Kean University Page 12010 Institutional Report

KEAN UNIVERSITY – COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONNCATE INSTITUTIONAL REPORT - 2010

OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Overview and Conceptual Framework, Prompt #1:What are the institution's historical context and unique characteristics?

Founded in 1855 as a Normal School for the public school system of the City of Newark, New Jersey, Kean University today is a comprehensive regional institution of higher education serving approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time students. Of this number, approximately 3,000 are graduate students, the majority of whom attend on a part-time basis. Over half of the students currently at Kean will be the first in their families to obtain a college education. Kean University is the oldest of nine public institutions in the New Jersey State Higher Education system. The University, two miles from Newark International Airport and 30 minutes from New York City, sits on two adjoining campus sites covering 155 acres. Kean formally received University status on September 26, 1997. Kean’s mission is to be a comprehensive, interactive teaching university that serves as a national model for other urban/metropolitan state universities.

Overview and Conceptual Framework, Prompt #2:What is the institution's mission?

Kean University is a public metropolitan university serving undergraduate and graduate students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions. The University dedicates itself to the intellectual, cultural, and personal growth of all its members – students, faculty, and professional staff. In particular, the University prepares students to think critically and creatively; to adapt to changing social, economic, and technological environments; and to serve as active and contributing members of their communities. While maintaining its significant role in the training of teachers, Kean has become a comprehensive institution offering 48 undergraduate and 28 graduate degree programs across five undergraduate colleges: College of Education, College of Natural and Applied Health Sciences, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Business and Public Administration, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Nathan Weiss Graduate College. Kean's academic programs cover an exceptional range of disciplines that provide high quality instruction and the academic support services necessary to assure that socially, linguistically, and culturally diverse students are provided the means to reach their full potential.

Kean students range from the traditional college student to students from academically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with special needs, and adults returning or entering higher education. Kean is steadfast in its dedication to maintaining an educational environment in which diversity can flourish and an atmosphere in which mutual respect characterizes relations among the members of a pluralistic community with an urban commitment. The University seeks to combine excellence with equity in providing opportunities for all students. Kean is a teaching university, and Kean faculty dedicate themselves to student learning as well as academic rigor. The focus on teaching excellence is supported by a commitment to research, scholarship,

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 22010 Institutional Report

creative work, and innovative uses of technology. The focus includes the advancement of knowledge in the traditional disciplines and the enhancement of skills in professional areas. Kean University serves as a major resource for regional advancement. Kean collaborates with business, labor, government and the arts, as well as educational and community organizations and provides the region with cultural events and opportunities for continuous learning. Kean is also committed to providing students, including a large body of international students, and faculty educational opportunities in national and international arenas.

Overview and Conceptual Framework, Prompt #3:What is the professional education unit at your institution and what is its relationship to other units at the institution that are involved in the preparation of professional educators?

Kean University is one of the largest producers of teachers in the state of New Jersey. Currently, there are over 3,200 students enrolled in 14 undergraduate programs and over 1,350 students enrolled in nine Masters and post-Masters level graduate programs and one doctoral program in the professional education unit. Included in the professional education unit are 18 Professional Development Schools (PDSs) across 11 central New Jersey school districts that provide for the student teaching experiences. Kean University is committed to continuously improving the quality of its teacher education programs by strengthening its clinical components, providing quality professional development opportunities for clinical faculty, increasing its capacity to prepare effective educators for New Jersey schools through broadening our partnerships and funded initiatives, and positively impacting student learning within those schools through on-going assessment to guide instructional decisions.

In addition to programs housed primarily in the College of Education, our professional education unit prepares educators in collaboration with other colleges. Music, Theatre, and Art educators are from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and K-12 content area teacher candidates are from the College of Natural Applied and Health Sciences, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Center for Science, Technology, and Mathematics. The COE works collaboratively with the faculty from these other units in program development and assessment, data collection, and joint governance and development committees such as the Teacher Education Council which meets every semester. Overview and Conceptual Framework, Prompt #4:What are the basic tenets of the conceptual framework and how has the conceptual framework changed since the previous visit?

Kean’s College of Education prepares its graduates to be informed, dynamic professionals capable of functioning successfully in diverse settings. Toward this end, our basic curriculum model, the SPECTRUM. (See pages 7-14 of the Conceptual Framework document, Exhibit #3) provides teacher education students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to make well-informed, sound educational decisions that will positively impact their students’ learning. This model is based on the premise that a teacher is first and foremost a committed professional whose primary responsibility is the academic, social, and emotional growth of students. Inherent to the SPECTRUM is our overriding belief that all children are capable of learning given appropriate instruction and positive environmental factors. The SPECTRUM

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 32010 Institutional Report

model guides the growth of teacher candidates as they learn to identify and analyze factors that impede student progress and develop instructional solutions by applying the key knowledge, skills, and dispositions developed through the model. The framework of the SPECTRUM forms the basis of our commitment to continuous improvement whereby we make our programs and our graduates stronger and continually relevant in today’s global and technology-rich society

Since the last NCATE visit in 2004, the Conceptual Framework has been reviewed, updated, and re-examined to assure relevancy and integration at the program level. Formal discussions of the framework have occurred at College of Education Retreats, College of Education faculty and staff meetings, at coordinators’ meetings, and among the members of the Conceptual Framework committee. Refinements to the conceptual framework were discussed collaboratively initially by the committee and then by the faculty of the College of Education. Final endorsement of the framework occurred at a meeting of the entire faculty of the College in fall 2007. In the fall of 2008, the committee met again to revise for purposeful incorporation of the explicit belief statement that all the children can learn which in turn became directly stated in the unit's Dispositions learning outcomes and included in the College of Education's Mission Statement. Also, the notion of 'fairness' was integrated into the conceptual framework by modifying two learning outcomes; additional pages were added to section five of the Conceptual Framework to account for reliability of data used in the assessment system. Specific pages with changes in the Conceptual Framework are 3, 5B, 9, 10, 22, 26.

Overview and Conceptual Framework, Prompt #5: Exhibit Links (see Conceptual Framework Exhibits at http://www.kean.edu/~ncate/conceptualframework.htm)

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 42010 Institutional Report

STANDARD 1 – KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS

Standard 1, Prompt #1:What do candidate assessment data tell the unit about candidates' meeting professional, state, and institutional standards? For programs not nationally/state reviewed, summarize data from key assessments and discuss these results.

The goal of the professional education unit at Kean University is to prepare informed, dynamic professionals who have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be effective educators in diverse settings. Each of our professional education programs are aligned with the respective national standards, New Jersey’s Professional Standards for Teachers, and the Initial and Advanced Learning Outcomes of our SPECTRUM model. These outcomes or proficiencies include content knowledge, professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills, dispositions, and the ability to impact K-12 student learning.

A primary source of assessment data comes from the program assessments. The vast majority of our programs go through national and/or state review. As of September 15, 2009, all programs who submit program reports to their Specialized Professional Associations (SPA) did so. Of the 26 programs listed, 22 received National Recognition or National Recognition with Conditions. The decision on four of our programs by their SPAs is that they require further development before they can re-submit. These programs are: Physical Education and Health, English K-12 Teacher Education, Spanish K-12 Teacher Education and Teachers of English as a Second Language. See Exhibit 1B for details of the action plans for program assessment and re-submission for these programs. There are another five programs that have Accreditation status from professional organizations outside of the SPA network (see Exhibit 1 and the AIMS Program Review System for Kean). Unit assessment data also tell the success stories of our candidates meeting professional, state, and institutional standards. At the initial level, before our candidates go out for their final field experience, our Praxis II data overwhelmingly indicate a consistent passing rate greater than 93% across the licensure programs by our program completers. At the Advanced level, data from follow up surveys and employer surveys indicate standards have been met by advanced program graduates

There are five programs that are not nationally or state reviewed. They are:

MA: Instruction and Curriculum, Bilingual/BiculturalMA: Instruction and Curriculum, Mastery in TeachingMA: Instruction and Curriculum, Math/Science/Computer EducationMA: Instruction and Curriculum, World Languages/SpanishEd.D.: Urban Leadership (no graduates yet)

Exhibit 3 provides a table that summarizes data from key assessments done at key transitions points for these five programs and discusses these results.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 52010 Institutional Report

Standard 1, Prompt #2:Describe the work undertaken to move to the Target Level.Discuss plans for continuing to improve.

Standard 1 has seven elements with Target Level descriptors for each element. The Unit will address and use language from each element to describe our work at the Target Level and to also highlight plans for continuing to improve.

1a. Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

This element calls for evidence that teacher candidates have in-depth knowledge of the content that they plan to teach, as described in professional, state, and institutional standards. Additionally, they must demonstrate their knowledge through inquiry, critical analysis, synthesis of the subject, and must pass the content examinations for licensure. In 2007-2008, the unit had a mean pass rate for program completers of 100% on all Praxis II exams in every category where ten or more students were tested. In 2008-2009, Kean's mean pass rate for program completers was 95% with scores of 100% earned overall on six out of the nine different Praxis II exam categories where ten or more students were tested. The content areas where the test results were not 100% included English, Math, and Social Studies, with Kean scores at or near the New Jersey state average for all areas except Middle School Social Studies where the rate was 64%. Several recommendations to improve this pass rate are under consideration at this time.

In September 2009, Initial and Advanced programs submitted their program reports to their SPA organizations for review. The results of the program reviews can be found on the NCATE AIMS website and in Exhibit 1. Overall, our programs were either Nationally Recognized or Recognized with Conditions with only four having the decision of Further Development Required. We anticipate submitting the English, Spanish, and Physical Education teacher education program reports in February of 2011 after collecting a complete data set for Fall 2010 assessments. However, at this time both from a programmatic as well as financial perspective, it does not appear that we will resubmit the TESOL program with its current design for further accreditation review during this accreditation cycle. We need to determine why the program is under enrolled and how we can provide that training in a different format for our potential candidates.

The work undertaken to complete the program reports has moved each and every program to the Target level. Since each program also aligns with New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers and our own Learning Outcomes as described in our Conceptual Framework, our institution is at the target level for 1a. Moreover, for the programs that do not submit to SPAs, their accreditation documentation can be found in Exhibit 1. Finally, the Target level for this element requires that candidates in advanced programs be recognized as experts in the content that they teach. Among our plans for continuing to improve in this element of Standard 1, is making sure that we collect sufficient data to provide evidence of expertise. To that end, we have modified the Program Completer Surveys so that they include questions to document expertise in the content areas our candidates teach.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 62010 Institutional Report

1b. Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

With the implementation in 2007 of the Teacher Work Sample (TWS) as a requirement for our initial teacher candidates, our data strongly supports that our candidates meet the Target Level in their Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The first three criteria for this element require our teacher candidates to 1) be reflective in their understanding of the relationship of content and content-specific pedagogy delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards; 2) have in-depth understanding of the content that they plan to teach and the ability to provide multiple explanations and instructional strategies so that all students learn; and 3) present the content to students in challenging, clear, and compelling ways, using real-world contexts and integrating technology appropriately. Through completing the processes of the Teacher Work Sample, candidates demonstrate their ability to meet all three of these criteria. Among our plans for continuing to improve in this element is the customization of the Teacher Work Sample assessment to better align with specific program standards. We have a continued improvement plan for the TWS based on information gathered during the development of our program reports. Through their work on the program reports, faculty decided that a place for comments after each TWS process would yield important feedback about each component and candidate preparedness.

This element also calls for our advanced candidates in programs for teachers to have expertise in pedagogical content knowledge and share their expertise through leadership and mentoring roles in their schools and communities, and, as in element 1a, we have modified the Program Completer Surveys so that they include questions about our candidates effectiveness in leadership and mentoring roles. The results of the Advanced Programs National Recognition reports in AIMS also provides evidence that we have met Target Level for this element because within assessments of each program report, candidates have shown that they understand and address student preconceptions that hinder learning, and are able to critique research and theories related to pedagogy and learning. They have demonstrated that they are also able to select and develop instructional strategies and technologies, based on research and experience, which helps all students learn.

Standard 1c. Professional and Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills for Teacher Candidates

Our primary evidence from our initial certification candidates for meeting this standard at the Target Level is Teacher Work Sample data. Programs have integrated this unit assessment throughout their professional education course and field work. Data show that across the unit, teacher candidates are able to: 1) demonstrate a thorough understanding of professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards; 2) develop meaningful instructional experiences to facilitate learning for all students; and 3) reflect on their practice and make necessary adjustments to enhance student learning. In completing a TWS in their Professional Internship (senior field experience), they must first identify and describe the contextual factors of their placement district, school, classroom, and individual students. They examine how their students learn and how to make ideas accessible to them. They are also asked to consider school, family, and community contexts in connecting concepts to students’ prior experience and applying the ideas to real-world issues. Samples of candidates’

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 72010 Institutional Report

Teacher Work Sample Portfolios offer the reader evidence of our Target approach to this standard. This element also calls for our candidates in advanced programs to develop expertise in professional and pedagogical knowledge and contribute to the dialogue based on their research and experiences. Moreover, the expectation is that they take on leadership roles in the professional community and collaborate with colleagues to contribute to school improvement and renewal. As in element 1a and b, we have modified the Program Completer Surveys so that questions are included to gather data to document how our candidates contribute to the field.

Standard 1d. Student Learning for Teacher Candidates

One of the processes of the Teacher Work Sample assessment calls for candidates to analyze student learning. Specifically, throughout the planning and teaching of a unit in their Professional Internship (senior student teaching experience) teacher candidates are asked to analyze the assessment data, including pre, formative and post assessments to determine students’ progress related to the unit learning goals. Candidates use visual representations and narrative to communicate the performance of the whole class, subgroups, and two individual students. Conclusions drawn from this analysis are then reflected upon in the final section of the candidate’s TWS. Unit TWS data collected across programs provide the evidence of meeting Target Level in this standard for our initial program teacher candidates. Again, our plan for continued improvement includes comment boxes for each process of the TWS (including the analysis of student learning) and this will yield valuable data for programs and the unit in terms of the efficacy of how well our candidates are prepared.

Candidates in our advanced programs for teachers also have a thorough understanding of assessment. Our Program Completer Surveys ask them to rate how their program prepared them to meet our advanced learning outcomes that address knowledge and skill in using assessment results to make instructional decisions and to partner with other professionals to help all their students achieve success through designing strategies and interventions that support student learning. Data from Completer Surveys show that our advanced candidates indicate a high percentage of agreement affirming that they are well prepared to implement assessment and use findings to plan appropriate instruction.

