Executive Summary

This Strategic Plan clarifies the vision of the faculty, and the mission and goals of the School of Education (SOE) with respect to its integration with the mission of the University. The Plan then explains the complex administrative organization of SOE and provides descriptive data in order to place the School’s goals and objectives in an understandable context. Finally, it delineates a short and longer range focus and direction for SOE by identifying specific goals, objectives, and strategies to support the mission and actualize the vision of the School, the University, and the community at large. These goals address recommendations of the faculty, accrediting review boards, and the professional educational community and are designed to eliminate barriers to achieving our mission and to maximize opportunities to excel.

The School of Education seeks to integrate the strengths of the university with those of our partners in communities, the private sector, public agencies, and the policy community to promote, together, the highest levels of learning and achievement for all students and the positive development and well-being of children, youth, adult learners, and families. Our approach is shaped by our fundamental commitment to diversity and social justice. We seek to ensure that through teaching, research, policy analysis, and service, all children, individuals, and families are fully prepared and empowered to participate in a diverse democratic society.

Accordingly, programs within the School of Education prepare candidates to become exemplary practitioners and scholars. We educate them to access, generate, use, and disseminate knowledge about teaching, learning, and human development through programs structured as elements of a life-long process of candidates’ intellectual growth and professional development. We ready them to work collaboratively with others to solve critical education and human problems in our increasingly global and diverse community.

This Strategic Plan represents what the faculty and staff of the SOE have been, and currently are accomplishing relative to our mission. Wit h the additional resources outlined herein, the SOE will be positioned to meet the requisites of our two accrediting agencies while attracting additional undergraduate and graduate students. This translates into generating additional revenues for the University.

About the School of Education

The School of Education is the unit responsible for the operation of all pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher preparation programs at the University of Rhode Island (URI). (Appendix A presents the SOE Organizational Chart.) The Director of the School of Education serves as the chairperson of the SOE faculty and the School. The Director is appointed by the President and reports directly to the Dean of the College of Human Sciences and Services (CHSS), and its operational management is administratively housed within CHSS. Teacher preparation programs reporting to the SOE fall into three categories: (1) programs housed within SOE itself, (2) teacher certification programs housed within other academic departments in CHSS, and (3) teacher certification programs housed within academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). An Advisory Committee helps to coordinate these various programs.

The SOE also administers an Office of Teacher Education (OTE) which works on behalf of the SOE and its faculty to coordinate field placements, manage and maintain student records for licensure and certification, assist in the management and development of formal Partnerships with multiple local school districts, and track student progress through teacher education programs. (See OTE below.) Two (2) research and outreach centers are currently affiliated with the SOE – the National Center for Public Education and Social Policy (NCPE), and the Center for Human Services (CHS).

The SOE currently has seventeen (17) full time tenure track faculty members whose primary appointments are within the School. Full time faculty contribute to the governance of the unit; teach, assess, mentor, and advise students; contribute to the professional body of knowledge through publications and presentations; pursue, develop, and maintain partnerships with academic institutions and communities; and serve the university and external communities in accord with the mission of the University. The SOE also employs full time Lecturers (2), Per Course Instructors (32), and several graduate assistants to deliver educational services and teaching to constituents. In addition to these faculty members, some faculty in other CHSS Departments and in CAS departments have been designated as Affiliated Faculty on the basis of their involvement in the delivery of teacher certification programs. The SOE also has two full-time secretaries.

Programs Within SOE

Within SOE, there are five (5) degree programs providing certifications and endorsements: Baccalaureate degrees in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Secondary Education; a Master of Arts in Education; and a PhD in Education. The Secondary Education program is made up of the following areas of certification: English, Mathematics, History, Social Studies, Science (General Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) and Foreign Language (French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Spanish). These fourteen (14) programs are administered through four (4) Teams: the Early Childhood Team, the Elementary Team, the Secondary Team, and the Graduate Team. The SOE also offers two endorsements: English as a Second Language and a Middle Level (ML) Endorsement to our Elementary & Secondary Education students. Faculty who work with the ML students have formed a Middle Level Team that meets both independently and in concert with the Elementary and Secondary Teams.

Each of the Teams is comprised of SOE faculty who select the Team(s) to which they will belong based upon their professional expertise, their assigned teaching area, their faculty appointment, or their personal interest. The Early Childhood Education Team is comprised of both SOE faculty and affiliated faculty from Human Development and Family Studies (HDF), and the secondary team is comprised of both SOE faculty and affiliated faculty from the College of Arts and Science (CAS). The Graduate Team is comprised of faculty who teach, advise and/or administer courses/concentrations in the MA in Education, the MA with Teacher Certification (MATCP), and the PhD programs. Teams work within the School of Education to organize and maintain degree programs. This responsibility includes assisting with course scheduling; faculty assignment to courses; course development/revision; program development/revision; and student recruitment, selection and acceptance. Each Team is coordinated by a Team Leader who is elected/selected by the Team members with the approval of the Director. All Teams report directly to the Director of the SOE. Many faculty serve on and contribute to the work of more than one team, according to the needs of the School and its programs.

