Kean University
College of Education
Standard 1 – Exhibits 6 & 7
Focus Groups: Graduates and Employers
Focus Groups: Procedure
We hold two sessions of Focus Groups a year. One Focus Group is for Employers of
Kean graduates and the other Focus Group is made up of graduates representing a cross
section of our professional education programs both at the graduate and undergraduate
levels. Each year, we invite a different group of school administrators employing Kean
graduates and different recent graduates to join us for a 2-hour, audiotaped discussion.
There is a set script that the Focus Group facilitator follows.
Focus Groups: Format and Questions
Employers:
Purpose: Kean University is attempting to gain additional information about the teaching
preparation program. You have been selected because you work closely with our
candidates and you have hired Kean graduates.
Kean is using this information to improve programs; we want your opinion and value it
as essential feedback. Although this is an informal discussion, there are a few ground
rules:
Speak one at a time.
We are taping the session.
Information is used only by us (anonymously).
We’ll use first names only.
No names will be attached to this meeting.
We would like to hear both negative and positive feedback.
We truly value your point of view.
Try to think of only your teachers who are Kean graduates when answering theses
questions.
1. How did the Kean University Teacher Education Program prepare our candidates
for teaching (in general terms)?
2. Looking at the content knowledge base of our candidates, in what areas are they
well prepared? Can you identify areas of strengths and weaknesses?
3. How are the candidates prepared to understand the differences in how students
learn and find ways to accommodate instruction?
4. Are candidates prepared to implement effective teaching strategies?
5. Are candidates provided with effective knowledge of assessment and evaluation
of student learning?
6. Do candidates come prepared with classroom management strategies?
7. Please name three areas that could use improvement and three areas of strength.
Kean University
College of Education
Standard 1 – Exhibits 6 & 7
Graduates:
Purpose: Kean University is attempting to gain additional information about the teaching
preparation program. We gather Focus Groups of employers and graduates. Thank you
for participating in this session today.
Kean is using this information to improve programs. We want your opinion and value it
as essential feedback. Although this is an informal discussion, there are a few ground
rules:
Speak one at a time.
We are taping the session.
Information is used only by us (anonymously).
We’ll use first names only.
No names will be attached to this meeting.
We would like to hear both negative and positive feedback.
We truly value your point of view.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How did the Kean University Teacher Education Program prepare you for
teaching (in general terms)?
Looking at your content knowledge base, in what areas were you well prepared?
Can you identify areas of strengths and weaknesses?
How were you prepared to understand the differences in how students learn and
find ways to accommodate instruction?
Were you prepared to implement effective teaching strategies?
Were you provided with effective knowledge of assessment and evaluation of
student learning?
Were you prepared with classroom management strategies?
Please name three areas that could use improvement and three areas of strength.
Kean University
College of Education
Standard 1 – Exhibits 6 & 7
Focus Groups: Data
Academic
Year
2007-2008
Employers
Graduates
How did the Kean University Teacher Education
Program prepare our candidates for teaching (in
general terms)?
How did the Kean University Teacher Education
Program prepare you for teaching (in general terms)?
Strong in pedagogy, content, and enthusiasm
Looking at the content knowledge base of our
candidates, in what areas are they well prepared?
Can you identify areas of strengths and
weaknesses?
Strengths: knowledge of literacy instruction,
student engagement, planning and organizing for
small group work, and knowledge of best
practices. No weaknesses noted.
How are the candidates prepared to understand
the differences in how students learn and find
ways to accommodate instruction?
Teachers accommodate through small group
work, differentiated instruction, use of formative
assessments to help know their individual
students.
Are candidates prepared to implement effective
teaching strategies and skills of assessment of
student learning?
Yes, and strong in classroom management too.
They have been teaching veteran teachers
formative assessment strategies. Understand
data-driven instruction.
Do candidates come prepared with classroom
management strategies? Yes
Three areas that could use improvement and three
areas of strength.
Improvement:

Working with families

More knowledge about the role of
principal and other supervisors

Need more knowledge about school
life outside of the classroom

What is the life of the educator?

