STANDARD II: Collaboration with preK-12 Schools

Indicators

Narrative:

Faculty at Saint Michael’s College engage in a cycle of active reflective practice as we prepare teacher education graduate and undergraduate students to be excellent novice teachers. In alignment with our mission statement, our goal is to awaken and sustain the spirit of teaching and learning within each teacher education candidate.  By doing so, we believe that Saint Michael’s graduates will be better prepared to make positive differences in the lives of children and youth. 

All Saint Michael’s teacher education faculty maintain close professional development contacts with our partners in the schools.  We create these connections in a variety of ways including: recruiting faculty adjuncts from area public schools (faculty graduate chart), maintaining positive working relationships with the teachers and administrators of the schools where our undergraduate and graduate students are placed for student teaching and practicum experiences (e.g., special education, TESOL, Reading Specialist, leadership). 

Teachers and administrators from various sites seek out Saint Michael’s faculty to assist in formal and informal problem solving around issues of curriculum and instruction, as well as providing formal in-service training.  These partnerships contribute to the creation of a strong field-based component to the programs. Several school administrators have written letters of support that speak to the collaborative relationship. 

 

Narrative:

Prior to “required” field-placements, students are encouraged to participate in a variety of community based activities that allow them opportunities to work with a variety of children and youth.  Many of these activities are coordinated through the M.O.V.E. Office on campus.  The activities that Education Majors often participate in include: alternative Spring break, tutoring through area public and private schools, participation in after school programs and mentorship programs.  The impact of community service within Vermont and beyond is significant.  Part of the ethos of the Edmundite Community includes a high value placed on service.  As of 2003, data regarding student participation via academic major had not been kept. 

Formal field-experiences are designed to progress from observational in nature to increasingly more complex experiences.  Ultimately, students are prepared to take full responsibility of a classroom during student-teaching.  At the undergraduate level, during their initial Education course, Schools and Society (Link to syllabi & student work) all students are required to engage in formal observations for 2.5 hours per week.  Regardless of the course section that students enroll in, the textbook remains the same, Lenses on Teaching: Developing Perspectives on Classroom Life (Chiarelott, Davidman, & Ryan, 1998).  The primary structure of the text is the explicit link created between theory and observation in the field.  This text provides guidance for teacher education students to learn how to observe.  Field-based experiences continue to build in duration and complexity, culminating with a 16 week student-teaching placement.

Graduate students also have several field-based requirements prior to student-teaching.  Each experience is designed to offer practical opportunities for students to demonstrate their teaching skills.  The field-based placements for special education licensure requires two semesters of at least 20 hours per week.  The placement for the School Leadership concentration is negotiated between the graduate student and the SMC advisor.  The negotiations center around the number of credits and the competency focus.  This negotiation process allows for higher levels of individualization.

The following table highlights the current requirements of field-placements at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  Columns two and three indicate the person or persons responsible for the direct supervision of the SMC student.  In the majority of placements it is a shared responsibility between the classroom teacher and SMC faculty member.


Field Experiences at the Undergraduate and Graduate Levels

			KEY: ED = Undergraduate GED Graduate Education (elementary & special education, reading specialist) GSL = TESOL
Experience	Field-Based Supervisor	SMC Supervisor	Required (Course Number)
Study Abroad
Classroom Observation	X	X X X	ED 231 ED 331 GED 516 GSL 544
Tutoring, 1:1, or Small Group Instruction	X   X X X X X X X X X X X	X X X X X X X X X   X X X X X	ED 252 ED 340 ED 360 ED 331 ED 401 ED 361 ED 421 ED 424 GED 530 GED 641A,B GED 661 GED 662 GSL 544 GSL 685 GSL 688
Whole Class Instruction	X X X X X X	X X X X X X	ED 424 ED 429 GED 634 GED 661 GED 662 GSL/GED 688J
School Leadership/ Principal	X	X	GED 688C (whole school)

As the field-based requirements continue, students move toward increasingly complex responsibilities in a classroom.  Each field-placement carries with it a campus-based course where students can debrief what they are experiencing in the field.  This allows faculty the opportunity to support and encourage their growth toward novice teacher. 

The following table highlights in a deliberate manner each of the field-based experiences with the underlying purpose of the placement and the evaluation process or tool utilized to provide undergraduate or graduate students with feedback.

