Standard 2

Candidate Recruitment and Support

Candidates are recruited and supported in all educator preparation programs to ensure their success.

(2.1) The education unit accepts applicants for its educator preparation programs based on clear criteria that include multiple measures of candidate qualifications.

On the Kremen website, potential applicants access information about all preliminary credential programs. From the main page, potential applicants are able to access the specific requirements of each program, including the application details. 

If/when the PK-3 Credential program is approved, the page will include the specific application requirements for admission to this program, which are included here.

As documented here, candidates to all preliminary credential programs must have:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university or 90 units towards a blended Liberal Studies degree or integrated program from Fresno State.
• A GPA of 2.67 or higher overall or 2.75 or higher in the last 60 units.

Additionally, applicants must provide the following:

• Demonstration of meeting the Basic Skills requirement (except for PK-3 credential applicants)
• Demonstration of meeting Subject Matter Competency
• Certificate of Clearance
• Pre-Program Field Experience
• Two completed recommendation forms
• Complete Admission Interview
• Personal Narrative
• TB Risk Assessment
• Mandated Reporter Certificate
• Signed Program-Specific Advising Sheet
• Signed Candidate Commitment
• Unofficial Transcript
• Verification of meeting the US Constitution Requirement

(2.2) The education unit purposefully recruits and admits candidates to diversify the educator pool in California and provides the support, advice, and assistance to promote their successful entry and retention in the profession. 

Across all programs, efforts are made to recruit individuals who represent the diverse student populations served in our region. Worth noting is that Fresno State serves a population of students that largely comes from the region which we serve and thereby reflects the region’s diversity: Over 60% of our students are first-generation college students and over 53% identify as Latinx. Within our Preliminary Credential Programs, over two-thirds of our candidates identify as a race/ethnicity other than white.

In recent years, our Liberal Studies program has developed a number of initiatives to support the pathway from undergraduate into and through the credential program. At Fresno State, the program has worked to develop cohorts of students who take all of their upper-division courses together and complete the program requirements--including MS program prerequisites--within two years. From there, they are equipped with both the academic knowledge and the support network to enter the MS credential program. Additionally, the Liberal Studies program has developed the Integrated Teacher Education Program, in partnership with College of the Sequoias, to create a two-year integrated Bachelor’s and Multiple Subject credential program available to students transferring into the university. 

Liberal Studies students will also be encouraged to consider the PK-3 ECE Specialist credential, and will receive advising on how to ensure they complete the 24 units of early childhood coursework while undergraduates. Additionally, our ECE faculty have been working to build connections with both local community colleges and faculty from the Child and Family Science Department in hopes of developing a pathway from community college to a Fresno State undergraduate degree and then into the PK-3 credential program.

For the Single Subject credential, discipline-specific coordinators housed in academic-area departments across the university work with undergraduates to ensure they have met the necessary prerequisites to enter the credential program. These coordinators  advise and teach undergraduate students as they consider the teaching profession, take prerequisites, move through subject matter preparation programs and apply for the credential program. Additionally, once students enter the Single Subject Program, these coordinators teach methods courses and place credential candidates with mentor teachers for the final part of their field-based preparation.

(2.3) Appropriate information and personnel are clearly identified and accessible to guide each candidate’s attainment of program requirements.

Once candidates are admitted to one of the teaching credential programs, they have access to various advisors, both within our Center for Advising and Student Services, in their subject areas (for Single Subject and Advanced Credentials), and within the Office of Clinical Practice. Moreover, clinical coaches play an important role in supporting the growth and development of our candidates. For candidates in the initial credential programs, the program coordinator serves as the primary advisor.

This same type of support and recruitment occurs with each of the advanced credentials offered at Fresno State. Each program has a coordinator who oversees the recruitment and advising of applicants. When appropriate, recruitment begins at the undergraduate level, as exemplified by the School Nursing, School Social Work, and Deaf Education program. For other advanced credentials, such as the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential, the program coordinator visits local school districts to actively recruit individuals to the program. Consequently, over 60% of regional school administrators received their credentials from Fresno State.

(2.4) Evidence regarding progress in meeting competency and performance expectations is consistently used to guide advisement and candidate support efforts. A clearly defined process is in place to identify and support candidates who need additional assistance to meet competencies.

The Fresno State Teacher Education Programs monitor and support candidates using assessment rubrics that provide qualitative descriptions of differentiated expectations related to the TPEs at each level of performance. For candidates who are not successful on the activities/assignments/ assessments, program faculty provide additional support focusing on understanding the activities/assignments/assessments and grading policy or rubric(s) on which the candidate was not successful as well as understanding what needs to be revised and resubmitted. 

Fresno State’s Teacher Education Programs use TK20 to monitor candidates’ progress on their completion of their clinical practice hours and their Teaching Performance Assessment tasks (Freno Assessment of Student Teachers Site Visitation Project and Teaching Sample Project). Throughout the semester, candidates track their hours in TK20 and upload all documentation related to their clinical practice. These are verified by their coaches. Coaches also use TK20 to provide feedback to candidates throughout the semester. Candidates also submit their completed FAST components and receive their scores through TK20.

Program personnel use reports from TK20, along with course grades housed in PeopleSoft, to determine if a candidate is eligible to move from one phase to the next and/or to be recommended for a credential. 

Support for Candidates who are Not Making Successful Progress

In certain situations, a Teacher Candidate may face difficulties and need additional support to be successful. Difficulties may include–but are not limited to–the following: discrepant expectations, excessive absences, inadequate performance, breach of professional ethics, and insurmountable discipline problems. In the event of a placement challenge, all Teacher Candidates, coaches, and mentor teachers should follow the procedures outlined in this section. 

At the first sign of a Teacher Candidate experiencing a challenge with program expectations, university coursework, and/or clinical placement, the university representative (coach, faculty member, program coordinator, etc.) who first becomes aware of the situation will explicitly address the challenge area with the Teacher Candidate in either written or verbal communication. The university representative will schedule a meeting with the Teacher Candidate and the Program Coordinator to review the situation and work together to develop an Individual Plan of Assistance. The Individual Plan of Assistance includes, at a minimum:

• the areas of concern related to the TPEs
• recommended actions
• resources to support the Teacher Candidate
• date to review progress/outcomes

The Teacher Candidate, University Coach, and Program Coordinator must sign and date the Individual Plan of Assistance. All pertinent evidence must be submitted with the Plan of Assistance, including copies of all evaluations, Teacher Performance Assessments (FAST-SVP & TSP), weekly block plans, competency logs, lesson plans, and any pertinent paperwork. Copies will be given to the Teacher Candidate, University Coach, and Program Coordinator and kept on file in the department office and the Office of Clinical Practice. 

The University Coach will monitor the Teacher Candidate’s progress on the Individual Plan of Assistance and, in consultation with the Mentor Teacher, will document the Teacher Candidate’s progress toward identified area(s) of concern. The University Coach will conduct weekly formal observations and evaluations. Additionally, a conference to review progress will be conducted with the university coach and/or program coordinator, as stipulated in the Individual Plan of Assistance. 

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