Professional Dispositions Qualities PDQ: A Process for Assessing Teacher Candidates Dispositions

1
Professional Dispositions Qualities (PDQ) A
Process for Assessing Teacher Candidates
Dispositions
1st Annual Making an Impact Best Practices in
Achievement, Assessment and Accountability of
P-12 Learning Conference Atlanta, GA March 16,
2007

• Robin Brewer, Ed.D. University of Northern
  Colorado
• robin.brewer_at_unco.edu
• Lisa Coval, Ed.D. Metropolitan College of Denver
• altemuel_at_mscd.edu
• Melanie Reid, Ed.D. Metropolitan College of
  Denver
• reidme_at_mscd.edu

2
Session Outcomes

• Explain our rationale for assessing teacher
  candidate dispositions
• Describe a systematic approach for assessing
  teacher candidate dispositions and addressing
  areas of concern
• Discuss methods for teaching, modeling and
  demonstrating appropriate dispositions

3
If dispositions are not assessed, how can we
convince pre-service teachers to take them
seriously.Koeppen Davison- Jenkins, 2006
4
Rationale

• Teacher education programs require an emphasis on
  learning and demonstrating content knowledge,
  specific skills, and evidenced-based practices.
• We are neglecting to assess some of the core
  dispositions that make a quality educator.
• All teacher candidates need to be provided with
  knowledge and experience that allow them to
  acquire, practice and generalize disposition
  qualities across diverse contexts.
• Beverly, Santos, Kyger, 2006 Helm, 2006

5
The National Council for the Accreditation of
Teacher Educators

• NCATE refers to dispositions as The values,
  commitments, and professional ethics that
  influence behaviors toward students, families,
  colleagues, and communities and affect student
  learning, motivation, and development as well as
  the educators own professional growth(2000).

From National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (2002). Professional Standards
for the Accreditation of Schools, Colleges, and
Departments of Education.
6
Disposition Research

• Abundance of information in the workforce
  development literature on employability
  skills(Wayda Lund, 2005).
• Only recently addressed in teacher education
  literature (e.g., Helm,2006 Beverly, Santos,
  Kyger,2006 Flowers, 2006 Koeppen, Sockett,
  2006 Wayda, Lund, 2005).
• No published instruments to assess teacher
  dispositions (Flowers, 2006).
• Likert-type scales lack explicit criteria
  (Sockett, 2006).

7
Our Project

• Wanted a tool for instructors and cooperating
  teachers
• Terminology professional disposition qualities
  created
• Developed PDQ as a screening tool
• Teacher candidates also self-evaluate

8
What are Professional Disposition Qualities?

• Disposition qualities are guided by beliefs and
  attitudes related to values such as caring,
  fairness, honesty, responsibility and social
  justice.
• For example they might include a belief that all
  students can learn, a vision of high and
  challenging standards, or a commitment to a safe
  and supportive learning environment.

From National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (2002). Professional Standards
for the Accreditation of Schools, Colleges, and
Departments of Education.
9
(Freeman and Associates, 2003)
10
A Multifaceted Approach.
11
Assessing Teacher Candidates Dispositions

• Assessment intervals determined by each
  institution
• Teacher education classes
• Entry into teacher education program
• During all field experiences
• During Student Teaching
• Anytime a concern is raised
• Other times?

12
Developing Evaluation Tools

• Assessment results are not expected to fall into
  the normal bell curve distribution
• Most should fall into the upper range with very
  few in the lower range
• Difficult to isolate specific qualities
  cooperating teachers tend to rate based on
  overall impressions
• (Flowers, 2006).

13
Selection of Assessment Items for PDQ

• Examined other tools
• Specifically wanted to make the invisible
  visible through active means (Sockett, 2006, pg.
  51)
• Screening tool
• Areas identified as troublesome
• Subjective
• Values (e.g. Caring, Fairness)
• Commitments
• Ethics

14
Survey Categories

• Items 1-5 Professional Commitment and
  Responsibility
• Items 6-10 Intra/Interpersonal Skills
• Items 11-12 Attitude Toward Learners

15
Initial Process

• University of Northern Colorado
• Teacher candidates in the undergrad program,
  their instructors and cooperating teachers
  completed the Disposition Qualities form in 2005
  field-based classes
• Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Piloted PDQ in 2005
• Currently, College uses METRO dispositions form
  adapted from multiple assessment tools used by
  others

16
Disposition Qualities Assessment Scoring of the
Professional

• Step One
• Self-scoring likert scale
• Comparisons are made between all those who
  completed the form for a teacher candidate
• Scores are reviewed with each teacher candidate,
  especially when there are areas with low scores
  or where there are inconsistencies.

