March 2010
Guidelines for Submitting Initial Licensure/Post-Baccalaureate Program Reports
Many secondary post-baccalaureate programs have been developed for candidates who
enter the program already having been prepared in the content area; typically candidates
enter the program with an undergraduate major in the field. Many of these are MAT
programs although in a few institutions these are called MEd programs. Most postbaccalaureate and alternate pathways programs are also designed to prepare candidates
who come into the program with appropriate content area preparation. For the purpose of
this discussion, these will all be called “Initial License/Post-Baccalaureate (IL/PB)”
programs. This discussion includes only those programs in the five secondary academic
content areas: English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language. This does not
include programs in special education, elementary education or other areas.
Instructions
The program must first notify NCATE that it will be submitting an IL/PB program report
using the chart that is used for all institutions requesting that shells be created. Once the
shell is created, the program will have access to it.
Programs will be required to submit a single report, addressing a single set of standards
(based on the SASB Task Force principles) that focus on Content Knowledge, Content
Pedagogy, Learning Environments and Professional Knowledge and Skills. Programs
will have to show how candidates in their programs are meeting the standards. This
process does not lead to national recognition by a SPA but will lead to “NCATE national
recognition.” A new program report template has been developed. It is available on the
NCATE Web site.
The program will need to submit 6-8 key assessments, rubrics/scoring guides and data
tables that align to the four standards. The program will need to demonstrate that the
assessments it has in place will provide evidence that candidates are mastering the IL/PB
standards. Documentation for Standards 1 and 2 will be discipline-specific, but limited,
and documentation for Standards 3 and 4 will be generic.
Standard 1: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
Program assessments demonstrate candidates’ knowledge of the content they plan
to teach. Content has been defined by each SPA through a list of topics that
address the discipline’s knowledge base that must be evaluated as part of the
transcript review. The list for each SPA can be found at the end of this document.
Standard 2: CONTENT PEDAGOGY
Program assessments demonstrate candidates’ knowledge and skills in effective
teaching strategies that make the discipline comprehensible to P-12 students. Each
SPA has developed a brief list of topics that address discipline-specific content
pedagogy. These items must be evaluated in Assessments #3, #4 and/or #5. The
list for each SPA can be found at the end of this document.
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March 2010
Standard 3: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Program assessments demonstrate candidates’ ability to apply their knowledge
appropriately in their education role by creating and maintaining safe, supportive,
fair, and effective learning environments for all students, including students with
disabilities, students who are limited English proficient, students who are gifted
and talented, and students with low literacy levels. Assessments demonstrate that
candidates are proficient in the following areas:
 individual and group motivation for a disciplined learning environment and
engagement in learning;
 assessment and analysis of student learning, making appropriate adjustments
in instruction, and monitoring student progress to assure meaningful learning
experiences for all students; and
 use of a variety of instructional strategies, materials, and applications of
technology to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem
solving, and performance skills.
Standard 4: PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Program assessments demonstrate candidates’ knowledge of professional
practices in their field and readiness to apply them and their proficiency in the
following areas:
 engagement in professional experiences, and reflection on them, to enhance
each candidate’s professional growth, including a knowledge of professional
organizations in the discipline;
 understanding and ability to demonstrate a commitment to equitable and
ethical treatment of all students and colleagues;
 knowledge of the collaborative roles of other school professionals and
readiness to work with colleagues, families, and community agencies; and
 ability to identify opportunities for collaborative and leadership roles as
members of teams.
The Assessments
Programs are required to have 6-8 assessments, following the current model. The SPAspecific content elements must be addressed in Assessments #1 and #2. The SPAspecific content pedagogy elements must be addressed in Assessments #3, #4 and #5.
Assessment #1: The state licensure test for all disciplines addressed in the
program.
Assessment #2: A description of the transcript analysis process used to verify that
candidates have adequate content preparation. Each SPA has developed a brief list of
discipline-specific concepts or topics that must be evaluated as part of the transcript
analysis.
