpose of this activity is to document the development and learning of a child. Use Power Point or a Web-page development program to organize your work. Use links to pages and different artifacts. The best artifacts are rich – they can be used to provide much evidence in many areas. Focus on quality rather than quantity.

Three Levels of Children’s Assessment Portfolios Child Development (“Where the child is”) Using work samples, interview information from other sources, and the observation techniques in Chapter 5 of “The power of observation” by Jablon, Dombro, & Dichtelmiller to document evidence of the child’s current abilities and knowledge in the form of a portfolio. Those techniques include but are not limited to:

o Brief Notes o Work Samples

o Anecdotal Notes o Child Interviews

o Video & Audio clips o Ancillary Teacher Interviews

o Running Records o Family/Community Interviews

o Sketches o Former Teacher Interviews

o Reading Running Records o Rating Scales

o Matrices o Photographs

o Tallies o Diagrams

Collect information that shows the child’s knowledge and abilities in all the content and developmental areas:

o Language Arts o Social

o Science o Emotional

o Social Studies o Physical (fine and gross motor)

o Math o Cognitive

o Arts (Visual arts, Music, Drama) o Language

Link the evidence with the state GLEs or National Content Standards for the Curriculum Areas, use a developmental checklist for the developmental areas (you can use the Work Sampling System’s list or the Creative Curriculum’s Developmental Checklist list). So that is 3 things: 1. the artifact; 2. the standard copied on the page; and 3. A clear statement saying how the standard is reflected in each artifact. Progress: (“where the child has been and is now”) Show the child’s progress and document learning by showing how they change over time. Show growth in each developmental and content area. Gather information in each area at the beginning and end of the semester (or year – best in early fall, winter, and late spring) and also before and after particular learning activities. Clearly state how the child made progress in each area. Implications for teaching: (“where the child has been, is now, and is headed and how we can help him or her move along”) Describe what the teacher should do next. What is logically implied by the child’s abilities and knowledge. What experiences should the teacher provide to move the child along in each developmental and content area?


Tips: Scan, don’t photograph children’s work; put standards in very small font. Use a summary page and Implication page for works if space is a problem.


Appendix H

OBSERVATION SHEET

Teacher: Observer:

Start time: End time:

Number of adults: Number of children: CONTENT (circle all; check majority): FORMAT (circle all; check majority): Lit/Lang Arts Math Science Routine Whole Group Individual time Social Studies Art Other Meals/snacks Small group Free choice/centers

Positive Climate (PC)

Relationships

Positive Affect

Positive Communication

Respect

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Negative Climate (NC)

Negative Affect

Punitive Control

Sarcasm/Disrespect

Severe Negativity

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Teacher Sensitivity (TS)

Awareness

Responsiveness

Addresses Problems

Student Comfort

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Regard for Student Perspectives (RSP)

Flexibility and Student Focus

Support for Autonomy and Leadership

Student Expression

Restriction of Movement

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Behavior Management (BM)

Clear Behavior Expectations

Proactive

Redirection of Misbehavior

Student Behavior

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Productivity (PD)

Maximizing Learning Time

Routines

Transitions

Preparation

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Instructional Learning Formats (ILF)

Effective Facilitation

Variety of Modalities and Materials

Student Interest

Clarity of Learning Objectives

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Concept Development

Analysis and Reasoning

Creating

Integration

Connections to the Real World

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Quality of Feedback (QF)

Scaffolding

Feedback Loops

Prompting Thought Processes

Providing Information

Encouragement and Affirmation

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Language Modeling (LM)

Frequent Conversation

Open-Ended Questions

Repetition and Extension

Self- and Parallel Talk

Advanced Language

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7


Appendix I

Student Teacher Grade Contract

Student: Supervisor: Date:

Contracted

Grade Work in Practicum Work in University Classroom

A

Complete a minimum of:

15 full days of teaching

5 consecutive full days of

teaching

180 teaching hours

Have no unexcused absences, tardiness, or

early departures from class or cohort meetings

Submit all assignments on time, some in time

for feedback

Complete all assigned reading and reflections

Demonstrate knowledge well beyond basic

course content by submitting at least 3

reflections on extra reading, workshops, etc.

Have no unexcused absences, tardiness,

or early departures

Submit work at a high level in content,

organization and clarity

Always exhibit professional

comportment and dress

Demonstrate sound critical thinking,

innovative ideas and personal engagement in

class discussions and assignments

Attend all (except those conflicting with

LSU requirements):

professional development/work

days

school faculty meetings

grade-level meetings

parent assemblies (open house,

math night, etc.)