Standard 1e. Knowledge and Skills for Other School Professionals

All of our programs for Other School Professionals are nationally reviewed and have achieved accreditation or National Recognition from their governing professional organizations (See Exhibit 1 and AIMS). Program documents submitted for the review process demonstrate that our Other School Professional candidates pass the academic content examinations when required and have an in-depth understanding of knowledge in their fields as delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards and demonstrated through inquiry, critical analysis, and synthesis. Candidate work from a sampling of these programs also demonstrates that our candidates proficiently collect and analyze data related to their work, reflect on their practice, and use research and technology to support and improve student learning.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 82010 Institutional Report

Standard 1f. Student Learning for Other School Professionals

All of our programs for Other School Professionals are nationally reviewed and have achieved accreditation or national Recognition from the professional organizations that govern (See exhibit 1 and AIMS). Program documents submitted for the review process demonstrate that our Other School Professional candidates critique and are able to reflect on their work within the context of student learning. Candidate work from a sampling of these programs also demonstrates that our candidates proficiently establish educational environments that support student learning, collect and analyze data related to student learning, and apply strategies for improving student learning within their own jobs and schools.

Standard 1g. Professional Dispositions for All Candidates

Evidence for meeting target level for this element of Standard 1 is well documented through the unit assessments that measure the learning outcomes in the category of Dispositions. Exhibit 8 provides the learning outcomes that address our candidates’ dispositions at the initial and the advanced levels. This exhibit also provides the assessments, scoring guides, and data that provide the evidence of our candidates’ Professional Dispositions. Another source of evidence on candidate target level professional dispositions is the sample of candidate work from Exhibit 5. When reviewing the samples of the Teacher Work Sample, or the graduate candidate work, the evidence is provided for how well our candidates work with students, families, colleagues, and communities and meet the expectations of our unit, the professional organizations, and state professional teaching standards for professional educators. High scores on professional internship data across the programs provide evidence that our candidates also meet target level in demonstrating classroom behaviors that create caring and supportive learning environments, encourage self-directed learning by all students, recognize when their own professional dispositions may need to be adjusted, and develop plans for improvement. As with the TWS, incorporated in our plan for continuing improvement on this standard, comment boxes will be placed after each competency of the Professional Internship Performance Competency Assessment.

Standard 1, Prompt #3: Exhibit Links (See Standard 1 Exhibits at http://www.kean.edu/~ncate/standard1.htm )

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 92010 Institutional Report

STANDARD 2 – ASSESSMENT SYSTEM AND UNIT EVALUATION

Standard 2, Prompt #1:How does the unit use its assessment system to improve the performance of candidates and the unit and its programs?

The College of Education at Kean University believes in the purposeful, systemic and ongoing evaluation of programs, candidates, curricula and instruction.  The Unit Assessment System (UAS) is based on the shared values reflected in the Conceptual Framework and links the performance of its candidates to national, state and professional standards and P-12 student learning.  The UAS is designed to determine eligibility for admission into professional education and to continuously monitor the professional growth of candidates toward proficiency at both the initial and advanced levels. It ensures that all candidates exit the program with the skills, knowledge and dispositions necessary to be “informed, dynamic professionals for diverse settings”.

The UAS is based on the belief that assessment is both developmental and continuous. Candidates must have the opportunity to connect their own practice to the learning of P-12 students. These learning opportunities must be at the core of our teacher education program and assessment is integral in the process. As candidates progress through the teacher education program, they engage in multiple assessments that allow both faculty and candidates to reflect on their teaching and learning and to use this information for continuous improvement of both candidate performance and program implementation. Data from the initial and advanced programs are regularly and systemically compiled, analyzed and reported for the purpose of improving candidate performance, program quality and unit operations.

The Unit Assessment System has a common framework that is shared by all programs both at the initial and advanced levels. The following are common elements:

1. Candidates’ knowledge, skills and dispositions are assessed continuously based on unit standards and outcomes and state and national standards.

2. Multiple assessments are used to evaluate candidate performance in a variety of ways.3. Rubrics are used to determine levels of performance.4. Candidate performance is assessed at critical points.5. Data are used to make decisions about admission, retention and program completion.6. External assessments such as the Praxis I and II and GRE or MAT are used.7. Internal assessments such as Teacher Work Sample Portfolios, videos, clinical field

experiences are utilized.8. Program completer surveys and employer surveys provide evidence of effectiveness in

the field, post graduate.

At the time of the last NCATE visit, the unit had a well-developed system of assessing and monitoring candidate performance. The system assessed each individual candidate at critical stages aligned to the conceptual framework of the SPECTRUM. Data from individual assessments were used for monitoring and improving individual candidate performance, and the unit was beginning to systemically aggregate, summarize and use data for program improvement.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 102010 Institutional Report

Additionally, the College was beginning the implementation and assessment of an Educational Portfolio to collect data about P-12 student learning.

Since the last NCATE visit, the Unit has continued to examine data for evidence of candidate growth and program improvement, looked at the effectiveness of the assessment tools and has made revisions, as necessary. The unit has incorporated the Teacher Work Sample (TWS) into its Educational Portfolio as a way to demonstrate the impact its candidates are having on P-12 student learning. The unit is now also assessing its candidates on national standards by utilizing content-specific rubrics for the TWS Portfolio and implementing a content-specific Supplemental Program Assessment for all initial teaching candidates. Follow up assessments, including graduate and employer surveys, have been revised to gather more specific information on professional leadership, areas of expertise and success in the profession. The Introductory Field Experience Performance Competency Assessment is in the process of being revised by a committee of Introductory Field Experience instructors in all programs to better align with students observations in the field, course outlines and current state and national standards.

Standard 2, Prompt #2:Describe the work undertaken to move to Target Level for Standard 2 and plans for continuing to improve.

Standard 2 has three elements with Target Level descriptors for each element. The Unit will address and use language from each element to describe our work at the Target Level and to also highlight plans for continued improvement.

2a. Assessment System

The unit, with the involvement of the professional community, regularly evaluates the capacity and effectiveness of the assessment system. The Dean of the College of Education (COE) holds monthly Administrative Council Meetings with department chairs and other COE faculty at which assessments and their results are discussed. At Field Experience Advisory Council Meetings with faculty, university supervisors, principals and cooperating teachers and at Superintendent Luncheons, the COE shares assessment data and solicits suggestions and input from school partners.

The UAS reflects the College of Education’s Conceptual Framework, the SPECTRUM, and incorporates candidate proficiencies outlined in professional and state standards. All initial and advanced assessments are aligned with the COE’s Learning Outcomes for Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions. The New Jersey Professional Teaching Standards are addressed in all initial field experience assessments. Additionally, the Supplemental Program Assessment is utilized for each initial program and is directly aligned with the national standards for each program. At the advanced level, national and professional standards are incorporated into the capstone courses. At all levels, syllabi are periodically updated to reflect changes in national, state and professional standards.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 112010 Institutional Report

The unit regularly examines the validity and utility of data through regularly scheduled meetings with the Dean of the COE. Departments at their monthly meetings also regularly discuss assessment. (Hard copies of minutes for department meetings are available in department offices.) For example, the Early Childhood Department in reviewing the results of the comprehensive exams discovered that it was not measuring what they needed it to assess and have since moved to a project-based assessment. Most of the assessment instruments at the initial and advanced levels are used consistently and add to the validity of the data being collected. In addition, many of the assessments measure similar areas of knowledge, skills or dispositions, including Praxis I and Praxis II exams, Field Experience Competency Assessments and Video Assessments, Completer Surveys and Employer Surveys. The utility of data is also evaluated as it is formatted for reporting and adjustments are made as needed. In this past year, data reporting has switched to using means and ranges of lowest/highest scoring as a more efficient and effective way to analyze and compare candidate progress by assessment and competencies.

The unit does make modifications to keep abreast of changes in assessment technology. The COE has continued to increase its use of scannable assessment forms and the use of computerized software such as SPSS to analyze and report data. As Internet use increases among all stakeholders, the COE is beginning to transition some of its assessments from paper NCR forms to electronic submission by utilizing Internet survey software. Follow-up surveys for previous graduates and employer surveys have been Internet-based for several years. Beginning in the Fall of 2008, the COE began the use of online assessment submission for Introductory Field Experience Assessments. It was expanded to the Preprofessional Field Experience Assessment in the Fall of 2009 and will include Professional Internship assessments in the Fall of 2010. This is strong evidence of our commitment to continuous improvement.

The unit is continually making modifications to keep abreast of changes in professional standards. Faculty update their syllabi as well as textbooks as changes in professional standards occur. In-services for staff development are held to allow all faculty to participate in upgrading skills and knowledge required for professional standards.

Decisions on candidate performance are always based on multiple assessments at multiple points at both the initial and advanced levels. These multiple assessments can easily be viewed in Exhibit 2.1, the COE Assessment Handbook, pages 13-17.

COE data show a strong relationship of performance assessments to candidate success throughout their programs and later in classrooms and schools. All initial teaching candidates are assessed throughout the individual field experiences and through the Teacher Work Sample Portfolio processes and only move forward when satisfactorily meeting performance competencies. Candidates must pass the Praxis II content knowledge exam for the candidate’s content area before enrolling in the professional internship. At the advanced level individuals must meet stringent entry and exit requirements and must satisfactorily meet the requirements of each program’s internship/externship in order to complete the program. Follow-up surveys of candidates and employers indicate that individuals who successfully met performance competencies at the university level are effective teachers and valued colleagues.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 122010 Institutional Report

The unit has looked closely at the data and the instruments used in our UAS to insure that they are fair, accurate, and consistent measures. Both internal and external assessments have produced similar results. Comparisons of candidate ratings between cooperating teachers and university supervisors of candidate performance correlate highly. When the Teacher Work Sample Portfolio was initiated in the Fall of 2006, the unit developed training sessions for all evaluators in an effort to ensure fairness. Sessions were held for faculty and supervisors to rate sample Teacher Work Samples to ensure accuracy in the rating system. Through department/program meetings, faculty met to find similar strands across coursework and rework assessments as needed. The COE meets with all new admits and transfer students each semester to provide advisement about assessments and unit operations and requirements. The Teaching Performance Center (TPC) meets with all initial candidates at the beginning of each field experience to provide information about field experience assessments and requirements. Each program also offers detailed advisement sessions and/or seminars to candidates. Rubrics have been developed for all assessments providing fairness, accuracy and consistency in the scoring of individual assessments.

In a move toward target, rubrics used for unit assessments at the advanced and initial levels have been reviewed and revised in the spring 2010 semester. At the initial program level in response to national recognition reports, the formatting and rating scale for field work assessments (introductory, preprofessional and professional internship) is being reformatted in order to more clearly define the descriptors and performance indicators for the five levels of scoring and the expected competencies. At the advanced level, programs will be piloting the use of common rubrics (customized as needed for program standards) across programs for the culminating assessments. This would yield additional data about our advanced candidates' competencies in areas of research and content knowledge.

2b. Data Collection, Analysis and Evaluation

The UAS provides regular and comprehensive data on program quality, unit operations and candidate performance at the each stage of its programs, extending into the first years of candidates completers’ practice. As can be seen on the College of Education’s Assessment System graphic, (COE Assessment System Handbook, pg 10) data is collected from many sources at critical points, is reported to all stakeholders and is used to make assessment, program and unit decisions.

Assessment data from candidates, graduates, faculty and other members of the professional community are based on multiple assessments from both internal and external sources that are systematically collected as candidates progress through the system. The Transition Points: Initial and Transition Points: Advanced tables (COE Assessment System Handbook, pgs 13-17) detail the multiple assessments performed at each critical stage, whether the assessments are internal or external, who collects the data, how and when the data are collected and processed and how that data is used for candidate/program/unit improvement.

The College of Education is working with advanced programs toward compiling more in-depth student data in the form of assessments that are generic across programs. Advanced programs are working together to develop generic assessments for comprehensive exams, for culminating

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 132010 Institutional Report

projects and for thesis writings that address the College of Education’s conceptual framework of knowledge, skills and dispositions. The process of engaging faculty across a broad array of programs has made the process richer, providing multiple perspectives on what we believe students should be able to do at the advanced level when exiting their programs of study.

Data are disaggregated by program when candidates are in alternate, off-campus and distance learning programs. In 2007, Kean University began to offer southern New Jersey residents the opportunity to earn a Kean University degree and/or teacher certification on the Ocean County College (OCC) campus in Toms River, New Jersey. The implementation of teacher education programs at another campus brought challenges to data collection. After an initial learning curve, particularly with the Teacher Work Sample Portfolio, data is being collected for preprofessional field students and professional interns. This data is disaggregated by campus and program. The COE is actively working with department chairs, and full and part-time faculty at the OCC campus to ensure that all students are routinely assessed based on the UAS and that the assessments are collected and forwarded to the respective departments.

The COE regularly and systematically compiles, aggregates, summarizes, analyzes and publicly reports data as shown in the Assessment System Timeline (COE Assessment Handbook, pg 20) for the purpose of improving candidate performance, program quality and unit operations. Additionally, in the revamp of the College of Education NCATE website, assessment data is now posted for the unit and each program for viewing by all stakeholders.

The College of Education has a system for effectively maintaining records of formal candidate complaints and their resolution. The Dean of the COE maintains a paper file of student correspondence and another paper file of student concerns/complaints. In addition, the Dean keeps an electronic file of any student concerns/issues that have come to her via email. A word processing file of all responses to students is also kept by the Dean. The executive assistant to the Dean maintains a file of all student dismissals and reinstatements. Issues/Complaints concerning field experiences are brought to the attention of the director of the Teaching Performance Center and are resolved at that level with a record of any issues being maintained in the individual student’s file. The same is true for issues/concerns at the program level. The Dean is informed of all issues and is the final level for appeal on any field or program issue.

