UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATION
PROGRAM
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
The Dual Major in Middle Level and Elementary Education
Articulation Framework
INTRODUCTION
A significant part of UNI's identity and reputation across Iowa and the nation is
linked to Teacher Education. Approximately ten percent of UNI's undergraduate
students major in Elementary Education with over 240 of those students combining
that major with Middle Level Education. Teacher education is a shared institutional
commitment and elements of the major in Middle Level/Elementary Education draw
upon a broad range of resources and academic programs throughout the University.
This webapge maps the Middle Level/Elementary Education major
identifying the program sequence and its many links to key resources within the
College of Education and the University. Specifically this site is designed to:
1. Map the Middle Level/Elementary Education major from admission to the
University through graduation linking program goals and activities to
the Eleven Teaching Principles for Teacher Candidates (INTASC
Standards).
2. Identify "Critical Performances" within the program which serve as markers
of our students' developing professional practice;
3. Provide a framework for using the Eleven Teaching Principles for Teacher
Candidates to assess "Critical Performances" in the program.
4. Provide a tool for assessment of student learning as reflected in Critical
Program Performances and the Eleven Teaching Principles for Teacher
Candidates.
The diagram below illustrates a cyclical process which "closes the loop" on program
planning and assessment. It can be found in the document Evaluating the Student
Outcomes Assessment Plan: Some Criteria and Questions for Discussion, developed
by the UNI Office of Academic Assessment.
CLOSING
THE LOOP
When closing the loop, consider the extent to which this
process can help answer the following questions.






What do the data say about your students’
mastery of subject matter, of research skills, or of
writing and speaking?
What do the data say about your students’
preparation for taking the next step in their
careers?
Are there areas where your students are
outstanding? Are they consistently weak in some
respects?
Are graduates of your program getting good jobs,
accepted into reputable graduate schools,
reporting satisfaction with their undergraduate
education?
Do you see indications in student performance
that point to weakness in any particular skills,
such as research, writing, or critical thinking
skills?
Do you see areas where performance is okay, but
not outstanding, and where you would like to see a
higher level of performance?
From Tools & Techniques for Program Improvement; Handbook for Program Review & Assessment of
Student Learning, Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Testing, Western Washington
University, September 2006. Retrieved September 17, 2007, from
http://www.wwu.edu/depts/assess/prog_handbook.pdf
Eleven Teaching Principles for Teacher Candidates
The Renaissance Teacher Preparation Standards
Eleven principles, based upon the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), were
selected to guide the preparation of teacher candidates by the State of Iowa because of their application to all
teachers at all levels PK-12. See the UNI Teacher Education Website for specific indicators of knowledge, skills,
and dispositions at http://www.uni.edu/teached/
Principle #1: Knowledge of Subject Matter
The candidate understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s)
he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter
meaningful for students.
Principle #2: Human Development and Learning
The candidate understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities
that support their intellectual, social and personal development.
Principle #3: Diversity in Learning
The candidate understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates
instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
Principle #4: Instructional Strategies
The candidate understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students'
development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Principle #5: Motivation and Management
The candidate 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.
Principle #6: Communication Skills
The candidate uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques
to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
Principle #7: Instructional Planning Skills
The candidate plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community,
and curriculum goals.
Principle #8: Assessment
The candidate understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and
ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner.
Principle #9: Reflection and Responsibility
The candidate is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and
actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who
actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
Principle #10: Relationships and Partnerships
The candidate fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger
community to support students' learning and well-being.
Principle #11: Instructional Technology
The candidate integrates the computer and other high and low technology into classroom teaching
activities, assessment and/or documentation.
MIDDLE LEVEL/ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION
PROGRAM SEQUENCE
1. Admission to UNI
2. New Student Orientation
3. Develop a plan of study in
conjunction with the
College of Education Advising
Center
1. Students meet with COE
Advisors throughout their
Program of Study.
2. Required orientations and
training for Teacher Education
occur at specific intervals in the
Program of Study. For
example:
o Level I
 Orientation to
Teacher
Education
(requirements
for full admission
are presented)
 Orientation to
200:017
experience
(introduction to
Teacher Work
Sample)
 OSHA Training
 DCI Check
o Level II
 Orientation to
200:128
experience (more
instruction on
Teacher Work
Sample)
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCES
SOA
STUDENT OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT:
Using the Eleven Teaching
Principles for Teacher
Candidates to Assess
Critical Performances