SBLC meetings/ parent-teacher

conferences

field trips

Often take a leadership role in class discussions

Receive an “exemplary” on the Teaching Work

Sample

Receive an “exemplary” on the Child

Assessment Portfolio

Always submit Weekly Teacher Feedback to

university supervisor on time every week

Complete August experience AND

attend at least 7 non-required days prior

to the start of the LSU semester

Receive an “exemplary” rating from

mentor teacher

B




teaching

170 teaching hours

Have no more than 1 unexcused absence,

tardiness, or early departure from class or

cohort meetings

Have no more than 1 unexcused absence,

tardy, or early departure

Submit 88% of assignments on time

Always exhibit professional


Complete 88% of assigned reading and

reflections

Attend most (except those conflicting

with LSU requirements):


days




math night, etc.)

Demonstrate knowledge beyond basic course

content (at least 1 reflection on extra reading,

workshops, etc.)



conferences

field trips

Complete August experience AND

attend at least 4 non-required days prior

to the start of LSU

Submit work that is clear and explicit, and

demonstrate good use of existing knowledge

Receive a “commendable” rating from

mentor teacher

Demonstrate some degree of critical thinking

and personal involvement in assignments

Actively participate in class discussions

Receive a “commendable” on the Teaching

Work Sample

Receive a “commendable” on the Child


Usually submit Weekly Teacher Feedback each

week and on time

C




teaching

150 teaching hours

Have no more than 3 unexcused absences,

tardiness, or early departures from class or

cohort meetings

Have no more than 3 unexcused

absences, tardiness, or early departures

Submit 81% of assignments on time

Usually exhibit professional


Complete 81% of assigned reading and

reflections

Attend some (except those conflicting

with LSU requirements):


days




math night, etc.)


conferences

field trips

Demonstrate basic course content (no

reflections on extra reading, workshops, etc.)

Complete August experience Submit work with some weakness in content,

organization, and clarity

Receive a “satisfactory” rating from

mentor teacher

Demonstrate little critical thinking in

assignments

Receive a “satisfactory” on the Teaching Work

Sample

Receive a “satisfactory” on the Child


Sometimes submit Weekly Teacher Feedback

each week on time

Quality Measures Formatted: Font: Bold


Letter grades may be qualified by the addition of plus or minus grades. This will be subjectively

determined by the instructor and/or other program faculty during the assessment team meeting at the end

of the semester.

Minus Grade Plus

Satisfactory completion of all of

the requirements for the grade

contracted. May have had a

single item missing (must have

turned in the Teacher Work

Sample and Assessment

Portfolio), but the majority of the

contract was fulfilled.

Successful completion of all of


contracted.

Exemplary completion of all of


contracted.

Contract Renegotiations and Reconsideration

Use this course rubric of the practicum and class requirements for each grade of A, B, or C to determine

the grade you wish to work for. Students may request renegotiations within two weeks of the original

contract date. You will meet with your university supervisor and, if necessary, your instructor at mid-

semester, using the Mid-Semester Mentor Teacher Evaluation to evaluate your contract. You may revise

it at this time. It may be necessary to design an action plan for some students for the remainder of the

semester.

Signatures:

I agree to work for a(n) _____. I understand that this contract will be reviewed by my university

supervisor and instructor at mid-semester and may be renegotiated. I also understand that my failure to

uphold the contract will result in a lower grade.

Student Teacher:

University Supervisor:

Instructor:


Appendix J

Mid-Semester and Final Mentor Teacher Evaluations for PK-3 Student Teacher

Student Teacher: Mentor Teacher: Date:

Complete and submit electronically to the university supervisor and student teacher. Completed:

_____ full days of teaching

_____ consecutive full days of teaching

_____ teaching hours

_____ unexcused absences

_____ times tardy or left early

Please list number of professional meetings attended (except those conflicting with LSU requirements):

(Ex: If the student attended two of four grade level meetings held that s/he could have attended then your

number would be 2/4.)

___/___ professional development/work days (after school began)

___/___ school faculty meetings

___/___ grade-level meetings

___/___ parent assemblies (open house, math night, etc.)

___/___SBLC meetings/ parent-teacher conferences

___/___field trips

___/___ other please specify:__________________________

Attended:

___/___ teacher work days prior to start of school

_____ first day of school

___/___ days of school between the first day and August 24

Please rate your student teacher using the following scale: E (exemplary), C (commendable), S

(satisfactory), U (unsatisfactory). In the comment section, explain any items that received an S or U

rating

E/C/S/U

Uses developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging

learning environments

Involves families and communities in their children’s development and learning

Understands and practices responsible assessment

Exhibits warmth and caring attitude toward children

Exhibits good classroom and behavior management

Uses a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches

Reflects on their own practice and alters lessons to promote positive outcomes for each

child

Understands content knowledge

Plans meaningful and challenging curricula for each child

Collaborates well with mentor, other professionals, and peers

Exhibits ethical and professional comportment and dress

Receives and uses mentor feedback


Comments:

Appendix K-1

Standards Checklist for PK-3 Program

PK-3 Candidate: Date:

Faculty Team Members:

Levels: Beginning, Proficient, Advanced PPB1 PPB2 PPB3 PPB4

Placement/Grade

Standard 1 – Promoting Child Development & Learning

• 1a: Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs

• 1b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and

learning

• 1c: Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and

challenging learning environments

Standard 2 – Building Family & Community Relationships

• 2a: Knowing about and understanding family and community characteristics

• 2b: Supporting and empowering families and communities through respectful,

reciprocal relationships

• 2c: Involving families and communities in their children’s development and

learning

Standard 3 – Observing, Documenting, & Assessing to Support Young Children and Families

• 3a: Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment

• 3b: Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate

assessment tools and approaches

• 3c: Understanding and practicing responsible assessment

• 3d: Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals

Standard 4 – Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families

• 4a: Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the

foundation of their work with children

• 4b: Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education

• 4c: Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning

approaches

• 4d: Reflecting on their own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child

Standard 5- Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum

• 5a: Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines

• 5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of

content areas or academic disciplines.

• 5c: Using their own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and

other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging

curricula for each child.

Standard 6- Becoming a Professional

• 6a: Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field

• 6b: Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other professional

guidelines

• 6c: Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice

• 6d: Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early

education

• 6e: Engaging in informed advocacy for children and the profession


Comments: Strengths: Work on:

Appendix K-2

LSU PK-3 Program

Assessment Rubric Criterion (Not meant to be comprehensive)

1) Promoting Child Development and Learning (SOE Conceptual Factors: EP – Believe that all students can learn; EP – Create democratic communities; IP – Respect the needs of diverse learners) ADVANCED:

Candidate participates in extensive, developmental opportunities to gain in-depth understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs. Candidate’s knowledge base is fully grounded in theories and current research in all areas of child development and learning. Candidate shows he or she understands interrelationships among developmental areas and is able to provide rich examples of these interrelationships Candidate is able to use developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments. Candidate actively seeks out new information about child development and learning, using multiple sources, including technology. (NAEYC) PROFICIENT: Candidate participates in multiple, developmental opportunities to gain essential understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs. There is evidence that the candidate considers developmental knowledge when creating learning environments. Candidate’s knowledge base is current and research-based in most respects; candidate is knowledgeable about development in all areas and can give examples of interrelationships among developmental areas. (NAEYC) BEGINNING: Candidate participates in minimal opportunities to gain essential understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs. There is minimal evidence that the candidate considers developmental knowledge when designing learning environments. Candidate’s knowledge base is limited and insufficiently grounded in theory and research. (NAEYC)

2) Building Family and Community Relationships ADVANCED: Candidate participates in extensive, developmental opportunities to gain in-depth understanding of diverse family and community characteristics as they affect early childhood practice. Candidate possesses the knowledge & skills needed to support and engage diverse families through respectful, reciprocal relationships. Candidate articulates and integrates family theory and research-based knowledge of multiple family and community factors as they impact young children's lives. Candidate possesses the essential skills necessary to involve families and communities in many aspects of children’s development and learning. (NAEYC) PROFICIENT: Candidate participates in multiple, developmental opportunities to gain essential understanding of family and community characteristics as they affect early childhood practice. Candidate possesses some of the knowledge & skills needed to support and engage diverse families through respectful, reciprocal relationships.


Candidate possesses general knowledge of family theory and research, and they identify a variety of family and community factors as they impact young children's lives. Candidate possesses the essential skills necessary to involve families and communities in some aspects of children’s development and learning. (NAEYC)