Teacher Certification Programs Within Other CHSS Departments

Three (3) other academic departments housed within CHSS operate programs that are linked to the SOE for the purpose of offering specific teaching certifications. Those departments are Communicative Disorders (CMD), Human Development and Family Studies (HDF), and Kinesiology (KIN). The teaching certifications delivered by these departments are Speech Pathology, delivered by Communicative Disorders; Early Childhood, delivered by SOE and Human Development and Family Studies, and K-12 Physical Education, delivered by Kinesiology. Kinesiology also delivers two endorsements that may be added to K-12 certification: Health Education and Adapted Physical Education. The affiliated faculty in the K-12 Physical Education Program have formed the Physical Education Teacher Education Team.

Teacher Certification Programs Within the College of Arts and Sciences

The SOE has affiliated with departments within the URI College of Arts & Sciences who operate programs that are linked to the SOE for the purpose of delivering specific teaching certifications. Those certification programs are Foreign Language Education, delivered by SOE and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Music Education, delivered by the Department of Music; School Library Media, delivered by the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies; and School Psychology, delivered by the Psychology Department.

District Partnerships

The development of formal Partnerships between the SOE and local school districts (i.e., Central Falls, Chariho, Cranston, East Providence, Exeter/West Greenwich, Narragansett, Newport, North Kingstown, Providence, South Kingstown, and West Warwick) has facilitated the involvement of school-based personnel in the design and delivery of initial certification programs. In turn, district partners have requested the development of customized programs of advanced study and professional development for district personnel based on identified district needs. SOE faculty performs these activities as part of their service and outreach responsibilities. In addition, Partnership Per Course Instructors (13) are employed to teach specific courses.

The Office of Teacher Education

The SOE administers an Office of Teacher Education (OTE). This office provides central coordination of field and clinical placements of teacher candidates, manages and maintains student records for licensure and certification, assists in the management and development of formal Partnerships with multiple local school districts, tracks student progress through teacher education programs, and recommends candidates for licensure upon completion of all program requirements. The Office of Teacher Education is coordinated by a Director who reports to the SOE Director, and who manages duties of the OTE staff. Currently, there is one full-time secretary assigned to the OTE, and one graduate assistant. The OTE also fosters the delivery of customized programs of professional development to the partner districts and has responsibility for enhancing data gathering and analysis as the programs move to more effectively use data for program analysis and improvement.

Affiliated Centers

There are two (2) centers affiliated with the SOE. The first, the National Center for Public Education and Social Policy (NCPE), in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has been instrumental in the development of the statewide accountability system, SALT. NCPE provides leadership in data collection and analysis for SOE partnership schools (and schools throughout the state) and supports the use of data to generate district and school improvement plans through extensive in-service efforts. The center has been instrumental in securing external funding and resources in support of the research base of the SOE and RI public school accountability and assessment programs, and in facilitating leadership in RI school environment and policy change to respond to local, state, and federal mandates (i.e., NCLB).

The second, the Center for Human Services (CHS), is an evaluation and research center supported by external grants and contracts. It utilizes faculty members from the SOE and all departments in the CHSS. Through research, evaluation, education, training, and program development, the CHS seeks to promote activities that will provide sound information for use by practitioners and policy makers in public service areas including public schools, human service and other educational institutions.

Vision

The University of Rhode Island’s School of Education envisions a world where all children and youth are prepared to meet the challenges of a diverse, ever-evolving, global society embedded in a technological era. To this end, the School and its Faculty are committed to quality research, teaching, and community service partnerships and outreach activities that enhance the knowledge base of all disciplines housed within the school, and are supportive of initiatives designed to exemplify teaching and learning across learners of all ages.

Mission

The mission of the University of Rhode Island’s School of Education is to prepare future professionals to be exemplary practitioners and scholars. To achieve this mission, faculty seek to generate, use, and disseminate knowledge about teaching, learning, and human development and strive to establish and maintain partnerships for the purpose of addressing and resolving critical educational problems that impede and impact the learning of children and youth.

Organizational Values

The values of the undergraduate professional teaching program of the SOE stem from a drive to prepare candidates to demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills and dispositions for beginning teachers that are explicated in the INTASC Model Standards for Beginning Teacher Licensure and Support and the Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards. These values clearly outline a program that enables candidates to:

Understand the historical and social context of education in the United States and the impact of that context on educational opportunities and outcomes for pupils in U.S. schools.
Prepare all pupils to be able to think critically and act to a high degree of intellectual complexity.
Understand and apply theories of cognition and child development to create many pathways to learning.
Understand and apply instructional models based on theories of cognition and development.
Assess pupil learning through a variety of approaches.
Use data from assessments of learning, including standardized assessments of achievement, to design and structure instruction to meet the identified needs of all pupils in their classrooms.
Identify and access the diversity of experiences and perspectives that students bring to learning environments, using this knowledge to match learning opportunities to the needs of individual children.

Further, these values guide faculty in assessing students in four broad domains, identified by the Holmes Group (1986) and supported by the literature as being crucial to good teaching practice. These are:

Effective communication and interpersonal relationships;
An academic knowledge base consisting of a broad foundation and deep knowledge of the central concepts, principles, and tools of inquiry in a discipline;
Pedagogical knowledge bases, including content pedagogy; and
Ability to assure learning for diverse learners.

