Title II: 2004-2005

TITLE II, HIGHER EDUCATION ACT INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ON THE QUALITY OF TEACHER EDUCATION, 2004-2005

Title II of the Higher Education Act requires institutions of higher education that prepares teachers to report the pass rates of their graduates or program completers on teacher licensure exams taken by 10 or more students to its State Education Agency.  Additional information that relates to the quality of teacher preparation is also reported.  The State Department of Education must then submit a state report summarizing the results of all teacher preparation institutions that is submitted to the U. S. Department of Education.  This web site discloses the results from the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno for its 2004-2005 program completers.Section 1.  Pass RatesThe UNR pass rates were calculated by the Educational Testing Service.  The following tables represent those data.GET TABLES Section II.  Program Information 9Appointed full-time in professional education
2 Appointed part-time in professional education and full-time in the institution
47 Appointed part-time in professional education, not otherwise employed by the institution

*This number includes only those students who have been admitted to a teacher education program.Section III.  Contextual InformationCOLLEGE OF EDUCATION VISION AND MISSIONVisionCommitment to inspire learners through collaboration and innovation MissionWe strive to be a College of Education where faculty, staff, and students are engaged in significant work and dedicated to improving education for each person.  We seek to inspire those who pursue careers in education to value learning and the learner. Together, we provide information, service, and support to community members, including families, allied professionals, and policymakers.To Share Core Values. Faculty, staff, and students are guided by a strong sense of community that encourages collaboration, innovation, and involvement in a diverse society. We are lifelong learners, who make decisions about our learning. We strive to respect and express concern for each other and we are motivated by a spirit to risk. We value trust, fairness, and open-mindedness.To Create Learning Environments. We seek to create dynamic learning environments with services and programs for licensure, professional development, and preparation for positions in leadership and higher education. Faculty, staff, and students strive to work together in mutual respect and are enriched by each other’s ideas and dedication.  Our work is supported by research and scholarship in order to improve professional practice and contribute to the knowledge base in our fields of study.  We engage in outreach activities that are informed by scholarship and that influence educational practice and policy. To Accomplish Results. We prepare professionals who embody the conceptual framework of the College of Education by demonstrating a love of learning, a strong fund of knowledge, an ability to reflect as practitioners, and a commitment to democracy and multiculturalism. We are scholars who conduct research and disseminate findings that inform our practice and policy, as well as that in the broader educational community.  We provide educational leadership to the state and the nation.   Together We Make A Difference!CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKThe conceptual framework for basic and advanced professional preparation programs at the University of Nevada, Reno is organized around four themes: a lifelong love of learning; a strong fund of knowledge concerning all aspects of education; reflection on educational practices, and valuing democracy and multiculturalism.  Although the term “conceptual framework” implies a fixed structure, we view this framework as being dynamic and one in which professional educators must immerse themselves.  The framework changes as the paradigms held by science, art, and technology shift.  The framework changes with the unique circumstances of the individual educator. Love of LearningKnowledge is not a fixed set of truths which are handed down.  Therefore, educators must be open to discovery and derive pleasure as the mind extends life themes into new realms of meaning.  Learning is intrinsically rewarding, combining the cognitive with the affective.   Mastery, curiosity, and the desire to know become animating forces in the intellectual life of a learner.  Because of a love of learning and desire to meet the needs and desires of students, educators must seek to build a growing repertoire of knowledge, as well as professional skills.Strong Fund of KnowledgeEducator’s intellectual resources and dispositions largely determine their capacity to engage students’ minds and hearts in learning.  Therefore, a strong fund of subject matter knowledge is essential in professional preparation.  Educators must possess knowledge of, knowledge about, and a positive disposition toward subject matter.  Educators must also possess a strong fund of pedagogical knowledge in order to adequately represent subject matter to students, or to translate knowledge into classroom curricular events.   Pedagogical content knowledge represents a blending or melding of content and pedagogy that is uniquely the province of teachers, their own special form of professional understanding.   To maximize the use of pedagogical knowledge, educators must possess a rich knowledge base about learners; including knowledge about physical, cognitive, and affective development and the role of a student’s experiential background in the learning process. Educators must also possess a strong fund of curricular knowledge including different views of curriculum and ensuing consequences for the role of the educator; some conception of curricular planning processes and the knowledge necessary to carry it out; and the realities of curricular decision making.  Educators must be able to link subject matter with pedagogy as they shape experiences that enable students to develop and learn. Reflective PracticeEducators should be able to make sound judgments and choices in selecting particular approaches and adapting them in ways that are consistent with their goals and that serve the best interests of their students.  Educators who become experts at their craft have learned how to reflect systematically and develop strategies for learning from their experiences.   Such an ability will depend on the acquisition of a reflective attitude toward teaching.  Reflective teaching should be thought of as a general professional disposition, regardless of the philosophical framework out of which one works.  Reflective practice informs decision-making, which is a key element in the instructional process, and is essential to effective participation in an educational setting.Democracy and MulticulturalismWe live in a pluralistic society that reflects a rich and diverse mixture of cultures and experiences.  Consequently, schools should provide learning opportunities that give all students access to forms of social, political, and economic power.  The purpose of educational institutions should be to give voice to the diversity of its people, as well as represent dominant values and positions.  This must be done within a critical framework that supports open forums for discussion and debate, as well as toward forms of schooling that are empowering in intent and are rooted in forms of social justice and community.  Representation of the diversity of thinking that is reflective of a multicultural society is mandatory within educational institutions that support multiculturalism.  Open access to information is of critical importance within a multicultural democratic community.  ASSESSMENT SYSTEM The University of Nevada, Reno College of Education developed a candidate performance assessment system using the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Principles.  The 10 principles were combined into the college’s Five

