Category C: Assessment of Candidate Competence

Standard 5: Planning, Organizing, and Providing Literacy Instruction

Standard 5A: Reading and Literacy Research and Assessment

Candidates evaluate the culture of literacy at a classroom, grade or school level, and identify how it supports or impedes students’ literacy development. Candidates use that information and current research and theories on reading and literacy development, including first and second language development, to develop a plan of action to strengthen the culture so that it better supports literacy learning.

The program uses multiple measures through which candidates demonstrate competence in evaluating and strengthening the culture of literacy at a classroom, grade or school level. The Theory to Practice project and the Teaching Strategies journal are two measures used to determine candidates’ competence in identifying classroom level instructional practices that impede or support students’ literacy development. These major assignments require candidates to analyze personal classroom practices and reflect on how the practices align or conflict with current research on literacy development, with particular emphasis on first and second language acquisition.  Candidates submit written reports and make presentations detailing their analysis and plan of action to strengthen the culture of literacy to better support student learning (See LEE 213: Teaching the Language Arts K-12, p.3; LEE 215: Language Issues in Reading, p. 4).

The Teaching Strategies journal reflections are utilized as a formative assessment. The ongoing nature of the journals provides a measure of candidates continued growth in their abilities to identify classroom factors that support the development and sustainability of a culture of literacy.  The Theory to Practice project is utilized as a summative assessment. Projects are evaluated and scored using a rubric as exceeds expectations (90-100), meets basic expectations (80-89), or needs improvement (below 80) based on the ability to compare and contrast literacy theories and apply the theoretical perspectives in effectively designing literacy instruction that meets the needs of struggling readers and English Learners (See Student Outcomes Assessment Plan, Appendix 1).

Candidates interpret results of disaggregated school-wide assessment data to propose changes in instructional practices through grade and school level discussion and professional development.

The program uses multiple measures through which candidates demonstrate competence in interpreting results of disaggregated school-wide assessment data to propose changes in instructional practices through school level discussions. In LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities candidates collect and review disaggregated school-wide assessment data from intervention programs and conduct a multilevel (teachers and administrators) analysis of the RTI process. Candidates discuss recommended revisions of assessment and intervention practices with their school administrators. In LEE 215: Language Issues in Reading candidates conduct a similar analysis, focused on school-wide English Language Development programs and procedures. Based on the findings of the analysis, candidates provide administrators with recommended revisions of intervention components and professional development needs to enhance the effectiveness of the programs (See Course Schedule LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities, p. 6; LEE 215: Language Issues in Reading, p. 4).

Candidates select appropriate assessments, administer, analyze and summarize the results of the assessments and report the results in ways that are meaningful to parents, classroom teachers and administrators. Candidates use assessment results to guide instruction and to determine the timing of appropriate placement in and exit from intervention programs with the goal of accelerated, successful reentry into grade level standards-based programs.

The program uses multiple measures through which candidates demonstrate competence in selecting and administering assessments, and analyzing and reporting assessment results. In LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities candidates complete two assessment projects. These projects are evaluated using rubrics to determine candidates’ competence in selecting appropriate literacy assessments for different students across PK-Adult ranges. The rubrics for these projects also evaluate candidates’ competence in administration and interpretation of results (See LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities, p.8-9). The Case Study Report is used as a summative measure of candidates’ competence in summarizing assessment results, using assessment results to guide instruction, and reporting the results in ways that are meaningful to parents, classroom teachers, and administrators. The candidates prepare a case study report, which includes the assessment tools and results, an analysis of the results, and instructional recommendations, for parents, teachers, and administrators. Reports are evaluated and scored using a rubric as exceeds expectations (90-100), meets basic expectations (80-89), or needs improvement (below 80) based on the ability to administer, score, and analyze assessment tools and to use assessment results and literacy research to guide the design of differentiated instruction for struggling readers (See Student Outcomes Assessment Plan, Appendix 2).