The values of the graduate professional programs of the SOE manifest themselves in six (6) themes that build upon the values of our Undergraduate program. These themes primarily emerged from a thorough review of the current professional literature related to effective teacher education in contemporary America, a careful analysis of the RIBTS core propositions, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and other standards applicable to URI's advanced programs and the requirements of the Specialty Program Association (SPA's). The six themes that guide our advanced programs are to:

1. Develop deeper understanding of content (depth and breadth);

2. Assume a greater leadership role in the educational community and become agents of educational change

3. Actively participate in a variety of diverse learning communities with commitment to all students

4. Develop scholarly research skills and contribute to new knowledge through scholarly research and interpretation

5. Engage in professional development.

6. Adapt and expand instructional/leadership repertoire & model reflective practice.

In summary, the SOE organizational values for both our initial and advanced programs are keenly linked to the professional standards of our profession. Consequently, they quite similar to those values identified by the majority of Schools and Colleges of Education across the country.

Accreditation

The SOE is accredited by two (2) separate bodies - the National Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Rhode Island Department of Education - Rhode Island Program Analysis (RIPA). Our last visit occurred in the Spring 2003 at which time the majority of our programs received five (5) year accreditations from both bodies. However, there were several areas where improvements need to occur and resulted in the need for a revisit in the Fall 2005 by both NCATE and in Spring 2006 by RIDE.

In preparing for this NCATE focused visit the several areas were identified for improvement. A summary of areas listed for improvement and our progress follows. We have made progress toward meeting many areas cited by NCATE and will be seeking advice from the College of HSS and URI Central Administration on strategies to improve our programs (Rhode Island Program Approval spring 06):

a) Preparation of candidates to work with special needs students (grant supported new hire, addition of coursework and outcome measures)

b) Assessment of Unit operations and Unit coordination (working to improve data collection and use of data for program management – Assessing need: MIS, Institutional Research, efolio, SOE database)

c) Data analyses (moving to model for Unit collection of data across all programs and colleges – TQE grant support, University MIS and efolio support).

d) Assessment advanced program outcomes (TQE grant support, University efolio support).

e) Field experiences, placements and diversity (improvements being made)

f) Faculty diversity (concern unachieved goal, focus new Lang. Arts position, and hiring of part time faculty)

g) Lack coordinating policy-making body (Building stronger relationships with programs across campus along with reinstatement of University wide Council for Teacher Education – goal spring 05)

h) Lack administrative, data collection and support staff (concern unachieved goal)

i) Media, curriculum resources, space (concern unachieved goal need to follow-up on past discussions with Library and build reasonable/practical long term budget)

Environmental/Trend Analysis

Benchmarks: Other URI Departments

The University of Rhode Island has previously conducted a Program Contribution Analysis (PCA) of its 90 undergraduate 76 Masters, and 67 Ph.D. programs. Analysis of the data in this report provides valuable data about the relative contribution of the School of Education and its affiliated programs to the vitality of the University. A major problem in measuring the contribution of the School of Education is that while it is the “unit responsible for the operation of all pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher preparation programs at the University of Rhode Island (URI)” the PCA does not allow ready analysis of the contribution of all teacher education programs. The PCA measures contribution by major, and many teacher education majors are housed in departments not housed with SOE. Consequently, the contributions of these majors are not aligned by the PCA data to the SOE. The data used in this analysis are from the 2002 PCA which provides the most recent available data.

In an effort to show the contributions of other affiliated teacher education programs we have included data on major departments which house teacher education programs e.g., Human Development and Physical Education in the College of Human Science and Services, and Library and Information Studies (Library Media) and School Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. These affiliated programs are also major contributors to the fiscal health of the University.

Table 1 Program Completers, School of Education - AY2003

Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs Undergrads MATCP

Early Childhood	25	5
Elementary Education	54	4
Music Education	7	0
Physical Education	18	0
Secondary Education	33	22
Mathematics,	(5)	(8)
English,	(5)	(0)
Social Studies/History,	(15)	(2)
Science (General Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics)	(9)	(11)
Foreign Language (French, German, Italian. Latin. Russian. Spanish)	(4)	(1)
SOE Subtotal	142	31

Total Undergraduate & MATCP 173

Graduate Programs - Masters

Elementary Education	(5)
Secondary Education	(19)
Adult Education	(14)
Reading Specialist	(10)
Student Defined (Aspiring Principals Program)	(21)
Education Subtotal	69
Human Development	0
Library Media	19
Music Education	5
Physical Education	20 (all)
School Psychology	6
Speech-Language Pathology	14
SOE Subtotal	182

Graduate Doctoral Programs

Education	5
School Psychology	5
SOE Subtotal	10

Total Graduates 192

Total Undergraduate & Graduate 296

PCA Revenue Comparisons - FY 2001

Table 2 presents the net contribution (direct revenue minus expenses) for programs in the School of Education. At the undergraduate level the School of Education houses two programs (Elementary and Secondary Education) which rank as 15^th and 22^nd respectively in the university and 3^rd in CHSS for a combined net contribution to the University of $986,894. At the graduate level the MA in Education is ranked 2^nd in the University and 1^st in CHSS and contributed an additional $720,303 in net revenue. The Ph.D. program is ranked 1^st in the University and contributed $141,530 for a total of $861,833 at the Graduate level. The Total net gain for the University from School of Education programs was over 1.8 million dollars ($1,848,727).