During the past academic year, the unit has been developing and testing different information technologies to improve its assessment system. The implementation of the online submission of field assessments has been piloted beginning with introductory field assessments in the Fall of 2008. Based on the successful results of that piloting, the online submission of preprofessional field experience assessments began in the Fall of 2009 and will continue with internship assessments in the Fall of 2010. Online survey software provided by Checkbox has provided faculty, university supervisors and cooperating teachers with a user-friendly platform in which to submit assessments online. The University has also recently contracted with Qualtrics Survey and that software, which allows for the constant updating of data reporting, is already being used for employer surveys. As that software is upgraded to university specifications, it is expected that it will be utilized for more COE online assessments.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 142010 Institutional Report

The College of Education also created and implemented an online database in which to track faculty demographic information and qualifications, i.e., publications, certifications, presentations, service to university, etc. Email has been used to contact program graduates to request information, and the College of Education has begun utilizing Facebook to connect with past teacher and program candidates to increase responses for follow-up data. 2c. Use of Data for Program Improvement

The unit has fully developed evaluations and continuously searches for stronger relationships between candidate performance and program outcomes in those evaluations, revising both the underlying data systems and analytic techniques as necessary. The COE has fully developed evaluations using input from faculty, university supervisors, cooperating teachers via program and advisory council meetings and using completer/report card feedback from candidates. By reformatting the reporting of data to show the means for each competency of individual evaluations, and disaggregating the data by not just program, but also by the status of candidates, i.e. undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate as well as by campus, allows for programs to better analyze data for program improvement.

A need for additional qualitative data on our unit field assessments at the initial level has led us to include comment boxes for each process of the Teacher Work Sample assessment and for each competency on the field experience assessments. This will be implemented in the Fall 2010 semester and will yield valuable candidate feedback by program.

The unit not only makes changes based on the data, but also systemically studies the effects of any changes to assure that programs are strengthened without adverse consequences. The COE in the past year has made the decision to change the entrance requirement for initial programs from the MAPP testing to the Praxis I as the Praxis I is more aligned with the Praxis II content knowledge exam (an exit requirement for all initial programs) and is directly aligned with the PLATO Learning Program. From Spring 2009-Spring 2010, well over 700 of our candidates used the PLATO Learning Program. The unit employs a professional staff member to work with candidates in Praxis I and Praxis II preparation via the PLATO program. While verbal feedback from candidates indicates that those who use the PLATO Learning Program do well on both the Praxis I and II exams, the unit plans on providing funding to allow for a comprehensive study to confirm that students who access the PLATO program do, in fact, perform better on the Praxis tests.

Candidates and faculty review data on candidate performance regularly and develop plans for improvement based on the data. Candidates who use the Plato Learning Program are given instant feedback on the areas in which they have performed well and those in which they need additional assistance. Faculty meet with candidates during advisement periods to review progress in the program. Course instructors and university instructors who are scoring Teacher Work Sample Portfolios are required to meet with candidates and discuss the candidate’s overall TWS and effect on K-12 student learning. Similarly, university supervisors and cooperating teachers meet with candidates to evaluate their performance in the classroom. Individuals who do not score well on the TWS are required to redo the section or processes on which they did not score satisfactorily. Candidates who are not recommended for the next level of field experience

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 152010 Institutional Report

based on the scoring on Field Experience Performance Competencies are given a professional improvement plan to follow that concentrates on the areas in need of improvement before they are allowed to move forward. (See Standard 3 Exhibit 6,)

Standard 2, Prompt #3:Exhibit Links (See Standard 2 Exhibits at http://www.kean.edu/~ncate/standard2.htm )

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 162010 Institutional Report

STANDARD 3 – FIELD EXPERIENCES AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

Standard 3, Prompt #1How does the unit work with the school partners to deliver field experiences and clinical practice to enable candidates to develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions to help all students learn?

The College of Education (COE) has a long and proud history of developing collaborative relations and partnerships with the community and K-12 schools. The unit, committed to service, is represented through the extensive number of innovative and recognized initiatives which have documented impact. School partnerships with the unit continue to develop with a much larger number of faculty members involved in collaboration with liberal arts faculty within the university, the schools, and throughout the larger community.

The unit and its school partners design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates and other school professionals develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to help all students learn.

Field experiences and clinical practice are focal and essential components of every program offered by the professional unit, and are integrated into its conceptual framework and the University’s institutional standards. Viewed as conclusive evidence that the teacher candidates are able to demonstrate professional dispositions, apply content and pedagogical knowledge while promoting P-12 student learning, field experience links the public schools and the university aligning theory with practice in diverse settings. Each candidate is assessed at intervals, using formative and summative measures and is expected to demonstrate documented progress toward becoming an informed dynamic professional.

Standard 3, Prompt #2Describe work undertaken to move to the Target Level.Discuss plans for continuing to improve.

Standard 3 has three elements with Target level descriptors for each element. The Unit will address each element to describe our work at the Target level and to also highlight plans for continuing to improve.

3a. Collaboration between Unit and School Partners

Collaboration between the unit and its traditional school partners, Professional Development School partners, and intermediate agencies has resulted in the design, implementation, and evaluation of field experience and clinical practice placements. The formal structure of the Field Experience Advisory Committee (FEAC) ensures the coming together of school administrators and teachers, PDS Clinical Instructors, and University faculty both adjunct and resident, with the singular agenda items of field experience and clinical practice (Exhibit 1). Areas of mutual concern; i.e., substitute certification, criminal background clearance, were presented at FEAC by school partners as was the issue of PRAXIS II passage prior to the onset of the professional

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 172010 Institutional Report

internship. Likewise, both the Garden State Partnership for Quality Teacher and the New Vistas grants have field advisory boards with their school partners. Committees that represent the schools and university provide open communication, which addresses how well we integrate theory and practice, our expectations of each other, and how well we meet those expectations.

Field experiences and clinical practices for initial programs are collaborative efforts that involve university students, experienced cooperating teachers, and university supervisors/clinical instructors. They are characterized by a three course sequence, increasing in complexity and duration. Annually, 400 to 500 students enroll and observe as part of the Introductory Field Experience courses, 800 to more than 1,000 students are placed for the preprofessional field courses, and 750 to 900 professional interns are assigned to neighboring schools and agencies. Assignments for placement are initiated at least six months prior to actual placement.

Professional Development Schools and their faculties continue to be active and involved partners in the collaboration, design, implementation, and evaluation of teacher candidates enriching and expanding the PDS model in order that more students can be accommodated in the 18 PDS sites. Each of the PDSs is located in an urban or urban-rim district demonstrating the university’s commitment to urban education (Exhibit 1) As a consequence of the New Vistas grant and the Garden State Partnership for Teacher Quality grant, four new PDSs are planned for Jersey City, NJ effective September 2010 for our Urban Teacher Residents.

Handbooks for each of the initial field courses are revised annually under the guidance and oversight of the Field Experience Advisory Committee. These handbooks are readied for and reviewed with university faculty, cooperating teachers, and students and are updated prior to the all-day Orientation to Field Experience, New Supervisor orientations, and for cooperating teachers. Each orientation session is addressed by a certified teacher or current administrator modeling the collaboration and congruence between school and university. Handbooks are available on-line as are assessment instruments (Exhibit 4). Also included in the handbooks are criteria for the selection of cooperating teachers, schools and university supervisors (Exhibit 2).

Other examples of formal collaboration between the unit and its school partners may be found in the PDS Partnership contract, a contract created by joint committee membership, the group process for hiring clinical instructors and university supervisors, the Cooperating Teacher Institute and Focused Conversations among other initiatives (Exhibit 3).

3b. Design, Implementation and Evaluation Field Experience and Clinical Practice

Over the course of the professional education sequence, candidates complete 14 credits or 210 hours of field-based education. These sequenced experiences become increasingly complex and demanding, with each serving as a prerequisite to the next level of field-based education. Designed to provide candidates with the knowledge, experience, and opportunities to engage in substantive analysis of and reflection on the complex task of educating children and youth, clinical experiences are judged by candidates to be of great, if not the greatest value in their teacher preparation program.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 182010 Institutional Report

Initial and advanced programs require field experience and clinical practice. The Overview of Field Experience exhibits a snapshot of the interconnected and approved series of clinical experiences. Assessment instruments by courses are identified, as are requirements for successful completion. Teacher Work Sample methodology is woven throughout the field experience sequence.

Field Experience Sequence: Time and Placement Requirements details the 18 programs at the initial level including specific elements unique to each program. The unit ensures that candidates have opportunities to work with diverse student populations as well as with children with exceptionalities. In all pre-service teacher education programs, there are three or four levels of field experiences which build upon one another acting as a prerequisite to the next course. Placements as well as supervision of candidates and data collection are arranged and monitored by the Teaching Performance Center in collaboration with school partners. Advanced field experiences are presented in Exhibit 4.

LEVEL I, II & III: INITIAL CLINICAL FIELD EXPERIENCES Two unit assessment measures are completed at each level of initial field experience. In our plan for continued improvement in this standard, these assessments will be reformatted to include comment boxes to immediately follow the scoring of each process of the Teacher Work Sample and each competency for the field experience assessments.

Introductory Level The introductory field experience is integrated into an Introduction to Education course (EC 2900, EMSE 2800, EMSE 2801, EMSE 2802, EMSE 5560, SPED 2120, PED 2800, FA 2900, MUS 2900) and consists of a minimum of six full days in K-12 classrooms, half in diverse urban settings and half in suburban settings. Requirements for admission to this field experience include: 2.75 GPA, English Composition with “C” or better, Speech with “C” or better and a negative Mantoux test. The objectives of this experience are to observe and analyze actual classroom instruction, to assess personal aptitude and dispositions for teaching and to insure that each candidate has one experience in an urban setting. For Kean University, this requirement is not difficult as large urban and urban rim districts are in close proximity to the university. Intended education majors maintain a reflective journal and begin the development of a Teacher Work Sample (TWS) portfolio with feedback provided by the course instructor and cooperating teacher. Successful completion of this experience is a prerequisite for admission into the College of Education and teacher education programs.

Preprofessional LevelThe field experience requires admission to a teacher education program; a 2.75 GPA; a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework, and other requirements as determined by department and program. The preprofessional field consists of a minimum of 15 full days in the schools during which candidate’s progress from one-on-one teaching to small groups and eventually large group instruction, incorporating lesson plans and other instructional materials. Elements are added to their TWS portfolio. A major goal of this experience is to assess the candidate’s readiness for the professional internship. The successful completion of the preprofessional field experiences is one of the requirements for admission into the professional internship. Candidates receive feedback

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 192010 Institutional Report

from classroom teachers and university supervisors by standardized performance assessment forms consistent with the unit’s conceptual framework and learning outcomes. Additional assessments include reflective journal entries, lessons plans, and the TWS portfolio.

Professional LevelThe professional clinical internship culminates in a fifteen week, full-time teaching experience in one or two classroom settings. Admission to the professional level internship requires a 2.75 GPA; a qualifying score on the respective PRAXIS II test; a minimum of 95 credit hours, and successful completion of all pre-requisite coursework including the preprofessional field experience. University supervisors work with interns during the semester, conducting a minimum of eight (8) visits, and providing five (5) narrative reports and others that include midterm and final summative evaluations. All candidates are videotaped, offering them an opportunity for self analysis and reflection along with supervision feedback. Internship objectives include the integration of educational theory into classroom practice, self evaluation and reflective skills, and an assessment of classroom readiness for teaching. The TWS portfolio is finalized and assessed by the clinical supervisor and the capstone course instructor. Candidates are assessed according to unit competency standards.

At the beginning of each semester, the TPC conducts a Field Experience Orientation for all interns and their supervisors. Discussed in detail are the conceptual framework, the institutional standards, the assessment system, performance expectations including classroom management and exit requirements (Exhibit 3).

3c. Candidates’ Development and Demonstration of Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions to Help all Students Learn

Entry and Exit CriteriaBefore beginning each field experience, candidates must demonstrate academic eligibility of a minimum grade point average of 2.75, acceptance by a specific education department with the COE, successful performance in the previous field experience in addition to the completing of specific requirements unique to each program or department. As of January 2009, an addition to the entrance requirement into the College of Education (COE) is the meeting of qualifying scores on PRAXIS I as established by the State of New Jersey and required by the COE. Candidates are not placed with grades of Incomplete, D or F in a professional education course. Students have an opportunity to work on our Praxis I Plato Learning Review Program to work toward meeting criteria.

Assessment of Field Work and Student TeachingAt the initial level, knowledge, skills, and dispositions are developed, demonstrated, and assessed by cooperating teachers and university supervisors/clinical instructors in the semester of sequenced field experiences and internship. The conceptual framework, New Jersey Professional Teaching Standards, and the institutional learning outcomes form the basis for assessing all candidates in all three levels of field work. Candidates must score at 3 or above on a five-point rubric (Exhibit 6).

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 202010 Institutional Report

Candidates at the professional or student teaching level are expected to demonstrate competency on all institutional standards before completing the education program and being recommended for licensure. The intern is assessed on an ongoing basis with both formative and summative evaluation instruments. A minimum of eight observational visits and supervisory reports are completed by the university supervisor and provided to the intern as written feedback. Cooperating teachers are asked to complete a mid-semester and final assessment of the intern.

Assessments Required During Internship

Completed by University Supervisor/Clinical Instructor

Completed by Cooperating Teacher

Single Experience(15 weeks)Programs: Bilingual, Early Childhood, Elementary, Elementary Middle, Secondary Education, Teacher of Students w/Disabilities

- 5 Field Experience Narrative Observation Forms

- 2 Internship Performance Competency Assessment Forms

- 1 Video Analysis Form- 1 Teacher Work Sample

Form- Special Case Report (as

needed)

- 2 Internship Performance Competency Assessment Forms

- 1 Supplemental Program Assessment

- Special Case Report (as needed)

Double Experience(7.5 weeks elementary AND 7.5 weeks secondary )Programs: Fine Arts, Health & Physical Education, Music

- 4-6 Field Experience Narrative Observation Forms (2-3 from each experience)

- 4 Internship Performance Competency Assessment Forms (2 from each experience

- 1-2 Video Analysis Form- 1 Teacher Work Sample

Form- Special Case Report (as

needed)

- 4 Internship Performance Competency Assessment Forms (2 from each experience)

- 1 Supplemental Program Assessment (from elementary experience)

- Special Case Report (as needed)

Low Scores, Special Case Reports, and RemediationField experience assignments may prove very challenging to some candidates. Their difficulties require identification and management by the TPC, in conjunction with the education department and program.