More field experience may be helpful.
Strengths:

Kean teachers are dynamic with great
attitudes

Committed to the profession

Understand best practices in
education

They ‘get it’ that teaching is in the
Initial grads: Courses in math and reading were
good; professional faculty; content area courses were
not as helpful; ed courses were realistic and
practical.
Advanced grad: Classes need to be more content
focused. Need more high school methods courses;
learned a lot about assessment: rubrics, other
authentic assessments.
Looking at your content knowledge base, in what
areas were you well prepared? Can you identify areas
of strengths and weaknesses?
All:
Strength: wide array of courses
Weaknesses:

Need more guidance in choosing an
academic major

More overall reading instruction
preparation

Need a course in Classroom Guidance and
Leadership

A specific HS teaching methods course in
content areas

In Art Ed., need more discipline-based
instruction
How were you prepared to understand the differences
in how students learn and find ways to accommodate
instruction?
All: In Special Ed., very well prepared; discussed
mostly in classes where you’d try it out on fellow
students; needed Differentiated Instruction to be
labeled as such when teaching about it; student
teaching helped a lot with this; Psychology was a
good major for this.
Were you prepared to implement effective teaching
strategies?
All: Learned most from student teaching and senior
seminar course for this question; the programs’
emphasis on student engagement is strong at Kean;
assignments in different classes helped that asked us
to collect strategies for resource folders and binders.
Were you provided with effective knowledge of
assessment and evaluation of student learning?
All: Most knowledge about this came from student
teaching; the connections between
objectives/learning goals and assessment was stressed
Kean University
College of Education
Standard 1 – Exhibits 6 & 7

relationship
Feel that they are fortunate to be in
the teaching field
in coursework; we learned many assessment tools in
Special Ed., but there are always so many more to
learn about—can’t cover them all; created lots of
lesson plans and rubrics in my education courses;
would be helpful to see more examples of the kinds of
published curriculum we’d encounter in the schools.
Were you prepared with classroom management
strategies?
All: Most knowledge about this came from student
teaching; the classroom management
seminar/workshop was very helpful; a class in this
topic would be helpful too; Special Ed has a class in
this and it was the most helpful class I took; maybe
showing videos in class would be helpful.
Please name three areas that could use improvement
and three areas of strength.
Strengths:
All: well-prepared; professors were passionate; PDS
supervisors were excellent; In Art Ed., the Fine Arts
classes and course work was good, but the Art Ed
courses were not so good; the student teaching
experience was wonderful.
Graduate: Structure of the program was very
attractive; great professors/very knowledgeable in
their areas of expertise.
Weaknesses:
All: Classroom management; need more in reading
and math; sometimes advising was not clear
especially with the state changes in
certifications/scores, etc.; programs that lead to
certification in the “specials” (art, music, PE;
library) need a course in Special Ed.
Graduate: Need more content-area methods courses.
2008-2009
Employers
Graduates
How did the Kean University Teacher Education
Program prepare your Kean teachers for teaching
(in general terms)?
How did Kean University prepare you for your
profession in education?
Early Childhood foundational knowledge is
strong
Come to us with strong content, but not as ready
to connect content to instructional strategies.
Looking at the content knowledge base of our
candidates, in what areas are they well prepared?
Can you identify areas of strengths and
weaknesses?
Strengths:
They know their content
Interpersonal skills
Work well with parents
Weaknesses:
Need more knowledge about NJCCCS
More depth with diversity responsiveness
See students as individuals

The field experiences were most valuable
(Teacher Ed)

Too many field experiences (Counselor
Ed)

Technology training was good

Request to require an Abnormal Child
Psych course (Counselor Ed)

Kean faculty provided multiple effective
teaching strategies
Suggestions:
More strategies to teach struggling readers; teaching
reading, invite new teachers back to “mentor”
student teachers. Much more practical information
about the school environment is needed i.e. how to
deal with administrators and co-workers. Mentors are
needed.
Were you prepared to implement effective
teaching/counseling strategies?
Kean University
College of Education
Standard 1 – Exhibits 6 & 7


Are candidates prepared to implement effective
teaching strategies and skills of assessment of
student learning?
Content about instructional strategies is good;
abilities with application of strategies varies—
some great at applying strategies based on
student needs, some need more practice.
Content knowledge about assessment types and
uses is good; skills in application of assessment
to guide instruction varies. More understanding
and use of assessment as a tool is needed.
Do candidates come prepared with classroom
management strategies?


Were you provided with effective knowledge of
assessment and evaluation of student learning and
development?


