Hilda Medrano is Dean of the College of Education at the University ofTexas–Pan American in Edinburg.

Quality Assessmentand Benchmarks forTeacher Preparation

Program StudentsHilda Medrano

Over the last three years, the South Texas Center forProfessional Development of Teachers (STCPDT) at theUniversity of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) College ofEducation (COE) has undergone extensive restructuring of itsteacher preparation programs and some of its graduateprograms. Various schools have participated in this effort toimprove the education of preservice teachers, in-serviceteachers, and public school students at all levels. Thefollowing is a summary of the process and the accomplish-ments of that restructuring.

South Texas Center for Professional Developmentof Teachers

The STCPDT is a collaborative made up of educators focusedon providing quality education to preservice teachers andpublic school students. The STCPDT consists of the followingeducational institutions:

• Edcouch-Elsa ISD

• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD

• South Texas ISD (Teacher Academy)

• Edinburg CISD

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• Region One Education Service Center

• University of Texas–Pan American

• McAllen ISD

• South Texas Community College–College of Education

• Weslaco ISD

STCPDT GovernanceThe governance structure of the STCPDT was collaborativelyestablished in the fall of 1995 and consists of a 48-membergovernance board (the majority are mentor teachers or sitelead teachers), which meets every other month; a 14-membersteering committee, which meets monthly; and subcommit-tees, which meet periodically or as needed. Membershipincludes representation from all partners, and meeting-location costs and the like are shared by all partners on arotation basis. In addition to these committees, each partici-pating campus (19 elementary and 11 secondary schools) hasan identified site lead teacher, who is supported by eachdistrict and is responsible for ensuring that his or her campusis effectively involved in all STCPDT–related activities. Thisstep has allowed a greater empowerment of mentor teachersfrom the participating school sites.

STCPDT ResourcesThe STCPDT is committed to providing the necessaryresources—including faculty, teachers, and administrators—to ensure the delivery of an effective educator preparationprogram that will invariably lead to public school students'success. There are currently over 500 elementary educationmajors (interdisciplinary studies) and over 150 secondary

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education majors in the teacher preparation program. Facultyresources at UTPA's COE during the spring 1998 semesterincluded the chair of the Department of Curriculum andInstruction, seven tenure-track elementary faculty, fivetenure-track secondary faculty, eleven lecturers in the twoprograms, and eight part-time adjunct faculty. Many of theadjunct faculty are collaborative members, such as mentorteachers and/or administrators. The field-based programshave generated the need for additional faculty; faculty havecommitted their time and efforts to ensure a successfulprogram. In addition, the dean of the COE has been theSTCPDT director, and the same faculty member has been theassociate director, since 1995. The restructured field-basedprograms were approved by the State Board for EducatorCertification (SBEC) on May 1, 1998.

The ultimate goal of restructuring teacher preparation is theinstitutionalization of all field-based activities. The COE'sOffice of Field Experiences (formerly Office of StudentTeaching) was established in the fall of 1997 to centralize allcollegewide field-experience activity. This office, whichcoordinates all field-related activities for all undergraduateand graduate programs from all departments in the COE, isdirected by the current STCPDT associate director.

The Actualization of the STCPDTWith direction from the president at UTPA, program renewalat the STCPDT began with an initial assembly of universityand public school educators to focus on the understanding ofthe new "Center Rule." Texas Education Code (T.E.C.) 13.050provided institutions of higher education with the oppor-tunity to establish Centers for Professional Development and

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Technology (CPDT) for the purpose of integrating tech-nology and innovative teaching practices into the preserviceand staff-development training of teachers and administra-tors. (In the 1997–1998 academic year, the centers' name waschanged; CPDT now stands for Centers for the ProfessionalDevelopment of Teachers.) It was important to understandthat one of the major purposes of the CPDTs is to address thelearning needs of a culturally diverse student population inorder to increase student learning, success, and achievement.Following this initial orientation with respect to the "CenterRule," several conferences were held to discuss theorganizational structure of the collaborative and to write andsubmit the Texas Education Agency–STCPDT fundingproposal. Described in Figure 1 is the sequence of events thatled to the creation and institutionalization of the STCPDT. Atthe heart of all discussions that ensued throughout theprocess was how to ensure academic success of public schoolstudents and preservice teachers at the university.

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The mission statement of the STCPDT clearly acknowledges that thesuccessful education of preservice teachers and students can only beaccomplished through effective and ongoing collaboration by allstakeholders. Therefore, the mission of the STCPDT is as follows:

To establish and maintain a teacher preparationprogram committed to a comprehensive field-basedprofessional development process that incorporatesinnovative teaching practices and integrates tech-nology for the purpose of equitably addressing thediverse learning needs of a multicultural population.This process will create an environment thatempowers teachers to maximize student per-formance, resulting in lifelong learners who becomeproductive citizens in a global society.

