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Standard
Four: Diversity
Commitment to diversity is an integral part of the teacher education programs at LCSC. As stated in the college’s cultural diversity vision statement, LCSC is “committed to providing a learning environment that affords people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds opportunities to achieve their highest educational goals” and “continues to emphasize an ethnically and culturally diverse learning community that prepares students for successful interaction in an increasingly diverse society.” Our faculty members understand that realizing this vision of diversity involves a complex set of values requiring personal and professional attention.
- Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences
- Course Requirements for Elementary and Secondary Candidates
- Program Completion Requirements Related to Diversity
- Experiences Working With Diverse Faculty
- Experiences Working With Diverse Candidates
- Experiences Working with Diverse Students in K-12 Schools
Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences
Candidates are expected to develop an awareness of the importance of attending to diversity issues in teaching. They are required to develop knowledge, skills and the disposition to be able to appropriately design and implement lessons embracing the ideal that all students can learn. They are expected to understand that it is their responsibility to design an environment where all students do learn. We understand that concepts about diversity are not learned in coursework alone, but they must be modeled and they must be explicit in fieldwork, assessment, and content areas. We have attended to diversity issues in connection with all of these areas, and expect our candidates to progress toward a deeper and richer understanding as they advance through each phase in our programs.
Program Phase I - Some candidates enter with excellent personal and professional awareness of diversity issues. Most others can and do grow in this area, given opportunities in the program to expand their thinking and skills.
Program Phase II - Many candidates in this phase are still operating on the awareness level. Some are very successful at implementing their understanding in meaningful ways, particularly in practicum settings. A few candidates are asked to repeat assignments (or courses) when a lack of understanding is evident. Candidates have opportunities to observe, participate, and reflect upon teaching and learning in a variety of environments.
Program Phase III - With extensive mentoring and increased teaching experience, candidates are able to go beyond awareness and into the realm of application of their understanding of diversity issues. In the rare event that a candidate is unable to show adequate growth in this area, an extended internship experience is arranged. Evidence of a persistent problem would result in a candidate’s removal from the program.
At first, many candidates find it difficult to integrate cultural responsiveness into their instruction. In some cases candidates are reluctant to do so because they are not initially convinced that culture has an effect on learning. As the candidates complete their courses, they begin to grasp the multifaceted aspects of culture and how these can impact learning for all students. As candidates’ awareness deepens, they characteristically develop an understanding of the idea that educators can be agents of change in the interests of students’ academic and social successes. Candidates are expected to perform at a proficient level with regard to cultural responsiveness in lesson planning. Work is redone until it reflects an acceptable level of understanding. By the time they plan their fourth or fifth lesson, most candidates are thinking more clearly about how to both teach responsively and integrate culture perspectives into their instruction. We see that candidates are engaging in the process of developing a personal value system that reflects a growing understanding of cultural issues. This growth is supported by both coursework and field experiences.
Both the elementary and secondary programs embed numerous requirements related to diversity issues throughout their programs. Candidates are expected to move from an awareness of diversity issues in education to the ability to implement lessons taking diversity issues into consideration. Review of syllabi will provide evidence that the majority of education courses have issues related to diversity embedded in them. Specific examples of diversity-related assignments with assessment events follow.