BEGINNING: Candidate participates in minimal opportunities to gain an essential understanding of family and community characteristics as they affect early childhood practice. Candidate minimally possesses the knowledge & skills needed to support and engage diverse families through respectful, reciprocal relationships. Candidate has limited or stereotyped knowledge of these characteristics. Candidate minimally possesses the essential skills necessary to involve families and communities in many aspects of children’s development and learning. (NAEYC) 3) Observing, Documenting, & Assessing to Support Young Children & Families ADVANCED: Candidate participates in extensive, developmental opportunities to gain in-depth understanding of the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment in collaboration with families and professional colleagues. Candidate demonstrates knowledge, understanding, and articulate expression of the significance of assessment. Candidate knows about a wide range of assessment goals, and their work shows close alignment among goals, curriculum, teaching strategies, and assessments. The candidate can articulate and document appropriate uses of assessment in early childhood programs; they can also articulate and document situations in which inappropriate assessment may harm children and families. (NAEYC) All instructional outcomes represent rigorous and important learning in the discipline. The outcomes are clear, written in the form of student learning, and permit viable methods of assessment. Outcomes reflect several different types of learning and, where appropriate, represent opportunities for both coordination and integration. Outcomes take into account the varying needs of individual children. ( COMPASS 1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes) Candidate fully integrates assessment into instruction, through extensive use of formative assessment. Children appear to be aware of, and there is some evidence that they have contributed to, the assessment criteria. Children self‐assess and monitor their progress. A variety of feedback, from both the candidate and peers, is accurate, specific, and advances learning. Candidates regularly use questions/prompts/assessments to diagnose evidence of learning by individual children. (COMPASS 3d: Using Assessment in Instruction) PROFICIENT: Candidate participates in multiple, developmental opportunities to gain essential understanding of the goals, benefits and uses of assessment in collaboration with families and professional colleagues. Candidate demonstrates knowledge of the important goals of early childhood assessment. Their work generally shows alignment between goals, curriculum, teaching strategies, and assessments. They are able to explain how assessments may be used in appropriate ways, and they can also explain how inappropriate assessment may harm children and families. (NAEYC) Most instructional outcomes represent rigorous and important learning in the discipline. All the instructional outcomes are clear, written in the form of student learning, and suggest viable methods of assessment. Outcomes reflect several different types of learning and opportunities for coordination. Outcomes take into account the varying needs of groups of children. (COMPASS 1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes)

Candidate regularly uses assessment during instruction, through monitoring of progress of learning by the candidate and/or children, resulting in accurate, specific feedback that advances learning. Children appear to be


aware of the assessment criteria; some of them engage in self-assessment. Candidates use questions/prompts/ assessments to diagnose evidence of learning. (COMPASS 3d: Using Assessment in Instruction) BEGINNING: Candidate participates in minimal opportunities to gain in-depth understanding of the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment in collaboration with families and professional colleagues. Candidate shows little evidence of knowledge of assessment's essential goals, appropriate uses, and potential risks. (NAEYC) Outcomes represent moderately high expectations and rigor. Some reflect important learning in the discipline, and consist of a combination of outcomes and activities. Outcomes reflect several types of learning, but candidate has made no attempt at coordination or integration. Most of the outcomes are suitable for most of the children in the class based on global assessments of student learning. (COMPASS 1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes) Candidates use assessment sporadically to support instruction, through some monitoring of progress of learning by the candidate and/or children. Feedback to children is general, and children appear to be only partially aware of the assessment criteria used to evaluate their work but few assess their own work. Candidates rarely use questions/prompts/ assessments to diagnose evidence of learning. (COMPASS 3d: Using Assessment in Instruction) 4) Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children & Families (SOE Conceptual Factors: IP: Use various strategies to meet the needs of all learners EP: Utilize appropriate technology RP: Draw on the past to understand the present RP: Interconnect continuously (theory, research, & practice; content & pedagogy; action & reflection) ADVANCED: Candidate participates in extensive, developmental opportunities to gain knowledge and skill building positive relationships and supportive interactions. Candidate demonstrates a broad repertoire of effective strategies and tools to help young children learn and develop well. Candidate uses a flexible, research-based repertoire of teaching/learning approaches to promote young children’s development. There is extensive evidence of the candidate’s reflective, responsive and intentional practice to promote positive outcomes for each child. (NAEYC) Candidate maximizes instructional time using efficient classroom routines and procedures. Children contribute to the management of instructional groups, transitions, and/or the handling of materials and supplies. Routines are well understood and may be initiated by children. (COMPASS: 2c: Managing classroom procedures) Candidate uses a variety or series of questions or prompts to challenge children cognitively, advance high-level thinking and discourse, and promote meta‐cognition. Children formulate many questions, initiate topics and make unsolicited contributions. Children themselves ensure that all voices are heard in the discussion. (COMPASS: 3b: Using questioning / prompts and discussion PROFICIENT: Candidates participate in multiple, developmental opportunities to gain knowledge of theory and skill in building positive relationships and supportive interactions. Candidate demonstrates a repertoire of effective strategies and tools to help young children learn and develop well. Candidate uses a research-based repertoire of teaching/learning approaches to promote young children’s development. There is some evidence of the candidate’s reflective, responsive and intentional practice to promote positive outcomes for each child. (NAEYC) Candidate uses effective classroom routines and procedures resulting in little loss of instructional time. The candidate’s management of instructional groups and/or the handling of materials and supplies are consistently


