Findings for Program performance: staff Preparation & Development

The quality of coursework and faculty instruction across various subjects does not meet the standard. Courses do not consistently prepare candidates with the necessary pedagogical knowledge and skills to proficiently instruct in methods such as behavior management, content delivery, or assessment of P-12 students to drive instructional decision making.

Many observed courses lacked clear labeling of the criteria of methods/pedagogies, effective instructional strategies aligned to those methods/pedagogies, and opportunities for faculty modeling and hands-on candidate practice with quality oral & written feedback. There were often limited connections between theoretical concepts and real-world classroom application. Candidates had few in-class opportunities to practice strategies aligned with course learning outcomes (i.e. peer rehearsal, enactment in P-12 classrooms). While instructors occasionally mentioned isolated instructional strategies, the facilitation of coursework often did not serve as a model of high-quality teaching. Instructors should exemplify effective methods and instructional & content pedagogies, as candidates frequently look to course session instruction by the faculty member as a standard for their own future teaching with P-12 students.

Response to Data (Strategic Action Plan)