Table 2: Tuition Dollars Generated (Revenue minus Expense)

Deg	Program	Dollars	CHSS Rank	URI Rank
BA/S*	BA Elementary Education	$551,059	3	15
	BA Secondary Education	$435,835	3	22
	BS Human Development	$1,806,617	1	3
	BS Physical Education	$1,139,720	2	5
MA/S**	MS Audiology/Speech Path (2)	$297,690	3	13/5
	MA Education	$720,303	1	2
	MS Hum Dev (3)	$200,623	4	9/11/23
	MLS Library Information Studies	$637,311	na	3
	MS Physical Educ/Phys Therapy (2)	$503,701	2	4/7
	MA School Psychology	$53,572	na	21
PhD	PhD Education	$141,530	na	1
PhD	PhD School Psychology	$36,465	na	7

* 9 CHSS Programs ** 8 CHSS Programs

As shown in Table 3 the School of Education generated over 3.1 million ($3,135,884) in External Funds and was ranked 4^th in the University and 1^st in CHSS.

Table 3: External Funds Generated

Program	Dollars	CHSS Rank	URI Rank
Education	$3,135,884	1	4
Hum Devel/Fam. Rel/Gerontology	$1,361,859	2	6
Communication Disorders	$386,505	3	25
Textiles/ Fashion Merchandise	$131,427	4	32
Phys Education/ Exercise Science	$88,175	5	34

Grant supported outreach activities have increased our outreach and visibility (e.g., Teacher Quality Enhancement 7.5 million Federal, Special Education State, GEMS-NET, NSF Proposals, NCPE, RITTI, PT3, PEMS, etc.) We hope to expand our service to the state through further grant supported activities, expand our support to urban schools and our partnership districts, the preparation of educators in areas of high need and promote education intervention in support of a social justice agenda (e.g., Aspiring Principals – Providence; math, science, special education, ESL teacher enhancement through the TQE grant - Pawtucket, Central Falls, Newport; and support for the President’s launching of the Providence based charter/alternative school).

Strategic Goals

Building upon the vision of a constituency prepared to live, work, and flourish in a diverse global society, the faculty has undertaken a self-study to determine the conditions necessary for the achievement of its vision, and has identified both barriers that impede the mission of the school and opportunities for excellence. The goals listed here also respond to SOE strengths and weaknesses as identified in the recent review and evaluation of the School by state (Rhode Island Program Accrediting – RIPA) and national (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education – NCATE) accrediting boards. In a proactive response, goals have been established and an action plan outlined to enable the faculty to move forward in addressing accreditation concerns and in creating areas of excellence that support the mission of the School of Education and its support of the mission of the University.

Initiatives and Proposals

1. CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMS

Goal 1 To Provide a quality accredited teacher preparation program.

Given President Carother’s Strategic initiative of increasing the number of undergraduates we serve, given the fact that the SOE programs continually are among the most popular major concentrations of entering freshmen, upper-class and graduate students in our College, and given the fact that the SOE has continually denied entry to many more applicants than those accepted, our curriculum and the ability to deliver our curriculum is in desperate need of new resources.

A continuing focus for the school of education is to expand the diversity of faculty. Both NCATE and RIPA continue to cite our teacher education programs for our efforts in diversity but also call on us to improve and “expand the [diversity of] faculty within this program through additional faculty, guest lecturers, co-teaching, or other means.”

To accomplish Goal #1 the School of Education has identified four (4) key objectives in order to meet the vision of the SOE Faculty, the mission of the SOE and the goals outlined in this document. These all stem from the desire on the part of all SOE members to both make the URI SOE a showcase enterprise in academe and also to meet the needs of all our constituents (students, schools and accrediting bodies). To this end, this document outlines our proposed initiatives and a three (3) year time line for their accomplishment.

Curriculum and Programs -Year One:

Objective 1.1.1 To hire one full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Language Arts

ACTIONS: Both of our recent National Council for the Accreditation (NCATE) and Rhode Island Program Approval (RIPA) reports indicated a weakness in our Secondary program came from the lack of a full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Language Arts. This position has been vacant since the retirement of Dr. Richard Nelson in 1998. Since that time the duties have been performed by per course instructors or a full time lecturer. We lost a lecturer with the potential to move to an assistant professor position when that position was not filled. To be in compliance with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) our Specialty Associations SPA for NCATE we need to fill this position. This position is currently identified by Dean McKinney as a priority hire for 2005.

RESOURCES: One (1) full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Language Arts Education.

OBJECTIVE MET: Search Spring 2005. Hire July 2005

Objective 1.1.2 To hire one full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Science

ACTIONS: Similar to the need discussed above in Secondary Language Arts, the area of Secondary Science was also identified as in need of a full time tenure track faculty position. This position has been vacant since the retirement of Dr. Theodore Kellogg in 2002. Since that time the duties have been performed by per course instructors. A replacement for Dr. Kellogg was in place but left URI in August of last year after a stay of only one year. Dr. William Croasdale has filled in for the past year, and is likely to retire soon. Secondary Science continues to be one of our most popular majors and until this position is filled, we will be severely challenged to meet the needs of our students, and our school district partners. The science program has yet to pass the requirements of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) our SPA portfolio review group for NCATE

RESOURCES:. One (1) full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Science Education.