“No, Who would expect them to?”
Three areas that could use improvement and three
areas of strength.
Strengths:
- Content Knowledge
- Enthusiasm
- Commitment
- Energy level
- Willingness
Improvement Areas:
- Professional conduct
(overcoming the casualness of this generation)
- More practice with Instructional Strategies and
- - Assessment needed
- Mutlicultural understandings
- The ART of teaching
Do candidates come prepared with classroom
management strategies?







Looking at the content knowledge base of our
graduates, in what areas are they well prepared?
Can you identify areas of strengths and
weaknesses?



Well-preprared in Math, Langauage
Arts, and Social Studies
Elementary Science preparation needs
a boost
Use subject-specific vocab and
Classroom Management was mentioned in
almost every course
After graduating, it’s clear that you can’t
exactly be prepared in advance
The seminar offered by the TPC is very
helpful
Please name three areas that could use improvement
and three areas of strength

Employers
Consensus was to create focus groups (like
this) after courses were completed to help
professors assess & evaluate their course
materials and train teacher candidates to
think critically
Exposure to school district use of progress
reports, IEPs, report cards, bench- marks
and standardized tests (HESPA, NJASK,
etc) would be helpful
Suggestions
A course on assessments/evaluation would be
valuable. More focus groups.


2009-2010
Counselor Ed grads felt very wellprepared w/ counseling strategies
Counselor Ed grads thought learning some
teaching strategies would be very helpful
Learning fun activities is important; some
professors provided examples
Many more hands-on activities that are
very effective
More field experiences (Teacher Ed)
A course on ethical standards (Teacher
Ed)
Teach techniques on communicating with
parents and
other professionals
Most professors were caring and
interested
Technology training was useful
This focus group is an excellent idea
Graduates
How did Kean University prepare you for teaching in
general terms?





Provided management skills
Lots of lesson planning
Technology integration
Child development
Good range of field experiences
Kean University
College of Education
Standard 1 – Exhibits 6 & 7



develop learning centers to enhance
student t learning
Should be more exposed to a variety
of popular programs in use such as
Everyday Math
Well prepared in planning process
and teaching towards the objective
Well-versed in pre and post
assessments
How are the Kean teachers prepared to
understand the differences in how students learn
and find ways to accommodate instruction?



Aware of how students learn
Are prepared to differentiate
instruction
Good at redesigning lessons for
maximum effectiveness
Are Kean graduates prepared to implement
effective teaching strategies and skills of
assessment of student learning?


They have effective knowledge of
assessment
They have a variety of alternate
assessment tools/idea
Do candidates come prepared with classroom
management strategies?


New teachers need growth in the area
of classroom management to keep
engagement “Bell-to-bell”
They come with good theory in this
area and need to practice it
Three areas that could use improvement and three
areas of strength.
Strengths:
- Content Knowledge
- Enthusiasm
-Good sense of best practice
- People skills
- Receptive to new learning
-Teaching to the objective
-Professional
-Work ethic
Improvement Areas:
- classroom management
- More practice with Instructional Strategies and
differentiating needed
-School/home connection and mutlicultural
understandings
- Technology training
-knowledge of specific district programs
Were you prepared to implement effective teaching
strategies?





Learned a lot of reading strategies
Good base in Bloom’s Taxonomy
Learned about parts of a lesson/unit plan
Socially interactive classrooms stressed
Great foundation to build on once in the
field
Were you provided with effective knowledge of
assessment and evaluation of student learning and
development?



Not a lot taught about assessment until the
Teacher Work Sample Level II and III
Need a course just on assessment
Also to be taught more about carrying out
day-to-day assessment in your classroom
How were you prepared to understand the differences
in how students learn and find ways to accommodate
instruction?



Had a course in it ID 2955
Need more than one course
Knew what differentiated instruction was
but not the particulars in carrying it out.
Were you prepared with classroom management
strategies?



Mentioned in just about every course
Great workshops on it
Good support for developing skills in
classroom management in student
teaching
Please name three areas that could use improvement
and three areas of strength
Suggestions for Improvements:

More coursework on using technology in
teaching

More coursework about assessment’

At least one more course about teaching
math

At least one more course about teaching
science

Secondary: Need another course about
content area reading instruction
Strengths

Terrific supervisors

Learning about cooperative and
collaborative learning

Reading strategies for elementary

Classroom management

Field experiences
Kean University
College of Education
Standard 1 – Exhibits 6 & 7