Overview
1 (a). A Brief Description of the Assessment and its Use in the Program
The Teacher Toolkit Project is an essential component of the EDPT 599: Special Topics course. It is a requirement for all candidates matriculating in the MAT Alternative Teacher Certification Integrated to Merged Program, including candidates with a concentration in Special Education Mild/Moderate 6-12. This assessment requires candidates to develop a digital Teacher Toolkit inclusive of specified resources that can be implemented in the field-based EDPT 599 Special Projects, as well as EDPT 552 and EDPT 553 internship courses. The candidates demonstrate content knowledge for developing a teacher toolkit that includes materials/resources for improving instructional practices in secondary STEM content, and Mild/Moderate Special Education classroom settings. Specifically, the Teacher Toolkit is comprised of the following artifacts: 1.) instructional delivery strategies for accommodating all learners, including those with special needs, 2.) strategies for differentiating instruction, 3.) unit/lesson planning, 4.) classroom management plan, 5.) formal and informal assessment measures, and 6.) technological resources appropriate for integration into standards-based activities. Each candidate enrolled in EDPT 599 presents the Teacher Toolkit Project to the course instructor and a panel of raters that include mentor teachers and other faculty members for evaluation and determination of quality at the end of the course term.
(b). A Description of How This Assessment Aligns with the Standards cited for Section III This assessment focuses on CEC Standard 1(Learner Development), CEC Standard 2 (Learning Environment), and CEC Standard 5 (Instructional Planning and Strategies). With regard to both CEC Standard 2 and 5, the assessment measures MAT candidates’ ability to plan, research, select, and adapt effective resources and instructional strategies/techniques used to address the needs of all learners, including students with mild /moderate disabilities in grades 6- 12, inclusion, and special education classroom settings. Moreover, candidates demonstrate content knowledge and skills for meeting specific requirements that are stated on the assessment scoring guide. The major components of the Teacher Toolkit Project are aligned to the CEC Standards and reflected in Table A1.1. Table A1.1 EDPT 599 Teacher Toolkit Project CEC Alignment Chart Components of the EDPT 599 Teacher Toolkit Project CEC Standard Alignment Evidence of Planning CEC 1, 5 Instructional Delivery CEC 2, 5 Classroom Management CEC 2, 5
Technology CEC 5 2 (a). The Assessment Tool (directions to candidates for each component of the assessment) Directions: Each candidate enrolled in the EDPT 599 course will develop a digital portfolio that includes artifacts for the following areas: Requirements (Table of Contents, Resume/Vita, Introduction to Toolkit, Personal Philosophy of Teaching, and Personal Goals), Evidence of Planning (Unit and Lesson Plans), Instructional Delivery (Cooperative Learning, Graphic Organizers, Differentiating Instruction, and Accommodating Individual Differences), Classroom Management (Classroom Environment, Rules/Routines/Procedures, Consequences and Rewards). Each artifact should be empirically-based and appropriate for enhancing instruction in an inclusion classroom setting.