OBJECTIVE PROGRESS: Permission to hire secondary science person. Search commencing Fall 2005.

Objective 1.1.3 To hire one full time tenure track faculty member in Elementary Reading & Literacy

ACTIONS: Both the Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and Commissioner Warner’s Literacy initiative place a solid foundation in literacy skills for all teacher education students at the forefront. Currently we have one (1) full time faculty member in Reading whose primary responsibility is the graduate Reading Education Program. She has coordinated the recruitment, hiring and coordinating of a number of per course instructors who deliver the literacy components of our curriculum to both the Elementary and Secondary Education students, as well as the graduate students in Reading. It was clearly pointed out in our accreditation reports that this situation was unsatisfactory and was one of the areas that was to be reexamined during the Fall 2005 revisit of the accrediting teams.

RESOURCES: Teacher Education programs of our size have multiple faculty members in Reading and a minimum of One (1) additional full time tenure track faculty member in Reading will be required in the immediate future.

OBJECTIVE PROGRESS: Approve the contract to expand Reading Program to include a Providence public school cohort of teachers. Providence will supply teachers in residence and additional program support.

Objective 1.1.4 To fill a vacant Physical Education Teacher Education Faculty line with a Tenure Track Faculty line with joint appointment in the SOE.

ACTIONS: The relationship with the Physical Education (PE) Program, which is administratively housed within the Kinesiology Department has been an important one for the SOE. The PE program trains teachers who work with students from K through 12th grades. These teachers continue to be in demand within RI and consistently draw interest from a large number of undergraduates. One faculty member is currently on a half time load until his retirement in the near future, so his direct contributions to the program only occur during one semester per year.

RESOURCES: The replacement of one (1) PE faculty member who is retiring. One (1) full time tenure track faculty member in Physical Education will be required in the immediate future who will be jointly appointed to the SOE and Kinesiology Department.

Objective 1.1.5 To hire one full time tenure track faculty member in School Library Media.

ACTIONS: The RIPA and NCATE reports both stressed the need for better coordination of field placements, and RIDE specifically recommended that the school library media specialist track strengthen “the field components for candidates not already teachers.” An additional faculty member in the school library media area is needed to implement recommendations for greater coordination of assessments, placements, and other activities. The two current faculty members in this area have a total of 76 graduate advisees and supervise approximately 70 field placements each spring (35 students each placed at two different sites.) Adding a third faculty member would also bring GSLIS faculty size up to the minimum of nine full-time faculty members recommended after the 2000 American Library Association accreditation visit. An additional school library media faculty member would also assist in meeting RIDE and NCATE recommendations in the areas of reading, literacy, and technology. The possibility of making this position a joint appointment between GSLIS and SOE should be considered as a way of strengthening coordination between programs.

RESOURCES: One (1) full time tenure track faculty member in School Library Media.

Curriculum and Programs - Year Two:

Objective 1.2.1 To hire one full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Reading & Literacy

ACTIONS: As noted in Objective 1.1.2, it is imperative that today’s teacher education students are provided with a thorough understanding of literacy skills and application strategies across all content areas. Our accreditation reports clearly stipulate that we are severely understaffed in faculty members who specialize in Reading, and that this deficiency must be remedied. Currently, SOE has only one (1) full time faculty member in Reading who oversees the graduate reading education program. Other components of the curriculum are delivered by several per course instructors along with graduate students in Reading.

Comparable Teacher Education programs of our size have multiple faculty members in Reading. This area is one of many that will be reexamined by accrediting teams during the Fall 2005 visit.

RESOURCES: One (1) full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Reading & Literacy

Objective 1.2.2 To hire a full time tenure track faculty member in Music Education

ACTIONS: The relationship with the Music Education (ME) Program, which is administratively housed within the Music Department, of the College of Arts & Sciences has been an important one for the SOE. The ME program trains teachers who work with students from K through 12th grades. These teachers continue to find employment within RI school districts and consistently draw interest from a significant numbers of undergraduates. One faculty member is assigned to this program as is one non-tenure track instructor. A third faculty member, who is also the Music Department Chair teaches in the program.

RESOURCES: One (1) additional full time tenure track faculty member in Music Education will be required in the near future who will be jointly appointed to the SOE and Music Department.

OBJECTIVE MET: Search Spring 2005. Hire in July 2005.

Curriculum and Program - Year Three:

Objective 1.3.1 To hire one full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Special Needs

ACTIONS: The current national trend towards inclusion of all students requires that all of our teacher education students become cognizant of the issues and needs of all students with special needs. To meet this requirement we have recently been awarded a grant from the RI Department of Education to hire a full time, grant funded faculty member to both teach these courses to our Secondary students, while releasing a current faculty member to teach courses to our Elementary students. However, this grant will end in three years and the position must become institutionalized. This institutionalization will allow us to build toward the goal of a certification in special education - a shortage area in Rhode Island.

RESOURCES: One (1) full time tenure track faculty position in Secondary Special Needs

Objective 1.3.2 To promote greater interaction among students across teacher education programs to prepare them to successfully collaborate in their future professions.