Evaluative Tools for Field-Based Experiences 

The continuity between campus and classroom is made possible by the close relationships that Saint Michael’s faculty maintain with public school faculty and administration.  Facilitating these relationships includes:

Support for Individual Students Typically, this involves problem-solving, planning, and evaluating individual students on a regular basis at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  For example during junior practicum placements faculty members observe the SMC students in the field and discuss each students’ progress with the student and classroom teachers.  Another example includes the weekly or bi-weekly observations of student-teachers in their classrooms, three face-to-face planning and evaluation meetings per semester for each student-teacher/classroom teacher team. 

In the majority of field-based placements, supervisors provide written feedback regarding the SMC students participation, as well as programmatic feedback beginning with the first school placement (i.e.,ED 231: Schools and Society).

During student teaching, field based supervisors provide written feedback regarding the student’s performance.  In addition, the classroom teachers evaluate the quality of supervision provided by the SMC faculty member.  This evaluation offers a system of check and balances regarding frequency of supervision (minimally once per 10 days) and quality of supervision.  All of the evaluations are reviewed by the Department Chair prior to review by the individual supervisor.

Programmatic Input  Frequently, Saint Michael’s faculty engage in program development conversations with K-12 school teachers and administrators in order to continually improve the preparation of education students and to nurture and sustain partnerships over time. These conversations have taken the forms of informal dinners at faculty homes, after school meetings at SMC, and formal meetings in the schools.  We believe that such activities where K-12 faculty are connected with us has contributed to the long standing relationships we have with a variety of schools including: Saint Francis Elementary School, Summit Street Elementary School, Porters Point Elementary School, Malletts Bay School, Orchard School, Champlain Elementary School, and Chamberlain Elementary School.  A more recent (i.e., 2002) partnership has been created with special education and humanities teachers in CVU High School.

Formal Feedback  Each year we solicit written feedback from principals and cooperating teachers.  This feedback is discussed during department meetings in order to improve our teacher education program.  Formal updates on the Five Year Actions Plan reflect suggestions from the field.

Narrative:

According to the 2000 census data, the population of Vermont is approximately 608,827 people.  180,904 reside in urban areas, while 381,854 reside in rural areas.  20,912 Vermonters are foreign born.  Only approximately 24% of the population of Vermont has at least a bachelor’s degree.  The racial and ethnic profile of Vermont is 96.8% Caucasian, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian/Pacific Islanders, 0.9% Hispanic and 0.2% other  (http://vtliving.com/stats/).  Given the obvious lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the State, faculty and staff at Saint Michael’s support and encourage students to participate in activities that offer experiences that include racial and ethnic components both within Vermont and beyond. 

Diversity within Vermont

Two aspects of diversity that are part of almost every SMC teacher licensure candidate’s experiences include: working with students with disabilities and working with students who are socially and economically disadvantaged.  Examination of school report data on the Department of Education web site  provides demographic information about diversity in terms of exceptionality (i.e., special education eligibility), and ethnic diversity across the state and income level (i.e., free or reduced lunch requests).  The undergraduate and graduate student-teaching placement charts provide a glance at the schools where our students have been placed over the past 5 years.  Each school is linked with the DOE website to provide the reader with information regarding elements of diversity.

Student Diversity: Students with Disabilities

The consistent presence of SMC students can be noted in many programs that address the needs of children and youth throughout Vermont.  Woodside Rehabilitation Center is one example of a program where SMC students have made a significant impact on the lives of students with academic and behavioral challenges (http://www.smcvt.edu/Admin2.asp?SiteAreaID=581&Level=1)

The Saint Michael’s College student volunteer program, MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts) was awarded the State of Vermont Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services Children & Family Services Commissioner’s Community Award for “outstanding service and contribution to the welfare of Vermont’s children” at ceremonies held July 2 at the Inn at Essex in Essex, Vt.

Saint Michael’s student volunteers have contributed over 10,000 hours tutoring residents in the Treatment Program at Woodside.

The Saint Michael’s student tutors were credited with helping Woodside residents, adolescents with severe learning and behavioral problems, make up two grade years of school with a year of tutoring. Because the volunteers give three-to-four hours a week of individual tutoring for the entire academic year, important bonds form between student and tutor, Christensen said, and “troubled kids get to know someone not much older . . . who wants to be in school and who is willing to work to attain goals.”