Assessment #3: Assessment of candidate ability to plan instruction
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March 2010
Assessment #4: Assessment of clinical practice
Assessment #5: Assessment of candidate impact on student learning
Assessment #6: Faculty selected assessment EXCEPT for the following:
 Science programs must include an assessment of safety which meets NSTA
requirements (this can be assessment #6, 7, or 8)
 Foreign language programs must include the Oral Proficiency Instrument as
required by ACTFL (this can be assessment #6, 7, or 8)
Assessments #7 and #8: Optional
Below are the requirements for each of the five SPAs regarding content knowledge and
pedagogical content knowledge.
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March 2010
Content and Content Pedagogy Components required for IL/PB programs in
Foreign Language Education (taken from ACTFL Standards)
Content Knowledge:
 Knowledge of target language use (listening, speaking, reading, writing)
 Knowledge of the cultures of the target language
 Knowledge of the linguistic system of the target language
 Knowledge of the literatures of the target language
Content Pedagogy:
 Evidence of the K-16 student standards in planning, teaching, and assessment
 Knowledge of second language acquisition theories
 Evidence of the diverse needs of second language learners
 Evidence of a variety of second language assessment techniques
For more detailed information and definitions of these topics, please refer to the ACTFL
Standards.
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March 2010
Content and Content Pedagogy Components required for IL/PB programs in
English Education (taken from NCTE Standards)
Content Knowledge:
 Language development and acquisition including history of the English
language
 Language structure and skills including grammar systems and semantics
 Traditional literature study (American, British, World) including literary
criticism/theory and literary terminology
 Multi-cultural literature, young adult literature, and literature of diversity
including that by women
 Literacy study including major aspects of written, oral, and visual literacy
 Reading processes for understanding text including critical analysis and
meaning making strategies
 Writing processes for difference purposes, situations, and audiences
 Media (print and non-print) and communication technology understanding
Content Pedagogy:
 Use English language arts to help their students become familiar with their
own and others’ cultures, establishing meaningful connections between the
English language arts curriculum and developments in culture, society, and
education (also applicable to the Learning Environments Principle 3).
 Examine and select resources for instruction such as textbooks, other print
materials, videos, films, records, and software, appropriate and research based
for supporting the teaching of English language arts.
The following can only be met during an active classroom instructional assessment such
as student teaching:
 Engage students in activities that demonstrate the role of arts and humanities
in learning
 Engage students often in meaningful discussions for the purposes of
interpreting and evaluating ideas presented through oral, written, and/or visual
forms
 Engage students in critical analysis of different media and communications
technologies
 Engage students in learning experiences that consistently emphasize varied
uses and purposes for language in communication
 Engage students in making meaning of texts through personal response
 Demonstrate that their students can select appropriate reading strategies that
permit access to, and understanding of, a wide range of print and nonprint
texts
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For more detailed information and definitions of these topics, refer to the NCTE/NCATE
Program Standards for Initial Preparation of Secondary English Language Arts Grades
7-12 (2003).
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March 2010
Content and Content Pedagogy Components required for IL/PB programs in
Mathematics Education (taken from NCTM Standards)
Content Knowledge:
 Knowledge of Number and Operation
 Knowledge of Different Perspectives on Algebra
 Knowledge of Geometries
 Knowledge of Calculus
 Knowledge of Discrete Mathematics
 Knowledge of Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability
 Knowledge of Measurement
For more detailed information and definitions of these topics, please refer to the NCTM
Mathematics Secondary Education program standards 9-15.
Content Pedagogy:
 Knowledge of instructional technology specifically for the mathematics classroom
 Demonstration of selection and use of appropriate instructional strategies and
materials specifically for the mathematics classroom
 Demonstration of the ability to lead classes in mathematical problem solving and
in development in-depth conceptual understanding as well as procedural fluency
 Knowledge of mathematical reasoning, communication, connections, and
representations and demonstration of such knowledge in the mathematics
classroom and instructional planning
 Demonstration of attention to equity through the use of multiple instructional
strategies including listening to and understanding the ways students think about
mathematics
 Demonstration of attention to research results in the teaching and learning of
mathematics
For more detailed information and definitions of these topics, please refer to the NCTM
Mathematics Secondary Education program standards 1-8.
