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UNIVERSITY
OF KENTUCKY

Professional Education Unit

Research and
Reflection for Learning and Leading

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT PLAN

www.uky.edu/Education/NCATE  

Professional Education Unit

University of Kentucky

Unit Continuous Assessment Plan

Submission Date: Fall 2006

Contents

A.  Introduction
to the Unit Continuous Assessment Plan

B. Integration of
the Unit Continuous Assessment Plan with the Unit Conceptual Framework

Integration
of Continuous Assessment with the Research Theme

Integration of Continuous
Assessment with the Reflection Theme

Integration of Continuous
Assessment with the Learning Theme

Integration of Continuous
Assessment with the Leading Theme

C. Common Admission,
Retention, and Completion Policy

Overview

Core Requirements for
Completion of a Unit Program

Three Candidate Assessment
Points

D.  The
Candidate Performance Review Cycle and Data Collection

E. The Comprehensive
Distributed Data System

F. Continuous
Assessment, Development, and the Unit Governance System

G. Plan to
Ensure Accuracy, Fairness, and Consistency of Assessments

H. Plan for
Collecting P-12 Student Impact Data

I. Description
of Use of Technology to Support the Assessment System

J. Identification
of Dispositions and Modes of Assessment

Appendices

Table 1:  Candidate Performance in Initial Programs

Table
2: Candidate Performance in Advanced Programs

Table
3: Data on Unit Capacity and Unit Operations

 

A.
Introduction to the Unit Continuous Assessment Plan

The
continuous assessment plan for the professional education unit at the
University of Kentucky references the unit conceptual framework theme, Research and Reflection
for Learning and Leading.  This theme is aligned closely
with both the vision and mission of the University of Kentucky and the
vision and mission of the professional education unit.  The theme
reflects and guides how the unit approaches the preparation of professional
educators within the context of a research extensive, land grant university. 

Educator
preparation programming at the University of Kentucky is complex, relying
on sustained reflective dialog and collaboration among faculty, staff,
candidates, representatives of P-12 schools and districts, and academic
faculty not directly involved in professional education.  The organizational
structure for the professional education unit emphasizes the importance
of the separate program faculties operating under the umbrella of the
unit.  The unit (1) coordinates the setting of common UK educator
preparation goals, policies, and procedures, (2) requires a variety
of common outcomes for all UK professional education candidates, and
(3) is responsible for the development and management of a comprehensive
distributed data system.  The program faculties, in addition to
demonstrating accountability in implementing common policies and procedures,
are also charged with addressing the standards and expectations of their
specialized program associations (SPAs) in their respective programs. 

The UK
professional education unit has adopted a model of Continuous Research,
Assessment and Development (UK-RADS) to support its continuous assessment
system.  This model emphasizes a three component iterative cycle
of research and reflection, development and documentation, and review/approval/dissemination. 
(See Continuous
Assessment Diagram 1 below.)

RESEARCH/REFLECT/INITIATE

DEVELOP/DOCUMENT/PRESENT

REVIEW/APPROVE/DISSEMINATE

Continuous Assessment Diagram
1: Continuous Research, Assessment, and Development System (UK-RADS)

COMPREHENSIVE DISTRIBUTED DATA SYSTEM

The
UK professional education unit endorses the concept of data-based decision
making and actively supports the information systems technology necessary
to capture, report, and analyze data associated with the mission and
goals embodied in the unit conceptual framework.  The units comprehensive
distributed data system is housed in part on the units web site at http://www.uky.edu/Education/NCATE/exhibit.html
and in part on the units Information Technology Database System managed
by the Center for Educator Preparation Information Systems (CEPIS) and
the Instructional Technology Center (ITC) Technology Division, which
are administered through the offices of the Associate Dean for Academic
and Student Services and the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate
Studies.

 

Continuous Assessment Diagram 2: Components in the Unit Continuous
Assessment Plan illustrates the relationship between the program
faculties and the various bodies and committees that make up the unit
governance system, the conceptual models that guide unit practice (unit
conceptual framework and the unit continuous Research, Assessment, and
Development System model), and the units comprehensive distributed
data system. 

The people
who are involved with the UK professional education unit are organized
into faculties, committees, and forums that are dedicated to unit and
program continuous assessment and development.  These groups utilize
the resources of the comprehensive distributed data system and regularly
access the sets of data and research summaries that are posted to the
units websites, and the data that are available through the database
information syst