Course Requirements for Elementary and Secondary Candidates
COURSE |
ASSESSMENT
EVENT |
|
| ED 214 - Principles of Education- Candidates demonstrate increased awareness of social and cultural components of diverse populations. | ||
PSYCH 205 - Developmental Psychology - Discussion of Cross-Cultural Research (emphasis is on difference, not on being “better” or “worse”). |
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ANTH 311 - Cultural and Education [PDF] - Exams to assess candidate knowledge regarding cultural issues; discussions of culturally related issues. |
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KIN 420 - Social/Cultural Aspects of Sports [PDF] – Candidates investigate the interrelationship among sports, culture, and society. Course content includes a broad overview of selected socio-cultural factors influencing and affected by sport in addition to introducing students to the academic discipline of the Sociology of Sport. |
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SE 322 - Inclusionary Strategies [PDF]– Candidates demonstrate increased awareness of multicultural and bilingual aspects of special education including an understanding of how language, culture and familial backgrounds impact the education of an exceptional learner. |
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KIN 467 - Physical Activity and Recreation for Individuals with Special Needs [PDF]. Candidates work with K-12 students who have a wide variety of motor and physical abilities. |
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RE 217 - Children’s Literature - Candidates demonstrate the ability to promote cultural sensitivity using a picture book as the basis for a lesson. |
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RE/SE 320 - Literacy Processes [PDF] - Candidates demonstrate the ability to recognize dialect miscues. |
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ED 323 - Professional Strategies (K-8) - Candidates investigate, report and reflect on a culturally oriented topic. The project is designed to enhance sensitivity toward diversity. |
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RE 324 - Literacy Assessment - Candidates assess learners and develop literacy lessons based on individual/diverse learning needs. |
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ED 426 - Elementary Internship I: General Session - Candidates role-play situations in which knowledge about diversity issues is necessary for decision-making. |
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ED 426 - Elementary Internship: Reading Methods/Strategies - Candidates demonstrate the ability to plan a literature unit based upon a young adult novel with a strong diversity theme. Part of this process involves increasing their own background knowledge. |
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ED 426 - Elementary Internship: Integrated Arts Methods/Strategies - Candidates demonstrate the ability to interact successfully with diverse students by creating and sharing an appropriate song-based big book in a classroom in Lapwai, Idaho on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. |
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ED 426 - Elementary Internship: Social Studies - Candidates develop a candidate work sample with a diversity theme. |
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ED 427 - Professional Seminar I - The course theme deals with how to build communities where all students learn successfully. Demonstration of increased empathy with regard to diversity is expected. |
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SE 428 - Adaptive Teaching I (K-8) [PDF] - Candidates design and implement a series of lessons for a student identified with a learning challenge; candidates develop a unit including adaptations for diverse learners (CWS an ED 426 requirement). |
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ED 429 - Elementary Internship II: General Session - Candidates role-play situations where knowledge about diversity issues is necessary for decision-making. |
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SE 431 - Adaptive Teaching II (K-8) [PDF] - Candidates design, implement, and assess adaptations made for students identified with an IEP in their assigned classroom. |
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RE 422 - Reading in the Content Area - Candidates are required to develop lesson plans that have a culturally responsive component. |
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ED 458/459 - Professional Internship in Education I (6-12) - Candidates report, summarize, and reflect based upon observations in their content area in diverse school settings. (e.g. predominantly Nez Perce student population) |
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SE 407 - Adaptive Teaching (6-12) [PDF] –Secondary candidates are required to show knowledge of motivation and instruction of Special Education students through adaptations of curriculum, instruction and evaluation. Adaptations will be integrated into each candidate’s required content area Unit. Candidates will develop a plan for motivation and behavior change for students. |
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ED 430 – Professional Seminar I (6-12) – Candidates develop a classroom management plan with a component demonstrating cultural awareness. |
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Program Completion Requirements Related to Diversity
ED 426/429/454/460 - Professional Internship in Education – Faculty mentors and on-site teacher educators (OSTEs) assess each candidate’s classroom performance during the internship year. Educational Designer, which includes planning for diverse learners, is one requirement that is assessed.
Due to the small size of our program and the individual attention afforded by mentors, issues that arise during either internship semester are largely handled via small group or individual discussions. Interns also receive feedback in their reflective journals and regular observation evaluations. It is understood that candidates are to use all of this assessment input to further their understanding and competence in all areas, diversity included.
For successful completion of the internship, candidates must score a 3- or better on the Educational Designer standard, which involves planning for diverse learners, on the final Evaluation of Intern Performance-Standards-Based Review [PDF] form from OSTEs and faculty mentors. To graduate from our programs, candidates must submit a portfolio/e-folio for review. A score of 3- or better is also required on the Educational Designer standard on the Evaluation of the Professional Portfolio [PDF] form. Candidates must also sit for an exit interview as the capstone experience in completing our programs. The Educational Designer standard on the Evaluation of Exit Interview [PDF] form requires a 3- or better to complete the elementary program, or a “yes” response for the secondary program.