The director concluded, “Without MOVE many of Woodside’s adolescents wouldn’t have made the choice to move ahead to earn a high school diploma.” The Saint Michael’s program “has made a huge difference in the lives of Vermont’s teenagers,” she said.

All Saint Michael’s undergraduate and graduate students (in all licensure areas) have at least one three credit on-campus course with a corresponding one credit field-placement where their focus is on supporting a student with disabilities.  This opportunity is a structured part of the following undergraduate and graduate courses: ED 340, ED 360, GED 641 A and B. 

As part of the experiences in  ED 340, ED 360, GED 641 A and B, students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels create a case study.  The purpose of the case study is to provide all teacher education students with the opportunity to get to know the academic, behavioral, social needs of a student with disabilities and then to meet those needs within the context of the student’s school setting.  Successful completion of the case study requires the design, implementation and evaluation of instructional plans that are linked to the student’s IEP.  Issues related to disability certainly reflect one aspect of diversity that is part of of every Vermont community.  SMC students have the opportunity to meet Principles 1-4, 6-9, and 15.  Several examples of completed case studies can be found in the Exhibit Room:  Andrew, Children as Afterthought. 

The Partnership Schools  

Saint Michael’s Education Department has kept track of the schools where we place student-teachers for the past five years.  The undergraduate and graduate placement tables highlights each of the schools and each school is linked to the Vermont Department of Education website to offer the reader demographic data.  We believe that these schools represent slices of Vermont, as well as the diversity that is part of the fabric of the state. 

While Saint Michael’s College Education Department is too small to design a true “Professional Development School,” we do engage in professional development activities with the school personnel (e.g., conduct in-service activities).  These schools have included: Porters Point Elementary, Chamberlin School, C.V.U High School, Founders Elementary School, Colchester Middle School, Williston Elementary School, St. Francis and St. Joseph School. 

Student Diversity: Going Beyond Vermont and Beyond

Study Abroad:  The opportunity to study abroad is highly valued by the faculty at Saint Michael’s College.  Given the life circumstances of the majority of our graduate students, it is uncommon for them to study abroad.  Most of the graduate students are going to school part-time while maintaining full-time employment and or the responsibilities of a family.

However, undergraduate students typically do not have those responsibilities and have increased opportunities to engage in a semester to study abroad.  The following graph highlights the number of students who have studied abroad since the last ROPA visit.  Annually, twice as many female students (i.e., 568) as male students (i.e., 287) study abroad.  Within the Education Department, significantly more female than male students study abroad annually.

Undergraduate Study Abroad

At the writing of this report (Fall 2003) it is too soon to determine why there is a slight decline in the number of male students and female fall students studying abroad in 2003. 

TESOL: By the nature of the TESOL endorsement, all of the TESOL students in particular, have a variety of opportunities to work with children and youth from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds.  Students have a variety of opportunities to work with children and youth who are refugees and immigrants in Burlington, ESL programs for children on area public schools and bilingual education programs in many countries around the word.

Reading Specialist and School Leadership/Principal Endorsements:
While these students do have the same opportunities to study abroad, most do not study abroad.

Narrative:

This indicator provides an interesting challenge within higher education.  While it requires us to "evaluate field-based faculty" who are already considered to be "highly qualified teachers" by the criteria established by the Department of Education and the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators, we are not in an evaluative position.  Similar to many institutions, the Education Department at Saint Michael’s College is fortunate to have established long standing relationships with many cooperating teachers and school principals.

It is through these professional relationships that we present the strengths and needs of particular students and, then work with school administrators to secure appropriate matches.  As the end of each semester students have the opportunity to evaluate their experiences, which includes their relationships with their classroom teacher.  Faculty do the same.  Ultimately these data are used to inform future field-placement decisions.