This mission statement is the result of more than 63 membersof the collaborative—teachers, administrators, and universityfaculty—coming together to discuss, debate, and share ideasin a dynamic and interactive group process focused primarilyon the improvement of educator preparation and publicschool student success. Four such meetings took place over aperiod of two months, with public school teachers consis-tently representing the majority of participants. This led thecollaborative members to commit their respective resourcesto a collective effort to restructure teacher preparation and,through this synergy, to have a positive impact on low-performing campuses. Unanimously, the STCPDT agreedthat the target of its initiative should be public schoolchildren. The STCPDT identified the major componentsinvolving restructuring and institutionalization to ensuresystemic change in teacher preparation. These componentsinclude (1) course and program restructuring, (2) staff

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development, (3) inclusion of technology, (4) multiculturaleducation, and (5) collaboration. All of the public schooldistricts, institutions of higher education, and communityrepresentatives agreed on the following goals for thecollaborative, to address these components:

1. To establish an ongoing collaborative process (governance,organization, management) that includes students, edu-cators, and the community for the purpose of achievingstudent success;

2. To restructure teacher preparation programs to reflect acomprehensive, innovative, field-based, learner-centeredcommunity;

3. To provide ongoing staff development for all entitiesinvolved, with the express purpose of fostering the use ofinnovative teaching practices and state-of-the-arttechnology;

4. To integrate appropriate and effective use of technology inall aspects of learning, teaching, and administration;

5. To develop an environment among all stakeholderswhere socioeconomic status and linguistic, ethnic, andcultural diversity are recognized as an integral part of thelearner-centered environment;

6. To conduct formative, interim, and summative evaluationactivities on the processes and the products of theSTCPDT;

7. To institutionalize the STCPDT so that it is both systemicand dynamic and to promote informed dialogue amongall collaborators for sustained and long-lasting renewal.

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In addition to the goals outlined above, the STCPDTestablished the following expectations for final approval as aCenter for Professional Development of Teachers.

1. All partners continue to collaborate and collectivelyensure that all participating professional developmentschool sites from the respective districts are integrallylinked and actively involved in the elementary/secondary teacher preparation programs and graduateprograms.

2. Technology is embedded in all components and imple-mentation phases of the STCPDT.

3. All members of the collaborative join in partnership indefining and administering staff development that isconsistent, ongoing, and based on the assessed learningneeds of the students being served.

4. A governance structure that ensures full representationand includes active participation by all partner membersis established.

5. Teacher preparation programs effectively address:

a) the collaborative's multicultural and diversity needs,

b) ongoing collaboration,

c) field-based experiences and extended internships,

d) integration and effective use of technology,

e) innovative teaching and best practices,

f) cooperative efforts with UTPA and the College ofArts & Sciences, and

g) a well-defined recruitment/retention process andmodifications that meet the needs of teachers, such asstudents with daytime employment and students onteaching permits.

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Program EquityThe STCPDT is committed to the equality of educationalopportunities for all students, teachers, faculty, and staff. Thepopulation in South Texas is predominantly Hispanic (over90 percent); concerns addressed by the STCPDT include lowsocioeconomic status and linguistic and cultural differences.Specifically, the STCPDT has provided numerous educa-tional scholarships to support disadvantaged undergraduatestudents and to promote continued professional develop-ment for mentor teachers who otherwise could not afford toattend graduate school. It has supported, promoted, and/orbeen otherwise involved in various measures, such asreading initiatives, dual-language education, readingrecovery programs, community outreach, parental involve-ment, and other projects. Also included in our programrestructuring is the goal of an in-depth understanding ofmulticulturalism. A course on multicultural education is nowrequired of all elementary education majors.

Program Description/Program Curriculumand Sequence

All students seeking a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studiesdegree leading to certification in elementary education fromthe College of Education at UTPA are required to complete acore curriculum during Blocks 1–3 (equivalent of threesemesters) for the daytime program (see Figure 2). Thedesignated core courses are unique to the elementary teacherpreparation curriculum in that they integrate technology intothe curriculum and instill in all students (regardless of thecertification area sought) a learner-centered philosophy. Thecurriculum includes courses in bilingual education, specialeducation, early childhood education, multicultural educa-tion, instructional technology, instructional methods andclassroom management, emergent literacy, reading acquisi-tion, and content area reading.

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The elementary teacher preparation program is designed as adevelopmental process leading to the certification of first-year teachers. As such, the program builds as prospectiveteachers evolve in all the areas identified as professionalrequirements for teaching. This process results in blocks ofcoursework that facilitate the developmental sequence ofcourse outcomes, taking the prospective teacher from thenovice stage to the second level of internship: studentteaching. Students move through the day and eveningprograms in groups. As students progress from block toblock of coursework, the time spent in the field increasesaccordingly—from half days to full days to full weeks.

