PreK-12 Experience

Faculty experience in PreK-12 classrooms:  Close to 100% of faculty who supervise in the field hold a teaching credential.  In addition, faculty have experience in the PreK-12 system. The school experience of our faculty is presented in Table 5.3.a. 100% of adjunct faculty hold a teaching or service credential and have experience in PreK-12. 88% of tenured faculty have PreK-12 experience and 53% hold a credential. The average number of years of teaching experience of tenure track faculty is 9.6 years (Table 5.3.b-1).

Faculty have extensive experience in the PreK-12 system, including teaching, consulting with school districts and community organizations, contributing as board members, and school administration. Faculty participate frequently in many ways in our service area public schools (Table 5.3.b-2; Table 5.3.e-1).

In addition to having served as teachers and/or administrators in schools, School of Education
faculty continue to remain current through their research and service as consultants in schools. In the past four years alone, 83% of the faculty have provided service to PreK-12 schools, 16% have served on local, state and national organizations.  All supervisors teach or provide service in the PreK-12 system. School of Education faculty possess exceptional expertise in their teaching fields (see Faculty Directory) and model innovative and research-based practices in teaching that are consistent with the School of Education’s mission and Conceptual Framework as well as the CTC program standards. Their work with candidates inside and outside the classroom reflects their commitment to providing a stimulating and challenging learning community. All faculty incorporate appropriate proficiencies in their courses as delineated by state, national, and professional association standards for the credential or degree program in which they teach.

Faculty demonstrate their expertise in myriad ways such as: (1) academic preparation (tenure-track faculty have earned doctoral degrees, lecturers, have earned either a doctorate or a masters degree), (2) direct participation in PreK-12 settings including teaching, supervision and inservice training, (3) scholarly activity including publication of books, journal articles, chapters, edited books, and presentations at meetings of national and state organizations, (4) participation in professional organizations, often in positions of leadership, and through (5) grant and projects that facilitate collaboration with members of the PreK-12 community.

Instructors employ a wide variety of instructional strategies designed to engage all students in a collegial community of learners. Faculty were asked to list the strategies they use in their teaching. Table 5.3.e-2 presents a summary of the responses from faculty to the types of learning strategies that our candidates experience in their credential and professional leadership classes. These strategies embody what is presented in best practice research, as well as, pedagogy that supports second language learners and special needs learners.  Faculty model teaching professional dispositions, as outlined in the SOE Conceptual framework, and they align their course work with them. In addition, candidate dispositions are monitored and assessed throughout the program, particularly in their field experiences and student teaching. Diversity proficiencies are developed and modeled by faculty throughout the seven credential programs and the graduate masters in education program The faculty responses to the survey illustrate various ways in which diversity is addressed: following principles of universal access, getting to know students’ cultural background and their specific needs, using a variety of instructional approaches (Table 5.3.e-2).

Assessment is an integral part of the learning/teaching process and faculty involve candidates in a variety of assessment strategies designed to promote self-analysis, creativity, reflection, and continual improvement. Faculty were surveyed to obtain information about specific assessment strategies used in credential methods courses and modeled or developed and taught in the field. A wide variety of strategies are used; some examples are analytic and reflective writing, essay examinations, observation, multimedia learning objects, group projects, graphic organizers, problem solving, investigations, instructional plans, and field observations (Table 5.3.e-3).