ACTIONS: As the RIDE and NCATE reports indicated, greater integration is needed among URI teacher education programs. One way of accomplishing this is to identify courses (for example, LSC 533, Digital Resources for Children and Teens) that are appropriate for cross listing. Additional courses that cross disciplines (such as a new course on how education professionals can collaborate and work as teams among disciplines) should be developed, as well as dual master’s programs. A dual master’s program (M.A./M.L.I.S) in Reading and Library and Information Studies should be targeted for early implementation.

Resources: The aforementioned Faculty in Reading and Library Media need to be in place for this initiative to be successful.

PROGRESS TO DATE: Current discussions concentrate on cross listing of courses between SoE and Graduate School of Library Sciences.

2. TECHNOLOGY AND ASSESSMENT

Goal 2 To Improve the technology capacity of our teaching, learning, assessment and tracking functions.

Widespread throughout both the recent NCATE and RIPA accreditation reports was the need for the URI SOE to improve both the Electronic Portfolio System and the use of the system by all SOE faculty. In fact, comment was clear that this system needed to also be infused into our graduate programs as well.

To achieve Goal #2 the School of Education has identified three (3) key objectives in order to meet the vision of the SOE Faculty, the mission of the SOE and the goals outlined in this document. These objectives speak to not only the need for an improvement to the current eFolio system, but also to the training of all faculty in the consistent use of the system that monitors student growth and assesses student advancement.

Fiscal support for the university wide Efolio system will aid our progress toward outcomes assessment across the School of Education and we hope to be a model for this effort at the University.

Technology and Assessment - Year One:

Objective 2.1.1 To implement a quality eFolio system that is eCampus compatible.

ACTIONS: Our current eFolio system was developed seven (7) years ago with a grant from the Board of Governors for Higher Education. Since that time it has been supported by a mix of external grants (federal & state) and SOE/CHSS resources. The truth is that the eFolio system is an evolution that has taken several programming iterations and is quite fragile. Faculty have difficulty maneuvering through the system and the system has been “down” at crucial times of the school year (most recently during the entire first summer session). There is a clear need to totally revamp this system or import a new system that will meet the folio tracking needs of our students, faculty and accreditation agencies

RESOURCES: The development or adoption of a professionally designed and University-wide maintained efolio system that meets the programmatic needs of our students, faculty, administrators and accrediting bodies.

PROGRESS TO DATE: Critical outcome performances of teacher education candidates have been submitted to True Outcomes. True Outcomes will be implemented over the next two semesters.

Objective 2.1.3 To hire a full time Technology Coordinator and a full time Assessment Coordinators

ACTIONS: These two positions would be responsible for the design and implementation of a system that allowed data from multiple sources to be collected, downloaded and assessed across all teacher education programs. The ability to write People Soft queries and interface between multiple databases is central to this position. Experience in web-based applications would be a plus as would experience with efolio systems, OSB, Task Stream, True Outcomes, Live Text, etc. Presently the School of Education finds itself in the unenviable position of trying to maintain an antiquated E-folio system without a university-supported system to take its place. True Outcomes, the proposed university replacement, is unlikely to be available for use, within the next year, with the capabilities to evaluate student performance and match students to reviewers. Expertise is needed to ensure program continuation relative to monitoring students’ completion of state and national standards.

RESOURCES: One (1) full time Technology Coordinator and One (1) full time Assessment Coordinator.

Objective 2.1.2 To develop and institute a functional eCampus compatible tracking system to maintain information ranging from student admissions review, to program exit.

ACTIONS: Much of this information is required for Title II and AACTE/NCATE yearly reports and is central to program continuation. The School of Education is responsible for collecting and analyzing information from over 30 separate programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. This includes information on required test performance (PPST, content assessment in each content area, certification tests etc.), student placements in multiple and diverse field sites, cooperating teacher payments, GPA’s, admissions review data, efolio assessments, and evaluations from internships and field placements.

The first 10 recommendations from RIPA and five in the NCATE report all refer in part or whole to the e-folio, assessment and tracking students success throughout the program (See Appendix B).

RESOURCES: See above (2.1.1)

PROGRESS TO DATE: Specialized queries of the PeopleSoft database have assisted the SoE in collecting data on student demographics, programs of study, areas of certification, projected graduation date, and program completion.

Technology and Assessment - Year Two:

Objective 2.2.1 To implement a continuous process of faculty development and equipment upgrade in instructional technology

ACTIONS: For many years the SOE housed both PT3 and Teaching and Technology grants that provided training for faculty and some funds for equipment. However, those funds are now gone. The SOE faculty, students and staff have a continuing need for equipment and training in the use of technology for instructional and assessment purposes. While we continue to have new grants with a technology focus, funding now centers on our students’ ability to use technology as teachers. Other URI programs affiliated with the SOE, but in other departments or colleges, have proposed a planning document that would outline the responsibilities of Departments, the SOE, Colleges and the University relative to support for technology.

RESOURCES: Funding needed to complete the acquisition of equipment & software as outlined in the above mentioned Plan. Also, funding to provide in-service training to Faculty & staff concerning instructional technology.

3. ADMINISTRATION & GOVERNANCE

Goal 3 To continue the improvement and functioning of the School of Education.

Given the size of the SOE faculty and the undergraduate and graduate student body, the number of staff in administrative/support positions is lacking. This point is clearly pointed out in both the recent NCATE and RIPA accreditation reports, noting that resources from the URI are severely deficient.