During the internship experience both the faculty supervisor and the OSTE evaluate the candidate using our standards-based forms. The average scores of the final assessments for interns completing the program during the previous two years, show that both faculty supervisors and OSTEs assessed candidates as proficient to exemplary as educational designers.
Table 34
Final Internship
Assessment Comparison:
Educational Designer
4=Exemplary, 3=Proficient,
2=Needs Improvement,
1=Inadequate
Source: Candidate
Files in Field Experience
Office, prepared
by gt
* Based on 97% of
candidate files **
Based on 93% of candidate
files
Experiences Working With Diverse Faculty
Our teacher education faculty members, while not largely ethnically diverse, embrace multicultural ideology and reflect cultural differences related to factors other than ethnicity. Moreover, we are actively engaged in learning more about creating culturally responsive classrooms and modeling practices that encourage success for all students.
Commitment to these values is demonstrated in a variety of ways. The division has an institutional membership to the National Association for Multicultural Education, an organization that is dedicated to providing research and literature on current trends and issues pertinent to multicultural education. We regularly discuss, as a faculty, issues related to diversity and have engaged in several book studies. For instance, we read A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne during the Spring 2005 semester, and The Light in Their Eyes by Sonia Nieto during the Spring 2004 semester and engaged in a series of discussions. Two faculty members consult with tribal schools throughout the Northwest. Several faculty members have embraced the idea of traveling and reading extensively in order to make the most of state, regional, national and international events that promote understanding of culture and diversity (see faculty vitae). These experiences provide models for colleagues and candidates dealing with the importance of developing multicultural understanding, and provide a solid knowledge base for sharing information in courses taught. It has been our practice, as well, to bring diverse speakers to our campus to further enhance our candidates’ understanding. Education faculty members work with others across campus to promote and understand issues of diversity among faculty, student and administrative groups.
Finally, faculty members have all had a variety of classroom teaching experiences prior to accepting positions in the field of teacher education. All college faculty members have successfully met the challenges of working with economically and academically diverse student populations, including those with a variety of exceptionalities. This is true for faculty supervisors as well as for on-site teacher educators. Many college faculty members have taught in a variety of geographic regions (in country and abroad), resulting in experience with ethnically diverse populations. All of these prior experiences are brought to bear on the current task of preparing tomorrow’s teachers to meet the needs of their diverse students.
Table 35
Demographics
on Faculty for Academic
Year 2004-2005
Source: LCSC Human Resources
Office, prepared
by sc
We continue our commitment to recruiting and retaining minority faculty despite the limitations imposed by recent and ongoing financial constraints, which have resulted in very few additions to the teacher education faculty in the past several years. Last year, preparing to fill two faculty vacancies, advertisements were placed in Hispanic Outlook and Indian Country in addition to The Chronicle of Higher Education, and other regional newspapers. Unfortunately, we were not successful in attracting applicants from diverse populations for these positions.
Experiences Working With Diverse Candidates
This is an area that has seen considerable growth. This growth is predicted to continue as the campus-wide minority population continues to increase. This positive change in minority populations is the result of the successful efforts of the unit and the college to secure scholarship and grant funds that support programs targeting primarily Migrant and Native American students. The American Indian Students in the Leadership of Education (AISLE) grant, Indian Education Professional Development grant (IEPD), and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) have all contributed to the increase in the number of culturally diverse candidates in our program. International students continue to be recruited at the college level as well.
We are especially excited about the recent establishment of an American Indian Resource Center-Pi’amkinwaas (the Gathering Place)-with funds from the AISLE grant. Pi’amkinwaas was dedicated in October 2005. The center houses computers, a lounge, study areas and support staff. It is our hope that this facility will greatly aid in the recruitment and retention of Native American students.
Table 36
Demographics
on Candidates for Academic
Year 2004-2005
Source: LCSC Registrar’s
Office; U.S. Census Bureau
website, prepared
by sc
* Averaging Nez Perce
County, Idaho and Asotin
County, Washington
data
Our faculty members are committed to increasing the number of ethnically diverse educators in K-12 classrooms, and strive to assure success for minority candidates. Our mentoring model allows faculty members to provide all candidates with the support, encouragement and assistance they need in order to complete the program successfully.
