THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:

Committee on Higher Education and Professional Practice

FROM:

Johanna Duncan-Poitier

SUBJECT:

Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education Recommendation of Accreditation Action: Vassar College

DATE:

November 11, 2005

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1, 2, and 3

 

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision

 

Vassar College has applied for Regents accreditation of its teacher education programs.  Should the Board of Regents accredit these programs?

 

Reason for Consideration

 

Required by State regulation.
         

Proposed Handling

 

The question will come before the Committee on Higher Education and Professional Practice at its December 2005 meeting where it will be voted on and action taken.  It will then come before the full Board at its December 2005 meeting for final action.

 

Procedural History

 

The Board of Regents adopted a new teaching policy, "Teaching to Higher Standards: New York’s Commitment," in 1998.  As a result of that policy, in 1999 the Board adopted Section 52.21(b)(2)(iv)(c)(1) of the Commissioner’s Regulations which requires New York State teacher education programs to become accredited by an acceptable accrediting organization by December 31, 2006.

 

 

 

Background Information

 

Vassar College has applied for accreditation of its teacher education programs by Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE).  The attached Summary of the Application for Accreditation lists the registered, teacher certification programs offered by Vassar.

 

Vassar College is an independent institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York.  The College’s primary mission is to furnish “the means of a thorough, well-proportioned and liberal education.”  Founded in 1861 as a women’s college, it has admitted both men and women since 1969 and now serves about 2,400 students.

 

Consistent with the College's philosophy that a broad liberal arts education is the best foundation for teaching, teacher education students graduate with bachelor's degrees in liberal arts majors. They prepare for certification under the guidance of Vassar's Department of Education, working within an interdisciplinary framework that includes professional methods courses and a balanced course of study in a concentration. Those pursuing certification must take prescribed education courses concurrently with courses in their major. 

 

Small class sizes, discussion groups, and seminars that allow faculty to interact closely with students are hallmarks of the education programs.  During the four academic years reported (beginning with 1999-2000), all Vassar candidates passed the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W).  The College averaged four Adolescence Education and eleven Childhood Education program completers per year during that time.

 

The Department consists of six full-time faculty and five part-time faculty, and all tenured and tenure-line education faculty hold earned doctorates in education.   In addition, all full-time faculty in the Department teach and supervise fieldwork courses and/or student teaching. 

 

A peer review team visited Vassar College in April 2004 to conduct an on-site review of evidence, including documents in the exhibit room and interviews with College and school-based faculty and administrators, candidates, and alumni.  Admission to Vassar is highly competitive, and admission standards appear to be uniformly applied.  The institution makes a concerted effort to attract students from underrepresented populations.  The team found that Vassar provides sufficient resources to support effective teaching and scholarship by faculty and candidates.  Interviews with teacher candidates, education faculty, and liberal arts and sciences faculty indicated that education and liberal arts and sciences programs and faculty are intertwined, in keeping with the college's mission. 

 

Poughkeepsie schools located near the Vassar campus reflect a lower-income, largely minority population with diverse needs.  According to PreK-12 school personnel on campus and at individual schools, the college's involvement with Poughkeepsie's schools is longstanding, regular, ongoing, and mutually beneficial.  Vassar candidates do fieldwork and student teaching in city and area classrooms.  Other experience opportunities exist for teacher education students as well.  For example, special programs include a one-semester program in urban education at Bank Street College; a one-semester internship in Oxfordshire, England, which features work in schools near Oxford and study at Oxford University; and  a one-semester program at the Collins Field Station on the Vassar Farm, where candidates work with faculty to provide educational experiences to second and third grade students from local schools. Elementary and high school teachers are frequent guest speakers in methods and certification-related classes. 

 

The peer review team identified areas for improvement in three Regents standards: Standards for Program Registration, Teaching Effectiveness of Graduates, and Assessment of Candidate Achievement.  Overall, however, the team found that Vassar's teacher education programs comply with the standards defined in Regents Rules, Subpart 4-2.  As is done with all RATE accreditation visits, the team shared its draft report of findings with the institution, received the institution's comments on the draft, and then prepared the final compliance review report for consideration by the Higher Education Subcommittee of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching.  That report, the institution's self study, and related materials are available in the Regents Office.  Vassar responded to the peer review team's findings with "specific curricular changes and data management strategies," as well as revised curricular requirements.

 

At its October 20, 2005 meeting, the Higher Education Subcommittee of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching recommended that the teacher education programs offered by Vassar College be accredited for a period of seven years, with the following condition:

 

 

Recommendation

 

Consistent with the recommendation of the Higher Education Subcommittee of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching, it is recommended that the following action be taken:

 

VOTED, that the Board of Regents accredit the teacher education programs offered by Vassar College, as listed in the attached Summary of the Application for Accreditation and including the stipulation made by the Higher Education Subcommittee of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching, effective December 9, 2005, for a period beginning immediately and ending on December 8, 2012.

