The Department
of Special Education regularly assesses its majors throughout their program
of study. Department majors are assessed prior to formal program entry, at
the time of program entry, and within each course involved in the special
education teacher preparation program. Further assessment activities occur
during field experience and clinical placements, as well as during student
teaching in general education and special education. At the close of the
special education teacher preparation program, department majors are required
to pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification. Department majors pursuing
teacher certification in Elementary Education are required to pass the certification
exam in Elementary Education, and in their area of special education endorsement
(CI, EI, HI,
VI, POHI, etc.). Students pursuing teacher certification in Secondary Education
are required to take the certification exam in their minor area, as well as
in their area of special education endorsement.
Department of
Special Education program graduates are surveyed every five years in an effort
to gather follow-up information regarding the student's perceived areas of
skill strength and challenge. The employer's of the department's graduates
are also surveyed regarding the strengths and challenges of the department's
graduates. These follow-up data are reviewed by the department as a whole
with an eye towards possible program modifications and enhancements.
Department majors
are evaluated in individual courses through the use of multiple methodologies
such as verbal and written examinations, demonstrations, discussions, presentations,
and collaborative activities. Other course-specific assessment activities
include applied experiences, written products, and the design and development
of materials and lessons which can be accessed by children, adolescents, and
young adults with exceptional learning needs.
Field experience
supervisors provide a summative
assessment of each student's activities within field and clinical
settings. These evaluations are reported on a printed form designed and utilized
by all program areas within the department. These evaluations may be required
as a part of the final assessment for a specific course, or the evaluations
may be submitted at the completion of a field or clinical experience not attached
to a specific course. The number of hours of field and/or clinical experiences,
coupled with the student's manifest skills within each experience, are reviewed
by program area faculty to determine eligibility for special education student
teaching placement.
When department
majors are enrolled in regular education or special education student teaching
placements, formal evaluation of the student's skills occurs at mid-semester
and at the end of the semester.
The evaluation instrument utilized in student teaching was designed and developed
by faculty in the College of Education
at Eastern Michigan
University. The instrument employs
a ten-point Likert scale ranging from "exceptional" to "not
observed", and contains forty-five (45) individual items which are reflective
of the conceptual frameworks for the Teacher Education Preparation Program
at EMU. Student teaching candidates are assessed by their cooperating (classroom)
teacher and their assigned university supervisor. Student self-assessment
occurs at mid-semester, and all assessments are thoroughly reviewed and discussed
with the student.
Beginning in
the Fall 2002 semester, the newly revised version of the EMU student teaching
evaluation instrument will be employed. The revised instrument is designed
to interface seamlessly with the conceptual frameworks and professional dispositions
which guide the Teacher Education Preparation Program at Eastern
Michigan University.