The Vision of the College of Education and Human Services (CEHS) is to be an influential force in Ohio and beyond for preparing high quality professionals who are change agents in society. Student learning is established onprinciples of innovation, critical evaluation, and research. The college’s collaborations foster dynamic, lifelong learning environments both on campus and in the community that position the college to identify and redesign itself to impact emergent needs. The Mission of The College of Education and Human Services, adopted May 2003, is: Preparing professionals to meet the educational, leadership, and human service needs of a diverse democratic society.
CEHS takes seriously its dedication to excellence in professional education and training, as is evidenced by consistent, successful accreditation of the College and its programs. Perhaps an even stronger indicator of CEHS excellence in professional education and training is the strong performance of the College’s graduates on nationally cultural competencies in the institution as well as in candidates. Workplace adaptability will also depend in large part on technology. The College is a leader in adaptive technology education, with the prime example being the College’s leadership in special education adaptive technology. Certainly, the College’s ongoing investments in technology and its cutting-edge approach to learning increase its relevance and competitiveness for training today’s professionals.
Strategies to Advance the College’s Competence in Preparing Professionals:
1. Recognize and experience the value of diversity; and articulate the outcomes and qualities desired in faculty, staff, and candidates. Prepare faculty, staff, and candidates to be culturally competent in serving diverse communities and individuals in a multicultural, global society.
2. Research and implement world-class technology and integrate technology that facilitates modeling best practices in classrooms. Increase the quality and quantity of distance learning options.
3. Establish advanced graduate programs that meet regional employer and professionals’ needs.
a. In 2009 the CEHS will finalize development of a new doctoral program in "Sustainability and Renewal in Organizations" that will prepare individuals for leadership positions in Learning, Human Service, and Community organizations.
b. Implementation of a master’s in leadership development
4. Develop a plan for integrating and improving collaboration between the community and the College. Due to the complex nature of today’s challenges, the College will need to create and sustain interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams of faculty and staff to join these partnerships. Some examples of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary programs where the College is either the lead or a first tier collaborator include:
a. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) School
b. The Sports Medicine Institute with the Oscar Boonshoft School of Medicine
c. Division of Professional Development/Educational Leadership Information Network K-12 (EDLINK-
12) is a network of 32 West Central Ohio school systems, anchored by Wright State, devoted to encouraging and providing technical support for collaborative approaches to school improvement
d. Organizational Leadership and International Leadership Association
e. Off-site offerings: cohort programs, distance learning programs, and other programs offered specifically to meet the needs of students and clients
5. Determine the critical programs and services to be provided and develop decision criteria to inform newly proposed programs. Develop and/or design programs that are more relevant to the needs of employers and external partners.
a. Use data from the College’s Unit Assessment System to inform efforts to improve preparation of candidates and programs.
b. Conduct program resource assessments to strengthen course offerings to meet current and future demand.
c. Continuously improve educator and practitioner preparation programs to meet the changing structure of school/student environments and human service agencies.
Core Strategy #2: Utilize the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) school as an applied learning and research laboratory
The National Network for Educational Renewal agenda is based on the assumption that society will not have better schools without better teachers, but will not have better teachers without better universities in which teachers can learn, practice, and develop. Making a concrete investment in this renewal agenda, Wright State University, through the leadership of the College of Education and Human Services and 28 partners, proposed and was awarded funding for a STEM school. This public-private partnership engages school districts, career technical centers, educational service centers, colleges and universities, businesses and business organizations, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and EDvention in the “next edge” of student preparation (in grades 6-12) for the knowledge economy. The school will provide a laboratory for faculty and student inquiry based learning, program design and development, and applications of sustainability theories.
Strategies to Advance Teacher, Leader, and Counselor Learning, Practice, and Development vis-à-vis the STEM School:
1. Establish the new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) School as a laboratory for pedagogical content knowledge application to improve student outcomes and candidate preparation toward the goal of developing the Dayton region’s talent base.
Teacher Education:
a. Assure participation of Teacher Educator faculty in designing and implementing curriculum that promotes critical thinking skills in the STEM school environment.
b. Evaluate and research educator preparation in and for the STEM school environment, using this opportunity as a proof of concept for wider dissemination of lessons learned.
Educational Leadership:
c. Provide expert guidance in assessment, curriculum development, and leadership preparation for the STEM educational environment.
Human Services
d. Provide expert guidance in career, academic, and personal-social counseling to prepare students for STEM careers.
Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
e. Define physical education and health programs to include in STEM schools, involving other Colleges such as the College of Nursing and Health.
Multidisciplinary Response
f. Collaborate with other Colleges at Wright State to address the needs of the STEM School.
g. Collaborate with area institutions of higher education, businesses and business organizations, and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to address the needs of the STEM school.
Core Strategy #3: Create and sustain responsive networks and services The College has a history of and dedicates itself to constant creative construction of partnerships and services to meet changing needs. Dynamic networks of independent enterprises that share resources, including knowledge, market share and customers, are the new organizational paradigm. Such networks not only advance software and data systems, but primarily evolve the organizational structures that align to community needs. Examples of the College’s implementation of responsive, adaptable networks are plentiful and establish the organizational response that the College will use in the future to meet community needs.