17
Number of ParticipantsDuring Initial Data
Collection Fall 2004 Spring 2005

• 110 Teacher Candidates
• 3 University Professors
• 26 Cooperating Teachers

18
Revisions

• Added to likert scale
• always 100 frequently 90
• Added the N/A column to the likert scale
• Replaced negatively worded statements with
  positive statements
• Added items to the attitudes towards learners
  category
• Developed the Improvement Process

19
Current Pilot

• TITLE Professional Disposition Qualities (PDQ)
• Piloting with larger sample size
• 4 IHEs
• Will complete factor analysis to reduce survey to
  key items and look for identifiable traits or
  dimensions
• Follow by Completing a Cronbach's alpha
  reliability on each dimension

20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
Existing Improvement Plan Systems

• Murray State, KY - Every student at beginning of
  their graduate reading/writing program
• St. Norbert, WI - Multiple concerns - meets with
  the Chair to develop a plan. Next semester,
  additional concerns or plan not followed. Panel
  reviews documentation and hears from teacher
  candidate, panel makes recommendation
• University of Nevada, Reno - 3 referrals, team
  decides about continuation or termination from
  program
• University of Minnesota at Duluth, MN - Plan at
  time of concern (5 check points), monitored
  throughout semester constitutes a contract

24
Metros Disposition Improvement Process

• 1st form completed
• meet with advisor to discuss issues and
  strategies
• Documentation of meeting placed in student's file
• 2nd form completed
• meeting including department chair and program
  coordinator to discuss issues and strategies
• Advised to consider other careers
• Documentation in file
• 3rd form completed
• hold on registration for education classes
• Advised to research other career options
• Documentation in file

25
Metros Disposition Improvement Process
(continued)

• Dismissal Letter may be sent to a student at any
  time during the improvement process, depending on
  severity of the problem.
• Always sent after 3rd form has been submitted

26
Disposition Improvement PlanExample Process

• University of Northern Colorados Process
• Following disposition with low scores and/or
  informal discussions and plans
• IP developed student meets with advisor and
  develops goals student brings goals
• student monitored by university consultant with
  feedback from cooperating teacher throughout
  semester.
• No formal process in place for dismissing
  students from undergraduate program.

27
The Disposition Improvement PlanPreparing
Reflective and Effective Practitioners - PDQ-PREP

• An individual plan - developed if teacher
  candidates scores are
• Low (3 or lower) in one or more areas
• Contain significant discrepancies between raters

28
The Disposition Improvement PlanPreparing
Reflective and Effective Practitioners - PDQ-PREP

• Plans may be either
• Informal (verbal or written)
• few concerns or minor discrepancies between
  raters
• Formal - concerns encompass several areas or
  when significant discrepancies exist between
  raters.
• Examples
• Paris
• Brittany

29
Pilot Steps

• Analyze data to determine if survey items should
  be reduced,
• Conduct statistical analysis on the PDQ to
  determine validity, reliability and
  predictability,
• Complete follow-up survey to determine if items
  need to be added to PDQ and to determine the use
  and effectiveness of the PDQ-PREP

30
Continuing Questions

• What are effective strategies for transforming
  problematic dispositions?
• When do you say when?
• What strategies are most effective when
  counseling teacher candidates into a more
  suitable occupation?
• How do we manage the process with increasing
  demands on our time?

31
Teaching Dispositions

• Introduce code of ethics in intro classes or
  during application process
• Teach specific dispositions through case studies
  approach
• Ensure faculty model appropriate dispositions

32
WE NEED YOU!
BECOME A PILOT SITE TODAY!
33
References

• Helm, C.M. (2006). Whats new in .teacher
  dispositions as predictors of good teaching. The
  Clearing House, 79(3), 117-118.
• Beverly, C., Santos, K., Kyger, M. (2006).
  Developing and integrating a professional
  disposition curriculum in to a special education
  teacher preparation program. Teacher Education
  and Special Education, 29(1), 26 31.
• Flowers, C. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis
  of scores on clinical experience rubric A
  measure of dispositions for preservice teachers.
  Educational and Psychological Measurement.
  66(3), 478-488.
• Freeman, L. (2003). Where Did Dispositions Come
  From and What Can We Do With Them. The Second
  Annual Symposium on Educator Dispositions.
  Eastern Kentucky University. November 21, 2003.
• Koeppen, K. Davison-Jenkins, (2006). Do you
  see what I see? Helping secondary preservice
  teachers recognize and monitor their teacher
  dispositions. Action in Teacher Education,
  28(1), 13-26.
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
  Education (2002). Professional Standards for the
  Accreditation of Schools, Colleges, and
  Departments of Education. Retrieved March, 9,
  2007, from http//www.ncate.org/documents/standar
  ds/unit_stnds_2006.pdf.
• Murray State College (2006). Guidelines for
  Writing the Dispositions Improvement Plan.
  Retrieved March 12, 2007, from
  http//coekate.murraystate.edu/graduate/reading/gu
  ide_write_port.htm
• Raths, J. (2001). Teachers beliefs and teaching
  beliefs. Early Childhood Research Practice,
  3(1). Retrieved March 1, 2007, from
  http//ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n1/raths.html.
• Sockett, H. (2006). Teacher Dispositions.
  Washington DC AACTE
• St. Norbert College (2006). St. Norbert College
  Pre-service Teacher Dispositions. Retrieved
  March 9, 2007, From http//www.snc.edu/education
  /program/dispositions.html.
• University of Nevada, Reno (2006). Graduate
  Student Professional Behaviors and Dispositions.
  Retrieved March 9, 2007, from
  http//www.unr.edu/eds/documents/dispositions/disp
  ositions-intro-grad.pdf.
• Univesity of Minnesota, Duluth (2006).
  Elementary Program Professional Development Plan.
  Retrieved March 12, 2007, from
  http//www.d.umn.edu/educ/accreditation/bot/docs/p
  rofessional_development_plans/Elementary20Educati
  on20PDP.doc
• Wayda, V. Lund, J. (2005). Assessing
  dispositions An unresolved challenge in teacher
  education. Journal of Physical Education,
  Recreation and Dance , 76(1), 34 41.