» Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction and Multiple/Single Subject Credential

Description of The Program

Addressing the national demand for teachers who are culturally competent and knowledgeable in their content instruction, the Attallah College faculty has developed an innovative, accelerated 4+1 (five-year) Bachelor's plus Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (MACI) degree program.

MACI is designed for students who wish to obtain their bachelor's degree, master's degree, and California teaching credential in five years of full-time study. Students admitted to the program pursue their B.A. degree in Integrated Educational Studies or their B.S./B.A./B.F.A. degree in one of the four secondary "core content" areas of English, mathematics, history/social science, or the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, or environmental science) and a minor in Secondary Education.

The MACI program is open only to Chapman undergraduates who meet rigorous program admission criteria. Students apply to the program in January of their sophomore year at Chapman and, if accepted, begin MACI coursework in their junior year. Students complete their bachelor's degree requirements by the end of their fourth year and spend their fifth year in residence at local elementary and secondary schools, with concurrent master's level (500-600) MACI courses conducted at the school sites as well as at the university.

Mission

The mission of the Chapman Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (MACI) and credential program is to prepare reflective teacher-researchers who use integrated, developmentally appropriate, and critical pedagogies, and are ready to collaborate within diverse educational communities in order to lead us towards a more economically, socially, environmentally and politically just world.

Goals/Objectives

The MACI program aims to develop transformative K-12 classroom educators who are highly skilled in instruction, technologically savvy, and knowledgeable in pedagogical theory, responding to our shared call to serve all students in today's schools.

CAEP Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge

The provider ensures that candidates develop a deep understanding of the critical concepts and principles of their discipline and, by completion, can use discipline-specific practices flexibly to advance the learning of all students toward attainment of college- and career- readiness standards.

  • How do you know that your candidates are successful? Are they proficient in the content knowledge of their field and how to teach it?

The MACI program has only graduated one cohort of teacher candidates so far, but we feel that we are preparing highly qualified teachers. Key assignments throughout courses measure students’ progress toward California State Teaching Performance Expectations. The majority of students consistently score at or above proficiency. In addition, all members of the first cohort successfully passed the Teaching Performance Assessments and were recommended for a credential. We believe that both the rigorous course work students take over a 2.5 year period and the year of teaching residency help us to develop teacher candidates who have a strong sense of the field and how to teach all learners successfully.

  • How do you know your candidates are able to apply what they are learning so that their diverse P-12 students learn in pre-service clinical settings?

MACI students participate in a year long student teaching residency, where they are in a classroom from the first school district contract day to the last day of school. In addition to the university coursework they are completing, the residency allows them to also participate in all school district level and school level professional development opportunities. This provides teacher candidates with a knowledge set that combines knowledge both from the university and the field. Student teaching residency follows a co-teaching model, where student teachers go through an initial period of observation and limited responsibility, and then begin to fully share responsibility with their mentor teacher for co-planning, co-teaching and co-assessing using the following models: 1) One teach-One Observe Instructional Model (remembering that observation should be targeted); 2) One teach-One Support Instructional Model; 3) Station Teaching Instructional Model; 4) Parallel Teaching Instructional Model; 5) Supplemental Teaching Instructional Model; 6) Alternative Teaching Instructional Model; and 7) Team Teaching Instructional Model. We believe that this model allows for the flexibility necessary to allow student teachers to develop professionally at an appropriate pace.How do you know your candidates are able to demonstrate their skills in teaching at college- and career-ready levels, including a deep knowledge of content, solving problems, and critical thinking in that content, and employing their assessment and data literacy skills for P-12 student learning? Key assignments in all MACI courses measure student progress toward the California State Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs). We are then able to measure their ability to put these understandings into practice with 8 visits by a fieldwork supervisors during each student teaching rotation. At that point, fieldwork supervisors are assessing students’ progress toward TPE mastery based on actual instruction. Individual coaching is provided as are both a formative and a summative assessment during each rotation. Fieldwork supervisors are in monthly meetings with the Program Coordinator so that we are able to discuss student progress and any potential need for remediation during the student teaching residency experience.

