Connie L. Lurie College of Education
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development
AY 2007-2008 cycle
Program Planning Committee Report to the Provost
July 22, 2008
The department is commended for its excellent collaborative relationship with the College and what are
clearly full-time faculty leaders who are constantly working on ways to improve their instruction and the
student’s educational experience. Their success in acquiring GE certification for their FTES generating
ChAD 60 course is also very commendable. The department is anticipating that some faculty may seek
FERP status in the next few years, and is therefore planning tenure-track hires while reducing the number
of part-time faculty in the program. The external reviewer provided numerous commendations and
recommendations with which the department faculty concurs. The reviewer concluded by stating that
“The Department of Child and Adolescent Development is a healthy and productive department with
strong undergraduate and graduate programs.” The department is especially lauded by both its
undergraduate and graduate students.
The Child and Adolescent Development department provides a model of assessment activities, having not
only developed student learning outcomes and assessment plans, and collected data for all its programs,
but also discussed possible changes to the program based on the data collected. The department is
assessing program (rather than simply course) objectives as emphasized by the WASC team in their
March 2007 visit. In light of the already excellent student learning assessment activities, the program
planning committee encourages the department to continue to focus on making assessment meaningful
rather than mechanical, with particular attention to modifications that have been made to curriculum and
pedagogy to improve student achievement.
The final step in the program planning process is a meeting with Provost Sigler (or her designee), Bill
Nance, Vice Provost for Academic Budgets and Planning, Bob Cooper, AVP of Undergraduate Studies,
Pam Stacks, AVP of Graduate Studies and Research, Dean Susan Meyers, and ChAD Chair Toni
Campbell. The department should contact Svetla Ilieva in the Office of Undergraduate Studies to
schedule the final meeting. The following topic for discussion is summarized from the reports:

Faculty hiring plan as it affects the department’s future direction.
If the Department would like to propose other issues for the meeting, please discuss the appropriateness
of the topics with your Dean.
The department should note that program planning guidelines were revised in 2006. The next self-study is
due spring 2012 for program review in AY 2012- 2013.
Program Planning Committee
Marina Aminy
Arlene Asuncion
Mary Calegari
Peter Chua
Elaine Collins
Bob Cooper
Thuy Le
Bill Nance
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Dan Perales
Jackie Snell
Pam Stacks
Gary Stebbins
Patricia Stroh
Marlene Turner
Ashwini Wagle
Cc:
Toni Campbell, Chair, ChAd
Susan Meyers, Dean, Education
Bob Cooper, AVP Undergraduate Studies
Pam Stacks, AVP Graduate Studies
Bill Nance, Vice-Provost
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Appendix: Summary of the Program Planning Report for Bachelor
of Arts and Master of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development
Self-Study – AY 2006-2007 (Submitted September 2007)
The Child and Adolescent Development (ChAD) program offers two degree plans leading to a
baccalaureate: Plan A leads to a BA and subject matter preparation for entry into a Multiple Subject
Teaching Credential Program after graduation; and Plan B provides students interested in careers working
with children with a degree program that will prepare them, upon graduation, for professions that serve
children and their families.
The program also offers two plans for completing a minor: 1) the minor in Child & Adolescent
Development; and 2) the minor in Atypical Child Studies is an interdisciplinary collaboration with the
Department of Special Education.
It also offers a master’s degree program designed for students who wish to pursue advanced study.
In fall 2006, there were 514 undergraduates in the major and 29 graduate students. In AY 07/08 they had
an FTES target of 310, up 8 from AY 06/07. Pre-census reports for fall 2007 indicate that they will
exceed this new target by approximately 43 FTES. The department FTEF allocation for AY 07/08 is
approximately 14. Approximately 125 students graduate in the major each year.
Significant Changes





In spring 2006 the faculty voted to discontinue the integrated degree/credential program (IP).
Plan A, the subject matter preparation program, underwent significant changes.
