Background

During the 2004-2005 academic year, the BGSU Early Childhood program underwent major revisions in terms of outcomes, curriculum, and assessments in response to revised accreditation standards from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). In terms of program assessment, the program is now able to report on data from the state-mandated Praxis II and Praxis III assessments. Aggregate data on student achievement was available for the first time during this year, as EDHD hired an Assessment Officer to develop a systematic approach to data collection. This enabled the program to track student performance on two standardized measures required for teacher licensure. The state of Ohio uses both measures to assess both student performance and program performance.

Currently the program also utilizes a variety of other assessments, including exams, reports, and performance-based assessments. In particular, as a professional program, we have emphasized the performance-based assessments, such as a case study, a reflective analysis of a tutoring experience, the development & teaching of units, cooperating teacher & university assessments of field-based performance.

This report will present assessment data on Praxis II, Praxis III, Case Study and Portfolio of a Young Child assignment. It will also report on other emerging assessment tools.

Learning Outcomes

1. Constructivist Pedagogy: The student will be able to generate and implement interdisciplinary curriculum and instruction that actively engages young children, and facilitates their developmental growth and learning based upon individual needs, backgrounds, research, and content standards.

2. Developmental and Diverse Perspectives: The student will be able to use knowledge of child development to assess the needs and progress of all children and to create an inclusive classroom environment that reflects cultural diversity and multiple perspectives.

3. Collaboration with Families, Communities & Other Professionals: The student will be able to collaborate effectively with families, communities and other professionals to meet the individual needs of young children and their families by contributing assessment data and instructional knowledge, listening reflectively, and engaging in mutual decision making.

4. Commitment to Professionalism and Reflective Practice: The student will be able to act as an early childhood professional who reflects on practice, makes decisions based upon the ethics of the profession and advocates to improve the lives of young children and their families.

Annual Report

1. Learning Outcomes Assessed: 2004-200

Knowledge from across Outcomes 1, 2, 3, & 4: ETS Praxis II test, Early Childhood Education Test.
Classroom skills across Outcomes 1, 2, 3, & 4: ETS Praxis III, Classroom Performance Assessment.
Knowledge and skills related to Outcome 3: EDIS 429, Case Study and Portfolio of a Young Child assignment.

The program focused on Outcome 3, as that is an outcome our current measures do not seem to measure as fully and systematically as is needed.

2. Assessment Methods & Procedures

Praxis II: This state-mandated licensure test (#0020) consisted of 120 multiple-choice questions. Students generally take the Early Childhood Education Test, during the semester of their methodology coursework. This semester is near the end of their academic program and is usually right before student teaching. Students take the test at an ETS approved site. The test yields both total scores and six subscores, though ETS will not release the latter to programs.

Praxis III: This state-mandated assessment takes place after graduation, in the first two years of classroom teaching. A Praxis III trained-assessor observes the beginning teacher and assesses performance related to planning, management, teaching / assessment, and professionalism. Students must pass this assessment to move to the next level of licensure.

Case Study & Portfolio of a Young Child: This assessment was developed by Dr. Hodges, Intervention Services. Based on interviews, observations, and assessments, students create a holistic portrait of a young child; they summarize this information, and make recommendations for learning and development. The course is generally taken in the junior or senior year,

3. Assessment Results & Conclusions

Praxis II: During the 2004-2005 academic year, the college provided programs with information from the past two years on student performance on the Early Childhood Education Test. In 2002-2003, 192 program completers took this test; the passage rate was 100%. In 2003-2004, 203 program completers took this test; 98.5% passed the test. Conclusion: Our students are doing well demonstrating their knowledge across our four outcomes.

Praxis III: The program has data on the overall score for BGSU early childhood program completers who during the 2003-2004 academic year had full-time teaching positions in Ohio, and who were evaluated by a trained Praxis III assessor. The mean of the total performance score for the graduates was 52.5, with a range of scores from 47 – 57. The passing score in Ohio was 38, and the maximum score was 66.5. The average total score across the state was 51.7.
Conclusion: Our students are doing well demonstrating their skills across our four outcomes.

Case Study & Portfolio of a Young Child: The program has data from 158 students across six sections of EDIS 429 in Spring 2003 through Summer 2004. The data are from one of the course instructors, though part-time faculty may also teach some sections of the course. Across the 158 students in this database, 83% of them scored at a competent level, earning a grade of C or better on the assignment. Conclusions: While an 83% passing rate is pretty good given the challenge of the assignment, the program needs to address the need to assist the students who don’t pass the assignment.

4. Actions Taken / Program Improvements

* Given the importance of Praxis II and III information for licensure and accreditation purposes, we need to continue to track this data to be sure our students are doing well. The program is working with Dave Raszka, EDHD Assessment Officer, to make sure that data can be separated by campuses, as is required for program accreditation.

* The program needs to carefully assess Praxis II data, starting with the program completers in May 2005, as the format now includes short constructed-response questions, along with multiple-choice items. There will be 6 questions that will comprise almost half the weight of the exam. The program needs to examine the format of these questions, and to make sure that our students are familiar with the dynamics involved in responding to such questions.

* The program has worked to develop a variety to develop a variety of assessments to address all of the outcomes with performance-based measures. The program developed a tentative plan, submitted it to NAEYC for approval, in February, and continued to work on assessments during the spring.

* We have developed as assessment and rubric to better address Outcome III, that that focuses on assessment and collaboration skills. The case study assignment focuses on assessment. Thus, Ann Stacks and Ruben Viramontez, in HDFS, developed an assessment and rubric that examined skills related to collaboration with community agencies to assist families.

* To try to help our students see the assessment assignment beyond the boundaries of the class where it is assigned, that course, EDIS 429 will be placed in a block starting Spring 2007, where there is a pre-kindergarten practicum and other courses (HDFS and EDTL) that can springboard off this assignment.

* The program needs to address the problem of students who do not pass an assessment, yet might still be able to pass a course.

* The program began work on a rubric to assess units created across the curriculum during the methodology semester.