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March 2010
Content and Content Pedagogy Components required for IL/PB programs in Social
Studies Education
Content Knowledge for NCSS should be based on transcript analysis of candidates'
undergraduate content courses with a provision for addressing remediation of content
knowledge for standards not sufficiently addressed.
Each candidate must address at least seven of the ten NCSS Standards. All candidates
must address NCSS Standards 1.2, 1.3, 1.6 (which may also address 1.10), and 1.7. In
addition, they must address at least two of the remaining standards: NCSS Standard 1.1
or 1.5; 1.4 (which may be sufficiently addressed by a Human Growth and Development
course); 1.8; or 1.9. The concepts addressed by NCSS Standards 1.8 and 1.9 are
frequently imbedded within courses and are therefore seldom addressed in the transcript
review process.
NCSS Thematic Standards:
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
1.10
Culture and Cultural Diversity.
Time, Continuity, and Change.
People, Places, and Environment
Individual Development and Identity.
Individuals, Groups and Institutions.
Power, Authority, and Governance.
Production, Distribution, and Consumption.
Science, Technology and Society.
Global Connections
Civic Ideals and Practices.
Content Pedagogy:
 Candidate ability to plan lessons that integrate multiple standards as appropriate
for social studies education
 Candidate ability to involve students in processes such as critical thinking,
identification and utilization of primary sources and other processes as
appropriate for social studies education
 Candidate ability to appropriately utilize technology and other forms of
interactive learning as appropriate for social studies education.
 Evidence for this principle should indicate candidate success in planning and
teaching content and activities that address at least three of the NCSS content
Standards.
For more detailed information and definitions of these topics, please refer to the NCSS
Standards for Social Studies Teachers.
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March 2010
Content and Content Pedagogy Components required for IL/PB programs in
Science Education (taken from NSTA Standards)
Content Knowledge:
All Single Field (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth/Space Sciences)
 1 year introductory in field of licensure
 Coursework for a major in a single field of licensure (30 semester hours)
 20 of the 30 credit hours will be third and fourth year coursework
 Supporting coursework in each of the three remaining content areas
(generally 1 to 3 survey courses
 Research in science content
 Mathematics appropriate for the discipline (calculus, statistics)
Advanced competencies in licensure area below
Biology Advanced Competencies (usually 3rd or 4th year courses)
 Genetics
 Ecology
 Molecular Biology
 Evolution or Evolutionary Biology
Chemistry Advanced Competencies (usually 3rd or 4th year courses)
 Analytical Chemistry
 Organic Chemistry
 Biochemistry
Earth/Space Sciences Advanced Competencies (usually 3rd or 4th year courses)
 Hydrogeology
 Oceanography
 Global Climate Change
 Geologic Age of the Earth
Physics Advanced Competencies (usually 3rd or 4th year courses)
 Thermodynamics
 High Energy Physics
 Advanced Mechanics
 Advanced Electricity or advanced light
Dual Field (two content areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth/Space
Sciences):
Items listed above for all licensure areas including coursework for a major
in a single discipline. Advanced competencies include the relevant content areas.
Broad Field (three or four science content areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or
Earth/Space Sciences):
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March 2010
Items listed above for all licensure areas including coursework for a major
in a single discipline. Advanced competencies include 2 advanced areas in each of
the four disciplines.
Content Pedagogy:
 Evidence of planning in science content, nature of science, inquiry. (NSTA
Standard 1a, 2c, and 3b)
The following standards can only be met during active classroom instructional assessment
such as student teaching:


Evidence of appropriate practice safety procedures; chemical storage and use; and
animal care and use. (NSTA Standard 9b, 9c, and 9d)
Evidence of learning science content, nature of science (NSTA Standard 1a and
2c)
For more detailed information and definitions of these topics, please refer to the NSTA
Standards for Science Teachers.
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