  • How do you know your candidates are ready to teach diverse learners under the different situations they may encounter on the job?

MACI enjoys a formal partnership between Chapman University and the Orange Unified School District, which has a diverse student population across its K-12 campuses. Placements are requested by the university and made by the school district based on a mentor teacher screening and training. Once placements are made, the Chapman fieldwork administrator ensures that the placements meet the California diversity requirement. In the event that Orange Unified cannot accommodate a MACI student teacher, we place the student in a neighboring school district, again ensuring that the diversity requirement has been met in that classroom placement.

  • How do you know your candidates are proficient in applications of technology to enhance P-12 student learning?

MACI students take a course, EDUC 451: Educational Applications of Technology, as undergraduates. They then use technology in the field based on the resources available at the school site.  For the second cohort of MACI teacher candidates, Teaching Performance Assessment 2 requires the use of technology during instruction. This requirement will give us another data point to measure candidates’ competency in effective teaching with technology.  Additional improvements within the program include the revision of the EDUC (soon to be IES) 451 course to reflect and incorporate the new TPE standards. We will also discuss the possibility of incorporating a key assignment for that course for MACI-track candidates that will allow us to better measure student proficiency on the technological content prior to student teaching.

  • How do you know your candidates can apply appropriate professional and ethical standards in their work?

During the student teaching residency, MACI students take a yearlong professional seminar course aimed at developing professional and ethical standards in their work. In the fall, the course looks largely at ethical and professionalism related specifically to teaching practice. Critical incidents in the field are journaled, discussed and workshopped, guest speakers are invited based on student request, and a student teaching portfolio is developed that includes a reflective component that addresses the criteria of TPE 6. The spring version of this course continues this line of inquiry using weekly journaling, and includes additional guest speakers based on need. It also adds a research component that prepares students for a demonstration of transformation in practice that is part of their masters portfolio project, which is completed and defended in the MACI 575 in the Summer I session. Throughout the student teaching residency, visits by fieldwork supervisors (8 times during each student teaching rotation based on the Orange Unified semester calendar) and twice-yearly field visits by the MACI 600 instructor (program coordinator) allow us to assess professional and ethical standards as they are enacted by student teachers as well.

  • Have you set external benchmarks for success for your program and your faculty?

Although we have only graduated one cohort of MACI students, out intention is to track their career progress over time. We are also exploring ways to keep alumni engaged with the university, including having them give feedback to us about how to improve and better support our students for their first year of teaching and beyond.  In terms of faculty, we are exploring possibilities for our own professional development to keep our instruction cutting edge.

  • Describe the evidence that most compellingly demonstrates your case, what you have learned from the evidence, and what conclusions and interpretations you have made. To frame your case for Standard 1, what evidence do you have about candidate proficiencies in the key concepts addressed in the standard? What have you learned from the data? What evidence supports your case? What contrary evidence have you found and how do you explain it? What are your interpretations of the meaning of the data regarding abilities of your candidates to perform with competence and in a professional manner? What questions have emerged that need more investigation?

The evidence that shows that we are doing a good job preparing teachers.  Students consistently maintain a 3.0 or above GPA.  Pre-student teaching, the range of average scores on key assignments at the undergraduate level is between 2.98 (TPE 4) and 3.35 (TPE 2), allowing for some growth opportunity at the graduate level, but still providing a foundation for success for candidates entering the student teaching residency year. Our TPA 1 & 2 first time passing rates were 100%.  TPA 3 & 4 first time passing rates was 91%, with all students eventually passing all four of these exams.

  • Describe the uses you are making of the evidence for Standard 1 by sharing it with stakeholders and undertaking or planning modifications in your preparation courses and experiences.