The elementary course sequence and field experience fordaytime and evening programs requires students to enroll incoursework in blocks (as shown in Figure 2). When selectinga block section, students must enroll in the same sectionnumber for all courses required in the respective block. At notime, under any circumstances, are students to enroll incourses out of sequence; the developmental nature of theprogram relies on the coursework's being completed in order.Students who enroll in courses out of sequence or not in acomplete block (same section number) are dropped from allblock courses and are required to repeat the block thefollowing semester.

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Intern Developmental Teaching PortfolioThe act of teaching is too dynamic to be evaluated solelythrough observation. The intern developmental teachingportfolio is a requirement for the elementary teacherpreparation program because it permits assessment of theunobservable characteristics of teaching practice:

• progress of developmental characteristics of teaching;

• attitudes held by prospective teachers about students,parents, administrators, and colleagues; and

• the ability to self-reflect about personal teaching practice.

The intern developmental teaching portfolio permits studentinvolvement in a holistic and authentic process that has thepotential to ensure a more thorough professional prepara-tion. The portfolio assessment recognizes the value of boththe process and the product, embodying the attitude thatassessment is dynamic and that the most complete portrayalsof teaching performance are based on multiple sources ofevidence collected over time in authentic settings. Portfolioshave the capacity to reflect the richness and complexities ofteaching in ways not afforded by observation alone.

The portfolio is designed to serve both the student and theprogram by (a) providing students with the means to con-tinuously assess their professional growth and demonstratetheir successful accomplishments in the teacher preparationprogram upon entering the job market and (b) providingprogram faculty with an opportunity to assess the develop-mental progress of students as they complete the coursesequence by requiring that specific developmental outcomesbe successfully completed and included as portfolio entries.These benchmark entries, identified for each block, make upthe majority of the items to be contained by the portfolio.

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Seminars on portfolio development are provided to studentsduring their Block 1 and/or Block 2 semesters because theintern developmental teaching portfolio is unique in that itembodies elements of four types of portfolios:

• The Showcase Portfolio:

— This portfolio contains the student's self-selected bestwork representing a portrait of an individual overtime.

• The Documentation Portfolio:

— This portfolio represents observed and recordedprogress connected to systematic benchmarks.

— The benchmarks specify different periods ofassessments.

• The Evaluation Portfolio:

— This portfolio contains tasks/artifacts based onpredetermined program benchmarks.

— All students are required to complete the same tasksin an effort to standardize the portfolio assessment.

• The Process Portfolio:

— Through this portfolio students demonstrate workthat is part of a larger picture; student developmentis assessed on a semester-by-semester basis.

— The students are required to reflect upon their ownlearning and determine

• what steps were accomplished,

• what was gained in the process, and

• what would change in the future.

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Results-Based Student DevelopmentalOutcomes and Benchmarks

The results-based student developmental outcomes andbenchmarks were collaboratively developed by faculty andpublic school staff. The question that guided all discussionwas: What should students prepared through the elementaryteacher preparation program in the College of Education atUTPA know and be able to do at the end of their program?The final conclusion was that all outcomes and benchmarkswould be performance based and evaluated primarilythrough field experiences. Student developmental outcomeswould be based only on the core elementary curriculum.Faculty and/or mentor teachers would determine theeffectiveness of students' or interns' performance as theyinteract with children in the classroom setting.

Students are required to successfully complete these studentdevelopmental outcomes/benchmarks as well as theprogram benchmarks (e.g., specified minimum GPA, TexasAcademic Skills Program [TASP®], seminars, ExCET) asprogress is made from one block to another.

Semester 1—Block 1 includes the required program bench-marks for entry into the teacher preparation program and therequired student outcomes for successfully completing thefirst semester of the program (see Figure 3). All outcomeshave the designated course or courses in which the particularstudent outcome will be developed and assessed. Outcomesidentified with two asterisks are required to be maintained inthe student developmental portfolio for purposes of assess-ing the successful completion of the semester's develop-mental outcomes and benchmarks. Although all courses inthe blocks will address these outcomes, special emphasis will

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be made by faculty assigned those courses. Furthermore,students will earn a numeric assessment for each identifieddevelopmental portfolio entry, which will be used to ensurecontinuous progress from one semester to the next. To form acontinuum of development, at each level the portfolio entriesbecome the following semester's developmental benchmarks(see Figures 4, 5, 6).