Scores of two (2) and below assigned to preprofessional field experience candidates and interns are highlighted and forwarded with a memo to program coordinators with copies to the dean, department chair, and university supervisor/clinical instructor. During 2010, the Preprofessional Performance Competency Assessment was revised and strengthened in an effort to identify student weaknesses and provide remediation to students prior to the start of the internship.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 212010 Institutional Report

The Field Experience Special Case: An Action Plan is an alert to a field experience candidate who may be in difficulty. The filing of a Special Case, which requires signatures of the candidate, the cooperating teacher, and the university supervisor, initiates a formal conference with the department, TPC, university supervisor, and the cooperating teacher, when available. The conference is followed by a letter summarizing the outcomes, and the expectations for the candidate. Options available to the candidate are explained, and when deemed appropriate, the Teacher Development Program is recommended (Exhibit 6).

The Teacher Development Program is a guided practice intervention currently available in two elementary schools for education candidates seeking certification in early childhood, elementary, or teacher for students with disabilities. One university supervisor, assigned exclusively to each school, develops an intervention plan with the student and TPC in which competency areas or standards requiring remediation are identified. Candidate progress is monitored closely by the supervisor and principal, and reports are submitted that document measurable growth or lack thereof. An intervention may be necessary before a second assignment is made.

Data from the assessment of field experiences have resulted in changes in the curriculum, e.g.: initiating a course in technology. The development and implementation of seminars and workshops for teacher candidates is a direct result of the analysis of data. Every semester the unit conducts a Classroom Management mini conference; every spring, an evening seminar addresses inclusion and differentiated instruction and a workshop focuses on Working with Parents and Families. Data from field experiences have also been used to create staff development for faculty supervisors. Last academic year, a series of assessment workshops and retreats addressed this standard (See Exhibit 7 in Standard 5).

Assessment of Student LearningThe Teacher Work Sample added components to specific courses requiring artifacts in each of the three field experiences and clinical practice courses. Beginning with the Introductory Field course, students are responsible for the Contextual Factors component of the TWS as each student is placed in two separate and culturally diverse sites.

During the preprofessional field experiences additional components, including learning goals, and assessment plans, are added while the Professional Internship completes the TWS process requiring every teacher candidate to demonstrate his/her impact on P-12 student learning. Additionally, the professional internship assesses the candidate’s impact on P-12 learners via the completed TWS portfolio. Case studies, action research, and/or project-based learning, in which clear and measurable objectives are stated and descriptions of progress towards these objectives may characterize candidate assessment in advanced programs.

Major Changes in Field Experiences and Clinical Practice Since 2005Since the last NCATE visit, the quality of field experiences at the initial level has been enriched by the following, among other changes, that have taken place and are institutionalized:

Implementation of bi-monthly seminars for clinical instructors on topics including formative and summative assessment, portfolios, reflective journals, inclusion, and the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards;

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 222010 Institutional Report

Implementation of focused conversations for supervisors and university faculty; Development of institutes for cooperating teachers implemented Summer 1999 as a KU

Presidential Initiative and offered twice an academic year since that time. In 2010, cooperating teachers instead were encouraged to attend New Jersey Statewide conferences offered through Kean’s Center for Innovative Education on new state standards;

Collection, aggregation, analysis and dissemination of data from all field experiences to faculty, candidates, clinical supervisors, cooperating teachers, and school partners;

Development and implementation of seminars and conferences for teacher candidates to address areas that assessments indicate need more attention; e.g., classroom management, differentiated instruction and formative and summative assessment;

Introduction of the TWS methodology, piloted in the18 PDSs; and Use of online assessment instruments.

At the advanced level, the following departmental changes have taken place: Development of new, more intensive internship requirements in the advanced programs:

Educational Leadership, Counselor Education, Special Education, Speech Pathology, and Educational Media Specialist;

Development of internship assessment forms aligned with the conceptual framework; Collection of data; aggregation and disaggregation of data; dissemination of data; and Piloting the use of common rubrics across advanced programs for assessing graduate

research and comprehensive exams.

Standard 3, Prompt #3Exhibit Links: (See Standard 3 Exhibits at http://www.kean.edu/~ncate/standard3.htm )

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 232010 Institutional Report

STANDARD 4 – DIVERSITY

Standard 4, Prompt #1:How does the unit prepare candidates to work effectively with all students?

Kean University and the professional education unit are keenly aware of how increasingly diverse classrooms within American public schools are becoming. With this positive trend in view, a robust commitment to diversity permeates the mission of Kean University and the professional education unit. In fact, among the greatest strengths of the institution is the rich diversity contained within its faculty and student body. Evidence of Kean University’s appreciation for and embracement of diversity earned the institution superior rankings in Diversity Inc . as one of the most diverse campuses in the United States.

The manifestation of the unit’s commitment to diversity is also evident in our Conceptual Framework and the mission of the College of Education. We believe in preparing informed, dynamic professionals who will be sensitive to the unique and diverse learning styles of their students by designing instruction that is appropriately response to cultural differences that are inherent in their classrooms. Ultimately, the goal of the unit is to produce teacher candidates who recognize and respect the complexity of the world in which they live, to welcome the challenges associated with differentiating instruction to accommodate varying styles of learning, and function as advocates for educational quality and social justice for all learners. The ongoing fight for social justice and equity in the 21st century lies in access to technology and to rigorous curricula. Our PSI (Progressive Math Initiative) program which is training teachers to teach physics to 9th grade students in three urban districts where physics was never offered before. Of the 1200 children currently enrolled, 200 have signed on to take AP Physics next year. This is an illustration of how Kean University is fostering social justice in 2010.

Our approach to developing culturally competent educators is guided by the scholarship of myriad leading researchers in the field of multicultural education. For example, Nieto and Bode (2008) define multicultural education as “a process of comprehensive school reform and basic education for all students. It challenges and rejects racism and other forms of discrimination in schools and society and accepts and affirms pluralism (ethnic, racial, linguistic, religious, economic, and gender, among others) that students, their communities, and teachers reflect” (p. 68). Moreover, the seven principles of multicultural education outlined by Nieto and Bode are evident in the professional education unit at Kean University and are aligned with the unit’s approach to insuring its candidates develop sensitivity in working with learners from diverse backgrounds:

Multicultural education is antiracist education.Multicultural education is basic education.Multicultural education is pervasive.Multicultural education is education for social justice.Multicultural education is a process.Multicultural education is critical pedagogy.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 242010 Institutional Report

The strategic agenda of the University, the mission of the unit, and the sequence of courses teacher candidates take reflect the importance of inclusion at Kean University. Similarly, the unit’s methods for teaching about the value of acknowledging global perspectives are facilitated through the provision of sustained opportunities for engagement and interaction with diverse higher education and school faculty, as well as wholesome collaboration between multicultural candidates and diverse students in public schools. Our newly founded School of Global Education and Innovation (see Element 6a. on page 41) reflects Kean’s awareness of the importance of educating globally aware teachers.

Gay (2009) asserts that appreciation for diversity manifests through “…key principles of democracy – that is freedom, equality, justice, inclusion, and representation…” (p. 25). Therefore, in the College of Education at Kean University, the paradigm promoted by Gay guides our protocol for addressing the unique needs of learners from diverse and multicultural populations. Educational programs such as outreach programs like Project Adelante to attract and support Hispanic students, and other programs that highlight various cultures are held frequently and consistently throughout the campus and within the unit, for example celebrating African American month. In addition, diverse student organizations exist on the campus, thereby permitting myriad global issues to be discussed in meaningful ways. The institution’s Holocaust Resource Center and the newly constructed Human Rights Institute (both nationally-recognized), the Women’s Studies Program, and the Jewish Center are primary venues by which topics pertaining to respect for and appreciation of diversity are addressed. Additionally various programs are offered throughout the academic year such as Combating Hatred Conference, Paper Clips video and discussion, presentations on Tourette Syndrome and learning disabilities. The College of Education Middle School Consortium created a new organization, The Network for Student Success, whose mission is to find ways to close the achievement gap between majority and minority students.

Moreover, policies that govern the unit are examined regularly to insure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, especially when concerning individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, differently-abled, and linguistic backgrounds. In sum, our unit recognizes that factors such as race, ethnicity, and culture are of paramount importance in learning how to understand and relate to self and others, and to build democratic, humane, and just communities.

The pursuit of diverse experiences for all candidates within the unit is evident in the design, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum and experiences, primarily through our diversity institutional standards and outcomes:

Knowledge: Diversity of LearnersTeacher candidates within the unit rely upon contextual factors to design instruction that accommodates for various learning styles.

Skills: Instructional StrategiesMultimodal instructional strategies are utilized to spawn the exercise of higher order thinking and problem solving skills.

Dispositions: Diversity/Individual Differences

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 252010 Institutional Report

Teacher candidates are respectful of the unique, diverse talents of all learners and promote the development of self-confidence and competence.

Dispositions: High ExpectationsIt is expected that all students will learn and exhibit master of content and that academic success is achieved through persistence.

Dispositions: Community/CultureTeacher candidates are aware of community and cultural norms and demonstrate sensitivity to these in a consistent and nurturing manner.

Standard 4, Prompt #2:

Describe work undertaken to move to the Target Level.Discuss plans for continuing to improve.

Standard 4 has four elements with Target Level descriptors for each element. The Unit will address and use language from each element to describe our work at the Target Level and to also highlight plans for continuing to improve.

4a. Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences

This element requires evidence that teacher candidates have understanding of how to design, implement, and evaluate curriculum and experiences related to diversity. From initial through advanced programs, the courses (see Exhibit # 2) that teacher candidates are required to complete are sequenced in such a way that the Target Level is reached and that exposure to diverse perspectives on curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation is accommodated. Examples from courses include: EMSE 2800, Sophomore Field introduces candidates to teaching in multicultural, urban and suburban schools; SPED 2200, Multicultural Learners in Diverse Settings emphasizes the characteristics of the diverse learners in multicultural, along with examines strategies to meet the needs of bilingual and minority populations; and EC 4260, Supporting Emergent Literacy Development in Young Children examines culturally responsive support and assessment and assessment strategies for language/literacy acquisition in young children. At the Advanced Level illustrative coursework includes: EMSE 5401 Bilingual/ Multicultural Education in American Schools, CEd 5915 Multicultural Counseling; and EC 5270, Teaching in a Pluralistic Society: Pre-K through Third Grade. Through examining data from course embedded assessments, assessments embedded in courses, the degree of cultural competence of our candidates is evaluated and modifications are made to courses and assignments when indicated. Along with this, cultural events that are offered on the campus provide excellent opportunities to broaden our candidates’ cultural perspective and responsiveness.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 262010 Institutional Report

From initial through advanced programs, teacher candidates must reveal their knowledge of the unit’s conceptual framework as well as their capacity to design, implement, and evaluate curriculum and experiences through the Teacher Work Sample. Within their clinical settings, teacher candidates must observe the diversity within their classrooms and insure that their individual lesson plans and unit plans as well as the teaching materials they identify and utilize match the various cognitive profiles of the students in their classes. To this end, through the Teacher Work Sample, teacher candidates are required to reflect upon each teaching experience and to determine the extent to which student learning has taken place.

An integral part of this process is the inclusion of diverse perspectives from students relative to their cultural backgrounds and experiences. Likewise, it is expected that within the Teacher Work Sample teacher candidates must demonstrate how accommodations are made for students from different linguistic backgrounds and how any necessary accommodations to their instructional processes are made for learners with exceptionalities.

The Teacher Work Sample affords the professional education unit the opportunity to examine teacher candidates’ ability to design, implement, and evaluate curriculum and experiences. Teacher candidates must provide evidence throughout the TWS Portfolio that they reflect upon their teaching and must demonstrate how each lesson and ultimately how each unit advances the cognition of their students beyond the knowledge to the comprehension and application levels. Through the guidance of faculty and personnel within their clinical settings, candidates review the Teacher Work Sample and other assessment data and must adjust their instruction to maximize the learning of all of their students, including those from diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, and exceptional backgrounds. Plans for continuous improvement related to this element include the reformatting of the TWS assessment form so that supervisors and cooperating teachers can more directly comment on competencies related to diversity responsiveness and adhering to new research relevant to culturally sensitive teaching.

4b. Experience Working with Diverse Faculty

The professional education unit’s data strongly support that our candidates meet the Target Level in the Experiences Working with Diverse Faculty. The Office of Institutional Research reports that of the institution’s 1,329 fulltime and adjunct faculty, 15.72% are faculty of color, representing such ethnicities as Asian, Black, and Hispanic backgrounds. It should be noted that more than 21% of the faculty at the institution have not reported their ethnicity; consequently, it is very likely that candidates within the professional education unit are exposed to much more diverse faculty than what is reported. (See Exhibit #4)

In terms of gender diversity, the previous Institutional Report Kean University provided reflected an 8% disparity between its male and female faculty. However, recent data show that the institution has worked diligently to eliminate this discrepancy and now boasts a near balance between both genders. 49.2% of the faculty at the institution are male and 50.7% of the faculty are female.

Faculty within the professional education unit are also linguistically diverse, many of whom speak a language other than English and are fully bilingual, and several are adept at sign

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 272010 Institutional Report

language. A number of faculty within the unit have reported fluency in Spanish and Chinese. In summation, in the College of Education, of the 356 full-time, adjunct faculty, and field supervisors who reported their ethnic status and teach/supervise in both initial and advanced programs at Kean University, 5 are Asian, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; 24 are Black or African American, 27 are Hispanic or Latino and 223 are White. A number of recruitment initiatives to enhance candidates’ experiences to work with diverse faculty are underway. Beyond these efforts, our candidates have many opportunities to work with diverse school faculty during their clinical experiences. Exhibit 4 provides diversity information for school-based faculty which includes cooperating teachers and clinical supervisors. The university advertises available positions through such venues as Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, and a number of other frequently published periodicals. A partial listing of recruitment outlets may be found in Exhibit 5.

4c. Experience Working with Diverse Candidates

Primary evidence for meeting this standard at the Target Level is evident in the professional education unit’s commitment to continue to admit and retain quality candidates from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate the potential for success in the teaching profession. All applicants for teacher certification must complete a multifaceted, comprehensive admissions process. Criteria for admission are consistent with NCATE standards and with the New Jersey Administrative Code. Admission to teacher education at the Initial level include a 2.75 GPA, completion of all developmental work, successful completion with a ‘C’ or better in English Composition, college-level Mathematics, Speech Communication, and a ‘B-“ or better in Multicultural Introductory (Sophomore) Field Experience; interviews; letters of recommendation, etc.