Faculty have reviewed student performance on the key assignments.  Some have made modifications to the assignment itself and others have clarified instructional approaches that will hopefully improve student performance moving forward. A big focus for improvement has been on improving fieldwork experiences at the undergraduate level as we have noticed that we have not used it to its full potential. Those conversations are ongoing as we are in a trial and error period with individual faculty making modifications to their fieldwork requirements.

CAEP Standard 1.1

Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions Candidates demonstrate an understanding of the 10 InTASC Standards at the appropriate progression level(s) in the following categories: the learner and learning; content; instructional practice; and professional responsibility.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 1.2

Providers ensure that candidates use research and evidence to develop an understanding of the teaching profession and use both to measure their P-12 students’ progress and their professional practice.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 1.3

Providers ensure that candidates apply content and pedagogical knowledge as reflected in outcome assessments in response to standards of Specialized Professional Associations (SPA), the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), states, or other accrediting bodies (e.g., National Association of Schools of Music [NASM]).

Evidence

  • Key assignments (see program course matrix)
  • Syllabi aligned with TPEs (see program course matrix)

CAEP Standard 1.4

Providers ensure that candidates demonstrate skills and commitment that afford all P-12 students access to rigorous college- and career-ready standards (e.g., Next Generation Science Standards, National Career Readiness Certificate, Common Core State Standards).

Evidence

Further, we intend to design and implement an annual survey of graduates. These surveys will attempt to gather data that identifies the ways in which graduates implement teaching that uses deep content knowledge with problem solving and critical thinking.

CAEP Standard 1.5

Providers ensure that completers model and apply technology standards as they design, implement and assess learning experiences to engage students and improve learning; and enrich professional practice.

Evidence

This past fall, Program Coordinator collaborated with the course instructors to rewrite the syllabus for this course to reflect current TPE requirements.  The changes were approved by the Curriculum Committee in November 2018; the couse will be called IES 451 when it is taught beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. A next step will be to develop key assignment(s) to ensure student performance on these TPEs.

CAEP Standard 2: Clinical Partnerships and Practice

The provider ensures that effective partnerships and high-quality clinical practice are central to preparation so that candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to demonstrate positive impact on all P-12 students’ learning and development.

  • Describe what you have done that is unique and that you believe is especially effective in partnerships and clinical experiences.

MACI enjoys a partnership with Orange Unfired School District (OUSD). All of our students’ clinical placements take place in OUSD, unless the district communicates to us that it cannot accommodate a particular placement.  OUSD is a relatively large and diverse district, affording MACI teacher candidates a variety of school settings within which to observe, participate and then student teach as a yearlong resident.  This coherence is nice in that MACI candidates become familiar with district initiatives over time, have shared professional development experiences during the residency year, and can communicate between and among pathways from elementary to middle to high school.

  • What opportunities have candidates had to prepare in diverse settings and to work with students having different needs?

Orange Unified School District is a diverse district serving students TK-12th grade. It has 27 elementary schools, including one Mandarin-English Dual Immersion site and one Spanish-English Dual Immersion site. It also has 6 middle schools and 4 high schools. 25 of its schools are California Gold Ribbon schools. Overall its demographics are 27.8% white, 2.2% multiracial, 55.6% Latinx, 1.2% African-American, and 9.9% Asian American. 47.4% of students in the district receive free and reduced lunch, and 23.7% of students are English Learners. The district is committed to a model of full inclusion.

  • What features of clinical experiences (e.g., depth, breadth, coherence and duration) have you studied—through comparisons across preparation programs, or more formal investigations—to improve candidate outcomes?

The MACI program is committed to a teacher residency model for student teachers. As far as fieldwork experiences at the undergraduate level, we are experimenting with a variety of options.  These include faculty-led “field trips” with undergraduates that include guided observations of high quality classrooms both within and outside of OUSD at the beginning of the MACI-track coursework and faculty-led initial micro-teaching experiences in 1) a community based math initiative and 2) the Kathleen Muth Reading and Learning Center on the Chapman University campus for tutoring in literacy. Traditional observation and participation hours have also taken place at the undergraduate level, pre-student teaching residency in OUSD.