Experiences Working with Diverse Students in K-12 Schools
Our geographic location affords ample opportunities for our candidates to interact with economically and academically diverse students. It is more challenging to guarantee adequate exposure to ethnic diversity, but we embrace that challenge by attempting, when possible, to work with our neighbors on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.
We are also committed to traveling with our candidates outside of our area so that they can have a broader range of experiences. We are particularly proud of the growth we see in our elementary candidates’ understanding of issues related to diversity as a result of their Seattle-area field experience as reflected in their Diversity Field Experience Reflection pieces. During the internship year, elementary candidates and faculty participate in a diversity field experience that provides them with insights into working with students from non-European cultural backgrounds. Typically, the field experience provides the opportunity to visit several Native American and inner-city schools in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Discussions with faculty, staff and students at the schools are incorporated into the schedule. One evening is dedicated to visiting Tillicum Village, where Native American storytelling is shared, artifacts are viewed, and a traditional meal is served. A visit to Chief Leschi School of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians in Puyallup, Washington is the final visitation site for the experience. The visit to Chief Leschi School is scheduled so candidates can view (and often participate in) a traditional drumming ceremony, after which visits into classrooms and discussions with students, staff, and faculty ensue. A Diversity Field Experience Slide Show displays some of the facets of this experience.
Faculty members and candidates also participate in Native American Week activities each spring.
During the summer elementary PACE candidates participate in local tours which help them develop cultural responsiveness. These tours have included: Spalding Park and the Nez Perce Museum, The Ant and Yellow Jacket memorial, Canoe Camp, Heart of the Monster, Wolf Research Center, the Northwest Children’s Home and the YWCA.
Demographic data for the K-12 schools where the majority of our candidates’ practicum experiences take place are provided in the chart below.
Table 37
Demographics
on Regularly Used Clinical
Sites for Initial Programs
Sources: Idaho State Department
of Education web site;
Washington State Department
of Education web site;
local Boys’ and Girls’
Club office, prepared
by sc
During HLTH 215 [PDF], all elementary candidates participate in conducting a Health Fair for children at the Clarkston Boys’ and Girls’ Club. All elementary candidates teach at the Lewiston Boys’ and Girls’ Club or the Clarkston Boys’ and Girls’ Club throughout the semester while taking RE 324/5 - Literacy Assessment and Practicum. All elementary candidates present a lesson at the Lapwai Elementary School on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation during ED 426 - Internship I (Integrated Arts Methods.) Examples of the Big Books that candidates share at the Lapwai Elementary School are available in the evidence room. All secondary candidates enrolled in RE 422 - Content Area Reading (K-12) are required to design lesson plans and a unit demonstrating culturally responsive teaching of literacy. How assessment procedures vary depending of cultural differences is also explored during this course. During ED 458 - Professional Internship I (6-12), secondary candidates observe in one tribal school and in two alternative schools, and write reflections regarding their observations.
The small size of our program allows faculty members to work very closely with interns in our mentoring roles. The elementary requirement of a reflective journal, in addition to the culturally responsive aspects of the previously discussed experiences and assignments, provides a window into candidates’ understanding. If a candidate is not displaying culturally responsive teaching in his/her setting, a conference is held to help determine appropriate procedures to rectify the inappropriate disposition. In rare cases candidates are counseled out of the program.
A Graduate Follow Up Survey [PDF] is conducted on employed candidates and their supervisors/administrators a year after graduation. One question that is asked is, “How would you rate your ability to honor diverse cultures and incorporate culturally responsive curriculum?” Our graduates consistently rate themselves as proficient to exemplary on this ability. Administrators are asked the same question about graduates they have hired. Their responses parallel that of our graduates.
Table 38
Graduate
Survey: Honor Diversity
4=Exemplary,
3=Proficient, 2=Needs
Improvement, 1=Inadequate
Source:
Education Division
Database, prepared
by gt