Admission requirements for Initial programs have been strengthened since the last NCATE visit. The overall GPA has been raised from 2.5 to 2.75. The Elementary Education and Secondary Education, the Teacher of Students w/Disabilities and the Health & Physical Education programs have raised the grades on specific courses required for admission to teacher education. In addition, an Honors Scholarship Program has been implemented to increase the applicant pool and attract better prepared students to Kean University in the freshman category. Articulation agreements with five feeder community colleges have been signed.

At the Advanced level, admission requirements vary by program but minimally they include a BA degree from an accredited college or university, GPA, results on a standardized test (GRE, Miller Analogies, or Praxis), teacher certification if required, letters of recommendation, an essay, an interview, etc.

Enrollments, including those of candidates from underrepresented groups, have continued to rise steadily in both undergraduate and graduate programs since 2004. The College of Education has continued the efforts, to establish and maintain the diverse composition of its student body. Recently, Kean University was ranked number 3 in the country by Diversity, Inc Magazine.

The COE has put in place an extensive number of initiatives to enhance the diversity of its student body. Programs such as Bilingual Teacher Program, Project Pathways to Teaching Careers, New Pathways to Teaching Careers, and Transitions to Teaching have helped attract

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 282010 Institutional Report

culturally diverse candidates. In addition the unit has implemented several award-winning pre-college academic programs to encourage students of color to complete high school and pursue teacher careers, e.g., Project Adelante, Gear Up, and the Future Teachers Academy. These efforts, coupled with retention initiatives, have increased the diversity of the student body, at both the Initial and Advanced levels. In fact the COE will host the NJEA Future Teachers of America Conference in October 2010, which will bring 500 high school students from the surrounding urban districts and their advisors to our campus.

At the time of the last NCATE visit (2004), African American, Hispanic, and Asian candidates constituted 28.5 percent of all undergraduates in the unit. In Fall 2009, they represented almost 44% percent of all candidates at the initial (undergraduate) level in COE. At the graduate level, African American, Hispanic, and Asian candidates constituted 31% percent of the total number of Advanced (Graduate) students in the unit (Office of Institutional Research, 2009).

As of fall 2009, there were almost 30% (29.8; 917) fulltime undergraduate African American, Hispanic, and Asian candidates in the COE. An additional 8.6% (267) African American, Hispanic, and Asian students were enrolled part time. at the graduate level, 5.8% (61) of African American, Hispanic, and Asian students were full time, while 21.2% (223) were part time (Office of Institutional Research, 2009). (See Exhibit 6).

Ninety-four percent (94%) of the institution’s students are New Jersey residents. The demographics of the state are: 66% White, 13% African American, 13.3% Hispanic, 5.7% Asian, and 2% Other. Three fourths of the student body at Kean reside in four counties in central New Jersey: Union (29% of the students); Middlesex (22%), Essex (13%), and Monmouth (11%). The student population within the College of Education reflects this distribution. (Exhibit 6)

4d. Experience Working with Diverse Students in P – 12 Schools

Located in an ethnically and culturally diverse area of New Jersey, Kean University provides numerous opportunities for its candidates to work with diverse students in P – 12 schools. All candidates are required to complete field experiences. At the Introductory (sophomore) level, half of these must be carried out within an urban, multicultural setting, and the other half must be completed within a suburban or rural setting. In addition to gaining experiences working with students of various ethnicities, the professional education unit facilitates candidates’ sustained contact with students in P–12 schools who are linguistically diverse and students with disabilities. A list of schools in which candidates’ engage learners from diverse backgrounds may be viewed in Exhibit 8. Internal to the university context, candidates are also afforded opportunities to work with students in P – 12 schools by way of the Kean University Child Care Center, the Speech Clinic, and the Reading Clinic. Diverse experiences with students in P – 12 schools are also accommodated by university programs for culturally and linguistically diverse students like Project Adelante and Adelante Scholars, and Project Excel and the Child Study Institute accommodate students with exceptionalities.

Having embraced the concept of culturally relevant responsive pedagogy, the professional education unit also established the Diversity Council. Through this venue, which serves as an advisory board to numerous P – 12 schools, the unit interacts regularly with teachers, principals, supervisors, and central office personnel to explore the best means of enhancing the educational experiences of the learners under their charge. With more than 60 school districts participating

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 292010 Institutional Report

in the Diversity Council, the professional education unit accommodates a broad range of activities for educators and students within the community. Much of the information addressed through the Diversity Council assists candidates within the unit about pedagogically sound and prudent measures to meet the needs of students in P – 12 schools, particularly as it pertains to improving student learning and their overall effectiveness as educators.

Other venues that enhance candidates’ experiences to work effectively with students in P – 12 schools include the University Teaching Performance Center, the Center for Innovative Education, and the Human Rights Institute. Among the aims of each of these outlets, of which the professional education unit has direct contact, is to ensure that teacher candidates gain ample opportunities to develop an understanding of and appreciation for the importance of being sensitive to the unique needs of all learners in P – 12 schools, particularly those from ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Efforts to continue to improve candidates’ experiences to work effectively with diverse students in P – 12 schools are outlined in Exhibit 9. Moreover, the unit will continue to examine how candidates are making meaning of their experiences working with students in P – 12 schools by monitoring candidates’ reflections in the Teacher Work Sample, a comprehensive portfolio that all students within the professional education unit are required to compile.

Standard 4, Prompt #3:Exhibit Links (See Standard 4 Exhibits at http://www.kean.edu/~ncate/standard4.htm )

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 302010 Institutional Report

STANDARD 5 – FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS, PERFORMANCE & DEVELOPMENT

Standard 5 Prompt #1How does the unit ensure that its professional education faculty contributes to the preparation of effective educators?

Teaching and learning is the central function of Kean University, and as such, its professional education faculty play a central role in supporting and fulfilling the University mission of providing high quality public education to a highly diverse student body and the College of Education (COE) mission to prepare high quality teachers for New Jersey’s public and private schools.

First the unit hires highly qualified faculty to teach courses. Appropriate resources and tools are provided, such as the most current Blackboard program, a suite of Google tools, smart classrooms, discipline specific tools, etc. Training and support is provided from the Center for Innovative Education for issues related to professional education and institutionally through the Center for Professional Development to encourage effective use of available tools and materials. The unit also provides professional development sessions regarding materials, curriculum development and instructional strategies through special programs offered by the Dean’s Office and faculty retreats. Over the past two years, these special programs have focused on: Tourette Syndrome, Learning Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury, Publisher’s Sessions for Book Proposals, and PaperClips Video (Interdisciplinary Teaching and Social Justice). Faculty retreats in the COE have included: Value Added Research, Assessment and Response To Intervention (RTI).

The faculty of the College of Education have a professional responsibility to ensure that programs and graduates are of the highest quality.  Meeting this responsibility requires that faculty use information technologies, incorporate multi-cultural and global perspectives, and use of performance assessments such as the Teacher Work Sample to systematically gather and evaluate information to strengthen unit programs. Over the years, departments have carefully planned assessments so they are distributed over time and are well linked to program standards and the unit’s conceptual framework, the SPECTRUM Model. Each program’s faculty have developed key assignments that assess candidates’ ability to integrate educational theory into their own practice. Candidate performance assessment plans embedded in each program area collect multiple indicators of candidate performance over time, which will provide reliable and valid data on future performance.  Candidate success on assessments is another important measure of qualified faculty.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 312010 Institutional Report

Standard 5, Prompt #2   Describe work undertaken to move to the Target Level. Discuss plans for continuing to improve

Standard 5 has six elements with Target Level descriptors for each element. The Unit will address and use language from each element to describe our work at the Target Level and to also highlight plans for continuing to improve.

5a. Qualified faculty

This element calls for evidence that professional education faculty members have earned doctorates or expertise in assigned areas, have contemporary professional experiences in their areas including licensure in the fields that they teach or supervise, and are meaningfully engaged in related scholarship. Exhibits 1-4 provide data about faculty qualifications. Information for these exhibits comes from our faculty qualifications database. All of the professional education faculty enter and update their information about their degree level, rank, licensure, expertise, service, and scholarship on an on-going basis. In general for tenure-track faculty lines/positions the College requires a doctoral degree in the specific discipline to be taught. In 2009 100% of Kean tenure-track faculty have doctorates, increased from 92.4% in 2004. A strength of the Kean University COE faculty is their extensive experience and backgrounds in public and private schools. The faculty have diverse professional backgrounds comprising PK-12 experiences as educators and administrators, including former positions as teachers, principals, school counselors, school psychologists, and superintendents. Specific information about our cooperating teachers and field supervisors can be found in Exhibit 2. In a move toward target in this element, we modified the Request for Professional Development Hours form that cooperating teachers fill out each semester. In order to demonstrate that school faculty are master teachers or well recognized for their competence in their field, we have added a question that asks cooperating teachers to provide information about leadership and mentoring roles that they have in their districts and/or schools.

Unit faculty are highly qualified and model best practices in teaching, scholarship, and service. They are responsible for teaching, clinical supervision, academic advisement, service, and research/scholarship. Unit faculty chair some of the most important committees at the university level: Middle States Committee, the University Curriculum Committee, the University Planning Committee, the Faculty Senate, the Center for Professional Development, the University’s Promotion Committee and key search committees for administrative positions. In addition, unit faculty members have assumed important leadership positions including Acting Dean of the Nathan Weis Graduate College, Assistant to the President, and Associate Dean of the College of Education. Data on faculty qualifications also provide evidence that Kean professional education faculty have contemporary professional experiences in their areas. Faculty members work in schools in a variety of capacities, such as clinical fieldwork supervisor, teacher trainer, consultant, grant coordinator (see Exhibit 4).

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 322010 Institutional Report

5b. Modeling best professional practices in teaching

Kean University faculty have an in-depth understanding of their fields and are teacher scholars who integrate what is known about their content fields, teaching, and learning into their own instructional practice. As described above in 5a, faculty possess in-depth understanding of their fields gleaned from formal education, research, collaborations with professionals in public school settings, and service in education. Continuous work in the field ensures that faculty stay current and practical. Tenure-track faculty work in the field and are encouraged to supervise field students. Research is also a critical component of the unit and its curriculum. Reports from the database indicate faculty are actively engaged in research which is both directly linked to the content they teach and can be integrated into their instruction. Qualitative review of research topics, publication titles, and school based programs submitted to the database suggest faculty exhibit intellectual vitality in their sensitivity to critical issues and in-depth knowledge of the content (see Exhibit 3). Faculty scholarly production was up 22% from 2008 to 2009. Faculty integrate what is known about their content fields into the instruction they provide and update syllabi periodically to reflect changes in standards and new understandings in the field.

The unit models best professional practice by integrating knowledge of diverse populations into instruction and field experience assignments. COE faculty have strong knowledge of diverse populations gleaned through formal education and work experience in public and private schools in urban and suburban settings.

The unit also models best professional practice by integrating the use of technology throughout coursework, field experiences, clinical practices and advisement. Kean has upgraded the systems faculty use to advise students. In 2008 Kean moved away from a cumbersome text-based system to Datatel, a hyperlinked system which is significantly more user-friendly. Policy and links for Datatel can be found at http://www.kean.edu/~ocisweb/documentation.htm Datatel can be accessed on-campus and off campus. A desktop link is installed on all faculty computers to simplify access to the program. Another improvement in the computerized advisement system was the adoption of KeanWise. Faculty input grades and handle other house-keeping tasks in KeanWise. KeanWise is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week unless otherwise indicated.

In 2008 Kean adopted Google Mail and the accompanying suite of tools. Faculty can take advantage of Google apps, such as Google docs, calendar, sites. Faculty are creating websites for courses and other key purposes. Training on use of many of these tools is provided through the Center for Professional Development and the Center for Innovative Education. Unit faculty also use Blackboard CE8 system to deliver technology rich, often case-based instruction. This is an area of significant change of the past five years. Slowly, WebCT 4.1 was phased out, from Summer 2007- Fall 2009. It was finally decommissioned in Fall 2009 and Blackboard CE8 was fully adopted. Using the 8.0 course management system, unit faculty offer the entire course virtually or use the features of the course management systems to host their course partially.

Many of the professional education faculty are recognized as outstanding teachers by candidates and peers across campus and in schools. Teaching effectiveness is assessed through course evaluations (see Exhibit 6) and report cards and surveys of program graduates completed by candidates. In Spring 2010 a new system for evaluating faculty by students was implemented

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 332010 Institutional Report

using the SIR II form (an ETS assessment measure). This will yield consistent data on teaching effectiveness for all full-time faculty and adjuncts.

In 2008 the COE provided professional development regarding creation of effective syllabi. Faculty received a template that is structured to guide faculty to integrate what is known about their fields, teaching, and learning, and the current and emerging research base into course and syllabi development. Faculty also use data from program assessments to guide their instruction and for program improvement. Unit and Departments use a variety of assessment tools including exams, projects, and performance assessments. Comprehensive rubrics are created to guide student work and standardize assessment. Examples of the multiple kinds of program assessments can be found in reviewing the program reports located in the AIMS Program Review System.

5c. Modeling best professional practices in scholarship

Unit faculty routinely demonstrate their scholarly work related to teaching, learning, and their fields of specialization (see Exhibit 3). Preparing professional educators is at the center of the mission of Kean University. Full-time faculty carry a 12-credit teaching load and devote a minimum of 8 hours per week to advising. In addition, they provide service to the University on numerous department and university committees, curriculum development, scholarly activities. Despite these requirements of teaching and service, Kean faculty are also productive scholars and artists. In general, faculty has responded to the increase in student population and the shrinkage in full-time faculty by working harder, rather than by curtailing their scholarly and creative activities. The faculty’s records for publishing (including books, book chapters, peer-reviewed articles and articles), presentations (including keynote speaking engagement and conference presentations), awards and grants is evidence that the faculty is well recognized for their competence in their fields and is up 22% over the previous year.

The College of Education’s grantsmanship is the strongest in the university. During the past five years, funded grants supported research and service in areas including pre-college preparation, bilingual education, teacher preparation in science, math, and special education (dire shortages), teaching effectiveness and assessment, professional development, recruitment of teachers of color and academic programs, to mention a few. Most of these programs are built on strong partnerships with local school districts or family agencies, resulting in benefits of faculty expertise and resources to educators, students, and their parents, as well as benefits to candidates as they grapple with contemporary problems and become part of the solution.

