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Introduction and Section I: Idaho Core Teacher Standards
- Introduction
- Section I: Idaho Core
Teacher Standards
- Principle One: Knowledge of Subject Matter
- Principle Two: Knowledge of Human Development and Learning
- Principle Three: Adapting Instruction for Individual Needs
- Principle Four: Multiple Instructional Strategies
- Principle Five: Classroom Motivation and Management Skills
- Principle Six: Communication Skills
- Principle Seven: Instructional Planning Skills
- Principle Eight: Assessment of Student Learning
- Principle Nine: Professional Commitment and Resposibility
- Principle Ten: Learning Environment
- Summary of Assessment Evidence
Introduction
The primary mission of the Lewis-Clark State College Teacher Education Program is "…to prepare caring professionals who teach for understanding in communities of learning." In order to accomplish our mission, we follow seven Professional Standards that define a quality teacher: Dedicated Professional, Knowledgeable Professional, Content Specialist, Educational Designer, Educational Facilitator, Educational Evaluator, and Reflective Professional. These standards provide the framework supporting our role as faculty which is to secure an excellent education for all children, K-12.
Included as a supplement to the NCATE Institutional Report as outlined in the Idaho Manual of Instruction, this electronic and hard copy report submits evidence relative to LCSC teacher candidates' ability to meet the State of Idaho Core Standards for initial certification. Section I displays in chart format and narrative how the ten Idaho Core Standards link with the LCSC Teacher Education Program Standards. It summarizes how our candidates' products align with the core standards for each area, and shows the evidence relative to their ability to meet the core standards for initial certification.
The evidence which is located in the Evidence Room has been assembled by standard in content binders and in hanging files according to content areas. Content faculty associated with the Teacher Education Program have additional evidence in their offices. Included in each content binder are the content plan of study, related syllabi, some evidence concerning course work, clinical experiences, and campus assessments of each content. Elementary and secondary curriculum required for certification, syllabi and evidence of accomplishment are found in hanging files in the Evidence Room. Oversized or bulky documentation such as teacher candidate portfolios, videos, and displays also reside in the Evidence Room.
Further evidence is addressed in Section II where we highlight the State of Idaho Standards, their principles, foundations, and enhancements specific to each content area (Elementary Education (K-8); Secondary content fields (6-12)--English, Math, Science, and Social Science; Physical Education (K-12) /Health (6-12), and Special Education (K-12). Each content field has an introductory statement followed by a chart that displays the course work and some related artifacts under each foundation standard and enhancement. Descriptive narrative discussing the required content knowledge and evidence for each course follows the chart. For additional evidence or clarification, content faculty are available for conferences.
*Grid of Programs
Requested for Approval for Initial Certification
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Elementary Education (K-8) |
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Secondary Education: English, Social Studies, Math, Natural Sciences (6-12) and Physical Education (K-12)/Health (6-12) |
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Special Education, Generalist, K-12 |
Section I: Idaho Core Teacher Standards and Related LCSC Professional Teacher Standards
Section I addresses the ten Idaho Core Teacher Standards by linking their alignment with the LCSC Professional Standards in chart and narrative form. It displays how the LCSC Teacher Education Program joins the standards into an integrated whole whereby specific events and their associated artifacts clearly combine to indicate the development of caring professionals who teach for understanding in communities of learning.
Idaho Core Teacher Standard-- Principle 1: Knowledge of Subject Matter
The teacher understands that central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline taught and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standards:
- Content Specialist--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches.
- Educational Designer--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he plans and creates learning experiences based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, how children learn and develop and, and curriculum goals to make the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches meaningful for students.
Evidence required by all candidates: PRAXIS; COMPASS; Idaho Technology Performance Assessment; Performance Portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education
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Special Education
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard-- Principle 2: Knowledge of Human Development and Learning
The teacher understands how students learn and develop, and provides opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development.LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Knowledgeable Professional: The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he understands how children, as individuals and in groups, learn, develop, behave, and are motivated to learn. The teacher understands a variety of instructional strategies to create learning opportunities that support the intellectual, social, and personal development of learners; encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation, and encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance Portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work
Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 3: Adapting Instruction for Individual Needs
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse needs.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Knowledgeable Professional----The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he understands how children, as individuals and in groups, learn, develop, behave, and are motivated to learn. The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and how instructional opportunities are adapted to diverse learners.
- Dedicated Professional--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he conducts herself/himself in a manner which shows care and concern for children and learning; exhibits high ethical and professional standards
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work; Internship Evaluations
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education
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Special Education
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 4: Multiple Instructional Strategies
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to develop students' critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Knowledgeable Professional--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he understands a variety of instructional strategies to create learning opportunities that encourage students' development of critical thinking problem solving, and performance skills.