Two new courses were developed to support the campus-wide subject matter preparation
program.
ChAD 60 Child Development was certified for general education in Area E. As a result, they
have a large section in the fall 2007 and an additional four sections with enrollment caps of 30.
They will add two more sections in spring 2008.
The department now has a detailed website (http://www.sjsu.edu/chad/) that is updated
frequently.
Synopsis of the Previous Program Review Recommendations
The current university program review guidelines call for a “discussion of how the department addressed
the recommendations from the previous program planning committee review report.” The only report
that the department has received was that of the outside reviewer and they responded to
misunderstandings and acted on suggestions that were within the ability of the department to change.
There are no known pending issues from the previous review.
Summary of Current Department Program Review Recommendations
Curricular Recommendations (Section 3):
Adjustments to the current assessment will include re-examination of the SLOs, signature assignments,
places in the curriculum where data are collected, and to use the data effectively to develop and modify
curriculum.
The senior seminar exit survey was particularly helpful in identifying the need for a required subspecialty option. In AY 07-08, they will study five potential options: family and community health;
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youth and society; contemporary education; early childhood education leadership; and language and
literacy.
Department Recommendations Regarding Students (Section 4)

Continue to improve how students experience the advisement services offered by the department and
the University. During AY 07/08 the faculty will review all of our advisement procedures and
materials.
They will support students’ career exploration, possibly through an assignment.
Department Recommendations Regarding Faculty (Section 5)
The goal is to hire fewer temporary faculty, conduct tenure track search in AY 07-08 and request an
additional tenure-track hire after AY 09/10.
Department Recommendations Regarding Resources (Section 6)
There is a need for the university to provide more smart classrooms, which is part of the University
strategic plan.
The college will upgrade some of the off-line (non-SMART) classrooms that it controls.
Access to unused work-study funds should be made available much earlier in the spring semester than is
currently the case.
Assessment of Student Learning
Process for regular department review
In 2003, the faculty began the development of an assessment plan by reviewing all of the courses. They
eliminated repetition of content; examined course content to ensure that all agreed on what would be the
basic material taught in each course; and balanced course requirements (e.g., term papers, written
assignments, course activities) so that all courses were approximately equal in difficulty and work load
for students and teaching faculty. They developed a set of common syllabi that were applied across all
sections of the same course, and tenure track faculty each took on the responsibility of coordinating a set
of courses.
In order to assess SLOs (Student Learning Outcomes), they selected signature assignments for each SLO.
Course coordinators developed grading rubrics for these assignments. A common metric for reporting
SLO achievements was developed, in order to compare outcomes across SLOs. They also developed a
sustainable data collection plan. They decided to assess half the SLOs in the fall and the other half in
spring of each academic year. At the beginning of each semester, they hold a faculty retreat to discuss the
data collected the previous semester and use the intervening semester to implement changes, if any, that
were indicated. The full plan was implemented in fall 2006. Based on the strong results of the
assessments of signature assignments, beginning in AY 07-08 they are moving to assessing all SLOs in
alternate years. They will continue to administer an exit survey each semester, however.
Evaluate the SLO procedures for data collection and analysis
As department meeting minutes document, dating back to the August 2002 retreat and continuing
regularly throughout each of the subsequent years, the faculty routinely discuss assessment information
and course curricula in relations to established standards (e.g., General Education, CCTC), the COE
conceptual framework, changing student needs (e.g., MA project vs. thesis; enrollment patterns), SLO
assessment tools (e.g. signature assignments; grading rubrics), and data collected.
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What the minutes reflect are two characteristics that have resulted in a cohesive departmental assessment
of SLOs. Perhaps the more important of these is that the entire tenure-track faculty contributes to the
discussions and ultimately agrees on a plan to move forward. The other aspect of the assessment is that
the procedures are clearly articulated: identified SLOs have been integrated into the curriculum; a
timetable exists for data collection and review; our approach to assessment is revised as appropriate in
relation to an examination of the data collected.