At the time of our last NCATE review, the College of Education published the journal, School Connections, a non-refereed journal. In 2007 the college made an important commitment to elevating this publication and established Journal of School Connections, an interdisciplinary referred journal that publishes original, empirical research and theoretical perspectives devoted to enhancing student learning and teaching practices from pre-school through high school. JSC is published bi-annually. The first journal edition was published in 2008; volume two in March 2009. Articles are selected through a competitive, peer review process. Journals are distributed to members of national professional organizations focused on

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 342010 Institutional Report

teacher education and to our unit faculty members and made available electronically to our professional education candidates.

Staying current in one’s field and engaging in other forms of professional renewal are both widely acknowledged by COE to be factors in maintaining overall faculty effectiveness. When considered collectively, the extent of such engagement must have a considerable impact on the effectiveness of the College, including, most importantly, student learning. To support the professional development of the faculty who travel to conference and professional meetings, the college spends approximately $1000 per faculty member. Departmental programs also have variable stipends to further support professional development travel and activities. Faculty are also eligible, within contractual guidelines, to apply for sabbatical leaves in order to engage in scholarship, and this requires adjunct replacement costs for those on sabbatical. The Dean also has led a research writers group for junior faculty in Spring 2009 and has worked in a mentoring capacity and manuscript reviewer for junior faculty during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Many COE faculty use the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) support site for grant writing and a website that contains demographic and statistical information when applying for grants. The ORSP provides leadership and assistance in all areas of internal and external grant funding. ORSP provides information, services and support to assist faculty and staff to compete successfully for internal and external funding to conduct research and scholarship; engage in creative work; develop curriculum; advance student learning, aid recruitment and retention; and, support campus programming and community outreach. Policy and procedures for internal grants are posted on the Kean Website. COE faculty use new research tools purchased by the ORSP, such as Qualtrics online survey systems, SPSS and survey monkey to engage in important research. ORSP staff is available throughout the proposal development process to help with planning, to suggest ideas, to review drafts, and to develop budgets.

ORSP offers five internal funding programs that support faculty research:

1. Released Time for Research (RTR) Awards Program “was established in support of faculty research and creative works.”

2. Untenured Faculty Research Initiative (UFRI) was established “to support competitive research efforts of untenured faculty that will advance the state of the art or knowledge in a specific field or area of professional activity; enhance the ability of untenured faculty to participate successfully in the Release Time for Research Program; and promote proposal-writing skills suitable for the preparation of applications to external funding agencies.”

3. The Foundation Faculty Research Award is “to help faculty better position themselves to apply for and receive external funding for their research and scholarly activities. Full time tenured and untenured faculty can apply.”

4. The Students Partnering with Faculty (SpF) Summer Research Program is a “program that has been developed to support and advance student and faculty research and scholarship at Kean University. Through the SpF program, full-time faculty will have the opportunity to submit proposals, in collaboration with undergraduate or graduate students.”

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 352010 Institutional Report

5. The Presidential Scholars Challenge “funds faculty research initiatives in areas important to the strategic vision and core initiatives of the University. The grant provides bridge support to faculty researchers who then pursue external funding to continue their research program.”

Research and publishing have increasingly become more important at Kean University over the last five years. Several new competitive research programs have been developed to support faculty research. In 2002 the UFRI and RTR awards were established. In 2004 the SPF award was established and in 2006 FFRA awards were established. The year the Presidential Scholars Challenge (PSC) award was established. In 2009, faculty in the professional education achieved 6 of these research awards, with a total of 13 awards over the last three years.

5d. Modeling best professional practices in service

Consistent with the University’s mission statement and guidelines for tenure and promotion, service is a priority for unit faculty. Many service activities stem from the COE’s active projects that partner with many urban school districts serving students at or below poverty level and partner with educational commissions serving at-risk students. For instance, faculty dialogue with teachers and administrators in 18 Professional Development Schools (PDSs); offer summer professional development institutes; provide consultation services to numerous school districts; and facilitate training workshops in technology, diversity, education, special education, counseling, and speech corrections throughout the nation but especially in the tri-state area. Faculty offer training workshops through the Center for Bilingual Education, the Speech Upgrade Project, the SIOP Project, and technology integration to mention a few. On campus, our Institute for Child Study serves community residents and school districts at affordable rates by providing educational support services such as assessment, diagnosis, remediation, and individual instruction. Also our Speech and Language clinic operated by the Department of Communications Disorders and Deafness serves the public in a new 7 million state-of-the-art clinic.

Faculty are actively engaged in leadership positions within their respective professional organizations, advisory boards, task forces, and professional boards at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels (see Exhibit 4). In these positions they collaborate on service projects, grants and publications. An example of an important service project recently completed by unit faculty is the development and implementation of two Alternate Route programs for the State and the required New Jersey State 24-Hour Programs designed to assist non-traditional candidates in Early Childhood and other K-12 settings to complete state pre-certification requirements.

5e. Unit evaluation of professional education faculty performance

The institution has a systematic and comprehensive evaluation system that includes regular and comprehensive reviews of the professional education faculty’s teaching, scholarship, service, collaboration with the professional community, and leadership in the institution and profession . Tenure-track and tenured faculty are evaluated on the three criteria used for reappointment, promotion, and tenure: teaching effectiveness, scholarship and professional growth, and service (contributions to the University, College, division, community and wider community).

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 362010 Institutional Report

· Evaluation for non-tenured faculty occurs through the annual reappointment process, and involves review of a comprehensive reappointment application. Untenured faculty evaluation occurs on an annual basis during the 5-year probationary period, at which time, a decision of tenure or termination occurs. (See Exhibit 5 for full description.)

The unit has comprehensive evaluation program, entitled Career Assessment Review of the professional education faculty’s teaching, scholarship, service, collaboration with the professional community for tenured faculty that is completed every five years. Overwhelmingly, senior faculty are assessed as productive scholars and are respected members of the university and the professional community. The unit also has comprehensive evaluation program of adjunct faculty that is completed according to guidelines developed by individual departments.

Lecturers and adjunct instructors are only evaluated for their teaching effectiveness. Chairpersons or program coordinators observe adjunct instructors annually. Feedback is written and verbal and consists of an improvement plan, if necessary. Feedback may also include the compilation of anonymous student evaluations. Clinical supervisors are evaluated every semester by the interns they supervise. As part of the evaluation process, strengths and weaknesses are reviewed and a remediation plan is devised, if necessary.

In addition to institutional evaluation, candidates have regular and systematic opportunities to evaluate faculty members at the conclusion of courses. Specifically, candidates complete “Student Evaluation of Teaching”. Also, in their final semester of course work, candidates complete the “Undergraduate Report Card” and “Graduate Report Card”. Finally, new alumni complete the “Your Situation at Present”. All methods of candidate evaluation are anonymous and voluntary. Beginning in Spring 2010, the institutional implemented the SIR II to be carried out in each section of each course offered on a regular basis every semester. Once this initiative gets underway and in fully implemented, our unit will be able to collect and use this valuable data for program improvement and for improvement in teaching effectiveness. For tenured faculty, the university follows the Career Assessment A-328 process. Students in faculty member’s classes where peer observation will be conducted are asked to complete the form. The department’s Retention and Tenure committee reviews the A-328 portfolio and teaching evaluation form as criteria for continuation. The Dean, as the president’s designee, reviews the data with the candidate.

Our comprehensive evaluation process reflects the conceptual framework. The evaluation assesses each faculty member’s mastery of the subject matter (i.e., knowledge), teaching effectiveness and scholarly achievements (i.e., skills), and professional growth and service to the university, the profession, and the community (i.e., dispositions).

5f. Unit facilitation of professional development

The unit has policies and practices that encourage all professional education faculty to be continuous learners. Kean University provides financial assistance and professional renewal opportunities for faculty members to engage in professional development. Kean University provides financial assistance for faculty members to engage in professional

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 372010 Institutional Report

development/renewal, scholarship, and service/leadership. Financial assistance includes the following:

· College of Education funding is available annually to each full time faculty in the College of Education ($1000 annually toward costs, if presenting paper).

· Sabbatical Leave is available for up to two (2) academic consecutive semesters to pursue a substantial project, and/or enhance competency as a scholar or teacher, or pursue a terminal degree in a related field of study. This is awarded on a competitive basis.

· Career Development Assistance is available for up to two (2) academic consecutive semesters to engage in a specific educational activity. This is awarded on a competitive basis.

· Released Time for Research and Creative Work (RTR) is available to tenured faculty. Up to 6-credits release time and a small stipend of $400 are awarded. This is awarded on a competitive basis.

· Untenured Faculty and Librarian Research Initiative (UFRI) is available to untenured faculty. Up to 6-credits release time and a small stipend of $400 are awarded. This is awarded on a competitive basis.

· Professional Career Development funds are available up to $1,000 on a competitive basis for full time faculty through the Kean University Career Development Committee.

Exhibit 7 provides a full description of opportunities for professional development/renewal, scholarship, and service/leadership. The on-campus programs stress teaching effectiveness, assessment/evaluation, and technology in education. Many unit faculty serve on the planning committees of these training opportunities, some have served as mentors, and most have attended or lectured at sessions.

Additionally, professional development, training, and curriculum support opportunities specifically for our adjuncts is provided by the COE in a variety of ways:

The Dean and the Associate Dean attend the University Adjunct Orientation session each semester and meet with COE adjuncts to answer any immediate questions;

In Fall 2009, the Dean and the Associate Dean conducted a formal training for COE adjuncts which addressed NCATE Standards, teaching expectations related to technology integration and use of online resources via the library (see Adjunct Meeting Agenda);

The Department of Special Education and Literacy provides a yearly Saturday meeting for adjuncts where policies, department and COE NCATE matters are discussed, and curriculum questions are addressed;

The Counselor Education department holds a Friday evening dinner meeting each semester for adjuncts where program updates, CACREP requirements, and student progress are discussed;

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 382010 Institutional Report

The Physical Education, Recreation and Health department Health faculty hold each semester a meeting of adjuncts where program updates and NCATE issues are discussed;

The Teaching Performance Center holds many events for adjuncts across the academic year which include:

- A New Supervisor’s Orientation each semester- Supervisor’s Forum - six meetings annually for all field supervisors for training on

the evaluation rubrics- Separate training events for adjunct supervisors at Kean@Ocean- Focused conversations with faculty and supervisors by department; and

The Center for Innovative Education has hosted a series of four events across 2009-2010 on 21st Century Teaching and the new NJ Core Content Curriculum Standards that all COE adjuncts and supervisors were invited to attend free of charge.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 392010 Institutional Report

STANDARD 6 – UNIT GOVERNANCE AND RESOURCES

Standard 6, Prompt #1How does the unit's governance system and resources contribute to adequately preparing candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards?

The professional unit at Kean University consists of the programs in the College of Education (COE) and the programs residing outside the College of Education that prepare school personnel (Art Education, Music Education, Theater Education, Educational Leadership, and School Psychology). Kean University’s College of Education is the largest producer of teachers for the State of New Jersey and enjoys a very good reputation in the State. Year after year, Kean University teacher candidates are nominated and awarded the prestigious New Jersey Distinguished Student Teacher Award. In 2008-2009, three of our candidates won this award and in 2009-2010 two of our candidates were awarded this honor.

The COE, headed by the Dean of Education, is the unit responsible for the administration, development, and evaluation of all professional education programs. A graphic representation of the organization of the Unit can be found in Exhibit 2. The Unit is governed by the policies and procedures detailed in the Administrative Handbook (see Exhibit 1). Additional governance information for the University as a whole can be found in the undergraduate catalog, pages 17-29 and in the graduate catalog, pages 38-50. The governing body of the Unit is the COE Administrative Council (see Unit Leadership and Authority) and for the institution as a whole, it is the Faculty Senate.

Since the last NCATE visit, the COE has been engaged in a continuous improvement process, refining programs, assessments, and administrative policies to strengthen our unit. We have considerable resources available to accomplish our goal in adequately preparing candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards (see Exhibit 6 and Exhibit 7). College of Education budgets have continued to increase even in this challenging economic environment. (See Exhibit 6). Exhibit 7 compares the College of Education Operating Budget (excluding full-time salaries) with the budgets for the other Colleges in the institution. The budget allocated to the College of Education including salaries has increased 22% for 2009-2010 in comparison to 2003-2004, and is planned to increase 26% for 2010-2011 in comparison to 2003-2004 (see Exhibit 6 and Exhibit 7). The change in funding for the Operating Non-Personnel Budget since 2004-2005 through the planned 2010-2011 budget shows a 44% increase.

As a consequence of our program and student successes and the ongoing, evidence-based assessment system we employ to document our efforts, The University leadership is very supportive of our work. Additionally, we have been able to secure over $5M in grant monies beginning in 2009 through 2014. The two federal grants we have received are modified alternate route programs to address teacher shortages in urban and urban rim school districts in special education, science, math, ESL and Bilingual content areas. (Our New Vistas Grant is a 3.5 M federal grant in partnership with William Paterson University. Our Garden State Partnership for Teacher Quality is a federal grant for 10.8 M in partnership with William Paterson University and Rowan University. Our Highway Safety Grant is a 1.25M New Jersey State Grant). We have entered into a partnership with the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning, a 5013c, to develop the Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) leading to endorsement programs and

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 402010 Institutional Report

Master’s Programs in Teaching Physics, Chemistry and Biology using a constructivist, technology-driven model to address serious teacher shortages and poor student performance in science beginning in grade 9. We also raise revenue through our Bureau of Educational Services, which offers courses off campus in school districts. Last year’s revenue was $450,000. Our Center for Innovative Education is also a source of additional revenue in that it customizes professional development workshops and consultation services for school districts.

Overall, the Unit has strong governance, adequate resources, institutional support, name recognition in the State for quality teacher preparation and innovation, and partnerships with the New Jersey Department of Education, local school districts, other universities and other education providers to continue to meet and exceed professional, state and institutional standards.

Prompt #2Describe work undertaken to move to the Target Level.Discuss plans for continuing to improve.

Standard 6 has five elements with Target Level descriptors for each element. The Unit will address and use language from each element to describe our work at the Target Level and to also highlight plans for continuing to improve.