 

 

Summary of the Application for Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs and the Department’s Preliminary Recommendation on Accreditation Action

 

Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York, has applied for accreditation of its programs of study leading to teacher certification under the Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE).

 

Preliminary Recommendation for Accreditation Action:                      

 

Accreditation, with term and conditions, if any, to be recommended by the Higher Education Subcommittee of the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching.

 

Teacher Education Programs to be Accredited:

 

The teacher education programs are not degree programs at Vassar, but programs of courses, offered within the Department of Education, that lead to certification. Consistent with the College's philosophy that a broad liberal arts education is the best foundation for teaching, students graduate with bachelor's degrees in liberal arts majors. They prepare for certification within an interdisciplinary framework of professional methods and a balanced course of study in a concentration. Those pursuing certification must take prescribed education courses concurrently with courses in their major.  Appropriate coursework leads to New York State teacher certification in Childhood Education or Adolescence Education: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Languages other than English (French, German, Spanish, Russian), Mathematics, and Social Studies.  Teacher certification is at the initial level.

 

During the four academic years reported (beginning with 1999-2000), all Vassar candidates passed the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W).  The College averaged 4 Adolescence Education and 11 Childhood Education program completers per year during that time.

 

Small class sizes, discussion groups, and seminars that allow faculty to interact closely with students are hallmarks of the education programs. The Department comprises six full-time faculty and five part-time faculty, and all tenured and tenure-line Education faculty hold earned doctorates in education.  Faculty vitae reflect competence to teach education courses, supervise student teachers, and fulfill other academic responsibilities.  All full-time faculty in the Department teach and supervise fieldwork courses and/or student teaching. 

 

Summary of Findings and Institutional Response:

 

Following a review of the institution’s Self-Study, a RATE team visited Vassar College from April 25-28, 2004, as part of the accreditation review process.  The team conducted an on-site review of evidence, including documents in the exhibit room and interviews with College and school-based faculty and administrators, candidates, and alumni.  It was the team’s overall assessment that the College is in compliance with the standards found in Regents Rules, Subpart 4-2.  The team, however, identified areas for improvement in three standards: Standards for Program Registration, Teaching Effectiveness of Graduates, and Assessment of Candidate Achievement.  The institution's response includes "specific curricular changes and data management strategies," and they have applied their "revised curricular requirements immediately to the incoming Vassar College Class of 2009."

Area for Improvement

Institution's Response

1.     Introduction to Psychology does not include sufficient and appropriate mathematics content to prepare candidates to teach to the State Learning Standards.

 

Weekly math and science content labs will be added to Education 240 and Education 361, respectively, in conjunction with content faculty (fall 2006).  Vassar is reviewing the quantitative analysis content in Psychology 105/106 and is developing a "Mathematics for Teaching" proficiency exam for certain candidates. 

2.     The Childhood Education and Adolescence Education pedagogical cores do not include the required instruction in special education.

 

The Department of Education will now require that all candidates complete Education 250, Introduction to Special Education.  Starting in the 2006-07 academic year, the course will be offered every semester.

3.     The Adolescence Education pedagogical core does not include the required 6 credits in literacy.

 

The Department will now require that all adolescence education candidates complete two courses (six semester hours equivalent) in literacy.  This will include a new, required course, Education 380, Adolescent Literacy--Reading in the Content Fields.  Vassar also intends to fill a new tenure-track position in Adolescent Education and Teacher Education by August 2006.

4.     There is no formal Education program evaluation system.

 

The Dean of the Faculty and the College President critique annual Department reports.  Vassar will implement systems for program evaluation, including candidate focus groups, reviews by teacher educators from peer institutions, and tools for tracking graduates.

5.     There is no system for documenting course outcomes and objectives on syllabi as they correspond to Department goals and program themes.

 

The institution will ensure that all syllabi contain clearly articulated goals and objectives aligned with programmatic priorities and themes.  Every course is evaluated through course evaluation questionnaires, which contribute to curricular and programmatic deliberations.

6.     There is no system for documenting the points at which candidates work with high-need students in their field experiences.

An extensive file is kept on each student, including all field work experiences and the assessments of those experiences.  Vassar will ensure that advising protocols reflect the need for and documentation of field work with high-need students.

7.      There is no organized system or method to provide adequate evidence that the institution prepares effective teachers.

 

Institution recognizes the need to formalize the feedback loop from candidates, graduates, cooperating teachers, and principals.  (See #4, above)

8.     The institution needs to document the mastery of learning outcomes at the student level, so it can be aggregated in some fashion to develop insight into program strengths and areas that need revision.

NYSTCE results indicate mastery of learning outcomes; in addition, Vassar education faculty observe their student teachers at least once per week during the practicum.  Vassar has instituted a required senior portfolio course for all candidates.