· “The unit does not have sufficient administrative and support staff to ensure the effective and efficient operation of programs for the preparation of educators.”

· “The unit lacks adequate media and curriculum resources, including space to house these resources, for the number of candidates in the programs.”

To achieve Goal #3 the School of Education has identified four (4) key objectives in order to meet the vision of the SOE Faculty, the mission of the SOE and the goals outlined in this document. These objectives speak to both the need for staff positions and the need to clarify the structure of the SOE.

Administration and Governance - Year One:

Objective 3.1.1 To hire a full time Secretary or Administrative Assistant

ACTIONS: Currently the SOE has two (2) secretaries assigned to the unit. These two individuals service the needs of seventeen (17) full time tenure track faculty, two (2) full time lecturers, and thirty five (35) part time per course instructors. A third position existed in the SOE, but with the resignation of Ms. Dixie Hill four years ago this position was never filled in the unit. A full-time soft money funded Education Specialist had been performing many of the duties originally performed by Ms. Hill (i.e., course scheduling, support staff coordination, etc.) but these duties were additional to SOE and grant responsibilities. This person now has a RIDE state contract, for the review of teacher certification by the portfolio review (I-Plan), and is unavailable to continue previous tasks on an unpaid basis.

RESOURCES: One (1) full time Secretary or Administrative Assistant

Objective 3.1.2 To establish a School of Education Advisory Council

ACTIONS: The rationale for this objective is best evidenced by the NCATE Report. “The unit does not have a recognized coordinating policy-making body to monitor the quality and consistency of all academic programs that prepare school professionals.”

The Council for Teacher Education previously served in an advisory role for policymaking and should be updated and reinstituted with continued representation from across the university, its colleges and programs, and educators in the public schools.

RESOURCES: No new resources needed to implement this objective.

OBJECTIVE MET: The SoE has submitted and approved reinstatement of the Council for Teacher Education. Regular meetings of the council have been held over the past year.

Administration and Governance - Year Two:

Objective 3.2.1 To clarify and document the nature of Affiliate Faculty

ACTIONS: The original document that was signed by the RI Board of Governors for Higher Education which created the SOE, mentioned the inclusion of Affiliate Faculty in the SOE. This entity, however, has never been clearly outlined, defined and institutionalized. Affiliate faculty are used in other colleges and curriculums so precedence exists on campus. Faculty affiliated with the School of Education would hold full or limited appointments to the School of Education.

RESOURCES: No new resources needed to implement this objective.

Objective 3.2.2 To develop and institutionalize job descriptions and a workload policy for Team Leaders.

ACTIONS: Similar to the affiliate faculty, Teams were identified as the main vehicle through which the SOE would deliver the curriculum of degree programs. Team leaders were to be the coordinating position for each of these teams. However, the nature of the function of the Team Leader, release time, budgets, duties, appointment and duration was never clearly defined and institutionalized. Presently, team responsibilities vary from degree program to degree program and within and outside the School of Education.

RESOURCES: No new resources needed to implement this objective.

Objective 3.2.3 To clarify and document the structure of Standing Committees and Teams

ACTIONS: In the original documents creating the SOE, standing Committees were not stipulated, defined or institutionalized. Similar to Team Leaders, Teams and membership on these Teams was not clearly outlined. Faculty have operated over the years since the SOE's inception under a Team structure, creating committees on an as needed basis. This structure needs to be formalized, documented and institutionalized by the SOE faculty.

RESOURCES: No new resources needed to implement this objective.

4. EXTERNAL RELATIONS/OUTREACH

Goal 4 To establish and strengthen our partnerships with pk-12 school districts.

Specific in the language of the NCLB Act, and central to the NCATE and RIPA Standards, is the necessity for teacher education programs to have a strong link with local school districts and to act as agents of change in those districts – both directly and indirectly. The URI SOE has forged and maintained several healthy and functional partnerships with seven (7) local school districts. These partnerships are interactive and include professional development, student teaching, cooperative initiatives, research opportunities, etc.

It is the intent of the SOE and its faculty that these external relationships continue and grow. To achieve Goal #4 the School of Education has identified two (2) key objectives in order to meet the vision of the SOE Faculty, the mission of the SOE and the goals outlined in this document. These objectives position the SOE to move beyond being merely reactive to needs expressed by school districts, to becoming a proactive force in helping schools to improve.

External Relations - Year Two:

Objective 4.2.1 To hire a full time Partnership Professional Development Coordinator

ACTIONS: The necessity to partner with local school districts in order to effect school improvement is clearly stipulated by NCLB, NCATE and RIDE accreditation/program review, and the mission of the SOE. This responsibility involves a focused effort to help the schools and districts of Rhode Island realize their school improvement goals and provide necessary assistance through professional development and the application of research based best practice. SOE needs to be responsive to state and federal program approval conditions, and new initiatives that impact all schools. This requires considerable work with many constituents such as schools districts, the RI Department of Education, and the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals in developing, processing, and administering professional development offerings for school professionals. These offerings require a presence in the school setting and outreach to faculty and staff in response to the needs of the district, school/district improvement initiatives, and federal initiatives as they impact and support student achievement and teacher development.