6a. Unit Leadership and Authority

The Unit’s recruiting and admission policies and practices are described clearly and consistently in publications and catalogs. This information is found in online undergraduate and graduate catalogs at www.kean.edu (see Exhibit 4 links). The information found on the Kean University homepage include academic calendars, catalogs, publications, grading policies, and advertising are current as a consequence of frequent updates in the web-based format (see www.kean.edu). Additionally, the COE has redesigned its own web information, which has made student access to information concerning advisement, counseling, program requirements easy to find. Moreover, the KeanWise system enables students to access pertinent information including the name of one’s advisor, course information, registration information, program guidesheets, etc. The COE has also developed an NCATE webpage which provides easy access to the NCATE standards, the assessment systems in place, outcomes data and exhibits that document how the Unit meets each standard (see www.kean.edu~ncate).

A brief overview of the changes in the Unit since the last NCATE visit follows purposefully to set the context for the present report. In 2004, the College of Education had six (6) academic departments, each headed by an elected chairperson. By the 2008-2009 academic year, the COE had grown to eight departments. During the latter part of Spring 2009, the following additional changes were made to the Unit: The Department of Communication Sciences and Educational Services was eliminated effective the start of Spring 2010 as a consequence of re-organization and its faculty divided between Middle and Secondary Education and the newly renamed Department of Special Education and Literacy. Another change due to re-organization was the creation of the School of Global Education and Innovation, which consolidated World Language Programs in the COE. The School of Global Education intends to develop a five year,

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 412010 Institutional Report

BA-MA in Global Education and Innovation with programs in World Health, World Languages, World Literatures, and World Geopolitics. Each of the programs will also be designed to offer teacher certification sequences. (See Exhibit 2 for the current organizational chart of the College of Education).

Unit leadership and authority is translated first and foremost administratively and the committees and structures that support our work are noted below. However, unit leadership also must be viewed from a programmatic lens with respect to what initiatives must be nurtured and supported to fulfill the mission of the COE for our teacher candidates, their P-12 students, our faculty and the community. Consider some of the programmatic initiatives that are presented in this section as our commitment to develop new programs, refine existing programs and meet the changing needs of our stakeholders.

The College of Education Administrative Council (Professional Education Unit Council) provides the leadership for effectively coordinating all unit programs and is the governance body in charge of ruling on policies and procedures for professional education, e.g., the number of times a student can repeat student teaching, admission policies and procedures, etc. The Administrative Council is chaired by the Dean of the College and includes the Associate Dean, the Executive Assistant to the Dean for Students, the seven COE department chairs, the Director of the School of Global Education and Innovation and representatives from the professional programs housed outside of the COE, the Director of the Teaching Performance Center, and the Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Certification Office. The Administrative Council meets regularly on the first Monday of each month and other times as needed. Examples of issues the Council has recently discussed and voted on include development of an online Hygiene Test to meet NJ State Requirements for Teacher Education and a change in how GPA is computed for resident students and transfers seeking admission to the College of Education, various field policies, and an updated College of Education Administrative Policies Manual. Hard copies of Administrative Council Agendas and Meeting Minutes are available in the COE Dean’s office. (See Exhibit 1 for the Revised Administrative Policies Manual.)

The College of Education Retention and Tenure Committee (COE RT) is also chaired by the Dean. It includes one elected representative from each department and school, a faculty union observer (no vote), and two student representatives (with vote). The committee makes recommendations on retention and tenure of probationary faculty. Departmental RT committees are responsible for recruiting, hiring, and making recommendations for retention, tenure, sabbatical leaves and promotion of faculty.

The COE Curriculum Committee reviews and approves all new courses, revisions of courses, and programs after they have been approved by the departmental committees. The COE Curriculum Committee has elected representatives from each of the seven departments and one school of the unit and one student representative.

In addition to these committees which are part of the University’s governance structure and have their counterparts in the other colleges of the University, the unit has additional committees, which reflect its specific mission and provide for the collaboration between unit faculty, faculty in other units of the institution and school partners.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 422010 Institutional Report

Teaching Performance Center (TPC) Field Experiences Advisory Committee, which includes public school teachers and administrators, students, adjunct clinical supervisors, and departmental representatives, is charged with advising unit staff on field experiences and assessment systems. The recommendations go to the COE Administrative Council for approval.

Community of Practice Committee: This Committee meets twice a semester and brings together all full-time and adjunct faculty who teach junior field in one meeting and all faculty who teach senior field in another meeting. The goal is to explore how preparation for field can be strengthened and to identify best practices that can be shared with fellow colleagues.

NCATE Steering Committee comprised of representatives from each of the Programs in the Unit meets twice a semester to monitor progress and make recommendations regarding program development and improvement.

Teacher Education Council has representatives from Arts and Sciences who meet with representatives from the COE to discuss articulation, quality of student preparation, programmatic concerns, advisement issues, etc.

Library Liaisons Committee has representatives from each department/school who meets with the Associate Dean and the University Chief Librarian to discuss identifying materials to establish a curriculum library for education students and faculty.

Alternate Route Committee is comprised of faculty and staff responsible for the administration of the 24-hour CE requirement as well as grant personnel and faculty charged with administering alternate route modules and components of our regular program. This committee functions as advisory group and makes recommendations as to how best to implement our newly approved alternate route programs and modified alternate route grant programs.

Progressive Science Initiative Advisory Committee meets monthly to monitor program development and program administration. Includes faculty members from Middle and Secondary Education, representatives from Physics and Chemistry, and representatives from our partner, the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning.

Agenda documents and meeting notes for these committees are available in hard copy in the NCATE Office.

The unit’s recruitment and admission policies and practices are described in catalogs, admissions applications, web-sites, student handbooks and articulation agreements with community colleges. (See Exhibit 3 for Unit policies on student services such as counseling and advising; Exhibit 4 for Unit policies on recruiting and admission policies for candidates; and Exhibit 5 for Academic calendars, catalogs, unit publications, grading policies and unit advertising.)

A full-time Assistant to the Dean handles candidate problems and concerns. Candidates’ problems and their resolutions are confidential and stored in files in the Dean’s office. The Unit works closely with the Office of Students with Disabilities, Project Excel (LD support), Office of Student Conduct, and the Affirmative Action Office in order to insure that students are served

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 432010 Institutional Report

appropriately, that their rights are preserved, and that policies regarding program accommodations, student conduct, and student complaints comply with all University policies.

P-12 practitioners play an integral role in the program, design, delivery and evaluation of the unit and its program. This involvement comes to us via our PDS Clinical Faculty, Our Field Services Committee, our School District Grant Partners in New Vistas (Elizabeth and East Orange) and in the Garden State Partnership (Jersey City), our Progressive Science Initiative Partners (NJCTL, Paterson, Jersey City, and Newark), our Superintendent’s who engage in dialogue with us once each semester, and the myriad of attendees (over 30,000 participants during academic 2008-2009) at workshops sponsored via the Center for Innovative Education, many in collaboration with the NJ Department of Education. CIE has been the primary provider of the NJ DOE’s “Creating 21st Century New Jersey Schools,” the Statewide Systematic Model for Continuous Professional Learning and Growth for key stakeholders including superintendents, principals, administrators, and teachers. Phase 1 of this training was provided during academic 2008-2009. Phase 2 is taking place during 2009-2010. To see the extensive offerings by the CIE for the 2009-2010 academic year, visit http://cie.kean.edu.

An example of this involvement is the Progressive Science Initiative. Feedback from the P-12 sector given to the unit pointed to the lack of well prepared science teachers in general and physics teachers specifically. A partnership involving the NJ DOE, NJCTL and Kean brought changes in legislation to allow pilot programs for teacher training in science and math to be enacted. As a consequence, Kean’s COE and CNAHS have worked with NJCTL teachers ( a 5013C corporation of NJEA) to develop an endorsement program in physics and chemistry to be added to existing teacher certifications in science and/or other content areas, as well as designed Master’s Programs in Science Education. In the first cohort, Kean has 40 teachers completing the physics certification endorsement, which is 4 times the average of physics teachers trained by all universities in NJ. In the Spring of 2010, a January cohort of 50 additional teachers has been accepted, with about half seeking physics training and the other half seeking training in Chemistry. The Chemistry program will begin in Summer 2010, following the participants completion of 9-credits in Physics as a prerequisite during the Spring 2010. Plans to extend PSI to Biology for 2011 are already in development. Currently at the time of preparation of this document, 40 teachers from three of the most challenged urban districts in NJ (Paterson, Newark and Jersey City) are teaching 1200 9th grade students an algebra-based physics program and of those students, 300 have already elected to take AP Physics next year. Ongoing data collection on teacher and student variables is underway, and a research-based NSF proposal was submitted in January 2010 for the purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of this work. Through the PSI work, Kean has established itself as a leader in Science Education for the State of New Jersey.

Similarly the COE has worked closely with the NJ DOE to develop approved alternate route sequences for prospective NJ teachers. Currently 40% of all teachers licensed in NJ are from alternate route programs. Kean’s engagement has been to create alternate route programs of quality that are rigorous. The development of 3 Alternate Route Sequences and a 24-hour Introductory Module have demonstrated that the COE recognizes that we have a responsibility to bring the highest standards to alternate route licensure in our State. In two of our recently received federal grants, New Vistas and Garden State Partnership for Teacher Quality, we have adapted our alternate route sequences train over 100 New Vistas teachers in shortage areas

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 442010 Institutional Report

(Special Education, ESL and Bilingual) over a 5 year period and 25 Garden State Partnership Urban Teacher Residents in the same shortage areas identified above over the same 5 year period. The COE also has been identified by the NJDOE as a provider of SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) Training, receiving a $40,000 grant each year to train teachers to better serve students for whom English is a Second Language.

The unit is considered an exemplar of effective teaching, an innovator in the area of technology, and a provider of talented leaders for various initiatives across the campus. The unit provides professional development for faculty in the entire institution. Many of our faculty have leadership roles in the Middle States Self-Study Process now underway because of our familiarity with assessment practices. The Center for Innovative Education, a Professional Development arm of the COE, is headed by a unit faculty member who is well known for his leadership in technology. Over the past year, Dr. Michael Searson has been named Director of the School of Global Education and Innovation, which will develop education programs that involve international study, innovative integration of technology and designs for 21 st Century Classrooms. Through the CIE, faculty participate in workshops offered throughout each academic year on a variety of technology topics. In addition, the COE and CIE annually host a technology conference which features learning communities, web 2.0 activities, etc. that brings close to 1,000 participants to campus to discuss teaching in 21st Century Classrooms.

Additionally, the CIE and the leadership of the COE worked collaboratively with school partners to create the New Jersey Network for Student Success, which is charged with addressing achievement gap issues, particularly with High School Students. Teams from 20 districts are participating with us this inaugural year. Dr. Barry Mascari, our Chair of Counselor Education, co- leads the new, week-long faculty orientation each summer. One of our Ed Leadership Faculty, Dr. Effie Christie, is the Chair of the Tenure Faculty Network. Project Excel (LD Support) as well as the Child Study Institute is headed by Dr. Marie Segal, one of our Special Education Faculty. One of our Reading Faculty, Dr. Rey, Coordinates the Developmental Reading Program.

Dr. Chen-Haftek has coordinated an important conference on Educating the Creative Mind in March 2010, bringing experts and engaging faculty in the arts with faculty from education to study how we can nurture children aesthetically. Faculty from the College of Education and from Natural and Applied Health Sciences worked together in 2009 to host a major conference on Autism, with an 18-credit advanced certificate in Autism Studies growing out of that work. The COE worked closely with the Human Rights Institute to promote its January Program on Prejudice Reduction and Anti-bullying, making it possible for all education candidates to attend. The Teaching Performance Center and its Field Experience Committee sponsor orientation events for junior and senior field students each semester, cooperating teacher institutes for teachers who work with our students in local schools, and monthly meetings for field supervisors which have incorporated focus discussions by content area over the last several months. Overall, the Unit provides leadership and authority within the COE, our school partners and our candidates, as well as across the University as whole.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 452010 Institutional Report

6b. Unit Budget

The budget allocated to the College of Education including salaries has increased 22% for 2009-2010 in comparison to 2003-2004 and is planned in comparison to 2003-2004 to increase 26% for 2010-2011 (See Exhibit 6A). However the current fiscal crisis in New Jersey certainly brings into question the viability of this financial plan. With respect to the Operating Non-Personnel Budget, the COE was the highest funded of the units of the University in 2004-2005, but dropped to second highest funding the next year and has remained the second highest funded unit in the University since then for operating costs (See Exhibit 7) The change in funding for the Operating Non-Personnel Budget since 2004-2005 through the planned 2010-2011 budget shows a 44% increase.

In 2005-2006, the University created the New Jersey Center for Science, Technology and Math Education, which accounts for some of the reduction to the College of Education’s budget, moving the unit to second highest funding in the University. Since the COE has courses taught by the faculty from NJCSTME and in their facilities, which is housed in the College of Natural, Applied and Health Sciences, we derive benefits from this funding outside the Unit. This is also the case with programs in our Unit which are structurally located in the Nathan Weiss Graduate College. Again, most of our advanced programs benefit from the advertising and recruitment events offered by Nathan Weiss. Our students also enjoy the new state of the art facilities developed in the East Campus, the new home of the Nathan Weiss Graduate College which opened in September 2008. Finally, the COE also benefits from funding to the College of College of Visual and Performing Arts, where our arts education programs are housed, benefiting from the studio facilities.

The COE also has resources which come from external funds (federal and state grants and partnerships- See Exhibit 6B). Exhibit 6B indicates a 16% drop in external funds to the Unit from 2003-2004 to 2009-2010. This drop is significant because it reflects a change of leadership in the Unit. The longtime Dean, Dr. Schumann, left the University and for the next four years through the end of 2007-2008, the Unit had two interim Deans, Dr. Searson and Dr. Esposito. In 2008-2009, Dr. Susan Polirstok assumed the Dean’s position and provided the leadership that has begun to change the trend in external funding, having worked collaboratively with faculty, staff and outside P-12 education partners to bring in two federal grants (New Vistas Transition to Teaching and Garden State Partnership for Teacher Quality) and a grant from the State of New Jersey.

During this period, the COE has also been approved by the NJ Department of Education as an Alternate Route Provider, which has the potential to generate a great deal of revenue The trend upward from 2009 -2010 to 2010-2011 represents a 10% increase in outside funding and approximately $300,000 in additional tuition revenue. The New Vistas Program will recruit and train approximately 100 teachers in shortage areas (special education, bilingual and ESL) for two high needs districts, East Orange and Elizabeth. The grant is for 3.5M over five years, which we developed in partnership with William Paterson University. The Garden State Partnership for Teacher Quality employs an Urban Teacher Residency Model which pays a $30,000 stipend to each candidate for one year to support their training in shortage area in a high needs public school. Our participating district for this project is Jersey City. Our partners in this work are

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 462010 Institutional Report

William Paterson University (Northern Region of NJ) and Rowan University (Southern Region of NJ), and given that Kean is the Central Region of NJ, our partnership represents a systemic statewide effort. The grant award is for10.8M. We have also secured a grant from the State of New Jersey for 1.25 M over five years that involves developing curricula for teaching P-12 students about highway safety All three of these projects are major grants that have been received between 10/1/09 and 12/1/09.