  • What features of partnerships including clinical faculty participation, selection, or training have had positive effects on candidate development?

The student teaching fieldwork supervisors have been incredible resources for our student teachers. These clinical faculty, most of whom are former administrators, instructional coaches, and teachers themselves, have provided individual coaching of student teachers 8 times per rotation. Program coordinators meet with this team monthly to review student progress, provide program information, and engage in professional development opportunities.  Student teachers see this team as a critical and personal resource for them as they develop their teaching practice.

  • What clinical experiences have enhanced completer’s understanding of diversity and equity issues and their readiness to use that understanding in teaching situations?

The student teaching residency, because it takes place from the first contract day to the last day of school, provides a rich context for teacher candidates to see the range of issues and strategies used to engage a diverse student population. Because elementary candidates undergo two rotations during student teaching (one lower grade and one upper grade), every effort is made to ensure compliance with the state diversity requirement while also providing teacher candidates with diverse school experiences.  This contrast often brings issues of diversity and equity to the forefront of class conversations in MACI 600.

  • What applications of technology have prepared completers for their responsibilities on the job?

All students take EDUC 451, Educational Applications of Technology during their undergraduate coursework. While this course provides foundational basics, students become more proficient with instructional technology use during the student teaching residency.

  • Describe the evidence that most compellingly demonstrates your case, what you have learned from the evidence, and what conclusions and interpretations you have made. To frame your case for Standard 2, what evidence do you have about the effectiveness of partnerships and clinical experiences? What have you learned from the data? What supports your case? What contrary evidence have you found and how do you explain it? What are your interpretations of the data regarding the effectiveness of your partnerships and clinical experiences—are modifications needed? What questions have emerged that need more investigation?

The partnership between MACI and OUSD is good and can get stronger. The program coordinator and fieldwork administrator meet each semester with members from the OUSD indication office to talk about how to improve our work together.  The program coordinator and fieldwork administrator have also sat on the OUSD Induction Advisory Board.  Through this work, we developed an Individualized Development Plan form for students to complete at the end of their student teaching experience.  We have also advised on a district document that helps to support mentor teachers. The two institutions have also met to discuss MACI program improvements and potential future grant opportunities.

  • Explain how you know that the evidence you are assembling to justify your case for Standard 2 is valid and credible. What can you say about data validity and reliability? About data relevance for partnerships and clinical experiences? About its representativeness?

The data set here is valid but not complete. We need to add to this data set the documents from the district as well as my calendar dates with OUSD meetings marked. We should also include the meeting agendas and notes from the Redesign meetings last summer. Perhaps student surveys of the mentor teachers as well?].

  • Describe the uses you are making of the evidence for Standard 2 by sharing it with stakeholders and undertaking or planning modifications in your preparation courses and experiences.

We will continue to work with OUSD to discus further ways to strengthen our partnership. One pertinent discussion that will need to take place soon between district partners and faculty should include a comprehensive and sustainable design for fieldwork at the undergraduate level.

CAEP Standard 2.1: Partnerships for Clinical Preparation

Evidence

CAEP Standard 2.2: Clinical Educators.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 2.3: Clinical Experiences

Evidence

CAEP Standard 3: Candidate Quality, Recruitment, and Selectivity

CAEP Standard 3.1 Plan for Recruitment of Diverse Candidates Who Meet Employment Needs

Evidence

CAEP Standard 3.2 Admission Standards Indicate that Candidates Have High Academic Achievement and Ability.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 3.3 Additional Selectivity Factors

Evidence

CAEP Standard 3.4 Selectivity During Preparation.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 3.5 Selection at Completion.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 3.6

Evidence

Narrative Response to Standards 3.1-3.6

The MACI program is somewhat limited in recruitment for the program as our program draws only from the current undergraduate population and only during candidates’ sophomore year. Candidates for the MACI track must have a Chapman overall GPA of 3.0, must have received a B or better in IES 102 and IES 206, and must have two faculty who recommend them for the program. While Chapman is looking to diversify its student population, our pool of candidates for MACI remains predominantly female and still mostly white.

