Course Artifacts and Reflections as Evidence (CARE)

The CARE system is the means by which teacher candidates make connections between what they learn and do in their courses and Teacher Education Program Standards I-VI. The CARE structure is based on the performance indicators for each of the UNCP Teacher Education Program Standards as organized into six corresponding matrices.  Teacher candidates are required to select course generated products of learning as evidence, in part, that the performance indicators for each standard are met and record that product of learning in the matrix. Teacher candidates then write a reflection on their reasons for selecting that product and explain how it relates to the performance indicator. Specific courses are designated in each program area for monitoring the completion of the matrices (Appendix D-1).   

A formal checkpoint occurs at mid-point in program progression.  At this time, the teacher candidate must secure his or her program coordinator's or program advisor’s verification that the CARE matrices are complete to date and evidence thoughtful reflection on both what is learned in required courses and what is expected of a teacher candidate by the end of the program. The CARE midpoint rubric is presented in Appendix D-2.  The completed matrices are placed in the Teacher Candidate Work Sample (TCWS) and evaluated using the TCWS analytic rubric.  (See the UNCP Teacher Candidate Work Sample Manual for a copy of this rubric.)

Conceptual Framework for Teaching and Learning Development

(Appendix D-2).  The final document is presented in the Teacher Candidate Work Sample (TCWS) Manual.

Teacher Candidate Work Sample (TCWS)

The centerpiece of the Teacher Education Program is the Teacher Candidate Work Sample (TCWS) based on Western Oregon University's Teacher Work Sample Methodology. The Teacher Candidate Work Sample was piloted with the spring 2002 interns and approved for implementation in fall 2002 by the Teacher Education Committee on May 7, 2002.  The Teacher Candidate Work Sample is the primary performance evidence for Standard VI, the standard addressing the ability of the teacher candidate to apply knowledge and understandings acquired in formal course work and field experiences to help all students learn.  A full description of the Teacher Candidate Work Sample is presented in the Teacher Candidate Work Sample Manual.

The Teacher Candidate Work Sample is basically a fully developed unit plan.  The work sample consists of the following elements: 1) a profile of the students, the classroom, the school, and the community in which the learning is situated; 2) a purpose statement to guide unit development, 3) a rationale for the unit, 4) the long-range goals for the unit, 5) the objectives or anticipated learner outcomes, 6) a unit overview, 7) an assessment plan including both formative and summative assessments, 8) lesson plans, 9) analysis, summary, and interpretation of pre- and post-assessments, 10) critical reflection on student performance and the three phases of the teaching cycle.  Sample student work is placed in appendices.  The teacher candidate's mission statement and conceptual framework for teaching and learning appear at the front of the work sample product. 

The teacher candidate's program coordinator or designee and a public school teacher or administrator, preferably one who did not work with the intern during the internship, evaluates the Teacher Candidate Work Sample. Two separate instruments are used to evaluate the work samples. One is an analytic rubric using a Likert scale to rate the criteria for each element of the work sample product.  The second instrument is a holistic rubric used to situate the work sample in the larger perspective of Standard VI.  Both instruments and the respective policies appear in the Teacher Candidate Work Sample Manual and The Teacher Education Program Evaluation Manual.

NETS-T Standards (Technology Competencies)

need to design technology enhanced student learning.  The targeted areas for  instructional technology competence are as follows:  1) Teachers demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts; 2) Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology; 3) Teachers implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning; and, 4) Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies. 

Instructional technology competence is acquired by teacher candidates as they progress through their program of study.  Evidence that the NETS-T have been mastered is generated through course assignments, field experiences, and work with PK-12 students during the senior internship.  Teams of program area faculty and public school faculty verify that the standards have been met during the professional semester (Appendix D-5). 

Early Field Experiences

Field experiences, an integral component of the Teacher Education curriculum, provide teacher candidates with the opportunity to observe and reflect on the dynamic interrelationships between theory and practice and familiarize them with the realities of the classroom.  Field experience placements are coordinated by the Director of University-School Programs in cooperation with contact persons identified by the local school systems.

Field experiences for all licensure areas begin in the initial course in the professional education sequence, EDN 302 Foundations of Education, usually taken in the second semester of the sophomore year.  Field experiences are also required in EDN 306/307/308/309/310 - Human Growth and Development, EDN 350 - Educational Psychology, EDN 408/409/410/419 - Language and Literacy/Content Area Literacy and

SED 300-Introduction to Exceptional, Diverse, and At-Risk Students.  In addition to these field experiences, all undergraduate programs include at least one methods/ practicum/internship course with a required field experience component.  These courses are taken during the junior and senior years and provide opportunities for observation, tutoring, testing, assisting, and teaching.

for specific assignments.  Once assignments have been confirmed, students are notified by the Office of University-School Programs through the faculty teaching courses with field experience components. 

School Counseling Requirements

Portfolio