Standard 2: Assessment of Candidate Competence
Prior to recommending each candidate for a bilingual authorization, one or more persons
responsible for the program determine on the basis of thoroughly documented evidence
that each candidate has demonstrated a satisfactory performance on the full range
of program standards including language proficiency as they apply to bilingual authorization.
During the program, candidates are guided and coached on their performance in bilingual
instruction using formative assessment processes. Verification of candidate’s performance
is provided by both institutional and field-based individuals with bilingual expertise
and/or possessing bilingual authorization.
The Bilingual Coordinator, in collaboration with the Liberal Studies Coordinator,
the Multiple Subject Program Coordinator, the Director of Field Placement, faculty
and university supervisors, work jointly to oversee the coursework of bilingual teacher
candidates, as part of the Bilingual Multiple Subject Program. This join effort includes
monitoring student development and achievement, including language proficiency during
candidate’s enrollment in the Liberal Studies and 2042 Multiple Subject Credential
Program.
Bilingual teacher candidates take the majority of their bilingual concentration coursework
during their Liberal Studies Concentration. However, candidates may also take the
coursework while in the Multiple Subject Credential Program or within one year of
completing the credential program [see Liberal Studies Handbook]. The bilingual program
coursework is aligned to the Commission on Teaching Credentialing (CTC) bilingual
program standards. As such, the CTC bilingual program standards are embedded within
the various courses in both the Spanish and Hmong programs (see course syllabi).
Under the Liberal Studies major, students are requires to have a 3.00 overall GPA
in their course work with no grade lower than a “C”. Documentation in meeting the
program standards by student candidates have been embedded within the various five
required Spanish and Hmong courses in terms of assignments, exams, projects, and field
experiences [see Tables 1 & 2]. All undergraduate students, including students in
the bilingual concentration meet regularly with Liberal Studies counselors for guidance
and review for completion of course studies.
Upon completing their Liberal Studies Concentration, the bilingual candidates apply
and seek admission to the Multiple Subject Credential Program. Part of the admission
is declaring their interest in a bilingual credential to the KSOEHD admission officer.
Once student has been admitted to the 2042 Multiple Subject Program, the Admission
Officer will provide a copy of that declaration to the Bilingual Coordinator. This
document provides evidence to Bilingual Coordinator that candidate has met his/her
requirements to enter the Multiple Subject Program, including passing grades in their
Spanish or Hmong concentration. In the Multiple Subject Program, bilingual teacher
candidates will continue completing remaining courses in their bilingual program (see
Table 2). The following table provides a description of how credential candidates
of Spanish and Hmong languages meet standards competency through coursework.
Table 5. Bilingual Authorization Standards Supported through Coursework
Language Assessment for Program Entry
Admission to the Multiple Subject Program with a Bilingual Authorization credential
requires that students score at the ACTFL Intermediate High level on the Fresno State
Spanish/Hmong Language Proficiency exam. The exam will be administered as a part
of SPAN 134 / LEE 129 and later again as a part of LEE 136 / LEE 135 for students
who did not reach the Intermediate High level.
Candidates must successfully pass the entry interview with the Bilingual Coordinator
to be admitted to the Fresno State Spanish/Hmong Bilingual Authorization Program.
The interview involves a dialogue about the candidate's willingness to complete the
program; their sensitivity to children of differing ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic
backgrounds; their pre-professional experiences, and their personal qualities. These
interviews are conducted in the target language in order to ascertain their language
skills and their multicultural knowledge of various ethnic groups. In addition, a
Check List Advising Form is used to review prior coursework taken under the Liberal
Studies Bilingual Concentration and advice on remaining courses under the Multiple
Subject Program (see Check List Advising Form).
In order to complete all program requirements, the Bilingual Program Coordinator will
certify that each candidate has successfully met the requirements for the Bilingual
Authorization. As part of this process, the Bilingual Program Coordinator holds an
exit interview after the completion of the candidate’s final semester. The coordinator
certifies satisfactory completion of all requirements for bilingual authorization
by credential candidates and transmits the Check List Advising Form, as documentation
to the KSOEHD Credential Analyst, who sends the formal recommendation to the CA Commission
on Teacher Credentialing.
Formative and Summative Assessment
Coursework instructors, field experience coordinators, supervisors continually assess
student performance and their completion of criteria established within the program-demonstrating
individual candidate competency across TPEs (Teaching Performance Expectations) [see
Fresno Assessment of Student Teachers Manual]. Program Coordinators monitor the overall professional development of each candidate
in the Multiple Subject Program, checking for competency at midterm and conclusion
of each semester [Multiple Subject Supervisor Manual]. The Bilingual Program Coordinator is responsible for both entrance and exit interview
process established and utilized to recommend candidates for the Bilingual Authorization
and the 2042 preliminary teaching credential.