successful. With minimal guidance and prompting, children follow established classroom routines. (COMPASS: 2c: Managing classroom procedures) Candidate may pose some low‐level questions, they are designed to promote children’s thinking and understanding. Candidate creates a genuine discussion among children, providing adequate time for children to respond, and stepping aside when appropriate. Candidate successfully engages most children in the discussion, employing a range of strategies to ensure that most children are heard. ((COMPASS: 3b: Using questioning / prompts and discussion) BEGINNING: Candidate participates in minimal opportunities to gain knowledge and skill in building positive relationships and supportive interactions. Candidate demonstrates a limited repertoire of effective strategies and tools to help young children learn and develop well. Candidate has a limited repertoire of teaching/learning approaches to promote young children’s development. There is limited evidence of the candidate’s reflective, responsive and intentional practice to promote positive outcomes for each child. (NAEYC) Candidate loses some instructional time due to only partially effective classroom routines and procedures. The candidate’s management of instructional groups, transitions, and/or the handling of materials and supplies is inconsistent, leading to some disruption of learning. With regular guidance and prompting, children follow established classroom routines. (COMPASS: 2c: Managing classroom procedures) Candidate’s questions lead children through a single path of inquiry, with answers seemingly determined in advance. Alternatively, the candidate attempts to frame some questions designed to promote children’s thinking and understanding, but only a few children are involved. Candidate attempts to engage all children in the discussion and to encourage them to respond to one another with uneven results. (COMPASS: 3b: Using questioning / prompts and discussion) 5) Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum (SOE Conceptual Factors: IP – Draw from knowledge of content) ADVANCED: Candidate participates in extensive, developmental opportunities to gain knowledge and skill in developing meaningful curricula. Candidate demonstrates extensive understanding of the essential content knowledge and resources in many academic disciplines. The candidate demonstrates an understanding of the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas needed to provide appropriate environments that support learning. The candidate demonstrates knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum for each child. (NAEYC) Virtually all children are intellectually engaged in challenging content, through well-designed learning tasks and suitable scaffolding by the candidate, and fully aligned with the instructional outcomes. In addition, there is evidence of some child initiated inquiry and contributions to the exploration of important content. Candidates pace the lesson to provide children the time needed to intellectually engage with and reflect upon their learning, and to consolidate their understanding. Children may have some choice in how they complete tasks and may serve as resources for one another. (COMPASS 3c: Engaging students in learning) PROFICIENT: Candidates participate in multiple, developmental opportunities to gain knowledge of theory and skill in developing meaningful curricula. Candidate demonstrates an understanding of the essential content


knowledge and resources in many academic disciplines. The candidate demonstrates some understanding of the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas needed to provide appropriate environments that support learning. The candidate demonstrates some knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum for each child. (NAEYC) Candidates create learning tasks and activities that align with the instructional outcomes and are designed to challenge children’s thinking, resulting in active intellectual engagement by most children with important and challenging content, and with teacher scaffolding to support that engagement. Candidate’s pacing of the lesson is appropriate, providing most children the time needed to be intellectually engaged. (COMPASS 3c: Engaging students in learning) BEGINNING: Candidate participates in minimal opportunities to gain knowledge and skill in developing meaningful curricula. Candidate demonstrates minimal understanding of the essential content knowledge and resources in many academic disciplines. The candidate demonstrates minimal understanding of the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas needed to provide appropriate environments that support learning. The candidate demonstrates minimal knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum for each child. (NAEYC) Candidate partially aligns learning tasks or prompts with the instructional outcomes, but require only minimal thinking by children, allowing most children to be passive or merely compliant. The pacing of the lesson may not provide children the time needed to be intellectually engaged. (COMPASS 3c: Engaging students in learning) 6) Becoming a Professional (SOE Conceptual Factors: IP – Demonstrate openness to change, creativity, and innovation; EP – Collaborate; EP – View themselves as learners) ADVANCED: Candidate participates in extensive, developmental opportunities to gain a well-formed identification with and involvement in the early childhood field. Candidate has knowledge of and upholds ethical guidelines and other professional standards. Candidate seeks out continuous, collaborative learning to inform her practice. Candidate’s practice is influenced by knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives. Candidate is involved in informed advocacy for children and families and the profession. (NAEYC) PROFICIENT: Candidate participates in multiple, developmental opportunities to gain a beginning identification with and involvement in the early childhood field. Candidate has some knowledge of and upholds ethical guidelines and other professional standards. Candidate seeks out some new information to inform her practice. Candidate’s practice is somewhat influenced by knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives. There is beginning evidence that the candidate is involved in informed advocacy for children and families and the profession. (NAEYC) BEGINNING: Candidate participates in minimal opportunities to gain a beginning identification with and involvement in the early childhood field. Candidate demonstrates minimal knowledge of and upholds ethical guidelines and other professional standards. Candidate minimally seeks out continuous, collaborative learning to inform her practice. Candidate’s practice is minimally influenced by knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives. Candidate demonstrates limited knowledge of the early childhood field as a distinctive profession, and there is little evidence that they have begun to involve themselves in the profession. (NAEYC)