Before students on the MACI track are fully admitted to the graduate program, a screening is conducted. First, students need to have maintained their overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Second, they are also dispositional reviewed by the MACI course faculty and staff who engage with them in spring of their undergraduate senior year using the dispositional rubric.  Third, we review key assignments to check on student progress toward the Teaching Performance Expectations.  Fourth, students must have passed the CSET exams, obtained their Certificate of Clearance, and conferred their Bachelor’s degree in order to advance to the graduate year.  In terms of remediation, this is done on a case by case basis depending on the reason for concern.

  • Academic achievement, for which evidence is required [component 3.2], that can be addressed with either nationally normed assessments or others that are “substantially equivalent”

MACI-track undergraduates are required to maintain an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better. Key assignment scores are reviewed to determine progress and any needed remediation.  In terms of credential requirements (e.g., CBEST, CSET, TB, Certificate of Clearance, RICA, etc.), students turn these in a paced way during their time on MACI track and during their graduate year.  Students who have not passed the CSET exams do not advance to the graduate year as they are not eligible to student teach.

  • Monitoring candidate progress, including candidate performance on non-academic factors which are also important contributors to successful completion of a preparation program and teaching effectively [components 3.3 and 3.4]; and
  • Dispositions associated with the teaching profession are assessed three times during the program.

During the admissions process, faculty recommenders fill out a survey reflective of standards we would expect them to have already observed. During spring of senior year, MACi faculty and staff fill out a dispositional rubric in order to asses students’ readiness to advance to the graduate year. Finally, dispositions are assessed using the same rubric during the MACI 600 course.

  • High EPP standards for exit requirements (1) related to content knowledge and ability to teach effectively with positive impacts on P-12 student learning and development [component 3.5] and (2) understanding expectations of the profession, codes of ethics, standards of practice and relevant laws and policies [component 3.6]. [NOTE: Evidence relevant to these components that you use as documentation for Standard 1 can simply be cross-referenced—it should not be repeated in making your case for Standard 3.]

Candidates are assessed on TPE progress by their fieldwork supervisors with a summative evaluation provided at the end of each student teaching rotation. They are also assessed using key assignments in MACI 600 that measure the components of TPE 6. As part of their masters portfolio, students are also required to demonstrate a transformation of practice based on the incorporation of current research.

Some efforts we have made recently in recruiting is to use Chapman’s Panther Analytics system to target marketing for graduate information sessions, so that we are expanding our recruitment beyond the Attallah College of Educational Studies to students who are content majors in English, History/Political Science, Math and Science. We are also talking to colleagues in Schmid College to see what possibilities exist for STEM majors who are interested in K-12 teaching to join the MACI track (this has been difficult historically as the undergraduate academic demand is too high for an accelerated program). We hope that these efforts assist us in diversifying the MACI student population. Admissions and monitoring processes at the undergraduate level allow us to be certain that those continuing on to the graduate year are the best and most qualified candidates.

  • What have you learned about candidate progression and needed points for remediation as candidates move through preparation toward successful completion? How have you set external benchmarks for success for your recruitment, progression, and exit goals? What is your evidence about the degree to which these have been achieved? How do your assessments, monitoring processes, and program scope and sequence for developing candidates work together to ensure that candidates demonstrate ability to have positive impact P-12 student learning by exit? And that candidates have the academic and non-academic skills to be effective teachers?

Every semester the MACI program conducts a student of concern/student of merit survey with faculty at the midpoint to identify students who are struggling or thriving and develop individualized opportunities for remediation and support. We also meet with each cohort at the beginning of each semester to review program requirements and benchmarks students must achieve at that point in the program in order to keep their success paced and manageable. Program midpoint reviews (spring of undergraduate senior year) also allow us to assess student progress both academically and dispositional on an individual basis.

