Seeing Dispositions: Seeing Dispositions: Translating our shared values Translating our shared values

into observable behavior into observable behavior

Presenters: Presenters: College of Charleston School of Education College of Charleston School of Education

Assessment CommitteeAssessment CommitteeDiane Cudahy, Ph. D.Diane Cudahy, Ph. D.

Christine Finnan, Ph. D.Christine Finnan, Ph. D.Candace Jaruszewicz, Ph. D. Candace Jaruszewicz, Ph. D.

Bonnie McCarty, Ph. DBonnie McCarty, Ph. D..

Presentation AgendaPresentation Agenda

Audience participation:Audience participation: Identifying dispositionsIdentifying dispositions

Background information & historical perspectiveBackground information & historical perspective

CofC disposition development processCofC disposition development process

Sharing of CofC products & current applicationsSharing of CofC products & current applications

Audience participation: Dispositions across timeAudience participation: Dispositions across time

Reflections on Process Reflections on Process

Audience TaskAudience Task::

Listen: “Teach Your Children” (Crosby, Stills, Nash, Listen: “Teach Your Children” (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, 1970, Déjà Vu, Memphis, TN: Atlantic)& Young, 1970, Déjà Vu, Memphis, TN: Atlantic)

Reflect: Identify a disposition that could be inferred Reflect: Identify a disposition that could be inferred from the lyricsfrom the lyrics

Write it down on index cardWrite it down on index card Share with others seated at your table:Share with others seated at your table:

What constitutes a “disposition?”What constitutes a “disposition?” How can dispositions be expressed as observable How can dispositions be expressed as observable

behavior?behavior? As a group, choose or develop via consensus a As a group, choose or develop via consensus a

statement to work with laterstatement to work with later

Background InformationBackground Information

College of Charleston receives NCATE College of Charleston receives NCATE accreditation in 2000, next site visit accreditation in 2000, next site visit scheduled Fall 2004scheduled Fall 2004

SOE continues work on Conceptual SOE continues work on Conceptual Framework, grounded in prior workFramework, grounded in prior work

2000-2001 SOE develops & adopts Unit 2000-2001 SOE develops & adopts Unit Assessment System with 5 Unit Assessment System with 5 Unit Assessment Points (UAP’s)Assessment Points (UAP’s)

Background (cont.)Background (cont.)

2000-2001 As part of conceptual framework 2000-2001 As part of conceptual framework development, SOE adopts 7 broad disposition development, SOE adopts 7 broad disposition statements based on Teaching & Learning statements based on Teaching & Learning Standards, Mission Statement, and Principles of Standards, Mission Statement, and Principles of ActionAction

2001- Assessment Committee restructured and 2001- Assessment Committee restructured and charged with operationalizing Unit Assessment charged with operationalizing Unit Assessment SystemSystem

2001-2002 Assessment Committee translates 2001-2002 Assessment Committee translates shared values into observable dispositionsshared values into observable dispositions

Assessment Committee Assessment Committee ChargeCharge

Formulate Unit Assessment PlanFormulate Unit Assessment Plan Establish short & long-range goalsEstablish short & long-range goals Work collaboratively with SOE & NCATE to Work collaboratively with SOE & NCATE to

monitor processmonitor process Recommend revisions & changes as Recommend revisions & changes as

neededneeded Serve as primary contacts during NCATE Serve as primary contacts during NCATE

reviewreview

Our Understanding of Our Understanding of DispositionsDispositions

““The faculty of the School of Education The faculty of the School of Education defines a disposition to be a value, a defines a disposition to be a value, a commitment, or an ethic that is commitment, or an ethic that is internally held and externally internally held and externally demonstrated. Dispositions influence demonstrated. Dispositions influence our actions and our behavior towards our actions and our behavior towards students, families, and communities as students, families, and communities as well as towards professional well as towards professional colleagues.colleagues.

Our Understanding of Our Understanding of Dispositions (cont.)Dispositions (cont.)

There is a set of dispositions that our There is a set of dispositions that our faculty and our candidates must hold faculty and our candidates must hold in order to make the teaching-learning in order to make the teaching-learning connection a reality for all students. In connection a reality for all students. In this statement of dispositions, the this statement of dispositions, the School of Education makes public the School of Education makes public the values and character of its teacher values and character of its teacher education program (9/16/01.)”education program (9/16/01.)”

Continuous Dialogue is Continuous Dialogue is Essential!Essential!

Assessment Committee: Reps from

each department

SOEDepts &

ProgramsFaculty-at-large

ExternalConferences

SPA’sLocal Educators

Students

Challenge of Challenge of operationalizing the operationalizing the

dispositions:dispositions:? How to honor all the How to honor all the

standards of practice standards of practice within a School of within a School of EducationEducation

? How to take the standards How to take the standards developed for initial developed for initial teacher preparation and teacher preparation and extend the competencies extend the competencies across the career spanacross the career span

? How to operationalize by How to operationalize by incorporating dispositions incorporating dispositions into various practical into various practical documents & formsdocuments & forms

Use working copies of all SPA Use working copies of all SPA & SC documents & standards& SC documents & standards

Develop “picture” of Develop “picture” of candidate over time & candidate over time & develop language for develop language for measuring intangible aspects measuring intangible aspects of teaching that are of teaching that are embedded in dispositions, embedded in dispositions, like “wonder”like “wonder”

Apply dispositions to actions Apply dispositions to actions & products such as & products such as recommendation forms, recommendation forms, alumni surveys, admissions alumni surveys, admissions self-assessments, ADEPT, self-assessments, ADEPT, etc.)etc.)

