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Professional Education Unit

Waypoints and Milestones

NCATE Progress Update

The Professional Education Unit at Southern Utah University was formed in May of 2000 and is making steady progress toward its goal of becoming NCATE accredited. Below is an update on where we are and where we are going.

January 7, 2000	Intent to Seek Initial NCATE Accreditation form filed by SUU College of Education, beginning the accreditation process.
February 25, 2000	College of Education Dean, Bruce Barker and NCATE Coordinator, Lee Montgomery, attend the national Partnerships for Excellence in Teacher Education (PETE) conference in Chicago. Meeting establishes contact with PETE project directors and paves way for membership in PETE.
August 2000	Professional Education Faculty (PEF) were identified and members of the Professional Education Coordinating Council (PECC) were appointed by the Provost
August 21-24, 2000	NCATE Institutional Orientation attended by NCATE Coordinator. Meeting provided valuable information on the accreditation process and the new NCATE 2000 standards.
August 31, 2000	College of Education applies for membership in the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). Nine Institutional Representatives from College of Education named to represent the unit.
May 4, 2000	First meeting of the SUU Professional Education Coordinating Council (PECC). Work begins to orient PECC membership to process and develop a set of Bylaws for governing the operation of the PECC
September 27,2000	Bylaws for the Professional Education Coordinating Council adopted by members of the PECC. PECC Steering Committee chairs are appointed and an Ad Hoc committee formed to explore drafting a policies and procedures manual for the Unit.
October 10, 2000	First meeting of the PECC Executive Committee. Executive Committee begins setting agendas for PECC meetings and directing the work of the PECC.
October 16-17	Campus visit by Dr. Steve Lilly, PETE, Consultant. Dr. Lilly's visit identifies Unit strengths and weaknesses. Gap analysis performed by Dr. Lilly helps to focus efforts of unit on critical gaps related to faculty qualifications, funding of M.Ed. program, faculty overload, supervision of student teachers and other key areas.
November 21, 2000	Campus visit by Dr. Gene Hall, Visiting Scholar. Dr. Hall's visit initiates a dialog on the conceptual framework and the assessment and evaluation of programs and candidates in reponse to NCATE standards.
December 8, 2000	Conceptual Framework Workshop attended by more than 50 professional education faculty lays the ground work for the development of the Unit's Conceptual Framework. In weeks to come, framework will be drafted and posted for approval by PECC and PEF.
January 17, 2001	First draft of Unit's Conceptual Framework presented to PECC. The Conceptual Framework is discussed in PECC and posted to the Unit's website to facilitate further discussion.
January 23, 2001	College of Education implements a revised articulation of its Secondary Education Professional Course Work and Licensure Program, working closely with academic departments. Revised curriculum brings the Unit into closer alignment with INTASC and NCATE standards.
February 21, 2001	PECC forms Standing Committees and SC chairs are asked to schedule initial meetings.
March 1-4, 2001	NCATE Coordinator, COE Dean and key faculty members attend AACTE Conference in Dallas, Texas. PETE representative, Steve Lilly, reviews the Unit's Conceptual Framework and Assessment Plan and declares the Unit "on track." Final PETE visit scheduled for late June or early July.
March 7, 2001	Teacher education faculty begin curriculum mapping project. Faculty members asked to report on how they address INTASC Standards in individual courses.
March 9, 2001	NCATE Coordinator and the Dean of the College of Education initiate meetings with Deans and Department Chairs to discuss NCATE issues and the writing of Program Reviews.
March 19, 2001	Luncheon meetings with teacher education faculty begin. The meetings focus on curricular issues and individual faculty reponsibilities regarding NCATE documentation.
March 23, 2001	A draft of the Unit's conceptual is completed and distributed to Teacher Education faculty for review. Unit standards are expanded to include indicators and knowledge base and philosophy segments are added.
September 15, 2001	The Unit officially becomes a candidate for accreditation by submitting a Preconditions document to NCATE. Included in the document is evidence that the nine preconditions for full candidacy have been met. Also included are Program Reports for Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, School Administration and other programs seeking national accreditation by professional organizations.