- Educational Designer--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he designs and develops learning opportunities which utilize well-selected instructional strategies and learning resources.
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education
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Special Education
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 5: Classroom Motivation and Management Skills
The teacher understands individual and group motivation and behavior and creates a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Educational Facilitator: The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he utilizes effective classroom organization skills to establish and facilitate engaging and meaningful learning environments that support the intellectual, social, and physical development of students and uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation that fosters active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
- Knowledgeable Professional--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he he understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and how instructional opportunities are adapted to diverse learners.
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work; Internship Evaluations
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education
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Special Education
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 6: Communication Skills
The teacher uses a variety of communication techniques to foster inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in and beyond the classroom.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Knowledgeable Professional--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and how instructional opportunities are adapted to diverse learners.
- Educational Designer--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he plans and creates learning experiences based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, how children learn and develop, and curriculum goals to make the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches meaningful for students and designs and develops learning opportunities which are appropriately adapted to diverse learners.
- Educational Facilitator--The teacher utilizes effective, communication techniques to establish and facilitate engaging and meaningful learning environments that support the intellectual, social, and physical development of students.
- Dedicated Professional--The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being.
Evidence required by all candidates: Application to Program Process: Interview, Essay; Performance Portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work; Internship Evaluations; Progress Conference
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education
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Special Education
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 7: Instructional Planning Skills
The teacher plans and prepares instruction based on knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Educational Designer--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he plans and creates learning experiences based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, how children learn and develop, and curriculum goals to make the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches meaningful for students.
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance Portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education |
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Special Education
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 8: Assessment of Student Learning
The teacher understands, uses, and interprets formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and advance student performance and to determine program effectiveness.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Educational Evaluator--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he understands and uses appropriate, formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner. The teacher performs appropriate, comprehensive assessments of the processes of instructional design, facilitation, and evaluation. The teacher adjusts and refines instruction based upon informed analysis.
- Dedicated Professional--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that he/she conducts himself/herself in a manner which shows care and concern for children and learning.
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education
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Secondary Education |
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Special Education |
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 9: Professional Commitment and Responsibility
The teacher is a reflective practitioner who demonstrates a commitment to professional standards and is continuously engaged in purposeful mastery of the art and science of teaching.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Dedicated Professional---The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he exhibits high ethical and professional standards and conducts herself/himself in a manner which shows commitment to the profession of education
- Reflective Professional---The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and action on others (student, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance Portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education |
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Special Education
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Idaho Core Teacher Standard--Principle 10: Partnerships
The teacher interacts in a professional, effective manner with colleagues, parents, and other members of the community to support students' learning and well-being.
LCSC Professional Teacher Standard:
- Knowledgeable Professional-- The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he understands schools as organizations within the larger community context and the laws and norms that guide their operation.
- Educational Designer--The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he designs and develops learning opportunities which are appropriately adapted to diverse learners.
- Dedicated Professional-- The candidate provides clear and convincing evidence that she/he fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being.
Evidence required by all candidates: Performance Portfolio; Exit Interview; Content Course Work
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Primary Course Work |
Evidence by Course |
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Elementary Education |
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Secondary Education |
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Special Education
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Summary of Assessment Evidence
In order to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, each teacher candidate must provide carefully selected, multiple artifacts for evaluation that relate to each of the LCSC teacher education standards. For assessment summaries, please access the NCATE Report.
Rigorous Course Work. Lewis-Clark State College's demanding undergraduate program received national attention in 2002 and 2004 when U.S. News & World Report stated that LCSC was the best four-year comprehensive college in the western United States; LCSC has remained as one of the top public colleges in the west during the past four years. That same rigorous curriculum continues during Phases I, II, and III of our teacher candidate certification program which is designed to prepare quality, caring professionals who teach for understanding in communities of learning. (Link to elementary and secondary curriculum for each Phase) No grade below a B- is acceptable in any education course. Candidates may choose to retake a course to earn a B- or above. We address specific course work in Section II of this report, Idaho Core Teacher Standards, and in the NCATE report. Candidates' transcripts are available in the Evidence Room.
All teacher candidates wishing to certify in elementary education (K-8) major in elementary education. Teacher candidates seeking certification in secondary education (6-12), must first complete their major in a content area such as in science, math, English or social sciences (see Section II of this report) after which time they apply for the secondary certification program which requires two additional semesters. Those who enter the secondary program as post-baccalaureates from other institutions of higher education must complete all required education course work, Phases I, II, III. The Special Education Program prepares individuals to receive a State of Idaho Exceptional Child Certificate with a generalist endorsement (K-12) in Special Education.