Elementary 1-5 Program of 78__rev 6-1-15

Appendix L

Concern/Problem Documentation Form

Complete form in Word and email to [email protected]. Teacher Candidate Date

University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty

Phone Email

Classroom Mentor Teacher Email

School Grade/Subject

I. Identify and describe the issue (problem/concern).

II. Identify the steps taken to remedy the situation and the duration of time for interventions if applicable.

III. Recommendations to or requests of the Office of Field Experiences at this time:

IV. Follow-up from the Office of Field Experiences:

V. Next Steps:

mailto:[email protected]


Appendix M

PK-3 Advocacy Project Rubric (Spring – EDCI 4381)

Criteria Unsatisfactory Acceptable Excellent Rating


Exhibits no understanding of child developmental theories or learning. Discussion of children label or demean Approach/advocacy is not consistent with current knowledge of child development.

Shows some understanding of child developmental theories or learning. Descriptions of children are mostly clear & objective. Approach/advocacy is somewhat consistent with current knowledge of child development.

Exhibits sophisticated understanding of child developmental theories and/or learning theories. Approach/advocacy is consistent with current knowledge of child development.


Nothing from or about family/community or views of community/families reflect bias or discrimination. Approach/advocacy is not consistent with current knowledge of targeted family/community.

Some evidence of knowledgeable approach to family/community members Some information about the family/community context. Approach/advocacy is somewhat consistent with current knowledge of targeted family/community.

Family/community included in advocacy efforts. Approach/advocacy is consistent with current knowledge of targeted family/community.


Exhibits no understanding of appropriate approaches to observation/documentation or assessment. Approach/advocacy is not consistent with current knowledge of observation/assessment.

Exhibits some understanding of appropriate approaches to observation/documentation or assessment. Approach/advocacy is somewhat consistent with current knowledge of observation/ assessment.

Exhibits clear understanding of appropriate approaches to observation/documentation or assessment. Approach/advocacy is consistent with current knowledge of observation/assessment.

Standard 4: Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families

Exhibits an understanding of positive

relationships and supportive interactions

as the foundation of work with children

Project may display effective strategies/tools for ECE, broad repertoire of resources; Reflection evident that seeks to promote positive outcomes for all children.

Exhibits some understanding of positive



Project may display effective strategies/tools for ECE, broad repertoire of resources; Reflection is somewhat evident and it seeks to promote positive outcomes for all children.

Exhibits an understanding of positive



Project may display effective strategies/tools for ECE, broad repertoire of resources; No evidence of reflection and/or reflection not utilized to promote positive outcomes for all children.

Standard 5: Using Content Knowledge to build meaningful curriculum

Exhibits understanding of content, scope and inquiry tools for the academic disciplines and ability to build and evaluate meaningful curricula for each child

Exhibits some understanding of content, scope and inquiry tools for the academic disciplines and ability to build and evaluate meaningful curricula for each child

Does not exhibits understanding of content, scope and inquiry tools for the academic disciplines and ability to build and evaluate meaningful curricula for each child


Approach/advocacy is not carefully planned and does not engage others. Presentation of advocacy approach had many errors and/or difficult to follow. No reflection or inappropriate conclusions drawn from the project. Extensions or recommendations for future advocacy were not mentioned.

Approach/advocacy is planned- but not carefully considered or implemented. Presentation of advocacy approach had some errors and/or difficult but generally easily understood. Reflection and/or conclusions present, but lack depth. Extensions or recommendations for future advocacy were mentioned, but were incomplete.

Advocacy project was carefully planned and implemented. Presentation of advocacy approach easily communicated to the audience and contained no errors Reflection and conclusions from project are appropriate. Extensions or recommendations for future advocacy were clearly presented.

Other Comments


APPENDIX N

Matrix of Responsibilities:

University Supervisor and Classroom Mentor Teacher

Univ.

Supervisor

Mentor

Teacher

Portfolio X

Reflections X

Lesson Plans

Monitor very closely the daily lesson plans, content, and

activities X

Provide feedback on written lessons to candidates (after early

submission) X

Review lessons after revisions have been made and before

teaching occurs X

Provides general information about lesson plan development X

Judge lesson planning ability X

Unit Plan

Closely monitor the lessons in the unit X

Oversee the implementation of the unit X

Guidance in developing the unit plan as required by LSU X

Punctuality and Attendance

Document punctuality and absences X

Monitor punctuality and absences X

Hours

Monitor hours to judge progress toward meeting hourly and full

day requirements X X

Sign off on hours weekly X

Teaching and Feedback

Three full-lesson observations, conferences, and written

feedback (submitted to candidate, classroom mentor teacher, and

Office of Field Experiences) [Holmes programs, 2 obs. In

spring]

X

Written feedback after each full-lesson observation X

Model effective lesson development and teaching X

Daily observations of candidate’s teaching X

Daily oral feedback given to the candidate X

Two Progress forms (PK-3 weekly conference notes) (submitted

to candidate, university supervisor and Office of Field

Experiences)

X

Outside Observations

Assist the students in setting up outside observations X X

Allow candidates release time to complete outside observations X

Assess written observation reports X


Univ.

