Teacher Education
- Mission Statment
Mission Statement of the Weber State University Educator Preparation Program:
- We work within our communities to prepare caring, competent educators and to promote equitable, inclusive, and transformative education practices.
- Community: We recognize that effective educator preparation is a cooperative endeavor involving faculty and staff members within the Teacher Education Department, the Moyes College of Education, and Weber State University. Our community also includes school districts, administrators, and teachers as well as professional organizations. Our success depends on effective and consistent collaboration between all groups.
- Caring, Competent Educators: Our central aim is to ensure that teacher candidates develop necessary skills and dispositions as outlined in the Utah Effective Teaching Standards. We also acknowledge that it is of indispensable importance that each teacher develops an enduring ethic of care—the propensity and ability to meet the educational needs of each student.
- Equitable, Inclusive, and Transformative Education Practices: We believe that processes and institutions of teaching and learning can and should become increasingly equitable, promoting the well being of all students, with special emphasis on underserved populations. To that end, we are committed, where necessary, to transforming the attitudes and beliefs of teacher candidates and to extending our research and professional outreach in shaping general educational practice and policy.
- Student Learning Outcomes
- Certificate
- Associate Degree
Expected Standards of Performance for students completing the Associate of Science in Education degree:
General education courses provide a foundation of content knowledge for students majoring in education programs. In addition to acquiring general knowledge, the support courses proposed in this program also help students make connections between the content of general education courses and the educational process.
At the conclusion of the program students are expected to possess the knowledge and skills necessary to be admitted to the bachelor’s programs in Teacher Education.
Students completing the AS in Pre-Education will be able to:
- Use effective oral and written communication skills
- Describe key concepts in language arts, science, social studies, and mathematics as they relate to education
- Identify developmentally appropriate practices for the instruction of children
- Apply concepts of the arts to education of children
Assessment of these skills will be done within the courses. However, students may choose to complete requirements for admission into the BS degree in Elementary Education or Special Education. The admission requirements include (a) Praxis II, a standardized test of general knowledge; (b) CAAP writing test, an ACT-produced measure of writing; (c) a writing sample; and (d) an interview.
- Bachelor Degree
The Teacher Education department makes three claims about our graduates that support our mission statement and align with the Utah Effective Teaching Standards (UETS):
- Claim/Outcome 1: Graduates meet the needs of diverse learners by creating a safe and equitable learning environment;
- Claim/Outcome 2: Graduates use effective instructional practices based on deep and flexible knowledge of content and pedagogy; and
- Claim/Outcome 3: Graduates engage in reflective practice, exhibit ethical behavior, and fulfill professional responsibilities.
- Certificate
- Curriculum Grid
- Program and Contact Information
The major purpose of the professional education programs in the Department of Teacher Education is to prepare candidates for teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Preparation is also provided for teachers of students with mild to moderate disabilities with the special education major. The department prepares students for endorsements in ESL (English as a Second Language), Dual Immersion, Basic Reading (graduate level only), and Education of the Gifted (graduate level only). All programs are approved by the Utah State Board of Education and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP)
Contact Information:
Dr. Clay Rasmussen
1351 Edvalson Street, Dept. 1304
Ogden, UT 84408-1304
Education Bldg, Rm 235
(801) 626-8653 - Assessment Plan
WSU Educator Preparation Program Outcomes
1. Graduates meet the needs of diverse learners by creating a safe and equitable learning environment.
2. Graduates use effective instructional practices based on deep content knowledge and flexible pedagogical knowledge and skill.
3. Graduates engage in reflective practice, exhibit ethical behavior, and fulfill professional responsibilities.
Summative Evidence Collected During Student Teaching
TSD Rationale
TSD Lesson Adaptations/
Accommodations
ST Final Evaluations
Praxis II
Graduation GPA
TSD Lessons and Assessments
ST Final Evaluation
TSD Lesson Reflections
ST Final Evaluation – ethics and professional responsibility
- Assessment Report Submissions
- 2021-2022
- 2019-2020
1) First year student success is critical to WSU’s retention and graduation efforts. We are interested in finding out how departments support their first-year students. Do you have mechanisms and processes in place to identify, meet with, and support first-year students? Please provide a brief narrative focusing on your program’s support of new students:
a. Any first-year students taking courses in your program(s)
The Moyes COE received a weekly list from Admissions of all the new students and their W#s. Last spring and summer, the Teacher Ed. Advisement Staff sent emails and follow-up postcards to let them know we were here to help them with their schedules. We also called some of these students depending on their situation with a course schedule, etc. In addition, we were involved in the Virtual Weber Welcomes throughout the summer where students could get help with their schedules and have general questions answered.They didn't offer it this fall, but for the past three years, the FYE Program has offered a section designed for students interested in pursuing one of the majors within the Moyes COE. These sections have been full and we have had a lot of interest with students pursuing one of the majors within the Teacher Ed. Department. Kristin Radulovich was the instructor of this class so she was also able to incorporate academic advising specially to our majors.
EDUC 1010 - Exploring Teaching is available for any student who wants to go into Teacher Education. We have some students who take this through Concurrent Enrollment in high school, but we also have some students who choose to take it their first year at WSU. We have done presentations in this class and provided information to students as they prepare to go into Teacher Education.
b. Students declared in your program(s), whether or not they are taking courses in your program(s)The Moyes COE received a weekly list from Admissions of all the new students and their W#s. Last spring and summer, the Teacher Ed. Advisement Staff sent emails and follow-up postcards to let them know we were here to help them with their schedules. We also called some of these students depending on their situation with a course schedule, etc. In addition, we were involved in the Virtual Weber Welcomes throughout the summer where students could get help with their schedules and have general questions answered.