ED 231: Schools and Society: 
Schools and Society is the first course that Education majors take within the program.  The class meets formally once per week, followed by a field-placement that is 2.5 hours per week.  The recruitment process involves the sending of letters to the administrators of area elementary, middle and high schools (both public and private).  The principals make the lists available to the teachers who then sign up.  Teachers in the schools are familiar with this initial, unsupervised placement for Saint Michael’s students and are eager to welcome them into their classrooms.  We never have enough students to fill the number of Vermont classrooms where the teacher has invited the undergraduates to participate.  In the majority of situations, the students have the opportunity to observe and to help the teacher in a variety of tasks (e.g., individual tutoring, material preparation, supervision of students).   At the end of the semester, the teacher completes a brief evaluation of the student.  The student reviews the evaluation, discusses it with the Schools and Society professor with the intention of teaching the student how to be more reflective.  Finally, the evaluation is placed in his/her developmental portfolio. 

ED 360: Cognition and Individual Differences and ED 361Secondary Education:  These courses are required courses for all secondary education majors.  They are taken concurrently.  The focus of ED 360 is teaching students who have disabilities; the focus of ED 361 is secondary education curriculum and instruction.  Because the courses are closely linked, the professors of both courses work together to co-plan course objectives and activities, as well as field-placements.  The field-placements are supervised by full-time department members and total 70 hours across the semester.  Beginning in the Fall of 2004, decisions about placements will be made with consideration of the students preferences for student-teaching ensuring that every secondary education major will have experiences in both 7 and 8th grades, as well as at the high school level.  For example, if a student wants to student-teach in high school, then the ED 360/361 placement will be in 7th or 8th grade and visa-versa.

Since 2002, the secondary faculty have been working with faculty from CVU High School to develop a partnership that will be mutually beneficial.  In 2004-2005, time has been formally incorporated into a faculty member’s teaching load to focus on deepening the relationship between CVU and Saint Michael’s.  In the 2004-2005 academic year, two additional faculty will establish formal relationships with Williston Central Schools and one additional middle or high school.

LITERACY 

ED 331: Teaching Reading and Language Arts
This course introduces reading methods, materials, and assessment.  Students visit a kindergarten and a third grade, observing students, planning lessons, and implementing them.  Host classrooms are selected based on current instructional practice and grade level. Matches between SMC students and the elementary students are made between the professor and the classroom teacher.

ED 401: Reading Assessment
This is a field-based course in the student teaching placements. Placement decisions are made by the undergraduate elementary faculty based on criteria discussed in the Student Teaching section.  Student teachers learn about informal and formal assessments, and conduct a case study.  Selection of case study student is negotiated by cooperating teacher and student teacher.

MATH

ED 252: Elementary Math Methods
This course explore the nature of learning and teaching mathematics with an emphasis on a diagnostic prescriptive approach.  Through the use of manipulatives, school-based tutoring of children, and exposure to a variety of methods, students develop an understanding of mathematical concepts and processes.  Undergraduate students are in school-based practicum settings for 2.5 hours per week.

Student Teaching
Over the years faculty at Saint Michael’s have developed positive working relationships with many teachers in the field.  Because of this, typically it is not difficult to secure placements for our student-teachers.  However, there are basic criteria that are used to guide us when necessary.  The potential teacher must have 3 years of teaching experience,  be well-versed in curriculum and instruction, be certified in Vermont, and must have principal approval. 

Approximately two weeks before the beginning of the semester, each cooperating teacher receives a handbook that clearly outlines their roles and responsibilities, as well as the important timelines. 

Graduate Level
At the graduate level, the process of selecting field-based teachers is much more interactive.  In GED 516: Decision to Teach, graduate students are encouraged to observe in a large variety of schools.  The purpose of throwing the net as wide as possible is to give students the first hand experiences of the differences and similarities in among schools.  It is the primary responsibility of the graduate student to select those schools and make the arrangements with the school principal. 

All placements beyond the initial course are made through an interactive process between the graduate student, SMC faculty and the public school.  First, it is quite common for graduate students to have ideas about where they would like to be placed.  They may have heard or read about a particular school and their interest is sparked.  Then, because the SMC faculty get to know the teacher education candidate so well, a collaborative decision can be made for each student.

Graduate students are encouraged to find their own student-teaching placements, with the guidance of SMC faculty.  The student must take the initiative and present him/herself in a professional manner to the public school administration.  As a whole department (i.e., undergraduate and graduate) we are re-visiting this practice at the graduate level.  Similar to GED 516: Decision to Teach, this bookend experience allows students to take the variety of experiences they have had and one in on one in-depth.