Evaluate the results of the SLO assessment
There have been a number of modifications made in relation to considerations of SLO assessment.
Examples of these changes are:
 Development of a student exit survey to be required of all students in their senior seminar. This
survey addresses a wide range of topics, including student perceptions of their own
comprehension of content in the SLOs.
 Development of a department-wide academic integrity policy.
 Revision to and development of a child care course sequence.
 Restructuring of the MA program research methods courses (ChAD 260A and 260B).
 Adoption, and later the discontinuation of an MA professional development portfolio.
 Re-structuring of procedures for department academic advisement.
 Adjustment to department resource allocations to meet student needs.
External Reviewer Report – December 6, 2007
The external reviewer was Dr. Susan Gomez, Professor, Department of Child Development, California
State University Sacramento. She conducted a two-day site visit on November 5 and 6 2007. Dr. Gomez
reviewed both the bachelor’s and the master’s degrees.
Dr. Gomez prepared a very comprehensive 14 page report that consisted of commendations and
recommendations. Following are some of the report’s main points:
Commendation 1: The Department chair, faculty and staff have healthy working relations characterized
by shared decision making.
Recommendation 1: The Department is encouraged to continue the collaborative relations the faculty
have established.
I. Findings -Mission and Goals
The Department mission statement and four student outcome goals (i.e., developing lifelong learners,
problem solving and critical thinking, technological and communicative competence) are consistent with
the COE and SJSU mission and goals,
Recommendation 2: the Department should consider restructuring the first of these four goals. In its
current structure, this goal is unwieldy, quite lengthy and contains a number of important and somewhat
disparate outcomes within it.
II. Curriculum
There are four primary areas in the program's curriculum: B.A. degree; Master of Arts degree; two
undergraduate minors; and a set of general education and service courses.
Findings -B.A. program
The undergraduate B.A. consists of two tracks, Plan A (subject matter preparation) and Plan B (academic
generalist). A review of the undergraduate curriculum reveals a program that is diversified and
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interdisciplinary. Coursework provides students with grounding in theory and research relevant to the
discipline along with opportunities for field based, practical experiences. There are also opportunities for
service learning. Other elements of the curriculum highlight an emphasis on policy issues, equity and
diversity. Pedagogical practices are innovative and rigorous, with a new focus this cycle on infusing
technology as well as an ongoing commitment to writing and critical reflection in both theoretical and
application based courses and assignments.
With respect to curricular changes during this past cycle, the biggest undergraduate change was the
discontinuance of the IP track due to low enrollment.
There are two unique aspects to the undergraduate program delivery which are noteworthy. First, the
Department has partnered with the E3 Institute and First 5 Santa Clara County to offer some of the B.A.
coursework offsite with working early childhood professionals as the target population.
The last external review included a recommendation that the Department consider the structure of the
undergraduate program with an eye to developing concentrations. The current Self Study identifies this
issue as one of two curricular goals for the cycle just beginning and would require restructuring Plan B.
This is a strategy already being pursued by other child/human development programs in the state.
The ChAD Department notes as its second curricular goal for the cycle just beginning a continued focus
on implementing the assessment plan and would include reflecting on SLO’s, assignments, data collection
and ways to use the data for further course and program improvement.
Commendation 2: The Department is commended for its decision to discontinue the Integrated
degree/credential Program (IP).
Recommendation 3: The Department should consider revising the Plan B academic track to include a
focused set of subspecialty options or concentrations which address a range of career interests in the field.
Findings -Undergraduate Minors, General Education and Service Courses
The Department continues to offer two undergraduate minors, one in Child and Adolescent Development
and another in Atypical Studies in partnership with Special Education. The ChAD 60 class was approved
for General Education and has provided the Department (and College) with a new ongoing source of
FTES and a wonderful recruiting tool for the Department. It is clear in the Self Study and in conversations
with the faculty that contributing to the University's General Education program is a strong commitment
for ChAD.