Supervisor

Mentor

Teacher

Assessment

Assess candidate’s lesson plans X

Assess candidate’s teaching X X

Assess the unit plan X

Assess written outside observation reports X

Monitor the completion of and assess the depth of reflective

writings X

Complete candidate’s mid-semester and final evaluation

(Evaluation Rubric) X X

Complete candidate’s mid-semester and final evaluation

(Grading Rubric) X

Review evaluations and grading rubric with candidate X X

Approve candidate’s self-evaluation X X

Cohort Meetings

Select textbook for the cohort X

Establish a time and location for the cohort meetings X

Set the cohort agenda including topics for discussion and

readings X

Share with university supervisor recommended topics of

discussion for cohort meetings X

Release the candidate to attend cohort meetings X

Collaboration/Communication

Discuss the progress and concerns of the candidate X X


APPENDIX O-1

Feedback of University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty & CMT (MID-SEMESTER)

Completed by Teacher Candidates

(Revised, summer 2014)

Q

# Questions Responses

1 Enter the LAST NAME of your university

supervisor/clinical faculty.

My university supervisor/clinical faculty… Yes No Comments

2 …provided contact information (office hours,

phone numbers, email address).

3

…confers regularly with my classroom mentor

teacher(s) regarding my professional growth and

performance.

4

…provides clear guidelines of

assignments/requirements and performance

expectations.

5 …reviews my portfolio regularly to monitor my

progress and assess assignments

6 …discussed the assessment instruments (formal

and informal) prior to use.

7 …provides feedback and/or assessment of my

assignments

8

…conducted at least one formal observation at

this point of the semester and was present for

the entire lesson.

9

…conducted a post-observation conference

(face to face or via phone or Skype) after each

observation

10 …provided written feedback following each

formal observation

11

…observation feedback includes

commendations of strengths AND

recommendations for improvements

12

…conducts bi-weekly cohort meetings that were

beneficial to my growth and development as a

teacher.

13

…centers cohort meetings readings and

discussions on topics relevant to the student

teaching/internship practicum.

14 …models professionalism at all times in speech

and actions.

15 Please indicate your teacher education program.

16 Additional Comments:

17

If you Have more than one university

supervisor/clinical faculty this semester, provide

the LAST NAME information for the second

person here.


Q

# Questions Yes No

Comments

1 Mentor teacher name.

2 School name.

3 School system.

My classroom mentor teacher…

4

…demonstrates characteristics of a master

teacher.

5 …has a positive working relationship with me.

6

…modeled planning prior to my assuming full

planning responsibilities.

7

…informs me of content topics in advance so

lessons could be written, evaluated, and revised

prior to teaching.

8

…reviews lesson plans and provides feedback

before I teach lessons.

9

…provides suggestions regarding activities,

methods, and materials for me to improve my

lesson plans.

10

…modeled effective classroom management

prior to my assuming teaching responsibilities.

11

…modeled effective delivery of instruction

prior to my assuming teaching responsibilities.

12

…observed my delivery of instruction on a

regular basis.

13

…modeled effective assessment techniques to

assess student learning and guide instruction

14

…provided me with guidance in creating and

using appropriate assessments

15

…provides ongoing oral feedback (planning,

teaching, assessment and classroom

management)

16

…provides ongoing written feedback

(planning, teaching, assessment and classroom

management)

17

Indicate your situation regarding teacher

absences:

There was a paid school employee or

substitute in class.

There was not a paid school employee

or substitute in class.

My teacher has never been absent.

18

Estimate the number of days your teacher has

been absent from the classroom:

1-2 days

3 or more days


APPENDIX O-2

Feedback on University Supervisors/Clinical Faculty and CMT (End of Semester)

Completed by the Teacher Candidate

Revised Fall 2014

Feedback of US/CF by Teacher Candidate (End of Semester)

1. Would you recommend your University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty as a clinical supervisor in

the future (Yes or No)?

2. Briefly comment on why or why not. Answers may include, but are not limited to

professionalism, rapport/communication with you, guidelines provided for and assessment of

assignments, observations/written feedback/post observation conferences, cohort meeting

content/procedures, portfolio requirements/assessment, etc.

Feedback of CMT by Teacher Candidate (End of Semester)

1. Would you recommend your Classroom Teacher as a host and mentor for candidates in the

future (Yes or No)?

