NCATE Standard 6Governance and Resources:

Debunking the Myths

AACTE/NCATE WorkshopArlington, VA

April 2008

Linda Bradley James Madison University bradlelm@jmu.edu

Standard 6Governance and Resources

The unit has the

leadership and authority,

budget,

personnel,

facilities, and

resources (including technology)

to prepare candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards

Governance is …

the system and structure that:

• defines policy • provides leadership • manages/coordinates procedures and

resources

to ensure the preparation of qualified school personnel

Standard 6 Elements

6.a Unit Leadership and Authority

6.b Unit Budget

6.c Personnel

6.d Unit Facilities

6.e Unit Resources including Technology

Major Changes to Standard 6

6.b – Unit Budget

– Added “with clinical components or similar units on other campuses”

6.c – Personnel

– Added “per semester or the equivalent” when referring to faculty load and clinical supervision

– Added “including class-size” to the rubric

6.e – Unit Resources and Technology

– Added a sentence on resources for distance learning

6.a Unit Leadership and Authority

Myth # 1 :

The unit only includes programs housed in the college, school, or department of education.

The Reality :

The unit includes all programs that prepare or enhance the skills of educational personnel, regardless of where they are housed.

6.a The Expectations

The unit:

• has the leadership and authority to plan, deliver, and operate coherent programs of study

• maintains accurate and current publications that clearly describe recruitment/admission practices

• ensures access to advising, counseling, and other student services

• involves the professional community in designing, implementing, and evaluating the unit and its programs

6.a The Evidence – A CAUTION

The streamlined Institutional Report format and evidence list that takes effect in fall 2008 applies only to institutions hosting continuing visits.

The UAB will be considering the Institutional Report format and evidence list for institutions hosting first visits when it meets in April.

6.a The Evidence

Descriptions of the unit governance structure, including organization charts

Policies on governance and operations of the unit

Minutes of meetings of unit governance committees

Unit policies on recruitment and admission of candidates

6.a … and More Evidence

Current institution and unit publications (including catalogs, handbooks, websites) that describe admission practices, academic calendars, and grading policies.

Samples of institution or program advertising

Unit policies on student services such as counseling and advising

6.a Don’t forget to …

clearly define the unit; include all programs, even those outside of the college, school, or department of education

address advanced programs, including those that don’t necessarily lead to licensure

6.b Unit Budget

Myth # 2:

The unit’s budget only addresses personnel and operating expenses in the college, school, or department of education.

The Reality:

The budget covers the entire unit and includes expenses for technology, professional development, library resources, distance learning, branch campuses, and off-campus programs.

$$$

6.b The Expectations

The unit budget:

• includes sufficient budget allocations

supports quality programs, including

clinical experiences

is proportional to other units that have “clinical components” or similar units on other campuses

$$$

6.b The Evidence

• Unit budget, with provisions for technology (3-5 years)

• Budget analyses and comparisons with comparable units on campus that have clinical components or similar units on other campuses

6.b Don’t forget to …

• include budget information for technology, library resources, professional development, distance learning, branch campuses, and off-campus programs

6.c Personnel

Myth # 3:

Faculty teaching load, including class-size and online course delivery, cannot exceed 12 undergraduate hours or 9 graduate hours per semester or the equivalent; clinical supervision cannot exceed 18 hours per full-time faculty member per semester or the equivalent.

The Reality:

These are long-range guidelines. The emphasis should be on the impact of faculty teaching load on program integrity and candidate learning.

6.c The Expectations

Personnel policies and practices:

• allow for effective teaching, scholarship, assessment, advisement, collaboration, and service

• address demands of online and off-campus courses

• ensure program coherence and integrity through appropriate use of full-time, part-time, and clinical faculty, as well as graduate assistants and support personnel

• provide faculty with professional development activities, including technology

6.c The Evidence

• Institutional teaching workload policies and guidelines, including policies for developing and teaching online courses

• Summary of faculty teaching loads (3-5 years)

6.c … and MORE !!!

List of support personnel in the unit

• List of professional development expenditures, including technology training

(this might also fit under 6.b Budget)

6.c Don’t forget to …

• demonstrate that faculty teaching loads and other personnel policies are designed to preserve program integrity and do not adversely impact candidate learning

6.d Unit Facilities

Myth # 4:

The unit cannot place candidates in schools that do not have modern facilities and the latest in instructional technology.

The Reality:

There are many ways that the unit can work with its school partners to provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate the expected proficiencies outlined in its conceptual framework.

6.d The Expectations

The unit:

• has adequate on-campus and off-campus facilities

• has adequate P-12 facilities

• supports faculty and candidate use of information technology for instruction

6.d The Evidence

• Lists, descriptions of campus facilities, including computer labs and special centers

• Description of off-campus, P-12 facilities

• Institutional support for technology

• Long-range facilities plan for institution, unit

6.d Don’t forget to …

• demonstrate how you work with schools that do not have the latest in facilities and technology resources so that candidates can demonstrate expected proficiencies

6.e Unit ResourcesincludingTechnology

Myth # 5:

The unit can easily meet NCATE expectations for technology because it has obtained outstanding technology resources through grant funding.

The Reality:

The unit must show that it has formally budgeted for the maintenance and replacement of technology resources and is not dependent on “soft” money for this purpose.

6.e The Expectations

The unit:

• allocates resources equitably across all programs

• provides adequate resources to develop and implement its assessment plan

• has adequate information technology resources to support faculty and candidates

6.e The Expectations

The unit:

• allocates sufficient resources for distance learning programs to provide reliability, speed, and confidentiality of connection in the delivery system

• provides access to sufficient and current library, curricular, and electronic resources

6.e The Evidence

• List of resources that support programs

• List of resources that support unit assessment system

• Inventory and sampling of technology supporting faculty and candidates

6.e The Evidence

• Institution and unit technology plans

• Inventory and sampling of library holdings

• Description of access to information technology

6.e Don’t forget to …

• provide evidence that the institution and the unit does not rely on grant funding to provide, maintain, and update technology resources

Standard 6 Connections

Conceptual Framework

• Resources verify unit / university commitment to technology and also support candidates/faculty

• Unit policies reflect its commitment to diversity

Standard 6 Connections

Standard 1: Candidate Performance

• Policies and practices support programs to prepare candidates who meet professional standards and can help all students learn

• Budget supports high-quality curriculum and instruction

Standard 6 Connections

Standard 2: Assessment

• Resources support the unit’s assessment system

• The assessment system assesses unit operations (more on this in a minute!)

Standard 6 Connections

Standard 3: Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

• Resources support high quality field and clinical experiences and work with school partners

Standard 6 Connections

Standard 4: Diversity

• Policies reflect commitment to diversity

• Unit manages its programs to prepare candidates to teach all students

Standard 6 Connections

Standard 5: Faculty

• Governance facilitates collaboration

• Workload policies permit active engagement in teaching, scholarship, service

• Use of part-time faculty strengthens programs

• Resources facilitate faculty professional development

• Budget for faculty supports high-quality work

And One Final Myth !!

Myth # 6:

The unit assessment system focuses only on candidate performance.

The Reality:

The unit assessment system must also assess unit operations, especially those identified in Standard 6.

Check your conference CDfor an assessment rubric

that addresses this !