Commendation 3: The Department is to be commended for its service in the General Education program
while managing these courses strategically in terms of enrollment issues.
Findings -Master's Program
At the time of the last review, the M.A. program had not experienced growth for some time. The current
Self Study reports that the M.A. program has been revitalized, with a healthy growth in enrollment, but
sets out no specific goals for change in the M.A. for the next cycle.
As in the undergraduate degree, the M.A. curriculum is generalist in structure, with a base foundation of
courses taken by all students along with a 9-unit elective block. The coursework provides advanced study
in social, emotional, cognitive and language development as well as multicultural and social and policy
issues. The elective block offers students a long list of course choices within the topic areas of social
policy and community development, social work and mental health, administration and business,
education and health.
During the site visit, one class of 21 graduate students was visited. Students seemed satisfied with access
to courses and ability to move through the program. They noted a good variety of electives were
available, though these were not always scheduled in a regular manner or at good times of the day.
Graduate students shared many positive perceptions of Department faculty, who they characterized as
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caring, open to sharing their own experience, helpful, and having high expectations for student learning.
Students noted that faculty are very available during office hours, though these times are often not
practical for graduate students. They would like more one on one contact with faculty. It would be useful
for the faculty to search for simple ways to provide more direct advising to graduate students, including
advising sessions once or twice a semester during a little bit of class time when students are already on
campus.
The culminating experience for the M.A. is a 6-unit block consisting of ChAD 260B (Capstone Seminar)
and ChAD 298. According to the Self Study, students complete a capstone project and integrated research
paper in the ChAD 298 course, under the supervision of a single faculty member. While the catalog
indicates that students have the option to complete a thesis, it is clear from the Self Study, and from
discussions with faculty and students, that this rarely occurs and that many students are not even aware of
this option.
The Department's use of student culminating projects in lieu of the more traditional thesis is a common
trend in the field and in graduate education in general. While a project can be as worthwhile and high
quality as a thesis, it is incumbent upon the department to insure that this is the case. Unlike the thesis
option, it appears that students completing the project do not have a designated individual faculty sponsor.
This not only increases the workload on the seminar instructor, it denies students the valuable mentoring
and professional development opportunities that are just as important in the thesis/project experience as
the end product itself.
Commendation 4: The Department is commended for revitalizing the M.A. program with a healthy
growth in enrollment.
Recommendation 4: the Department should consider creating more coherent options or tracks with the
M.A. electives, similar to the options suggested for the B.A program.
Recommendation 5: The Department should explore ways to increase faculty involvement in the
oversight and mentorship of graduate students, particularly with respect to the culminating experience.
III. Assessment
In the current Self Study as well as in the Department's Assessment Plan, Reports, and Documents, it is
clear that much progress has been accomplished on assessment. Specific to assessment, a plan for student
learning outcomes (SLOs) has been completed, including signature assignments and grading rubrics for
each SLO. The plan also provides for a common metric so that outcomes can be compared across SLOs.
Plans developed during this past cycle called for full implementation in fall of 2006, with half of the
SLOs to be assessed each semester. Data analysis and plans for program change are addressed in faculty
retreats held each semester. Evidence in the documents and in faculty conversations indicates that the plan
is moving beyond development and into fuller implementation.
Commendation 5: The Department is to be commended for its collaborative efforts to establish a
common set of content, outcomes, and assignments for the undergraduate courses. This work is vital to a
successful and meaningful assessment plan.
Commendation 6: The Department is commended for significant progress in implementing what it has
characterized as a “cohesive assessment plan developed through cohesive department discussion."
Recommendation 6: In concurrence with the stated Self Study goals, implementation of the
Department's Assessment Plan should move forward with a continuing focus on a) implementing and
improving the plan itself and b) using data collected and analyzed to inform program development and
improvement.
