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3 Key Assessments

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Learn about the three key assessments which involve teacher preparation. The Diversity Case Study focuses on understanding student diversity and equal opportunities. The Mini Lesson emphasizes effective instruction planning. Data Literacy and Reflection fosters analysis and improvement of teaching practices. Learn about each one in detail below.  

Diversity Case Study

Teaching requires the ability to gather information, figure out what that information means, and then, take action. Here, you will find the breakdown of the Diversity Case Study project, which you will be completing throughout the semester. This project is part of all teacher preparation programs and appears in the following courses: EDCI 3331, EDUC 3304, and UTCH 3302. 

In this assignment, you, as the teacher, will demonstrate the ability to understand the environment and student backgrounds to make decisions about teaching. A Diversity Case Study is a description of a school community and its population (students, teachers, parents, etc.), which describes how varied and different students are, as well as how to honor those differences and provide equal opportunities to learn.

Task Purpose

The purpose of the Diversity Case Study is to assess the teacher's ability to identify and analyze relevant contextual factors that affect the learning-teaching process. 

Learning Goals

  • Diversity: The teacher will gather evidence that describes student diversity of language, culture, ability, demographics, and how that affects minoritization and academic success. 
  • 21st Century Skills: The teacher will use digital tools to curate evidence from credible online sources and social media channels, as well as demonstrate the ability to show the evidence in digital graphical format or visual format. 
  • Case Study Evidence: The teacher will analyze and compose a case study summary of all the evidence, and describe the implications of using it to make decisions in the classroom. 

Mini Lesson

Teaching requires the ability to plan instruction by creating learning goals, figuring out how to assess them, and create engaging and appropriate activities. This project is part of all teacher preparation programs and appears in the following courses: EDCI 3332, EDUC 3304, and UTCH 3302. 

Planning lessons is one of the most important skills teachers need to develop. It is a complex process with several planning stages that bring together a final product. This project is about following that planning process using information you already know about students. Planning a lesson is not done separately from the contextual factors. 

*NOTE: This project uses information from the Diversity Case Study, the first major project you completed in a previous teacher preparation program course (EDCI 3331, EDUC 3304, or UTCH 3302).  

Task Purpose

The purpose of this Mini Lesson is to assess a teacher's ability to plan instruction. You will complete the Mini Lesson in a detailed, written plan in three parts: 1) learning goals, 2) assessments, and 3) instructional activities. All three parts are pieces of the same Mini Lesson and follow a backward design of instruction. Each part is evaluated with its own rubric, so that each part in this project is described on its own page. As you complete this project throughout the semester, your instructor will guide you through each piece.  

Learning Goals

  • Learning goals: The teacher will develop learning goals that are varied and challenging, appropriate to students, and properly aligned to standards of the grade and discipline.
  • Assessment: The teacher will create varied formative and summative assessments with appropriate differentiation for each of the learning goals created for the lesson. 
  • Instructional activities: The teacher will plan a sequence of activities in a lesson plan to support learning goals and lead to success in the assessments. 
  • Diversity and Differentiation: The teacher will integrate knowledge of student diversity and special needs in the goals, assessments, and activities with differentiation. 
  • 21st Century Skills: The teacher will integrate digital tools to vary and meet the multiple modalities of students and help them be successful in the learning goals and assessments. 

Data Literacy and Reflection

Teachers do not plan instruction in a vacuum, and what is previously taught is examined and analyzed to figure out what learning students still need to do, and what types of successes and setbacks occurred. This is a vital part of being a reflective practitioner. Teachers learn from all teaching experiences, and this project will allow you to learn the skills needed to be able to become analytical and reflective about your teaching.

Task Purpose

The purpose of this data Literacy and Reflection project is to assess a teacher's ability to analyze assessment data and reflect on instruction. You will complete the Data Literacy and Reflection project in three parts: 1) instructional decision-making, 2) analysis of student learning, and 3) reflection and self-evaluation. All three parts are pieces of the same Data Literacy and Reflection project. 

*NOTE: This project assumes that you have completed the Diversity Case Study (EDCI 3331, EDUC 3304, or UTCH 3302) and the Mini Lesson (EDCI 3332, EDUC 3306, or UTCH 3302) in previous semesters of teacher preparation. The Data Literacy and Reflection project uses the skills you used in the previous projects to expand them on this one. Such concepts and skills you learned about describing contextual factors to determine student characteristics and the ability to plan instruction will be extended in this project. 

In some cases, depending on the program and field experiences, you may be able to use some information gathered in a previous project, while in others, you and your instructor will find alternative means to gather information using the skills you learned in the previous one. 

Learning Goals

  • Instructional decision making: The teacher will modify the Mini Lesson to address what you learned when you analyzed data from assessments.
  • Analysis of student learning: The teacher will analyze group data to determine how varied student populations progressed in the lesson.
  • Reflection and self-evaluation: The teacher will reflect on the effectiveness of their planning and ways to improve it through professional development.
  • Diversity and differentiation: The teacher will recognize how data analysis points out how specific modifications can be made to promote success for varied student populations.
  • 21st century skills: The teacher will recognize appropriate use of digital tools to meet the needs of varied student populations. 

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