PRAXIS (PHASE I or II). As required by the State of Idaho, all teacher candidates must take the PRAXIS, a national standardized test developed by ETS, in order to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in their content area(s). Our candidates may choose to take the PRAXIS at any time but must provide a passing score before entering Internship II. As a result of this policy, we have a 100% pass rate upon completion of the program. (Candidates who do not receive a passing score on their PRAXIS exams the first time may choose to retake the exam.)
COMPASS. All teacher candidates attending LCSC as undergraduates must pass the COMPASS which assesses basic reading, writing, and math skills. Candidates are not admitted to the teacher education program without qualifying scores or the equivalent.
ITPA (Phase I, II, or III): Idaho Technology Performance Assessment. Prior to certification, all candidates must pass the ITPA demonstrating their technical and pedagogical skills to utilize technologies. The ITPA is mandated and approved by the State of Idaho Board of Education.
ICLA (Phase I, II, or III): Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Assessment: All elementary teacher candidates must pass the ICLA prior to certification. In addition, secondary candidates who want to teach reading must take the exam. This is a rigorous state examination testing literacy knowledge and skills based on three competencies: language structure, comprehension, and assessment. In order to receive certification, candidates who do not have a passing score in any of the three competencies may opt to retake that part of the ICLA until they pass.
Performance Portfolio (Phases II and III). The performance portfolio is each candidate's capstone artifact demonstrating his or her knowledge, skills, and disposition relative to the LCSC professional teacher standards. It additionally prepares the candidates for their Progress Conference prior to Internship II and for their Exit Interview. Interns demonstrate their readiness to enter Internship II in the Progress Conference and their ability and preparedness for certification during the Exit Interview. Candidates' results are located in the Evidence Room.
We require specific content in the portfolio (see Portfolio Rubric): a cover page, a belief statement, a résumé and two events with their associated artifacts demonstrating evidence of competency for each LCSC professional teacher standard. The portfolio highlights activities accomplished during the Internship year. (See above chart regarding alignment of each LCSC standard with the Idaho State Teacher Standards.) Portfolios prepared in hard copy are located in the Evidence Room.
Many candidates in elementary education choose to showcase their portfolio in public domain on their personal web site, hard copies, or CDs. Elementary candidates prepare their portfolio during ED 426 and ED 429: Professional Internship in ED (K-8) I and II. They learn how to develop a web page during ED 323: Professional Strategies for Teaching (K-8).
Secondary education candidates may opt to develop a personal web site where they showcase their required performance portfolio which is prepared during ED 453: Media & Technology for Teaching 6-12. Sample electronic portfolios (e-folios) may be accessed using the following address: http:teachercandidate.lcsc.edu/~. They may also opt to highlight their performance portfolio on a CD which is available in the Evidence Room in the hanging files and in the 3-ring secondary education content binders.
Candidate Work Sample (Phases II and III). Both elementary and secondary education require a Candidate Work Sample (CWS) (see el. ed. and sec. ed. Candidate Work Sample document). Although elementary and secondary work samples differ somewhat, the goal remains the same--to demonstrate that our candidates can perform with quality by generating an awareness of the school/community where they serve; developing and implementing a unit of study congruent with the State of Idaho Standards, LCSC Professional Teaching Standards, and national standards; demonstrating their effectiveness of instruction, and demonstrating their ability to reflect. Secondary work samples are showcased in their portfolios (see Portfolio rubrics). Beginning with the 2005-2006 teacher candidates in secondary education, all work samples are integrated into their e-folios using a required format (see Contents for the Electronic Portfoliomatrix)and are also highlighted in a separate CWS section of the e-folio.
In-the-Field Observations and Evaluations (Phases II and III). All teacher candidates are assigned a college supervisor who mentors them in the field. Candidates are regularly evaluated both informally and formally by their On-Site Teacher Educator (OSTE) and college faculty supervisor (see evaluation forms). It is common practice for college supervisors and OSTEs to provide timely feedback to the candidate after observing a lesson so as to facilitate and support candidate performance. Formal evaluations are located in portfolios in the Evidence Room. In addition, each intern is assigned into a cadre which is supervised by a college supervisor. The purpose of the cadre is to develop a sense of community by collectively assessing field experiences through dialogue concerning issues and their resolution.
Progress Conference. Before progressing to Internship II, all teacher candidates must participate in the Progress Conference where they demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and disposition with their faculty supervisor and additional faculty as available (see Progress Conference rubric [PDF]).
Exit Interview. All teacher candidates must participate in a successful Exit Interview where they demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and disposition before their college supervisor, another education faculty person, and their OSTE (see Exit Interview rubric [PDF]). (The teacher candidates' Exit Interview assessment forms are located in their files.