IV. Students
During a period of declining enrollment in teacher education at SJSU and within the CSU, the ChAD
Department FTES has been increasing (from 249 in fall 2003 to a target of 310 in fall 2007). A successful
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collaboration between the department and the Dean's Office resulted in additional resources being
allocated to the department to meet the enrollment increase, in order to facilitate students' progress to
degree completion. The Department also supports a Child Development Club, though its activities appear
to be limited.
A visit was conducted with 26 undergraduate students. Overall, students were very positive about their
experience’s in the program, and particularly so about faculty. Students would like to see more courses
offered in the evenings or during summer or winter. Students also reported that faculty are available
during office hours, by appointment or via email. They were also satisfied with the quality of library,
writing, technology and laboratory services available.
The few undergraduate student concerns remain in the area of advising, though it is unclear why this is
the case. An exit survey has been developed and implemented in the undergraduate senior seminar. In that
survey's results, a strong majority of students (77%) indicated a positive satisfaction with advising
services, along with many other positive outcomes of their experiences in the program.
The Department also developed a website from which students are required to download and complete
advising forms before their advising appointment.
Building on these improvements, the Department has set as one of its goals for the coming cycle to
review all advising procedures and materials to determine what additional services or improvements
might be made. A second goal involves exploring other avenues for providing career exploration,
including the addition of a career development assignment in the ChAD 195 seminar class.
Commendation 7: The Department is commended for instituting a clear and easily accessible website
that also provides advising and program information to current and prospective students.
Commendation 8: The Dean's Office and the Department are commended for working together to
provide the resources necessary to offer an adequate number of classes to support students' timely
progress toward graduation.
Commendation 9: The Department is commended for developing an advising structure that is consistent,
available, and accurate and that also involves students in monitoring their own program progress.
Recommendation 7: The external reviewer concurs with the Department's goal of reviewing all of its
advising procedures and materials in the coming cycle with an eye for continued improvements.
Recommendation 8: The external reviewer also concurs with the Department’s goal of expanding
students' career exploration and advising, and encourages the Department to seek additional ways to
provide this information, through other course assignments or possibly through Child Development Club
activities"
V. Faculty
The Department is comprised of eight tenure track faculty and a large number of lecturers. Among the
tenure track members, there is a spread of assistant, associate and full professors. The current teaching
load is 4 and 4 with undergraduate enrollments around 30 per section. The Department FTE has grown
steadily during this review cycle, from 272 in 2002-03 to 359 in 2006-07. Although the Department FTEF
has also grown from 10.84 in 2002-03 to 14.6 in 2006-07, it has not quite kept up with the pace of
enrollment growth. The means that the Department SFR, which was 25.2 in 2002-03, rose to a high of
29.9 during this review cycle. With additional funds for lecturer hires from the Dean and the addition of
one new tenure track hire, the SFR dropped to 24.6 in 2006-07, though this is still well above the campus
average of 20.5. And the ratio of tenure track to lecturer faculty is still below the campus suggested target.
The department was successful in filling a generalist faculty position. There is a search in progress for an
additional tenure track hire for 2008-09. For the coming cycle a possible additional hire is projected by
2010/11.
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The lecturer faculty is all part time and has grown from 20 in 2004-05 to 32 in 2006-07. Half of the fall
2007 lecturers hold a doctorate. The tenure track faculty does provide mentoring for lecturers, in part by
designating faculty coordinators for each course. There were many positive comments about the
Department which were shared during conversations with five of the lecturers.
The Department has stated as one of its goals for the coming cycle to hire fewer temporary faculty. Given
that several of the current full professors may be eligible for FERP by the end of this review cycle, it
might be prudent to consider adding an additional position to the current/future five-year plan.
Both tenure track and lecturer faculty indicate that the ChAD faculty are energetic, productive and
conscientious professionals. The Department's work in developing and implementing both curricular and
assessment changes over this last review are testament to their ongoing efforts to offer a high quality
program. In addition, it is clear that faculty are also engaged in other important work in the areas of
scholarship and community involvement.
Commendation 10: The Department is to be commended for its efforts to bring their programs to the
community, including its off-site B.A. offerings and its involvement in service learning.
