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In order to comply with performance assessment requirements of the University of
Nevada, Reno and with NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Educators) Standard 2, (Assessment System and Unit Evaluation), the Educational
Psychology area in the Counseling and Educational Psychology Department has developed a performance assessment plan as part of an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on the qualifications of applicants, the performance of candidates and graduates, and the quality of the program. Assessment data is collected for applicants and candidates enrolled in the M.Ed. in Educational Psychology, the M.S. in Information
Technology in Education, and the Ed.S. in School Psychology. Data is collected at three points in students' programs: entry, mid-point, and exit. Quantitative data include test scores and rating forms. Qualitative data include information in student portfolios that contain samples of student work corresponding to professional, state, and institutional standards and responses to survey questions.
Entry-Level Assessment : Entry-level assessment consists of two phases. In the first phase, Educational Psychology faculty use a rating sheet to evaluate qualifications of applicants to the three programs. The rating sheet includes information about the student's qualifications, such as GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and samples of written work. Faculty meet at the beginning of the fall (October 1) and spring semesters
(February 1) to make student admission decisions.
In the second phase, students who have been admitted to the program will be administered a pretest assessment battery. Students enrolled in the M.Ed. and the M. S. complete pretest instruments including a content specific multiple choice exam (which is on WebCT) that includes questions related to core coursework common to both degrees.
At the time of pretest activities, students will be informed of the need to maintain a portfolio that includes representative samples of items that meet professional standards.
Mid-Point Assessment : Mid-point assessment occurs when students develop their formal program of study (after 12-15 credits of coursework). At this time, M.Ed. and
M.S. students submit their portfolios for evaluation by Educational Psychology faculty.
Portfolios will be examined to determine if weaknesses exist. A scoring rubric will be used to evaluate the portfolio. If weaknesses are noted on portfolio samples, faculty will meet with students to determine remedial procedures. (These may include retaking a course, writing a paper, taking additional coursework, or other relevant tasks)
Exit Assessment : After completion of all coursework, students enroll in CEP795: Comp
Exam. The comprehensive exam consists of a series of post-test activities including a multiple-choice exam (on WebCT) on core course content knowledge .
Students must pass the core course content knowledge exam with a score of 70%.
Students who do not pass the exam will be required to take either an oral or written exam over areas of determined weaknesses. The student will work with the advisor to

3 determine the content of the written exam. Content of student portfolios must demonstrate competency in the specialty area (Educational Psychology or Information
Technology in Education) and will be evaluated by the advisor and other educational psychology faculty using a scoring rubric. If weaknesses are noted, students may be asked to retake coursework, write a paper, or work individually with faculty. Faculty will also conduct structured exit interviews with students to determine satisfaction with their program.

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Definition: The master's comprehensive, professional portfolio is a formal, organized set of documents that provide evidence of the candidate's development as an educational professional in information technology in education (M.S.) or educational psychology
(M.Ed.). The purpose of the portfolio is to assess professional growth through provision of tangible evidence that the candidate has met each of the advanced competencies, or standards, required for the degree. The portfolio is not a collection of everything the candidate has done in the graduate program. Rather, it includes a carefully selected, organized set of entries demonstrating competency in meeting each of the standards.
Portfolio Contents: The professional portfolio is begun as soon as the student is admitted to the program and begins taking classes. Portfolio development continues throughout the program as students collect, select, and reflect on documents that are appropriate for inclusion in the portfolio. Items included in the portfolio indicate that the candidate has met each of the advanced competencies, or standards, required for completion of the degree. For the M.S. in Information Technology in Education, the
International Society for Technology in Education's Standards for Advanced Programs in
Educational Computing and Technology Leadership serve as the portfolio's organizing principles (See Appendix A). For the M.Ed. in Educational Psychology, the six domains, or standards, are adapted from standards of (a) the Council for Accreditation of
Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), (b) the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and (c) the International Society for Technology in
Education.
It is up to the student to decide what items should be included in the portfolio. Each item included in the portfolio should demonstrate competency on particular standards . Many course assignments completed by students will be appropriate for inclusion in the portfolio. Portfolio entries may take a variety of forms. These can be paper entries such as research papers, manuscripts, journal entries, reflection papers, book analyses. Other materials may include lesson plans, teaching materials, evaluations, presentation materials. Entries also may include other media such as videotapes of teaching or other professional activities, audiotapes, computer software, or web site
URLs.
Portfolio Presentation Procedures:
Midpoint Review: For all students, midpoint portfolio review occurs at the time of development of the program of study (completion of 12- 15 credits of coursework).
Students will submit their portfolios for evaluation by the student’s advisor and one other faculty member. The evaluators will independently review the portfolio, using the scoring rubric. If any weaknesses are noted, the advisor will notify the student and suggest remedial procedures that may include adding additional or more relevant items, retaking a course, writing a paper, etc.
Exit Review: Final portfolio evaluation will involve the following procedures
1. As part of the comprehensive examination requirements, students must present a portfolio that documents competency in meeting professional standards. The portfolio is

6 presented to the student's advisor no later than the 10 th week of the semester of expected graduation . Once the advisor receives the portfolio, it will be presented to the student's portfolio committee (the advisor and one other educational psychology faculty member) for evaluation.
2. Projects representing each standard will be read and evaluated independently by each member of the portfolio committee.
3. Each reviewer rates the standard on a scale of 1-5 on two criteria:
a. Do portfolio entries demonstrate competency in meeting the standard?
b. Are portfolio entries clearly described and organized according to specific standards?
4. If each standard is assigned a passing score (3 or above), the portfolio is formally accepted. For any standards that are not assigned a passing score, the advisor will notify the student and make suggestions for remediation. The student will correct unsatisfactory portfolio entries and resubmit the portfolio for evaluation of corrected standards. Any requested changes must be made before the end of the semester.
Portfolio Product Guidelines:
1. The portfolio should be submitted in one container (in a notebook, or on a computer diskette or cd) with the candidate's name and degree emphasis clearly visible on the outside. The candidate's name, social security number, address, phone number, and email address should be included in the portfolio.
2. Portfolios should be carefully prepared for presentation. Contents should be organized with a table of contents at the beginning. Each section of the portfolio should represent a single standard and be labeled accordingly.
3. Written documents should be stapled, labeled appropriately, and placed within dividers in the portfolio. Plastic binders or sleeves should not be used. Grades and instructor comments should not be visible on papers that have been submitted for a course (copy the paper with remarks deleted, or reprint the paper).
4. Names of any students in classes should be deleted.
5. No less than two and no more than five entries should be included for each standard.
Any particular item may be used to show evidence of meeting no more than two standards.
6. Each section representing individual standards should have a one-page description that includes the following information: a) Statement of the standard b) Listing and brief description of each item included within the standard's section. For example, "Application of learning theory to use of technology—WebQuest design," or
"Reflective practice—theory application paper." c) Statement of how entries address the standard. Write two to five sentences stating how the standard is addressed by these entries. Write only one paragraph for each standard.
7. Each section of the portfolio should be tabbed and entries in each section should be separated by some kind of divider so that they may be easily found. Make two (2) copies of the Portfolio Rating Form for each standard for use by raters.