In addition, LEE 230: Supervised Teaching of Reading/Language Arts includes multiple measures of candidates’ comprehensive understanding of the assessment/instruction cycle. Candidates are required to complete a supervised clinical field experience diagnosing and tutoring K-Adult students who demonstrate reading achievement below expected performance for their respective age levels. The Clinical Experience Matrix (See LEE 230: Supervised Teaching of Reading/Language Arts, p. 14) is used during on-site observations and analysis of tutoring materials, lessons, and case reports. The matrix is designed to document candidates’ competence in selecting and administering appropriate assessment measures, analyzing results, and using the results to guide instruction to accelerate student learning. The final case study summary reports resulting from the clinical field experience are summative measures that evaluate candidates’ competence in determining appropriate intervention placements and reporting the results in ways that are meaningful to parents, teachers, and administrators (See LEE 230: Supervised Teaching of Reading/Language Arts, p. 4).

Category C:     Assessment of Candidate Competence

Standard 5:     Planning, Organizing, and Providing Literacy Instruction

Standard 5B: Instruction and Intervention

Candidates plan and teach lessons to students who are different from the candidate, including, ethnic, cultural, gender, linguistic, and socio-economic differences.

The program provides candidates multiple opportunities to plan and implement lessons with students from various age, grade, and demographic groups. Many of these experiences take place in the candidates’ own classrooms in Central Valley schools, with approximately 50% Latino/Hispanic students, 37% English Learners, and 25% students living in poverty. By the nature of these statistics, candidates are primarily working with students from diverse ethnic, cultural, gender, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

The program uses specific measures to ensure that candidates are competent in planning and teaching lessons with students from these diverse backgrounds. Specific course assignments and clinical experiences require candidates to plan and deliver lessons to students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Candidates’ competence is measured through the Teaching Strategies journal and the Clinical Experience Matrix (See LEE 215: Language Issues in Reading, p. 4; LEE 230: Supervised Teaching of Reading/Language Arts, p. 14).

Candidates plan, implement, and monitor formal literacy instruction that is sequential, linguistically logical, systematic, explicit, differentiated, and based on ongoing formal and informal assessments of individual students’ progress that assures that the full range of learners develop proficiency as quickly and effectively as possible. Candidates use modeling, massed and distributed practice, and opportunities for application as strategies to facilitate student learning. Candidates select and use instructional materials, technology, routines, and strategies that are appropriately aligned with students’ assessed language and literacy needs.

The program uses multiple measures through which candidates demonstrate competence in selecting and administering assessments, and analyzing and reporting assessment results. In LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities candidates complete two assessment projects. These projects are evaluated using rubrics to determine candidates’ competence in selecting appropriate literacy assessments for different students across PK-Adult ranges. The rubrics for these projects also evaluate candidates’ competence in administration and interpretation of results (See LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities, p.8-9). The Case Study Report is used as a summative measure of candidates’ competence in summarizing assessment results, using assessment results to guide instruction, and reporting the results in ways that are meaningful to parents, classroom teachers, and administrators. The candidates prepare a case study report, which includes the assessment tools and results, an analysis of the results, and instructional recommendations, for parents, teachers, and administrators. Reports are evaluated and scored using a rubric as exceeds expectations (90-100), meets basic expectations (80-89), or needs improvement (below 80) based on the ability to administer, score, and analyze assessment tools and to use assessment results and literacy research to guide the design of differentiated instruction for struggling readers (See Student Outcomes Assessment Plan, Appendix 2).

Candidates know the critical aspects of, and can facilitate student and teacher use of, multiple digital literacies for 21st Century skills necessary for success in today’s global economy.

The program uses multiple measures through which candidates demonstrate knowledge of digital literacies and competence in facilitating student and teacher use of such 21st Century skills. Several courses provide candidates opportunities to examine research on the characteristics of digital literacies and effective instructional practices for developing these skills. Candidates are required to apply this knowledge during their Theory to Practice project. The written report and subsequent presentation are evaluated to measure this area (See Student Outcomes Assessment Plan, Appendix 1). In LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities, candidates are required to include recommendations for utilizing technology as an instructional tool and/or as a strategy to facilitate underlying literacy processes in their case study reports (See LEE 224: Assessment & Development of Reading Abilities, p.11). In addition, candidates must apply knowledge of digital literacies during their tutoring field experience in LEE 230: Supervised Teaching of Reading/Language Arts. Lesson plans are used as formative assessments to determine candidates’ competence in using technology to facilitate student learning and develop particular digital literacy skills (See LEE 230: Supervised Teaching of Reading/Language Arts, p. 4).

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