Continuous Improvement -Standard Three
Download Full Text Copy: Renaissance Action Plan for Continuous Improvement
Executive Summary
On May 14, 2010, unit faculty convened in Mansion 304 to deliberate on selecting and pursuing one of the two models [Continuous Improvement or Transformation Process] offered by NCATE for institution preparing for the fall 2011 site visit. Following a vote on the selection of the CI model, faculty also voted to select Standard 3 as the standard of choice to move to Target. The selection of Standard 3 was precipitated by faculty commitment to exceed improvements to the standard following three Areas for Improvement cited during the 2003 site visit. The unit has been innovative in the development and implementation of field experiences at both the initial and advanced program level.
Unit faculty is resolved to move beyond a culture of compliance to a culture of commitment to student learning and continuous improvement and promoting critical reflection on our efforts to prepare educators. To begin our work, we focused on the NCATE’s definition of terms provided in the glossary section of the Standards Handbook; best practices assessments [informed by our Educator as Leader model expressed in the Unit’s Conceptual Framework], the unit has implemented and currently uses at program level. Initially, these actions were the basis for the development of the Renaissance Plan.
Planning assumptions behind our model are two-fold – (a) to improve Standard 3 (and any other standard) successfully, the planning document must approach improvement strategies that must be adapted as a part of the units culture, dedicated to looking at where we are, and where we need to go. Assessment of candidate performance and development must be viewed as continuous rather than episodic and it must be viewed as a unit-wide process; (b) assessment is a critical process that provides vital information. Through monthly meetings and professional development activities over the last three years, coupled with information and consultation, Standard 3 assessment processes will continue to be streamlined, fully integrated throughout the programs, and viewed as both non-repetitive and non-burdensome by faculty and staff. The unit’s challenge is not to create a culture that streamlines operations – given the finite nature and often-competing demands placed on faculty and staff time and resources – rather, to continuously enrich the experiences of candidates in actual school environments.
After reviewing internal and external candidate assessment data, including various unit report documents, committees’ minutes, monthly meetings (later turned into weekly) faculty members collaboratively embarked on the development of the data-driven Renaissance Action Plan for Continuous Improvement: 2010-2012.
With unit faculty having embraced a culture of assessment faculty affirm that assessment is a continuous process of systematically collecting, interpreting, and using qualitative and/or quantitative information to guide the improvement program quality, and the formation and achievement of unit’s priorities. While the various developed unit data bases related to Field Experiences and Clinical Practice do not indicate contradictions in portraying the Unit’s performance on Standard 3, faculty were resolved to develop a battery of focused survey instruments to collect additional baseline data. These surveys targeted recent program graduates[1]; candidates in student teaching in January; unit faculty; and clinical faculty. Data generated from the surveys was analyzed and shared with faculty in January and February 2011. It is anticipated that unit faculty will engage in discussions on how best to use data collected from these surveys in (a) support of the already successful collaborative efforts and activities in the implementation of the Renaissance Action Plan for Continuous Improvement: 2010-2012 and, more importantly, (b) determine how best to use the assessment data to improve teaching and learning for Educators as Leaders candidates.
Resources:
1. Student Teachers’ Survey
2. First Year Teacher Survey
3. Spalding University Professional Education Faculty Survey
4. Clinical Faculty Survey
5. Field Experiences Evaluation