Another revenue generating initiative is the COE’s partnership with the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning, a 5013c ,for the development of the Progressive Science Initiative. In this partnership, we have developed a sequence of courses for teachers that lead to an endorsement to their existing licenses in physics or chemistry (in development) or biology (in development). The model takes already certified teachers who are deemed excellent practitioners by their districts and uses a constructivist approach to learning and advanced technology. Other partners in this project are the NJ State Education Department and SMART Technologies, as this program uses Smart Boards, Smart Notebooks, SMART Responders and SMARTLesson Study to affect student learning. A Master’s Program at Kean has been developed so that teachers earning the endorsement can elect to continue their graduate study. Over 100 teachers are now enrolled in this program. The three largest urban districts in NJ are participating: Newark, Paterson, and Jersey City. In our first cohort 40 teachers will complete the training by the end of this academic year. All the Universities in NJ produced a total of 12 licensed physics teachers last year. Our cohort of 40 is a significant accomplishment. We continue to scale this program up and new districts are electing to participate. The revenue generated, approximately $250,000 for this academic year will help to support other high quality innovative projects in the Unit. As a consequence of this work, an NSF grant application has been submitted for $3.5M , and an I3 Innovations grant is currently in development. We are clearly committed to changing the way science education is taught in the State, and to increase the number of physics, chemistry and biology teachers who are being prepared for work in urban and urban rim districts.

In the Spring of 2009, the COE has responded to an RFP from the State of New Jersey to become an Alternate Route Provider for P-3; K-5,5-8 and K-12 Programs. Our programs have all been approved by DOE and we have begun to offer the orientation course (24 hour course) for P-3 and K-5, 5-8 and K-12 effective Spring 2010 and have enrolled approximately 100 potential teachers to date, which has served as another revenue enhancer. By the end of the Spring 2010 semester, it is likely that the 24-hour course will generate at minimum $5,000 in revenue beyond expenses.

Taken together, the support from the University and the funds derived from external projects, the resources for the College of Education are adequate to support teaching, service, and scholarship. Faculty development activities to improve teaching are supported by the University and the unit, principally through the Center for Innovative Education, College of Education retreats, and the mentoring program for new faculty. College of Education retreats over the past two years have examined value added research, differentiation of instruction, Response to Intervention (RtI), and program assessment.

Resources to support scholarship are adequately provided by Travel Allocations, a Career Development Program, Released Time for Research, Released Time for Untenured Faculty, and a Sabbatical Leave program. Library resources and non-print media in the Nancy Thompson

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 472010 Institutional Report

Library and the Instructional Resource Center, which are located on the main campus, together with the newly established COE Curriculum Materials Center, support the academic work of both faculty and candidates (See Exhibit 11 A)

Additionally our Bureau of Educational Services which offers professional development courses off campus in school districts across the State of New Jersey brought in revenue of approximately $450,000 for the 2009-2010 academic year.

As with most Colleges and Universities at the time that this document is being prepared, we have learned that the State of New Jersey has declared fiscal exigency and Kean University is being directed to cut our budget. It’s not clear at present how extensive these cuts will be, whether there will be a hiring freeze implemented that would limit our present searches for five new faculty members, or whether programs will need to be reorganized or even eliminated in light of budgetary constraints. The fact that our work is viewed so positively by the University leadership provides some measure of hope that the unit will bear less of the burden, given our healthy enrollments. The leadership of the COE is committed to advancing the quality of teacher preparation and as a consequence will continue to seek outside funding sources to support innovative, high quality programs.

6c. Personnel

The unit is of sufficient size to assure the consistent delivery and quality of each program offered. Exhibit 8 reports the full-time faculty/administrators and support staff in the COE for academic year 2009-2010. Exhibit 9A reports the full-time faculty and staff instruction in the College of Education for Spring and Fall 2009. Exhibit 9B reports the Adjunct Faculty Teaching in the College of Education Including Clinical/Field Supervision for Spring and Fall 2009. Exhibit 9C reports the number of adjuncts teaching more than one section for Spring and Fall 2009 and the overall % of adjunct instruction that represent multiple assignments.. Currently (Spring 2010), there are: 74 tenure track full-time faculty members, 29 full-time professional staff of whom 13 teach one or more sections in the College of Education, 7 full-time administrators of whom the majority direct ongoing grant projects, 26 clerical staff, one program counselor in Special Education, 18 part-time PDS clinical instructors which includes 6 new hires as part of two federal grants; and 74 supervisors of field experiences who are paid as adjuncts. In addition to the full-time personnel outlined in Exhibit 8, there are 15 graduate assistants employed by the unit. None of them has teaching responsibilities, but rather they provide support to the academic programs, the Computer Labs, the Teaching Performance Center, the Speech and Hearing Clinic and the Child Care Center. The Professional Staff, the Clerical Personnel and the Graduate Assistants provide a level of support that significantly enhances the effectiveness of faculty in their teaching and mentoring of candidates. Exhibit 9A illustrates that full-time faculty and full-time staff comprised 56% of the instruction for Spring 2009 and 50% of the instruction in Fall 2009. Exhibit 9B illustrates that adjuncts numbered 163 in Spring 2009 and 205 in Fall 2009, representing 44% and 50% of the instructional program. These adjunct percentages appear high because field supervisors are counted as if they are adjuncts and there are 74 field supervisors currently working to cover the large number of students we have in clinical field experiences every semester. Exhibit 9C

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 482010 Institutional Report

illustrates the of the portion of the instructional program taught by adjuncts in Spring 2009, 48% of those adjuncts taught more than one section. Similarly in Fall 2009, of the portion of the instructional program taught by adjuncts, 53% of those adjuncts taught more than one section.

By comparison, in 2003-2004 there were 41 part-time adjunct faculty who taught less than 15 percent of all professional education sections and clinical supervisors were approximately 50 in number, which represented 56 percent of all adjuncts. Hence the total part-time faculty was approximately 90 in number. The Spring 2009 and Fall 2009 data indicate that the number of adjuncts involved in instruction and/or supervision has greatly increased, by 45% for Spring and 56% for Fall. Over the past 7 years, adjunct rates have been steadily increasing. Several factors contribute to this: a) growth of enrollment in general; b) addition of many new programs; c) clinical field supervision which roughly involves approximately 1,200 students a semester; and d) adding new faculty lines apart from simply replacing retirements and non-reappointments. As a result, a very stable corps of adjuncts who teach multiple courses every semester have become part of our programs. The assignment of adjuncts to courses is purposeful and strategically contributes to the strength of our programs, blending theory and practice.

Kean University’s faculty is unionized. The unit contract specifies that full-time faculty members’ load is 24 credits per academic year. The contract does not differentiate between graduate and undergraduate faculty, or the nature of course delivery. All regulatory practices concerning teaching load are available in the College of NJ State College Locals, AFT, AFL-CIO 2007-2011 Full Time Agreement. Available at the same address are regulations concerning faculty teaching online courses. Those regulations indicate that an online course should be treated no differently from another teaching assignment, providing that the course does not need to be created. The contract specifies a 6-credit teaching overload limit, though some faculty may have additional overload for administrative assignments. Similarly, some highly rated adjuncts have been permitted to carry 9 credits in emergency situations which involve covering for full-time faculty on medical leave or sections that have to be added late to be able to serve students who need a particular course for graduation or to maintain financial aid. This practice is not done often, but always with an eye on trying to assist students .

The unit has made a deliberate decision to maintain small class size and a low student/faculty ratio. The overall student/faculty ratio in the COE is 17 to 1, and the average class size is 21, accept for clinical programs whose accreditation requires small faculty to student ratios. This small class sizes together with a very favorable ratio for student teaching load (1 student = 1 credit, or 12 full-time students to one full-time faculty member) make hiring part-time faculty a necessity.

The clinical supervisors and our adjunct faculty are included in the Unit as valued colleagues in preparing educators. Adjuncts who are experienced professionals at the district level are mentored in the departments; they receive invitations to all faculty development opportunities offered through the COE, and bring P-12 practice to our candidates in very concrete ways. A monthly Supervisors Forum is offered by the Teaching Performance Center to provide an opportunity for those supervising candidates to address common areas of concern, to share best practices, and to integrate readings and conversations for ongoing professional development of our supervisors.

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 492010 Institutional Report

To ensure integrity, continuity, and quality, the COE makes considerable efforts to integrate its part-time faculty. Clinical supervisors come to campus once a month for staff development workshops on issues/topics that they have identified together with full-time staff. They participate in committee work, advisory groups, and other professional development activities and are mentored by full-time faculty and staff. Part-time faculty have become increasingly active in unit initiatives such as the Classroom Management Mini Conference, the Cooperating Teachers Institute, etc. In collaboration with full-time unit faculty and staff, they plan and deliver conferences and workshops for education candidates, especially during the orientation sessions for junior and senior field. Additionally, they routinely receive e-mails with information concerning upcoming national and local conferences, publication opportunities, and campus events of interest to them and/or their students. They are invited to NCATE retreats, department meetings, and professional development opportunities hosted by the COE which have included: a professional development program on Tourette Syndrome, on Learning Disabilities, on Interdisciplinary Teaching Using the Holocaust as a focus, on Response to Intervention, and on Brain Injury. Adjunct faculty are included in our “community of practice” meetings where we examine how our students are performing in the field and identify common problems/issues related to their preparation here at Kean, and their progress on the Teacher Work Sample.

Taken together, all of our outreach to adjuncts including clinical supervisors is continuous as we develop an ongoing professional learning community, where all key stakeholders including our district partners are included whenever possible.

6d. Unit Facilities

Exhibit 10 lists unit facilities, including computer labs and curriculum resource centers. The unit’s departments and faculty offices are located in Hennings Hall, Hutchinson Hall, Willis Hall, D’Angola, Campus School South, the East Campus and the new Science and Technology Center which will open in Fall 2010. After the new building opens, the University plans to dedicate Hennings Hall in its entirety as the home of the College of Education. Hennings Hall was built as part of the new Kean University, with new and revitalized facilities completely transforming the campus. Hennings Hall was built with a significant contribution from Kean veteran faculty members, Drs. George and Dorothy Hennings. Dorothy Hennings was a former Dean of the College of Education and a prolific writer in the area of literacy.

Since the last NCATE visit, there have been many improvements to support the most recent developments in technology that allow faculty to model the use of technology and candidates to practice its use for instructional purposes. Key changes in the physical campus as well as changes in technology and equipment are as follows:

New Maxine and Jack Lane Center for Academic SuccessNew Athletic facilitiesNew Study Area was added to the LibraryNew Wing was added on to the Library as the permanent home of the Human Rights

Institute, which was opened in Spring 20102 New Residence Halls were opened in Fall 2009

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 502010 Institutional Report

Newly renovated EEBE and MSE Faculty OfficesNew Speech and Hearing Department OfficesNew Speech and Hearing Assessment LibraryNew Speech and Hearing Clinic and Equipment*New Psych ClinicNew laptops for our Hennings Hall 4th floor computer labNew Enlow Concert HallUpdated Assistive Technology Lab in Hennings Hall for Special Education Students

*Note: $7.5M was spent equipping our new Speech and Hearing Clinic

6e. Unit Resources Including Technology

The Nancy Thompson Library is a significant resource for the COE, its faculty and students. Expenditures to the library for the institution as a whole and for the resources dedicated specifically to education are found in Exhibit 11 A. While library resources for the unit and resources for the Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) have decreased since the last NCATE visit,. more university funds are being allocated to support subscription to the plethora of electronic databases and Internet resources as that is where information is most readily accessed (See Exhibit 11 A) A new Curriculum Resources collection is located in the library. Unit liaisons to the library from each department collaborated with faculty and clinical instructors from the Professional Development Schools to provide teacher candidates and faculty with samples of commonly used curriculum materials in the surrounding public school districts.

Kean University has made major investments in the area of technology. In the College of Education, we have designed a central faculty database where faculty can enter their credentials, publications, etc. so that we can document the outstanding credentials for the full-time and part-time faculty who teach in our programs. The COE has also invested in the development on a database to track certification data concerning our graduates from our programs. Additionally every faculty member has his/her own computer and e-mail account. All students have e-mail accounts as well. Registration is on-line, faculty office hours are posted on the web. The University also has mobile applications for students so they can access all online information from their cell phones. Kean also has a presence on Facebook and routinely posts information for students on our Facebook page.

The professional education unit has made a commitment that all candidates will be proficient in the use of technology and can meet the standards identified by the state for teaching in 21 st

Century Classrooms. To this end, the unit has allocated considerable resources to facilities, equipment, software, as well as professional development for faculty, staff and candidates and the Center for Innovative Education has become a major contractor for the State to provide training in the newly adopted 21st Century teaching standards which focus on the use of technology. The CIE has been conducting an ongoing project with virtual learning communities, something the COE and the State both value.

The online instructional program in the Unit is active and stable. Exhibit 11 B reports the number of education courses offered online via Blackboard since Fall 2007, along with the number of students who have been enrolled in those sections. A review of the courses offered

Return to page 1

Kean University Page 512010 Institutional Report

each semester show that only some of our departments in the COE are developing and offering online courses. Clearly the COE needs to grow this aspect of our instructional program for the following reasons: a) to allow us to continue to grow in enrollment beyond what our current facilities can support, especially parking; b) to be competitive with both in-state institutions and out-of-state institutions that are offering total programs online; c) to continue to enhance faculty knowledge in online teaching techniques; and d) to foster the new School of Global Education and Innovation and work collaboratively to establish our presence more globally in our partnerships with Universities around the world. We anticipate that the first completely online programs will be offered by The School of Global Education and Innovation.

Conclusion:The data presented in this report highlight the evidence that the unit meets target; the continuous improvement activities that are routinely implemented by the College of Education at Kean Univerisity reflect our committment to excellence in the preparation of qualified competent educators for 21st century classrooms.

Return to page 1