Western Illinois University
College of Education and Social Services Macomb, Illinois Institution Comment Comments submitted by: Rori R. Carson, Ph.D. Assistant Dean for Undergraduate and Teacher Education
The goal of the Western Illinois University Elementary and Special Education Programs is to prepare future teachers who are committed to continuous learning and the empowerment of all learners. Through the curriculum and clinical experiences in our programs, candidates develop content knowledge and professional and pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions that enable them to engage in informed action as they reflect on their practice and adapt their instruction to the changing needs of the learners in their classrooms. NCTQ recognizes the strong preparation Western Illinois University faculty provides future elementary and special education teachers in teaching reading and mathematics, using technology, and planning instruction using the Illinois Learning Standards, as well as the strengths of the programs’ clinical and student teaching experiences. Although NCTQ indicates that WIU is not selective in admission requirements, it must be noted that our coursework and experiences were recognized for their adherence to standards associated with a seriousness of purpose and college level work. While not recognized by NCTQ, clear evidence in course syllabi indicates that the program prepares candidates to teach students with linguistic (ELL) as well as other learning differences. Our programs are accredited by NCATE and our candidates meet state standards as well as those of our specialty professional associations (the Council for Exceptional Children and the Association of Childhood Educational International). Although NCTQ does not believe that our standards for assessing candidates’ content knowledge is sufficient, in accordance with NCATE requirements, we utilize a second measure of candidates’ acquisition of content knowledge to augment information derived from the state’s assessment of candidates’ knowledge. Recognizing the need for both strong content and pedagogical preparation, methods courses include the integration of content relevant to classrooms. Ultimately, all teacher education programs strive to prepare future teachers who are able to provide instruction that results in learning for all students. Our programs require candidates to complete teacher work samples during the clinical and student teaching experiences. These products provide evidence of candidates’ ability to use contextual factors, evidence–based methodology and assessment data to plan instruction. Through continual reflection on their instruction and ongoing modifications of their practice to meet the needs of each learner, candidates demonstrate their ability to positively impact student learning. Determining the extent to which programs effectively prepare candidates requires an in–depth examination of a variety of sources of evidence rather than an approach, such as the one that NCTQ used, that primarily relies on course syllabi, information from catalogs, and the examination of sources of data not controlled by programs, including the nature of required state assessments of teacher candidates. As we encouraged you previously, we recommend a close scrutiny of the NCTQ methodology used to evaluate program effectiveness. Finally, it must be recognized that each program will design its curriculum in unique ways. While there is a growing consensus regarding the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that make it likely that teachers will impact student learning, there is limited evidence suggesting that there is only one path to achieve this goal.
www.nctq.org/edschoolreports
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