NCATE ANNUAL REPORT 1996

University of Georgia
College of Education

Changes in the Professional Unit

The basic administrative structure of the College has not changed since the NCATE Board of Examiners visit to the campus in November, 1995. Personnel in the positions of Dean, Associate Dean, faculty administrators (four faculty with specific responsibilities in the Dean's Office), and school directors (an administrator for each of the four schools of the College--Health and Human Performance, Leadership and Lifelong Learning, Professional Studies, and Teacher Education) have remained in those positions. Four of the 19 departments of the College were administered by new department chairs in 1996--Communication Sciences and Disorders, Counseling and Human Development Services, Elementary Education, and Language Education.

A major portion of the administrative energy of the College was expended on activities related to the University of Georgia's conversion from the quarter system to a semester system, effective in the fall of 1998. This major operational change is giving departments of the College a unique opportunity to evaluate and reconceptualize instructional programs. All of the departments have been actively involved in formulating new program objectives, designing new course offerings, analyzing the composition and structure of field experiences, and determining the most effective utilization of faculty and staff. The timing of the Board of Examiners visit in the fall of 1995 was fortunate for the College. Findings in the Board's report have served as major points of discussion as departments prepare for the upcoming semester conversion.

Evaluations Conducted in 1996

All programs in the School of Professional Studies (Departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Counseling and Human Development Services, Educational Psychology, Instructional Technology, and Special Education) were reviewed within the University of Georgia's internal review cycle during the fall of 1995 and winter of 1996 quarters. All programs received quite positive evaluations. Changes initiated from suggestions provided by the review teams are monitored by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs as called for in the university's academic program review policy.

Progress in Addressing Weaknesses Identified by the 1995 Board of Examiners

Standard I.A: Conceptual Framework (Initial Level Only)

The 1995 report of the Board of Examiners visitation team noted that it was not clear that all programs (at the initial level only) have a model for curriculum design. As the report stated that conceptual frameworks were found in the School of Teacher Education and in the programs for School Counselor and Occupational Studies, not all departments or programs of the College have this weakness. The concurrent state program review identified specific instructional programs experiencing difficulty with this standard.

The internal analyses departments are undertaking for conversion to a semester system in the fall of 1998 has brought about renewed program development activities. Several departments specifically reported this year that the conceptual frameworks under which they operate are undergoing evaluation as they revise their instructional programs in preparation for semester conversion. One department's conceptual framework will be described in a national publication in its academic area. As semester conversion activities near their completion, the College will be better informed as to the progress being made by those departments identified as having this weakness.

Standard I.H: Quality of Field Experiences (Initial Level Only)

The visitation team reported the lack of policies to assure that student teachers have opportunities to work with culturally diverse populations. Given the composition of school systems surrounding the University in which placements for field experiences are made, students should have such opportunities. In addition, the NCATE report and the College's own multi-year emphasis on multicultural education have increasingly made faculty cognizant of the necessity for such experiences. But, at present, there is no policy requiring work with culturally diverse populations.

There is, however, present discussion of placing the Office of Educational Field Experiences (presently in the School of Teacher Education) under the direct jurisdiction of the Associate Dean of the College. This administrative change would have the potential of positively impacting on this standard. In addition to providing centralized oversight and monitoring of all field experiences of the College, new public relations efforts with schools hosting the College's students would be initiated.

Standard III.B: Faculty Qualifications

The 1996 report of the Board of Visitors team cited a lack of training in supervision for field supervisors. Admittedly, the College has a mixed responsibility system of placing and supervising students in field experiences. The Office of Educational Field Experiences (discussed under Standard I.H.) now makes arrangements for most departments' student teachers. Pre-student teaching field experiences are coordinated by either the Office of Educational Field Experiences or individual departments. The departments assume responsibility for identifying and assigning the university supervisors for field experiences.

Although there is variation across departments with respect to the selection and training of supervisors, it would be highly unusual for a student to be supervised by a faculty member or graduate student lacking appropriate experience or instruction in supervision. Departments use a variety of methods (e.g., direct instruction, faculty mentors) to prepare the relatively few faculty and graduate students who do lack appropriate prior experience.

Should the Office of Educational Field Experiences be placed under the supervision of the Associate Dean (as explained in Standard I.H. above), responsibility for this standard will administratively reside at the unit (College) level. Specific strategies presently being discussed would provide unit oversight and monitoring of the selection and training of field supervisors.

Progress Experienced on Selected Other Standards

Standard I.I: Professional Community

In the summer of 1996 the University of Georgia was awarded a state grant for the purpose of encouraging and expanding the College's co-reform efforts with public schools in the area of teacher education. The College's faculty administrator for outreach serves as director of the Northeast Georgia Local P-16 Council, which coordinates activities aimed to stimulate improvements in education in preschool through post-secondary settings. A faculty member in language education coordinates the College's P-16 efforts with local area schools. This initiative includes educators, business representatives, and community leaders.

The College's Program for School Improvement (PSI) continues its collaboration with 105 schools from throughout the state as they use shared decision-making and action research to improve student learning. During this reporting period PSI received a significant external grant from the Annenberg Foundation to extend its work to rural schools in Georgia. At this time, the PSI works with 12 schools in the state but this number is expected to grow rapidly over the next four years.

Standard II.B: Composition of Candidates

The Graduate School of the University hired an African American who recently completed a doctorate in public administration to coordinate and invigorate its minority recruitment efforts. This person will recruit a diverse student body for all Colleges of the campus. College-level administrators and some department heads have met with this person for discussion of ways he and departments can better coordinate and strengthen their minority student recruitment efforts.

In 1996 undergraduate recruitment efforts of the College's Student Services Center were reconfigured in such a way that a larger percentage of time and financial resources are now devoted to visits of our personnel to feeder schools having large minority student populations.

Standard III.B: Composition of Faculty

The College experienced another year of excellent results related to the recruitment of minority faculty in 1996. Of the 14 new faculty beginning in the fall quarter of 1996, six were African American and eight were Caucasian. Half of new hires were women. In addition, the College continued its deliberate and sustained effort to strengthen diversity in curriculum through the continuation of its College-level curriculum grants and workshops on multicultural education.

Standard IV.B: Resources for Teaching and Scholarship

The College continued to receive excellent financial support from the state and University. The state legislature awarded a 6% increase in salaries for faculty and staff, the second of four years of such increases proposed by the Governor in 1994.

In research funding support, the 1996 rankings of graduate programs of education by U.S. News and World Report placed our College first in the nation. The College's overall ranking in 1996 placed us among the top ten graduate colleges in the United States.

Standard IV.C: Resources for Operating the Unit

In 1996 the College was selected to be the recipient of significant additional space (a building of approximately 40,000 square feet) given to the University by another division of Georgia state government. The School of Leadership and Lifelong Learning and selected state and federal grant programs will move into the building following its refurbishment (expected moves to be completed by the summer of 1997). Academic programs presently located in several other University buildings will then be relocated to Aderhold Hall as space becomes available.