Working PlanWorking Plan

Task orientation: We had a deadline for Task orientation: We had a deadline for creating application and recommendation creating application and recommendation forms for UAP#1 that incorporate forms for UAP#1 that incorporate dispositionsdispositions

The application form was easy….The application form was easy….

Developing a recommendation form to Developing a recommendation form to assess & evaluate potential candidates’ assess & evaluate potential candidates’ dispositions is where the real work started dispositions is where the real work started

Questions emergedQuestions emerged

To what extent should we expect an entry-To what extent should we expect an entry-level candidate to possess our 7 level candidate to possess our 7 dispositions? dispositions?

How do we expect students to change How do we expect students to change over time? What is reasonable? What is over time? What is reasonable? What is not?not?

How can growth in dispositions be How can growth in dispositions be attributed to our programs?attributed to our programs?

Questions Emerged (cont.)Questions Emerged (cont.)

How can “performance assessment” be How can “performance assessment” be applied to dispositions?applied to dispositions?

Should our expectations for beginning MAT Should our expectations for beginning MAT candidates differ from undergraduates? candidates differ from undergraduates? How?How?

How will the developmental nature of How will the developmental nature of dispositions be communicated so that dispositions be communicated so that growth can be seen?growth can be seen?

When do we stop measuring/evaluating When do we stop measuring/evaluating dispositions?dispositions?

Tools & Time Were NeededTools & Time Were Needed

Standards:Standards: SOE SOE NCATENCATE SC (ADEPT)SC (ADEPT) INTASCINTASC NAEYC NAEYC CECCEC ISTE ISTE NBPTSNBPTS

References:References: NCATE publicationsNCATE publications Bloom’s TaxonomyBloom’s Taxonomy ASCD “A Framework for ASCD “A Framework for

Teaching”Teaching” AACTE “Performance AACTE “Performance

Assessment Working Assessment Working Paper, (Ostrander, Paper, (Ostrander, 2001)2001)

SC CHE guidelinesSC CHE guidelines

Work ContinuesWork Continues

Develop a matrix starting at the mid-Develop a matrix starting at the mid-point point

Model the dispositions we intend to Model the dispositions we intend to assessassess

Identify & discuss areas of consensus & Identify & discuss areas of consensus & difference difference

Seek regular input & feedbackSeek regular input & feedback Don’t re-invent the wheel Don’t re-invent the wheel Develop a utility list of verbsDevelop a utility list of verbs

Major DecisionsMajor Decisionsas work progressesas work progresses

Changed labels and descriptors Changed labels and descriptors

Changed last category from “at end Changed last category from “at end of M.Ed. Program” to “beyond the of M.Ed. Program” to “beyond the scope of our programs.”scope of our programs.”

Identified an eighth dispositionIdentified an eighth disposition

Pilot ProductsPilot Products

““Published” matrix that describes 8 Published” matrix that describes 8 dispositions across all programs over the dispositions across all programs over the entire professional lifespan. Used to develop entire professional lifespan. Used to develop program-level assessments in coursesprogram-level assessments in courses

Recommendation form for UAP #1Recommendation form for UAP #1

Alumni survey self-assessment of continuing Alumni survey self-assessment of continuing disposition development at several points disposition development at several points beyond exiting our programs.beyond exiting our programs.

Next StepsNext Steps

Analyze initial data being collected this Analyze initial data being collected this yearyear

Continue development of unit-level Continue development of unit-level assessment instrumentsassessment instruments

NCATE site visit Fall 04 – document full NCATE site visit Fall 04 – document full implementation of systemimplementation of system

Audience Participation: Audience Participation: Dispositions Across TimeDispositions Across Time

Using the disposition statement chosenUsing the disposition statement chosenby your group and the blank transparency chartby your group and the blank transparency chartprovided, do the following:provided, do the following:

Identify and label (three to five)? points at Identify and label (three to five)? points at which the disposition could be assessedwhich the disposition could be assessed

Develop language to describe the disposition Develop language to describe the disposition at each of these points in timeat each of these points in time

Brainstorm ideas for how data could be Brainstorm ideas for how data could be collected to measure the disposition at each collected to measure the disposition at each pointpoint

Be prepared to share your work with the groupBe prepared to share your work with the group

ReflectionsReflections

We believe teaching professionals need to be We believe teaching professionals need to be actively committed to reflection about actively committed to reflection about dispositions in order to develop themdispositions in order to develop them

We believe every opportunity should be used We believe every opportunity should be used to engage teaching professionals in to engage teaching professionals in conversations about dispositionsconversations about dispositions

We expect insights gained as a result of We expect insights gained as a result of analysis of the dispositions data we collect will analysis of the dispositions data we collect will truly serve to improve our programs and truly serve to improve our programs and extend to improving our schools.extend to improving our schools.