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Other important facets in the elementary program are therequired seminars, the minimum GPA requirement, and theIndividual Developmental Plan in Reading (IDPR). Studentsmust attend three seminars designed to assist them withtopics such as portfolio development, understanding ExCETcontent and the registration process, certification require-ments, and job opportunities. A GPA of at least 2.5 must bemaintained in the teacher education core curriculum, and the"one C rule" is followed. The "one C rule" states that studentscan earn only one C in their core coursework in each block.Also, based on demographic and TASP data of UTPA stu-dents, the only significant correlation to passing the ExCET isa student's TASP Reading score; hence, the IDPR wascreated. This plan will use a program called the LearningPlus Reading Initiative developed by Educational TestingService (ETS®), which provides for diagnosis andremediation of reading strategies for expository texts andtest-taking strategies. Students are required to complete theIDPR prior to Internship II.

Once Blocks 1 and 2 are completed and all indicated require-ments are met, students are admitted into the internshipphase of their preparation and are identified as interns in theprogram. Semester 3—Block 3 describes the beginning ofactual in-class observation/assessment of the interns' abilityto perform as teachers. Students are assessed on theircommand of the five domains of the internship outcomes.During this third semester, students are assigned to onementor teacher in the area and level in which they areseeking certification. They are enrolled in 15 hours of field-based coursework (except for students with content minors,who are enrolled in 9 hours). Students are required not only

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to successfully complete the courses with at least the requiredGPA but also to gain for the first time full responsibility of apublic school classroom (see Figure 7). Students graduallyacquire full responsibility for teaching two subject areas twodays per week during Block 3 (Internship I). Once they areadmitted into the Internship II semester (Block 4), anInternship II handbook is issued to each student. The hand-book provides the interns, public school mentor teachers, anduniversity supervisors with detailed information aboutexpectations, responsibilities, evaluation of performance, andtime lines for the semester.

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SummaryThe restructured, field-based teacher preparation programfeaturing the performance-based benchmarks discussed hashad an impact on the achievement of public school students,the achievement of preservice teachers at the university, andthe educational practice of in-service teachers and universityfaculty. The effects on each of these participants can besummarized as follows.

Students in the low-performing campuses that were part ofthe collaborative worked with preservice students andinterns at various levels—individual tutoring, small-groupinstruction, and whole-group instruction. These public schoolstudents were from diverse linguistic and cultural back-grounds, and the opportunity to work with university stu-dents and interns afforded them opportunities to interactwith various teachers and to benefit from diverse teachingstrategies. The program benchmarks required varied demon-strations, and they facilitated teaching and learning oppor-tunities for the university students and interns throughinteractions with public school students. These interactionsresulted in improved TAAS scores in the majority of theparticipating campuses. Twenty-four of the 29 schoolsshowed an overall dramatic increase in various test areas. Infact, 8 out of 24 campuses increased TAAS scores by morethan 20 points over the two periods. The results of theseTAAS scores revealed that the gap between minority andnonminority students in the collaborative campuses wasnarrowed, although not totally eliminated. These results areextremely promising for improving the educational outcomesof linguistically and culturally diverse student populations.

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A second impact that can be attributed to the restructuredprogram is the improvement of ExCET scores. Because of thefield-based program requirements, the university studentsand interns were required to interact with, teach, and assessstudents in real-life situations. These increased opportunitiesto practice and reflect on their teaching provided the pre-service teachers with a wealth of practical experience that hasresulted in increased initial-pass rates on the ExCET. TheState Board for Educator Certification "accredited" status ofthe restructured teacher preparation program indicates thatthe performance of these preservice teachers has improved incomparison to those under the former teacher preparationprogram. The developmental program and benchmarks alsoprovide increased opportunities for (a) implementation ofteaching strategies, (b) reflection on teaching practices,(c) assessment of students (authentic and standardized),(d) observation of students, and (e) relating teaching andlearning theory to practice. These increased opportunities foractual teaching enable university students to have priorteaching experience that enhances their repertoire andincreases their self-confidence. Consequently, during theirfourth—or student-teaching—semester, interns are moredevelopmentally ready to assume full teaching responsibili-ties. The developmental and program benchmarks providedocumentation for the interns during their time in the pro-gram and documentation for employment after completionof their preparation program. Mentor teachers have con-sistently expressed that these interns are much betterprepared to assume teaching duties than were the mentorteachers themselves in their undergraduate programs.

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Mentor teachers and campus administrators have expressedtheir confidence in UTPA interns with their eagerness to hirethe students once they complete their fourth block of theprogram (student teaching). Mentor teachers and administra-tors indicate that the portfolios the interns compile andpresent during interviews with the site-based decision teamare instrumental in their hiring decisions. Administratorshave also stated that the interns are well prepared to assumeteaching duties, "have a teaching and learning philosophy,"and are well versed with the assessment process currentlyused by administrators to evaluate teaching performance.