The Teacher Education Advisement Staff also sends emails to students based on their credit hours to inform them about the admissions process. We do this for the Elem. and Special Education majors as well as students pursuing secondary education. We also work closely with faculty in the content departments so they are aware of deadline dates, etc.
2) A key component of sound assessment practice is the process of ‘closing the loop’ – that is, following up on changes implemented as a response to your assessment findings, to determine the impact of those changes/innovations. It is also an aspect of assessment on which we need to improve, as suggested in our NWCCU mid-cycle report. Please describe the processes your program has in place to ‘close the loop’.
We are just beginning the implementation of a pedagogical performance assessment called PPA. It will measure students ability to analyze contextual factors affecting teaching and instruction. This topic is taught in several courses. Data will be forthcoming.
The full report is available for viewing.
- 2017
1) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?
- In our December department meeting, we will review the assessment findings. Level teams will then meet to determine where responsibility for teaching and reteaching will reside.
2) We are interested in better understanding how departments/programs assess their graduating seniors. Please provide a short narrative describing the practices/curriculum in place for your department/program. Please include both direct and indirect measures employed.
- All graduates are assessed during the student teaching semester. The two main assessments are the Student Teaching Final Evaluation and Teaching Support Documents. The Student Teaching Final Evaluation is a summative evaluation resulting from at least five observations of the teacher candidate in the classroom setting. This evaluation form and accompanying rubric were developed by a group of professors from multiple Utah teacher preparation universities and representatives from the Utah State Board of Education. It is currently being used by at least four of the ten teacher preparation universities in Utah with other universities eying implementation in the coming year. This evaluation is collected by the student teaching office.
- The Teaching Support Documents (TSD) are unit lesson plans along with all other “teacher work” that goes into the planning, teaching, assessing, reflecting cycle. These are evaluated using a rubric created by a team from the department. The rubric has been piloted and adapted three times. Students are introduced to the planning, teaching, assessing, reflecting cycle early in their program and they turn in teaching support documents (of various types) in several classes prior to the student teaching semester. The final TSD is collected in the Student Teaching Seminar course for each program.
- Additionally, beginning 2017-2018, graduates will receive a survey after one year and again after three years. Employers will receive a survey regarding Weber State Teacher Education graduates two years after completion.
The full report is available.
- 2016
1) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?
- In our December department meeting, we will review the assessment findings. Level teams will then meet to determine where responsibility for teaching and reteaching will reside.
2) We are interested in better understanding how departments/programs assess their graduating seniors. Please provide a short narrative describing the practices/curriculum in place for your department/program. Please include both direct and indirect measures employed.
- All graduates are assessed during the student teaching semester. The two main assessments are the Student Teaching Final Evaluation and Teaching Support Documents. The Student Teaching Final Evaluation is a summative evaluation resulting from at least five observations of the teacher candidate in the classroom setting. This evaluation form and accompanying rubric were developed by a group of professors from multiple Utah teacher preparation universities and representatives from the Utah State Board of Education. It is currently being used by at least four of the ten teacher preparation universities in Utah with other universities eying implementation in the coming year. This evaluation is collected by the student teaching office.
- The Teaching Support Documents (TSD) are unit lesson plans along with all other “teacher work” that goes into the planning, teaching, assessing, reflecting cycle. These are evaluated using a rubric created by a team from the department. The rubric has been piloted and adapted three times. Students are introduced to the planning, teaching, assessing, reflecting cycle early in their program and they turn in teaching support documents (of various types) in several classes prior to the student teaching semester. The final TSD is collected in the Student Teaching Seminar course for each program.
The full report is available for viewing.
- 2015
1) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?
- In our November department meeting, we will review the assessment findings. Level teams will then meet to determine where responsibility for teaching and reteaching will reside.
2) Are there assessment strategies within your department or program that you feel are particularly effective and/or innovative? If so, what are those strategies and what do you learn about your students by using them?
- The majority of our assessments are about the enactment of instruction, an evaluation of if a student can apply all that has been learned in class into the real setting of a school. We learn if students are able to transfer and apply their knowledge.
The full report is available for viewing.
- 2014
1) Reflecting on this year’s assessment(s), how does the evidence of student learning impact your faculty’s confidence in the program being reviewed; how does that analysis change when compared with previous assessment evidence?
- The process of this annual review is only a part of an overall process for accreditation. The assessment results presented here, in conjunction with other efforts in the department, give us confidence that the program and the quality assurance system put in place are functioning well. We are in a period of transition as we develop new measures for the claims we make about graduates. Although the results in this report are positive, we will feel more confidence with data collected from our new tools. Many changes have been made in the past two years and faculty are beginning to see a trend in systematic data collection. Additionally, since the measures are being created and piloted by department teams, there is greater investment in the outcomes.
2) With whom did you share the results of the year’s assessment efforts?
- This year’s assessment efforts are not being shared publicly due to the changing nature of our measures. They were shared with the accreditation team that visited and conducted the audit November 11-13, 2014. They provided favorable feedback. We have not yet received the report from the visit, but feel confident that we are headed in the correct direction.
3) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?
- We are continuing the development of our measures. We will also be working on establishing validity and reliability of these measures. When we have valid and reliable measures, we can have confidence they are accurately assessing the outcomes.
The full report can be viewed here.
- 2013
The Teacher Education Department conducted a 5 year program review with full self-study during the spring of 2014. Those results are presented in place of the Annual Assessment. Please reference those documents for information that includes data for the 2012/13 academic year.
- 2021-2022
- Program Review