In reference to the Multiple Subject Program, students are taught TPE-related knowledge
and skills, are formatively evaluated, are provided remediation if necessary, then
summative evaluated for mastery of TPE knowledge and skills at a beginning teacher
level. In all courses and field assignments, candidates receive systematic feedback,
including feedback regarding their TPE-related performance, through identified formative
assessments and other coursework-embedded assignments, and from fieldwork Master Teachers
and university supervisors by way of class observations, competency feedback, and
required goal setting/assessment meetings [see Multiple Subject Overview Matrix in
Multiple Subject Credential Program Assessment: TPE Matrix in FAST Manual: Multiple
Subject Field Work Handbook]. At the summative level, candidates must pass specific
FAST tasks (referred to as projects) that are embedded into their fieldwork in order
to receive credit for that fieldwork and to move to the next phase of pre-service
training. [See FAST Manual: TPE Matrix.] FAST has been approved by the CCTC (California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing) as a fair, valid, and reliable assessment system
and has been fully implemented as an approved system since July 1, 2008.
When a candidate enrolls in the final student teaching experience, both the master
teacher and university supervisor again provides prompt and systematic feedback.
Teacher candidates keep journals where reflectivity is encouraged and the university
supervisor and/or master teacher has an opportunity to respond. Master Teachers are
the primary role models for the student teacher, Master Teachers are the primary role
models for the student teacher; however, university supervisors also provide demonstration
lessons in some of the programs. As such, supervisors provide consistent feedback
in order to improve their instruction. There are also opportunities for supervisors
to comment and provide feedback on lesson plans.
Systematic assessment of candidates for readiness to assume daily teaching responsibilities
is done by the master teacher and university supervisor. This is an on-going process
and culminates with a final assessment. The Supervisors Manual [See Supervisor Manual.]
for Multiple Subject provides a systematic process for regular visitations and feedback.
University supervisors in EHD 170 (in the case of bilingual candidates are bilingual
supervisors) are expected to visit the classroom a minimum of eight times per semester
and complete five formal observations of student teachers. Triad conferences are held
with the student teacher, university supervisor, and master teacher to document the
mid-semester progress and final evaluation. In the event that serious corrective
action is needed, a specific procedure is outlined in the Multiple Subject Supervisor
Manual and the Multiple Subject Field Work Handbook whereby joint conferences and
documentation are required.
Guidance and Coaching
The bilingual university supervisor and the bilingual master teachers share responsibility
for guiding, assisting, and evaluation student teacher [see Supervisor Manual and Multiple Subject Field Work Handbook.]. If a student teacher is having difficulties, the university supervisor has several
options beginning with more frequent observations and opportunities for feedback.
Specific activities are outlined for the student teacher. The supervisor can extend
the student teacher's placement to allow time for gaining the specified skills. The
supervisor, in collaboration with the bilingual program coordinator and the director
of field services, may change the student teacher's placement or require that a placement
be repeated.
The bilingual coordinator provides student advisement and support, working collaboratively
with the director of field experience in advising student teaching placements and
ongoing communication with instructors and supervisors to stay abreast of candidates’
performance. In addition, the bilingual coordinator works towards ensuring courses
are meeting expectations for all required assessments, including FAST deadlines and
language proficiency exam.
End of Program Verification
At the end of the bilingual student candidate’s program, the multiple subject program
review committee oversees the work of all students and reviews evidence of successful
program progress and completion for each candidate for the academic year. Evidence
will include completion of the Teaching Performance Assessments (FAST) and embedded
signature assignments. All of these elements are further aligned to the bilingual
program courses articulated in this document.
Concurrently, the bilingual program coordinator verifies the candidate’s satisfactory
performance in bilingual student teaching (see EHD 170, Field Study C syllabus) that is supported by a qualified bilingual teacher or equivalent
field placement in the appropriate grade level classroom and language experience.
For bilingual candidates, who complete student teaching in a bilingual classroom,
this verification includes satisfactory evaluations of bilingual student teaching
from both school site master teachers and university supervisors. Bilingual program
course instructors, university supervisors and school based master teachers will be
required to be bilingual and have expertise with bilingual instruction for those in
the Spanish Authorization. Every effort will be made to have similar language expertise
for the Hmong, however where not possible these candidates will have alternative field
placements for “language of emphasis” while meeting the same “student teaching” requirements
to ensure they meet all 2042 competencies. Included in the evaluation is the Student
Teaching and Final Evaluation Form with signatures of master teacher and university
supervisor, this is required to further document competencies for bilingual candidates
who participate in bilingual student teaching.
Completion of the bilingual program will require an exit review. This review will
consist of the Bilingual Program Coordinator certifying that each candidate has satisfactory
met the requirements for the Bilingual Authorization including language proficiency.
As such, Spanish and Hmong language candidates must demonstrate appropriate level
of language proficiency.
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