2. Briefly comment on why or why not. Answers may include, but are not limited to modeling of

best practices in planning, management, teaching and assessment; mentoring; feedback (oral or

written); communication; professionalism, etc.

3. Did you have more than one classroom mentor teacher this semester?


APPENDIX O-3

Feedback on University Supervisors/Clinical Faculty

Completed by the Classroom Mentor Teacher

Q # Question Responses (n = )

1 Your name (Last name, first name)

2 Your email address

3 Name of school

4 Name of LSU University Supervisor/Clinical Faculty (Last name, first name)

5 Name of your LSU Teacher Candidate/Intern this semester (Last name, first

name)

6 Name of the program your LSU Teacher Candidate/Intern is enrolled in

The university supervisor/clinical faculty… Yes No

7 …provided me with information and documents necessary to mentor the teacher

candidate.

8 …communicates with me on a regular basis (during each observation visit and

other times when necessary) regarding the development of the teacher candidate.

9 …conducted three formal observations of the teacher candidate and was present

during the entire lesson (Holmes program – 2 in spring).

10 …provided me with copies of the observation feedback issues to the teacher

candidate after each observation.

11 …served as a co-evaluator with me or allowed my direct input for the formal

evaluations of the teacher candidate.

12 …modeled professionalism at all times in speech and actions.

13 Overall comments about the University Supervisor (optional)

14 What do you consider the greatest strengths of LSU student teachers/interns?

15 What do you wish teacher candidates had learned or experienced prior to entering

student teaching/internship?

16 Additional comments and suggestions for improving our teacher education

programs:


APPENDIX O-4

PK-3 Program Feedback

Q

# Questions

Responses

(total = )

Strongly

Agree Agree Disagree

Strongly

Disagree

My curriculum/teacher education program prepared me to be competent in the following areas.

1 Content knowledge necessary for my area/grade level of

certification.

2

Use of data from various sources (e.g., district, state, and

teacher-designed assessments) to inform planning, teaching,

and learning.

3 Incorporation of district, state, and national standards in the

design and delivery of instruction.

4 Identification and planning for individual differences,

including exceptionalities.

5 Design of assessments that provide evidence of student

learning and academic growth.

6 Management of classroom space, materials, time, routines,

and transitions for maximum learning.

7 Use of varied instructional strategies and groupings

(individual, small group, whole class).

8 Integration of technology and varied materials throughout

the teaching-learning process.

9 Engaging all students in the learning process.

10 Teaching students from diverse populations.

11 Use of formal and informal assessments to monitor student

learning and performance.

12 Reflective practice.

13 Implementation of various strategies to address student

behavior issues.

14 Involving colleagues, families, and the broader community

in the instructional process.

15 Communication with students and families in ways that

demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences.

16

University faculty connected LSU coursework and the

school classroom through diverse, well planned, and

sequenced field experiences.

17

My pre-student teaching field experiences supported

development of teaching knowledge and skills in

preparation for student teaching.

18 Student teaching allowed me to build on my knowledge of

teaching and learning and to refine my teaching skills.


Q

# Questions

Responses

(total =)

Strongly

Agree Agree Disagree

Strongly

Disagree

NA/Don’t

Remember

The following courses contributed to my development as a competent beginning teacher.

19 EDCI 2030 (Teaching, Schooling, and Society)

20 EDCI 2081 (PK-3 Program Overview)

21 EDCI 2700 (Characteristics of Learners with

Exceptionalities)

22 ELRC 2507/4507 (Introduction to Classroom

Technology/Computer Technology in Education)

23 CFS 2065 (Management of Family Systems and

Services)

24 EDCI 2083 (Introduction to Early Childhood

Education)

25 EDCI 3000 (Children’s Literature)

26 EDCI 3055 (Development of Young Children in

Context)

27 EDCI 3056 (Young Children’s Cognitive and

Linguistic Development)

28 PPB I PK-K/EDCI 3381 (Early Childhood

Curriculum)

29 PPB I PK-K/ EDCI 3382 (Early Childhood

Pedagogy)

30 PPB I PK-K/ EDCI 3383 (Assessment and Planning

for Reflective Instruction)

31 PPB II Grades 1-3/EDCI 3481 (Curriculum in

Grades 1-3)

32 PPB II Grades 1-3/EDCI 4482 (Pedagogy in Grades

1-3)

33 PPB II Grades 1-3/EDCI 3483 (Assessment and

Planning for Reflective Instruction: Grades 1-3)

34 PPB III PK-K/ EDCI 4382 (Critical Issues in Early

Childhood Education)

35 PPB IV Grades 1-3/EDCI 4482 (Capstone Seminar

in Early Childhood Education)

36

Overall, my teaching education program at LSU

prepared me to enter the teaching profession as a

competent beginning teacher.