o
o
High Risk
Behaviors
Training
 Mandatory
Reporters of
Child Abuse
Training
(students need to
complete this
training prior to
the start of their
field experience
at Malcolm Price
Laboratory
School).
Methods Semester
 Praxis II
 Student Teaching
Round-Up
(students attend
one-year prior to
student teaching)
 Fingerprinting
(semester prior
to student
teaching)
Student Teaching
 Teacher Work
Sample
 Graduation
Check—
recommended
one year prior to
student teaching
(usually done in
the same
semester as the
Student Teaching
Round-Up)
Incoming Freshmen
Transfer Students
Declare prospective major:
Declare major:

Middle Level /Elementary Education
Schedule Liberal Arts Core (LAC)


Information on program requirements
Information on Admission to Teacher
Education

4. Plan of Study
Liberal
Maj Min Professi
Arts Core
or
or
onal
(LAC)
Cour Cour Educati
A Report
ses
ses
on
by the UNI
Sequenc
Office of
e
Institutiona
l Research-October
2008
The Department of Curriculum and
Instruction requires students to
have:



A major and a minor OR
A double major OR
A major and a 24-hour area
of concentration
Schedule courses in Major, Minor,
Professional Education, Liberal Arts Core
Level I Field Experience
Early in the Plan of Study (POS),
before students are fully admitted to
Teacher Education they are:

Eligible to take content area
courses for the middle level
major
o Mathematics
 Algebra
 Alignment
to
INTASC
Standards
o Science
 Life
 Earth
 Physical
 Alignment
to
INTASC
Standards
o Social Studies
 World History
 United States
History
 Geography
 Government
 Alignment
to
INTASC
Standards
o Language Arts
 Composition
 Speech
 Grammar
 Young Adult
Literature
 Literature of
Diverse Cultures
 Alignment
to
INTASC
Standards
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE
I:
200:017-Exploring
Teaching
Overview
Level I Field
Experience
Evaluation
AASOA ANALYSIS:AAA
Inform the Middle Level
Program by analyzing
data from the
Level I Field Experience
Alignment


Eligible to take lower division
major courses
o 230:044--Children's
Literature
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 440:045--Health and
Physical Education
for Elementary
Teachers OR
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 420:045--Physical
Education for
the Elementary Grades
OR
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 410-:135-Elementary
School Health
Education Methods
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
Eligible to take 100 level course
that do not require full
admission to Teacher
Education
o 800:131--Math
Reasoning Teaching II
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 200:152 Development of
the Middle School Aged
Child
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
 10-hour Middle
Level Field
Experience
o 210:123--Expressive
Arts in the Middle Level

/Elementary School OR
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 600:090--Art and the
Child OR
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 520:102--Music in
Childhood Education
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 230:115--Methods of
Teaching Early Literacy
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
Eligible to take lower division
courses from the Professional
Education sequence.
o 240:031--Educational
Technology and Design
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 200:030--Dynamics of
Human Development
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 200:017--Exploring
Teaching (Level I Field
Experience) (Overview)
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 220:150--Meeting the
Needs of Diverse
Learners
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
5. Full Admission to Teacher
Education
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE
II:
Requirements:
Praxis I Test








Be a declared major
Teacher Education Application
has been accepted
Have a total cum GPA of 2.5 or
higher
Satisfactorily complete a
college writing course (C- or
higher)
Satisfactorily complete a
college speech course (C- or
higher)
Satisfactorily complete 800:031
(C- or higher)
Pass the Praxis I
Teacher Education
Convocation
SOA ANALYSIS:
Inform the Middle Level
Program and Liberal Arts
Core Program by
analyzing data
from Praxis I subscores
Level II Field Experience
6. Upper Division Courses
After successful completion of full
admission requirements to Teacher
Education students are:


Eligible to take upper division
courses in the Professional
Education Sequence
 200:148--Learning and
Instruction in
Classroom Contexts
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
 200:128--Teacher as a
Change Agent (Level II
Field Experience)
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
 250:150--Classroom
Assessment
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
 280:170--Human
Relations: Awareness
and Applications (with
Junior standing)
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
Eligible to take upper division
major courses (with Junior
standing)
 210:150--Middle Level
Curriculum
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
 10-hour Middle
Level Field
Experience
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE III:
200:128--Teacher as a
Change Agent
Overview
SOA ANALYSIS:
Inform the Middle
Level Program by
analyzing
Level II Field
Experience assessment
data.
Level II Field
Experience Evaluation
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE IV:
210:150--Middle Level
Curriculum-Completion of Five
Standards in the
Professional Portfolio
SOA ANALYSIS:
Inform the Middle
Level Program by
analyzing student
performance on five
standards in the
Professional Portfolio
Level III Field Experience
7. Professional Methods Courses
Upon successful completion of the prerequisites listed above students are:

Eligible to take Professional
Methods Courses
o 210:122--Middle Level
Classroom Management
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 210:135--Middle Level
Socialization and
Instructional Strategies
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 210:161-Teaching Elementary
School Science
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 210:164-Teaching Elementary
School Social Studies
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
o 230:117--Methods of
Teaching Content
Literacy at the Middle
and Secondary Levels
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
 10-hour Middle
Level Field
Experience
o 800:134--Teaching
Mathematics in
the Elementary School
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE V:
Level III Participation Week
Evaluation Form


Activities Summary
2004-07
Evaluation Summary
2004-07
SOA
ANALYSIS:
Inform the
Middle Level
Program by
analyzing Level
III Field
Experience
Performance
Data
STUDENT SURVEY OF
PROGRAM EXPERIENCES
(Levels I, II and III)
SOA
ANALYSIS:
Student Survey
Data
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE VI:
Report subscores for Praxis
II
SOA
ANALYSIS:
Praxis II
subscores.
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE VII:
210:122--Middle Level
Classroom Management
Completion of Professional
Portfolio
SOA
ANALYSIS:
Student
performance on
five Renaissance
Standards as
reflected in the
Professional
Portfolio

Eligible to complete
Professional Education
Sequence
o 260:119--Schools in
American Society
 Alignment to
INTASC
Standards
Student Teaching
8. Placement in Student Teaching
Annually, the University of Northern
Iowa Office of Student Field
Experiences (OSFE) places over 700
teacher education students in student
teaching settings in Iowa, other states
and countries. Faculty work to
ensure that UNI students receive high
quality, personalized supervision in
their student teaching and other field
experiences. In addition, the OSFE
division seeks to find school
placements where teachers exhibit
best classroom practices. As a result,
students graduate with competencies
in content skills, classroom
management, and knowledge of
individual student learning needs.
Important Information for Student
Teachers provides a brief overview of
the teacher education program with
particular emphasis on the field
experiences teacher education
students will experience as they move
from Level I through Levels II and III
and into student teaching.
Information is also available
regarding the student teaching
evaluation forms and the Teacher
Work Sample process.
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE VIII:
Student Teaching
Evaluation


Form
Student Teaching
Evaluation Summary
CRITICAL
PERFORMANCE IX:
Teacher Work Sample



Evaluation Form
Middle
Level Education by
Year
Middle Level
Education - Means by
TWS Area
SOA
ANALYSIS:
Analysis of data
from the Student
Teaching
Evaluation
Form.
SOA
ANALYSIS:
Summary data
from the Teacher
Work Sample
evaluations.
9. Graduating into the University
STUDENT
SURVEY OF
GRADUATES



SOA ANALYSIS:
Analysis of feedback data
from graduates.
Survey
Items by
Level of
Teaching
Survey Item
Means by
Major/Level
Lo to Hi
Survey
Comments
by Major
PROGRAM ASSESSMENT RESOURCES







Office of Academic Assessment
o username: assessment
o password: soaplans
o Evaluating the Student Outcomes Assessment Plan: Some Criteria and
Questions for Discussion
Assessing to Improve Student Learning and Performance
Teacher Education Website
Alignment of INTASC/Renaissance Standards and Iowa Beginning Teacher
Standards
Curriculum Map
Eleven Teaching Principles for Teacher Candidates
Iowa Core Curriculum