BOARD OF EXAMINERS REPORT
NCATE
___________________________________________________
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
CONTINUING ACCREDITATION VISIT TO:
University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
October 5-9, 2002
NCATE Board of Examiners Team:
Linda Bradley, Chair
Allen Fisher
Joellen Harris
Mark Hogan
Alvin Peters
Carol Sharp
State Consultant:
Debra Mallonee
Ohio Department of Education
Standard Assessments/Recommendations/Weaknesses
1. Candidate Skills, Knowledge and Dispositions
Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other professional school personnel know and
demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to
help all students learn. Assessments indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional
standards.
A. Level: Initial and Advanced
B. Findings:
Overall Assessment of Standard
Initial and advanced candidates are knowledgeable about content, pedagogy, and professional
knowledge. At both the initial and advanced levels, candidates engage in field placements and
internships that demonstrate their ability to create environments that support student learning. At
both levels candidates have demonstrated pedagogical and professional knowledge through
critical reflective practice. Candidate dispositions and curriculum have been aligned with
learned society standards and reflect the Marianist charism of learning, leading, and serving.
Programs have been reviewed by national organizations.
C. Recommendation: Met
D. Areas for Improvement:
New
1. The AYA program has not provided evidence that candidate performance is being
systematically assessed and does not meet the standards of the appropriate specialized
professional associations.
Rationale: The AYA program in Integrated Mathematics (Initial and Post-Baccalaureate)
has not been nationally recognized by NCTM. The AYA program in English/Language
Arts Combined (Initial and Post-Baccalaureate) has not been nationally recognized by
NCTE. The AYA Integrated Social Studies (Initial and Post-Baccalaureate) has not been
nationally recognized by NCSS. The AYA Science 7-12 program has not been nationally
recognized by NSTA. Each of these SPA reports indicated common concerns about the
organization and completeness of the documents submitted and the lack of evidence that
candidate performance is being assessed.
Corrected: None
Continued: None
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Standard Assessments/Recommendations/Weaknesses
2. Assessment System and Unit Evaluation
The unit has an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on the applicant qualifications, the
candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve the unit and its
programs.
A. Level: Initial and Advanced
B. Findings:
Overall Assessment of Standard
Initial and advanced programs in the unit have identified major decision points and assessments
for measuring candidate progress at those decision points; they have not, however, formally
linked candidate outcomes to those assessments and decision points. Some programs have begun
developing rubrics for their assessments, but progress is not consistent across all programs. The
unit has not developed a unit-level assessment plan in a single document that monitors program
assessment plans. The unit has not provided the technology to support either program- or unitlevel assessment. Other than reviewing Praxis scores and some survey data, the unit is not
summarizing or analyzing currently available data for program improvement. Unit and program
assessment activities at the time of this visit appear most consistent with NCATE transition plan
requirements for visits occurring during the 01-02 academic year.
C. Recommendation: Not Met
D. Areas for Improvement:
New
1. The unit does not have a plan for unit-level assessment.
Rationale: The unit has not worked with its professional community to develop a plan
for a unit-level assessment system that reflects its conceptual framework and is consistent
with NCATE transition plan expectations for 2002-03. Individual programs are in
various stages of developing program-level assessment plans, but the unit has not
identified any ongoing unit-level activities to systematically monitor each department’s
progress toward meeting transition plan requirements.
2. Although programs are involved in the collection of currently available data, the unit is
not systematically analyzing and evaluating those data for program improvement.
Rationale: The unit has used mandates from external forces to make a number of
programmatic changes. However, other than reviewing Praxis scores and some survey
data, the unit is not systematically summarizing or analyzing currently available data for
program improvement.
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Standard Assessments/Recommendations/Weaknesses
3. The unit does not have a plan to maintain its assessment system through the systematic
use of information technologies.
Rationale: Technology is not currently used to support the systematic collection and
analysis of data at either the program or unit level. Present systems do not have the
capacity to interface or communicate with each other. The unit’s assessment plan does
not address the acquisition of needed hardware/software or the design of a system that
will meet the needs of either individual programs or the unit as a whole.
