The Unit’s Conceptual Framework identifies Domain II - Content as a knowledge-based area for mastery. The Unit’s Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification program is designed to ensure that Candidates know the subject matter that they plan to teach and can explain the principles and concepts delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards. To this end, Candidates are expected to demonstrate the following proficiency for Domain II: “The Candidate demonstrates knowledge of facts, concepts, principles and methods of inquiry of the general and specialized content required for successful practice of the profession.”

Prior to completing the program, Candidates must pass the Praxis II Subject Assessments which, for Elementary Education Candidates measure knowledge of subject matter most commonly taught in the elementary school and how well prospective teachers of students in the elementary grades can respond to exercises that require thoughtful, written responses. For Secondary Education Candidates, Praxis II (or the ACTFL Test for Secondary Spanish Candidates) measures knowledge of the specific subjects that they will teach, as well as general and subject-specific teaching skills and knowledge. Individuals entering the teaching profession in the State of Connecticut take these tests as part of the teacher licensing and certification process required by CSDE. As reported in Standard 1 Table 1 100% of program completers pass the Praxis II or ACTFL tests.

                                                       Standard 1 Table 1
               Unit Pass Rate on Praxis II  and ACTFL for Initial Teacher Preparation
                                       For Period: June 1, 2004 – July 30, 2007

In addition to the required state licensure tests the Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification Program evaluates Candidates' content knowledge; pedagogical and professional knowledge, skills and dispositions; and effects on student learning using a variety of instruments and techniques which are utilized at one or more of the four gateways identified in the Unit’s Conceptual Framework and established in the Unit’s Assessment System. These gateways are:  I Admissions; II Pre-Clinical; III Program Completion; and IV Post Program Completion. The additional assessments relevant to Content Knowledge of teacher Preparation and Initial Certification Candidates include: Praxis I (or waiver), Transcript Reviews, Competency Assessment Reports, and the Clinical Assessment System.

Praxis I

Praxis I test score results indicate Candidates’ mastery of knowledge and skills related to reading, writing, and basic mathematical operations. Successful completion of the Praxis I (or an applicable waiver) is a requirement for admission to the Teacher Preparation Program. Test scores are submitted and reviewed at the Admissions Gateway. 

Transcript Reviews

Transcript reviews are conducted at the time of admission into the program to make sure that the Candidates know the subject matter that they plan to teach as evidenced by their having a content area major or equivalent in the area in which they are seeking endorsement.  Each endorsement area has its own Transcript Review Form that the Unit has developed in consultation with faculty members in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences to ensure that Candidates have taken the courses required to obtain a major or equivalent in the subject matter the Candidate plans to teach. Copies of the forms used by the Unit to conduct transcript reviews at the time of admission can be found in the Exhibit Room.   Transcript reviews are based on the Connecticut State Requirements as presented in the Regulations Concerning State Educator Certificates, Permits and Authorizations. Prior to student teaching the transcript is reviewed again to make sure that all coursework required before a Candidate is allowed to student teach has been completed. As the Candidate nears completion of the program, the transcript is again reviewed to ensure that all general and specific academic requirements have been fulfilled by the Candidate prior to being recommended for certification.

Competency Assessment Reports

Competency Assessment Reports (CAR) refer to specific embedded rubrics on which Candidates are assessed in each course in the Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification Program. The rubrics measure a Candidate’s level of mastery of the competencies identified by the Unit to be covered in that particular course. Each faculty member teaching that course assesses each Candidate’s mastery of the knowledge, skills and dispositions required in the course. The faculty member completes the assessment instrument and enters the data into the Unit’s electronic database (e-STAR). A Competency Assessment Report is prepared on each Candidate in the course. The rubrics used in each CAR are aligned with the Unit’s Conceptual Framework and with the CCCT.

For assessing content and subject matter knowledge of Candidates in the Elementary Education Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification Program, the CARs associated with the following courses are most relevant: CAR ED221/413 Elementary Curriculum & Methods: Reading, Writing and Language Arts; CAR  ED222/459 Elementary Curriculum & Methods: Mathematics and Science; and CAR  ED223/430 Elementary Curriculum & Methods: Social Studies and Health. For assessing the content and subject matter knowledge of Secondary Teacher Certification Candidates, CARs associated with ED262/428 Secondary Curriculum and ED264/429 Secondary Methods are most applicable.