Recommendation 9: The reviewer concurs with the Department goal of hiring fewer lecturer faculty, and
being more selective in that hiring in order to bring more stability to the program. It is also recommended
that the Department consider hiring some lecturers on more of a full time assignment.
Recommendation 10: The reviewer concurs with the plan to go forward with the current search and seek
an additional hire in 2009-10. However, there are a number of factors (SFR, FTES, number of lecturers,
etc.) that should be monitored to determine whether an additional tenure track request might be warranted
by the final years of this review period. This might particularly be necessary as some of the current full
professors may be moving closer to FERP by the end of this cycle.
VI. Resources
Many of the resource and support needs reported in the last review have been addressed, through
additional resources provided by the college and university, and the Department's own efforts and funds.
However, there are still a few continuing needs included in the goals set for the coming cycle.
In the last external review, it was noted that the physical space allocated to the Department was not
sufficient. Significant improvements have been made, including space allocated for a department
workroom, storage, a dedicated classroom and additional faculty offices.
A second goal for this past cycle was to expand the use of technology in teaching and learning. Progress
toward this goal included faculty training in the use of technology and the purchase of several sets of
LCD projectors, CD/DVD and videotape players. Both faculty and students reported an expanded use of
podcasts, internet resources, WebCT and streaming video, to name a few. The Self Study also notes the
broad range of technical support services available at the college and university level (Center for Faculty
Development, for example), as well as the expansion and improvement of these services over this past
cycle.
During this last cycle, the Department also added a half-time ASCI to its office staff. In conversations
with this reviewer, Department staff were praised by faculty and students alike for their responsiveness,
organization and efficiency. The Department and Dean's Office efforts to provide additional resources for
instructional faculty to meet the growth in enrollment and course offerings and lower the SFR are
indicators of a Department that is on a healthy footing in terms of administrative and fiscal management.
The Department notes two resource goals for the coming cycle: 1) the need for access to smart
classrooms. This is rightly a university responsibility. In its second goal for the coming cycle, the
Department notes a need for additional access to work/study funds, in particular the re-allocation of
unused funds during spring semester.
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Commendation 11: The Department is to be commended for managing and using its own resources such
that it was able to purchase its own technology equipment, and for its efforts to support the use of
technology through technology training and external funding for instructional support.
Commendation 12: The college and university are commended for responding to the Department's
physical space and staffing needs as noted in the last review.
Recommendation 11: The University is urged to continue its current efforts to establish more smart
classrooms and insuring faculty access to these rooms so that departments will not have to spend their
own budget funds to meet this need.
Recommendation 12: It is recommended that the college consider conducting its review and reallocation of work-study funds on an earlier timeline that will better provide access to these unused funds
for departments with an ongoing need in this area.
Recommendation 13: While the Department has made much progress during this cycle in increasing use
of technology by faculty, feedback from both graduate and undergraduate students indicates mixed
responses from the students' perspectives. It is therefore recommended that faculty collect information
from students about their concerns and issues related to use of technology and seek ways to mitigate some
of these concerns.
VII. Concluding Remarks
The Department of Child and Adolescent Development is a healthy and productive department with
strong undergraduate and graduate programs. In our closing conversations during the exit interview,
faculty noted that "... we like where we are," and the external reviewer agrees with that characterization.
Toni Campbell, CHAD Chair‘s response to outside Reviewer – January 31, 2008
Quote:
nd
On January 22 the tenure-track faculty of the Department of Child & Adolescent
Development met to discuss Susan Gomez' findings of our program review materials. We
were delighted with the quality and extent of what she had to say. We agreed with her
recommendations. Most of her suggestions were identical to those that we had described
in the department report and those that were not seemed to us quite sensible. We have
developed a work plan to begin to implement changes and anticipate a steady progress
over the coming five years.
College of Education Program Planning Review Committee AY 2006-2007
No college committee review was included in the report.
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