The URI SOE, along with other teacher preparation institutions, has been criticized lately in the press for lacking such a proactive presence in RI schools. During the 2004-2005 budget year the professional development resources for the School of Education were reduced by $33,000. “The School of Education has made great strides in building partnerships and increasing the standards for prospective teachers in the last five years, but these relationships are fragile. Any reduction in resources could put the progress already made at risk” (RIPA Report, 2003).

RESOURCES: To achieve this objective, one (1) full-time coordinator of such partnerships is imperative in order to move the function from one of reactive to proactive status.

External Relations/Outreach - Year Three:

Objective 4.3.1 To hire a full time Student Placement Coordinator

ACTIONS: Currently, the SOE placed student teachers in school districts throughout Rhode Island, in early childhood ,elementary, middle and secondary classrooms. These students are placed with approximately 235 Cooperating Teachers. Students perform their student teaching in their senior year and typically Early Childhood students are in schools in the Fall semester, while Elementary, Middle and Secondary students are in schools during the Spring semester. Currently these placements are arranged and monitored by the Director of the Office of Teacher Education. Also, he arranges and performs the multi-levels of training for Cooperating Teachers. The amount of work to perform such duties taxes this individual to the point that he cannot effectively perform all of the other duties of the Office, let alone be proactive with many of our partner school districts.

RESOURCES: The hiring of one (1) full time Placement Coordinator.

SUMMARY OF GOALS & OBJECTIVES

To summarize the RESOURCES required to accomplish the above stated Goals and Objective over the next three (3) academic years, the SOE is proposing that the following Faculty/Staff Positions are required:

Year One:

* A full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Language Arts. (MET)

* A full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Science. (APPROVED)

* A full time tenure track faculty member in Elementary Reading & Literacy.

* Fill a vacant Physical Education Teacher Education Faculty line with a Tenure Track Faculty line with joint appointment in the School of Education.

* A full time tenure track faculty member in School Library Media.

* A full time Secretary or Administrative Assistant.

* A full time Technology Coordinator and a full time Assessment Coordinator.

Year Two:

* A full time Partnership Professional Development Coordinator

* A full time tenure track faculty member in Music Education (MET)

* A full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Reading & Literacy

Year Three:

* A full time tenure track faculty member in Secondary Special Needs

* A full time full time Student Placement Coordinator

* A full time Physical Education Teacher Education faculty member to replace Retiring faculty.

In addition to the above positions, the following Resources will be required:

Year One:

* A quality eFolio system that is eCampus compatible. (Movement to True Outcomes)

* Funds to complete the acquisition of planned equipment/software and the training of faculty & staff.

* A functional Student Tracking system.

Year Two:

* Funding needed to complete the acquisition of equipment & software as outlined in the above mentioned Plan. Also, funding to provide in-service training to Faculty & Staff concerning instructional technology.

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The faculty of the SOE have been and continue to be among the most successful in procuring external funding to support faculty, staff, resources and initiatives. There is no reason to believe that this will not continue, but with the infusion of the above positions and resources, both the ability to provide services to our clients and to attract new external resources will be greatly enhanced.

Progress and Updates

To date two actions have been taken that speak directly to initiatives proposed in this Strategic Plan.

The SOE has received permission to commence a formal search for a Secondary Language Arts full time tenure track faculty member.

The university has committed to contracting with a company called True Outcomes to design and operate the efolio system for all URI programs that employ eFolios to assess and track student progress through their curriculum.

Appendices

Appendix A: School of Education Organizational Chart

Appendix B: Recommendations from RIPA and NCATE Accreditation Reports

APPENDIX A

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

APPENDIX B

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RIPA AND NCATE

ACCREDITATION REPORTS

RIPA Report Recommendations

The School of Education should work with all teacher preparation programs at the University of Rhode Island to review the recommendations of this report, revise its plan to aggregate data for program monitoring and improvement to assure that the recommendations of this report are reflected in that system, and then proceed with the development of this element of its unit assessment.

All programs should review the assessment system and work to develop a consistent candidate assessment system across programs, with an emphasis on candidate proficiency with respect to the Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards. Tasks should be evaluated with qualifying descriptors expressed in terms of the standards – where appropriate – rather than quantitative data.

Music education and Physical education should bring the RIBTS to the forefront in the structure of the candidate assessment.

All programs should work with candidates to assure that they understand the consequences of each decision point. Candidates cannot be allowed to believe that completion of the process alone will lead to progressing through the program.

The School of Education should develop structures to assure that data from the candidate assessment system are used for program assessment and improvement.

NCATE Report Recommendations

The assessment system does not include a plan for assessment of unit operations.

The unit lacks coordination in collecting, summarizing, analyzing, and disseminating data within and among programs in the unit.

(Advanced preparation) The unit’s assessment system does not include advanced programs. The unit does not evaluate its conceptual framework.

2005-2007 Strategic Plan

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

About the School of Education

Vision

Mission

Organizational Values

Accreditation

Environmental/Trend Analysis

Benchmarks: Other URI Departments

Table 1 Program Completers, School of Education - AY2003

Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs Undergrads MATCP

PCA Revenue Comparisons - FY 2001

Strategic Goals

Objective 1.2.2 To hire a full time tenure track faculty member in Music Education

SUMMARY OF GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Progress and Updates

Appendices