The Competency Assessment Reports embedded in each of the Curriculum and Methods courses listed above, require each Candidate to prepare a lesson plan which is then assessed according to three criteria: 1) designing learning tasks and assessments, 2) selecting appropriate resources, and 3) planning for differentiated instruction.  The level of content knowledge exhibited by the Candidate in preparing the lesson plans and other materials called for in the course is assessed on a three-point scale where 3 indicates Target level, 2 is Acceptable, and 1 is Unacceptable. The consolidated average scores from the CARs pertaining to lesson plan development are presented in Tables 2 and 3. The data derived from these tables indicates that Candidates are evaluated as possessing the content and subject matter knowledge to successfully teach the subjects in which they are seeking endorsement.

Standard 1 Table 2

Average Scores on Lesson Plan Assessment for
Pre-Clinical Elementary Methods Courses:

December 2006 to August 2007

Standard 1 Table 3
Average Scores on Lesson Plan Assessment for
Pre-Clinical Secondary Methods Courses:
December 2006 to August 2007

Post Program Completion Surveys - Cooperating Teachers & University Supervisors

At the Post Program Completion gateway the faculty conducted two email surveys to obtain information about the content knowledge of Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification Program completers. The first survey was of cooperating teachers, and the second, of university supervisors. The questionnaires for both groups were identical and consisted of twelve scaled items, the first two of which measured: “Knowledge of current state and local content standards” and “Depth of Content Knowledge.” The groups responded on a scale of 1 to 3, in which a score of 3 indicated above average mastery, a score of 2 represented average mastery and a score of 1 meant below average mastery. The survey instruments are included in the Exhibit Room.      

Data presented in Table 5 show that 95 student teachers were evaluated on Item 1, and 97 student teachers were evaluated on Item 2. The scores on both items indicaate that cooperating teachers find the Unit’s student teachers to be highly competent in subject matter content.

Standard 1 Table 5:
Average Competency Ratings of SHU Program Completers
by Cooperating Teachers
Spring and Fall 2007

Average: 2.83

Data presented in Table 6 show that 180 student teachers were evaluated on Item 1, and 179 student teachers were evaluated on Item 2. The scores indicate that university supervisors find the student teachers they had been assigned to be highly competent in subject matter content.

Standard 1 Table 6:

Average Competency Ratings of SHU Program Completers
by University Supervisors

Spring and Fall 2007

Mean of the averages: 2.83

Post Program Completion Survey of Program Graduates

In addition to the surveys of cooperating teachers and university supervisors referred to above, the Unit conducted an email survey of graduates of the teacher preparation program. The survey was conducted in 2006 and 2007 of a sample of 69 Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification graduates three months or more after they had completed the teacher certification program. The questionnaire, comprised of ten scaled items, asked the program completers to assess the success of the Teacher Preparation Program in developing their Competencies. Item 1 of the questionnaire addressed “Knowledge of current state and local content standards.” Candidates responded on a 5-point scale that indicated whether they were in “Strong Agreement” (5), “Agreement” (4), Neutral (3), “Disagreement” (2), or “Strong Disagreement” (1) with statements about the program’s efficacy in developing their competency in this area. The responses for this section of the survey resulted in an average score of 4.29, indicating a high level of agreement by the Candidates that the program provided them with the requisite knowledge of state and local content standards. A copy of the survey instrument can be found in the Exhibit Room.

Post Program Completion Survey of Administrators Hiring Program Graduates   

A survey was conducted via email of 65 administrators who employed graduates of the Unit’s Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification Program as teachers. The questionnaire was comprised of twelve scaled items. The first two items asked the administrators to rate the graduates on their mastery of the competencies “Knowledge of current state and local content standards” and “Depth of Content Knowledge.” The administrators responded on a scale of 1 to 3, with a score of 3 indicating above average mastery, 2 being average and 1 below average. The survey instrument is presented in the Exhibit Room. All administrators responded to item 1, with 96.8% indicating Average/Above Average mastery of the Content Standard competency with an average score of 2.52. Sixty-two administrators responded to item 2, with 95.1% indicating Average/Above Average mastery of the Depth of Knowledge competency with an average score of 2.50. The responses of the administrators indicate that the Unit’s graduates demonstrate above average depth of knowledge of their subject matter and of the content standards.

Focus Group of Administrators Hiring Program Graduates

In January of 2008 the Unit held a focus group of nine administrators of public schools who have hired graduates of the teacher preparation program. The results of this endeavor validated the results of the survey by confirming that the Unit’s Candidates demonstrate a high level of subject matter knowledge as well as knowledge of current state and local content standards. The minutes of this focus group meeting can be found in the Exhibit Room.


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