  • Describe the evidence that most compellingly demonstrates your case, what you have learned from the evidence, and what conclusions and interpretations you have made. To frame your case for Standard 3, what evidence do you have about recruitment, candidate diversity and academic achievement, and progression to completion? What have you learned from the data? What supports your case? What contrary evidence have you found and how do you explain it? What are your interpretations of the meaning of the data, particularly regarding implications for modification in your recruitment, admissions, and monitoring progress (including through non-academic measures and identifying needed support for candidates at risk)? What questions have emerged that need more investigation?
  • Explain how you know that the evidence you are assembling to justify your case for Standard 3 is valid and credible. What can you say about data validity and reliability? About data relevance for the topic that it is to inform? About its representativeness?

The evidence on key assignments and GPA is credible as it is informed by faculty judgement on a standard rubric aligned with Teaching Performance Expectations. The dispositional assessment may not be reliable, but it is consistent as a tool used at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the program.  It also is filled out by a number of faculty and staff, allowing us to see trends across time.

  • Describe the uses you are making of the evidence for Standard 3 by involving stakeholders and undertaking or planning modifications in your preparation courses and experiences.

The MACI program has worked with a staff member within the Attallah College to assist with promotion and marketing of the program to the undergraduate population at Chapman. With a less diverse population, faculty must ensure that explicit strategies are taught in the areas of culturally responsive pedagogy, English Language Acquisition and inclusive practices.

CAEP Standard 4: Program Impact.

The provider demonstrates the impact of its completers on P-12 student learning and development, classroom instruction, and schools, and the satisfaction of its completers with the relevance and effectiveness of their preparation.

CAEP Standard 4.1 Impact on P-12 Student Learning and Development

Evidence

CAEP Standard 4.2 Indicators of Teaching Effectiveness.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 4.3 Satisfaction of Employers.

Evidence

CAEP Standard 4.4 Satisfaction of Completers.

Evidence

Narrative Response to 4.1-4.4

The first cohort of MACI graduates entered the teaching profession in the fall of 2018. As of yet, we do not have data to see how they are doing in the field, but we are planning on collecting the following data: 1) a survey and/or focus group with first cohort of MACI graduates regarding their thoughts on both the effectiveness of the program for their first year of teaching and what they still need as current professionals; 2) an employer survey of satisfaction with newly hired MACI graduates. We will use this data to inform our practices moving forward, both with changes that would affect future MACI graduates, and with any possible plans to continue to engage MACI alumni in professional learning experiences.

Describe the evidence that most compellingly demonstrates your case, what you have learned from the evidence, and what conclusions and interpretations have you made. To frame your case for Standard 4, what evidence do you have about your completer’s performance in the classroom (e.g., on P-12 student learning)? On instructional practices? On engagement with P-12 students and families? What evidence do you have from employers (including information on employment milestones such as job changes or tenure decisions? What information do you have from completers? What have you learned from the data? What supports your case? What contrary evidence have you found and how do you explain it?

Since the first cohort of graduates has just begun teaching, we do not yet have the data to answer these questions effectively. However, these are measures to consider as we are collecting data on alumni’s first year performance in the field.

Explain how you know that the evidence you are assembling to justify your case for Standard 4 is valid and credible. What can you say about data validity and reliability? About data relevance for the topic that it is to inform? About its representativeness?

We will need to ensure that the data we collect is valid and credible. We will do this by using Attallah College Graduate Outcome Survey and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Credential Program Completer Survey.

Describe the uses you are making of the evidence for Standard 4 by sharing it with stakeholders and undertaking or planning modifications in your preparation courses and experiences.

Once collected, data will be shared with faculty and community partners to see what changes need to be made programmatically, what experiences we need to preserve, and what plans we might make for longer term alumni engagement with Chapman.