Domains of Professional Competence.  All candidate performance assessment focuses on the five domains of:
1)  knowledge of students and learning environments,
2)  knowledge of subject matter and planning,
3)  delivery and management of instruction,
4)  knowledge and use of assessment, and
5) professionalism.
Considering the college’s conceptual framework and the adopted Domains of Professional Competence, the model for teacher education depicts the five Domains of Professional Competence framed by the four themes of our conceptual framework.  Professionalism is at the center of the model because of its importance in all that a prospective educator must do.

PROGRAM INFORMATIONTeacher education candidates at the University of Nevada, Reno can choose from among five majors: elementary education, special education, integrated elementary and special education, early childhood education, and secondary education.  There are 26 teaching majors and 34 teaching minors from which secondary education candidates may choose their teaching specialty.  The elementary education, special education, integrated elementary and special education, and early childhood education majors are considered four-year programs in which candidates complete all course work as well as their student teaching internship within the Bachelor’s degree.  The secondary education major is a four and one-half year program in which candidates complete all course work within the Bachelor’s degree and do their student teaching internship at the post baccalaureate level.The student internship is sixteen weeks in length for candidates majoring in elementary, special, early childhood, or secondary education.  The integrated elementary and special education majors intern for a period of 20 weeks in which 10 weeks are spent in a regular elementary classroom and 10 are spent in a special education setting.Candidates may become licensed through one of three different programs at the University of Nevada, Reno.  The programs include the traditional undergraduate degree programs, “professional degree” programs, and Master of Education/First Time Licensure programs.  The professional degree program, available in elementary, secondary, or special education is for individuals who have a Bachelor’s degree and wish to complete only their Nevada licensure requirements.  Those students take the necessary content and pedagogy to qualify for the supervised internship and for licensure in Nevada.  The Master of Education/First Time Licensure programs in elementary, secondary, and special education combine licensure course requirements with Master’s degrees.  However, completing the licensure course sequence will not meet all requirements for Master’s degrees; candidates must complete additional course work to finish the degree.The College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), 2010 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036; phone (202) 466-7496.  This accreditation covers the institution’s initial teacher preparation and advanced educator preparation programs.  Licensure programs within the College of Education are also approved by the Nevada State Board of Education.DEMOGRAPHICSDuring the fall semester of the 2004-2005 reporting year, the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno had approximately 461 (see note below) candidates admitted to and enrolled in various teacher education programs.  The demographic breakout of those candidates was as follows:DemographicsGender:
Male - 101
Female - 360Racial/Ethnic Origin:
American Indian/Alaskan Native - 6
Asian/Pacific Islander - 9
Black, Not Hispanic - 1
Hispanic - 27
White, Not Hispanic - 388
Non-resident Alien - 0
Unknown - 30Additionally, the College had 695 candidates (201 males and 494 females) enrolled as pre-majors in education.  These are individuals who have not yet been admitted to a teacher education program.Note:  Those candidates enrolled in the Master of Education/First Time Licensure program are classified by the university as graduate students, and are not included in this count.  Therefore, our total number of teacher education candidates is slightly more than the numbers reported above.CLINICAL EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTSOur teacher education programs are considered to be field-based.  As such, candidates spend a great deal of time in practicum experiences working with students prior to their semester long student teaching internship.  These experiences are progressive in nature in that candidates begin by observing and assisting the classroom teacher.  Later, they co-teach or solo teach lessons to the entire class.  The following table depicts the amount of time in each course in the various programs that candidates in the regular undergraduate teacher education programs spend in field experiences prior to their semester-long supervised internship.Field Experiences Prior to Internship Reported by Program.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMSCandidates wishing to pursue a teacher education program may enter the College of Education as a pre-major until they meet the requirements for admission to teacher education.  As a pre-major, candidates can take introductory courses, educational psychology, computers in education, and the school law course.  They cannot take upper division methods courses until they have been admitted to teacher education.  Requirements for admission to teacher education vary by program area.  The requirements for admission to teacher education for each program are as follows:Secondary Education:
1) Have completed 30 credits of college course work that includes the core curriculum requirements in English, mathematics, and natural sciences;
2) Have completed EDU 202 or the equivalent with a grade of C or better;
3) Have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.5;
4) Pass the basic skills tests in reading, writing, and mathematics.  Tests are any of those allowed by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) for teacher licensure.  Passing scores are the same as those required by the NDE;
5) Complete an application form for Admission to Teacher Education;
6) Submit two confidential letters of recommendation;
7) Submit a “reflective essay”, three to five pages in length that discusses the candidate’s understanding of the purpose of public education and how the complex issues facing secondary educators are going to affect the candidate as a teacher.Elementary Education:
1) Have completed 45 credits of college course work;
2) Have completed an introductory education course such as EDU 201 with a grade of B- or better;
3) Have documented at least 30 hours of experience working with K-8 students in an educational setting under the supervision of a licensed professional who attests to the candidate’s potential to become a highly qualified teacher;
4) Have passing scores on all sections of the Praxis I (PPST) or CBEST;
5) Have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75;
6) Have a grade of B- or better in all education courses; and
7) Have a grade of C- or better in all other courses required in the elementary education program.Special Education and Integrated Elementary Special Education:
1) Have completed 30 credits of college course work;
2) Have an overall GPA of 2.75;
3) Have passed all sections of the Praxis I (PPST) or CBEST;
4) Complete an application form for Admission to Teacher Education;
5) Submit two letters of recommendation; and
6) Submit a typed one to two page essay entitled, “Qualities I Bring to the Teaching Profession” for special education, and for the integrated program, a two to three page essay on the topic listed on the application.Note that meeting these requirements does not guarantee a candidate’s admission to a program.  Some admissions are competitive and only the best candidates are admitted.Individuals with Bachelor’s degrees may obtain an exception to the basic skills testing requirement consistent with those offered by the Nevada Department of Education.  For example, the NDE does not require the basic skills test of individuals who have a Master’s degree.  Therefore, if an individual enters a teacher education program with a Master’s degree, he/she is not required to take the basic skills test.  Graduate level candidates who have taken the Graduate Record Exam may use their GRE scores in place of the basic skills test if they:
1) have completed an undergraduate degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or better (as shown on transcripts), and
2) show GRE scores that meet the following minimums: a) GRE verbal: 420, b) GRE Quantitative: 460, and c) GRE Analytical: 430.Because the Nevada Department of Education will accept either PPST scores or CBEST scores for a licensure, our College of Education has done likewise.  On some occasions, candidates will take a PPST test and fail it, then take the same section of the CBEST and pass.  We accept the passing score for admission into our programs.  Due to this program procedure, one will note that we may not have a 100% passing rate on the basic skills tests.  This is due to the fact that Praxis I tests are generated by Educational Testing Service and the CBEST is not.  Therefore, when ETS sweeps its database to determine our pass rates, the failures on Praxis I exams show up.  In actuality, we do have a 100% pass rate on the basic skills tests for our college.REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO STUDENT TEACHINGIn order for a teacher education candidate to enter the required student internship, he/she must meet the following requirements:

A performance assessment system has been implemented whereby teacher education candidates have to demonstrate their ability to meet the college’s five Domains of Professional Competence.  Candidates submit a portfolio prior to being admitted to the internship and again at the time of their program completion.   Pass Rate SummaryThe College of Education pass rates reported for 2004-2005 indicate that we had an overall pass rate of 88% and the statewide rate was 90%.  The following summarizes the aggregated institutional and statewide pass rates for each category of tests in which there were ten or more students from our institution who took the exams:Basic Skills - Institutional: 98% Statewide: 98%
Professional Knowledge - Institutional: 91% Statewide: 91%
Academic Content Areas - Institutional: 91% Statewide: 92%
Summary - Total - Institutional: 88% Statewide: 90% The third year follow-up of the 2001-2002 UNR program completes indicates that we had an overall pass rate on all tests of 98% and the statewide rate was 95%.  The following summarizes the aggregated institutional and statewide pass rates for each category of tests in which there were ten or more 2001-2002 program completers from UNR who took the exams:Basic Skills - Institutional: 100% Statewide: 97%
Professional Knowledge - Institutional: 97% Statewide: 95%
Academic Content Areas - Institutional: 99% Statewide: 98%
Teaching Special Populations - Institutional: 86% Statewide: 92%
Summary Total - Institutional: 98% Statewide: 95%

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