Corrected: None
Continued: None
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Standard Assessments/Recommendations/Weaknesses
3. Field Experiences and Clinical Practice
The unit and its school partners design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical
practice so that teacher candidates and other school personnel develop and demonstrate the
knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn.
A. Level: Initial and Advanced
B. Findings:
Overall Assessment of Standard
The unit ensures that both initial and advanced candidates have field experiences and clinical
practice in a variety of settings that provide exposure to diverse student populations. In
advanced programs without distinct field experiences, candidates participate in a variety of
school-based activities, such as action research projects, to bridge the gap between theory and
practice. The P-12 professional community is actively involved in the design of field
experiences and the assessment of candidate performance.
C. Recommendation: Met
D. Areas for Improvement:
New: None
Corrected: None
Continued: None
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Standard Assessments/Recommendations/Weaknesses
4. Diversity
The unit designs, implements, and evaluates curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire and
apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. These experiences
include working with diverse higher education and school faculty, diverse candidates, and diverse
students in P-12 schools.
A. Level: Initial and Advanced
B. Findings:
Overall Assessment of Standard
Faculty in the unit do not represent diversity; just three of the 53 full-time faculty are minority.
However, most faculty have formal or informal training and current experience in working with
diverse populations. Despite significant efforts by the unit to attract minority candidates, the
number enrolled in initial programs has declined over the last five years. Coursework and field
experiences for all candidates provide opportunities for them to demonstrate the knowledge,
skills, and dispositions candidates necessary to work with P-12 students in diverse settings.
C. Recommendation: Met
D. Weaknesses:
New
1. Full-time faculty in the unit do not represent racial and ethnic diversity.
Rationale: Of the 388 full-time faculty in the university, 10.3% represent diversity.
However, just three of the 53 full-time faculty in the unit are African-American. A total
of 94% of the tenure-track and 100% of the non-tenure-track faculty are Caucasian.
Corrected : None
Continued
1. Candidates in initial programs do not represent racial and ethnic diversity. (Reworded
from old weakness statement from previous visit – The student body in the unit is not
culturally diverse.)
Rationale: The percentage of minority students enrolled in initial programs has slowly,
but steadily, declined over the last five years and does not reflect the percentage of
minority students enrolled in the university as a whole.
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Standard Assessments/Recommendations/Weaknesses
5. Faculty Qualifications
Faculty are qualified and model best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching,
including the assessment of their own effectiveness as related to candidate performance; they also
collaborate with colleagues in the disciplines and schools. The unit systematically evaluates faculty
performance and facilitates professional development.
A. Level: Initial and Advanced
B. Findings:
Overall Assessment of Standard
Faculty members for initial and advanced programs are qualified for their assignments and have
clear research and publication agendas. Eighty-seven percent of full-time faculty have earned a
terminal degree. The faculty are involved in service and scholarship on local, state and national
levels through committee work, workshop presentations, research, and in-service work. Course
syllabi and program-level assessment plans reflect an emphasis on candidate performance and
the impact on P-12 student learning. Over the past five years, faculty scholarly work has
doubled. A review of vitae reveals that a majority of faculty have a strong commitment to
service. Professional education faculty members collaborate with colleagues in P- 12 schools,
with colleagues in other college and university units, and with members of the broader
professional community. All tenured and non-tenured faculty members complete the Annual
Faculty Evaluation of Professional Activities and develop annual professional growth goals in
consultation with the department chairperson in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service.
Programs provide opportunities for faculty to acquire new knowledge and skills related to the
theme, performance assessment, diversity, technology, and other emerging practices.
C. Recommendation: Met
D. Areas for Improvement:
New: None
Corrected: None
Continued: None
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Standard Assessments/Recommendations/Weaknesses
6. Unit Governance and Resources
The unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources, including information
technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional
standards.
A. Level: Initial and Advanced
B. Findings:
Overall Assessment of Standard
Unit governance and resources support the work of the unit. The unit leadership is supportive
and stable. Budgets, faculty positions, and technological support for the unit are on par with the
other units in the university. Resources have been provided to ensure the delivery of quality
programs and quality candidates.
C. Recommendation: Met
D. Weaknesses:
New: None
Corrected: None
Continued: None
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