November 6, 2001	The Unit begins the process of implementing its portfolio assessment system by conducting a faculty development workshop on e-Portfolio, a web-based portfolio development tool. Process of training candidates to use e-portfolio is begun utilizing funding from a grant written by Dr. Deb Hill
December 4, 2001	The Teacher Work Sample component of the Unit's Assessment is implemented in teacher preparation courses. All candidates will be required to complete the sample during clinical practice.
December 11, 2001	Secondary and Elementary Education Caucuses meet for the first time. The Elementary Caucus adopts a uniform lesson plan format aligned with the Teacher Work Sample and the Secondary Caucus begins work to establish performance tasks and required portfolio artifacts for all secondary courses.
December 18, 2001	NCATE notifies the Unit that preconditions 1-8 have been met. A rejoinder is submitted for precondition 9.
February 1, 2002	Regularly scheduled curriculum review meeting implemented for College of Education Faculty. Details of portfolio assessment system addressed at first meeting.
February 6, 2002	Pilot study of PRAXIS PLT implemented. Sample tests administered to students in all elementary and secondary Block classes.
February 15, 2002	Program reviews received from NCATE constituent councils and Learned Societies. Elementary Education program conditionally approved by ACEI. Other programs begin working on rejoinders for submission in April.
February 23-25	Bruce Barker, Lee Montgomery and Debbie Hill attend AACTE Conference in New York City. SUU personnel present papers on electronic portfolios and meet with PETE Consultant Steve Lilly. Sessions with other PETE institutions indicate that SUU is on track for Spring 2003 visit.
February 26, 2002	NCATE notifies the Unit that precondition 9 has been met. Unit is granted full candidacy status.
April 15, 2002	Rejoinders submitted to Specialty Associations addressing standards not met in original program reviews.
April 24, 2002	Notification received from the Council for Exceptional Children the the Unit's Special Education Program had been awarded national recognition.
May 18, 2002	Initial Teacher Work Samples are submitted by students completing their clinical practice experience. Work begins to benchmark the samples and refine the TWS process.
June 24, 2002	PETE Consultant Steve Lilly visits campus to review Unit progress. He indicates that the Unit is on track and prepares a "To Do List" of items to be addressed in months prior to visit by the NCATE BOE.
July 27, 2002	Notification received from the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) that the SUU Administrative Leadership program has been unconditionally approved.
August 14, 2002	Notification received from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) that the Unit's math program had been awarded national recognition.
September 15, 2002	American Library Association approves Unit's Library Media Program.
December 15, 2002	National Council of Teachers of English approves Unit's English/Language Arts Program.
January 12, 2003	Physical Education Program approved by NASPE and Technology Education Program approved by ITEA-CTTE.
January 24, 2003	First Draft of Unit's Institutional Report completed and reviewed by PETE Representative, Steve Lilly, at AACTE Conference in New Orleans.
February 3, 2003	Previsit by BOE Chair Bonnie Konopak to discuss arrangements for April visit by BOE Team.
February 15, 2003	Final draft of Institutional Report submitted to NCATE.
February 26, 2003	PETE Representative Steve Lilly visits campus with last minute suggestions for preparations for the April visit.
March 30, 2003	Unit's Exhibit Room completed with assistance of COE faculty.
April 12, 2003	NCATE Board of Examiners arrives on campus for accreditation visit.
April 16, 2003	BOE Team Chair, Bonnie Konopak, conducts accreditation visit debriefing for President Bennion, Provost Harraf, and COE Deans. Konopak praises Unit on its hospitality and level of preparation. All standards passed!
May 6, 2003	Official BOE report received from NCATE. Report indicates that all standards were met and only two suggestions for improvement were noted.
July 1, 2003	Unit submits rejoinder to NCATE accepting conclusions of the BOE Team and responding to suggestions for improvement.
October 31, 2003	SUU President Bennion notified by NCATE that the Professional Education Unit is fully accredited at both the initial and advanced levels.

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