Strategy to Advance the Application of Agile Networks and Services: Internal Operational Strategies:
1. Inventory the number and types of networks and services already functioning in the College.
a. Current networks/programs: What are their missions; who do they serve; what are their resources; who are their partners; what's the failure rate and why do they fail; what types of technical assistance would improve their success?
b. Intake: Where are current requests for agile networks and programs coming from? How is the College meeting these new requests? Are requests logged? Are requests referred to other faculty or departments? Does the College follow up on referrals?
c. Gaps:
Are there certain types of requests that the College cannot meet because it lacks the infrastructure, expertise, and resources?
2. Formalize technical assistance, training, and data collection and analysis to facilitate the formulation and impact of the College’s networks and services.
a. Reconfigure and align existing staff resources already being applied to data collection and analysis for the College, such as TK-20 and Student Services.
b. Consider broadening the mission of the Division of Professional Development to function as the research institute that supports the agile networks and program outreach of the College.
External Strategies:
3. Apply the information gathered from Core Strategy 1 above regarding program and service assessments, to direct the College’s external partnership priorities.
Conceptual Framework
The purpose of the Conceptual Framework is to provide consistency across the curriculum and program alignment. Multiple layers convey meaning in the conceptual framework (see Figure below). The outer circle of the Conceptual Framework illustrates the larger context of Institutional, State, and Professional Standards, which continually impact the work and philosophy of the College. The inner ring represents the six interweaving strands that convey the organizational construct under which the College operates to produce professional educators, organizational leadership, and human service professionals. The six strands are Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Diversity, Technology, Professionalism, and Emotional Intelligence. At the center of the Framework is the title, “Developing the Art and Science of Teaching, Leadership, and Counseling,” which illustrates the common ground between General Knowledge, Content Knowledge, and Professional Knowledge in the professions of teaching, leadership, and counseling.
The figure on the attached uses a simple throughput model to present how the conceptual framework applies to the organization overall as well as to professional educators and human service candidates. The six strands are the foundation upon which faculty and staff operate and the foundation for curriculum and candidate preparation.
From the candidate perspective: The first strand, Content Knowledge, ensures that teacher candidates and candidates for professional roles are knowledgeable in their chosen fields. The second, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, prepares candidates for demonstrating appropriate pedagogical/clinical content knowledge to help all students and clients learn or achieve their goals. The third strand, Diversity, ensures candidates are knowledgeable, competent, and sensitive in working with diverse populations in diverse settings. Technology, the fourth strand, prepares candidates to apply appropriate technology to add value to the learning/leadership/clinical process. The fifth strand, professionalism, makes sure candidates understand and demonstrate the qualities and dispositions of professionals. Finally, the sixth strand, Emotional Intelligence, ensures that candidates develop emotional intelligence and are cognizant of its significance as a positive disposition in teaching, learning, and adjusting in life. From the organizational perspective: Content Knowledge pertains to institutional expertise; Pedagogical Content Knowledge is the means by which expertise is delivered; Diversity expresses the College’s aspiration toward cultural competence; Technology is the advanced infrastructure necessary for operating and producing ready Candidates; Professionalism recognizes the importance of balancing teaching, service, and scholarship; and emotional intelligence is the respectful environment in which the College’s business is conducted.
One goal of our 2008-2013 strategic plan is to operationalize our Conceptual Framework, beyond what our candidates should know and be able to do. In doing so, three additional components were added to the graphic representation, that of Candidates, Educators, and Practitioners. Unique to some conceptual frameworks developed for educator preparation colleges/schools, our conceptual framework and Unit concept includes all programs within the College of Education and Human Services, non-NCATE programs as well as educator preparation programs.
Our institutional standards are integral components of the six strands from our conceptual framework noted previously: Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Diversity, Technology, Professionalism and Emotional Intelligence. Our fifth Core Assessment for all programs, as referenced below, is a portfolio focused around the strands of our conceptual framework. All NCATE or NCATErelated programs complete their key assessments (program/unit) within Tk20, our electronic data management tool. Non-NCATE programs have the option to use the tool for data-gathering purposes if desired. As noted from the unit’s core assessments listed below, each program is required to track five areas:
(1) Grade Point Average (GPA);
(2) Praxis II or a content test, if Praxis II is not required for the program area;
(3) an external review such as student teaching or an internship evaluation for application of the acquired content knowledge, specific to the program area or Specialized Professional Association (SPA);
(4) Impact on student learning or client needs assessment; and
(5) a portfolio focused around the conceptual framework strands that is introduced during the beginning stage of each program, checked at the midpoint of each program, and assessed at the program completion stage, which also includes a final check of one’s professional dispositions. Dispositions are assessed at least one other time earlier in one’s program, either during the initial stages and/or during the midpoint. In addition to them being checked within the context of courses they are also assessed during the student teaching and/or clinical practice portion of a program.
Our conceptual framework (CF) has undergone minor modifications since our last visit. Though
minor in nature, the changes were needed to better reflect the diversity of our Unit’s programs.
Our unit is defined as all programs (NCATE-related and non-education) residing within the
College of Education and Human Services (CEHS). Our original Conceptual Framework was designed
specifically for professional education programs; therefore, the descriptors within the six strands
(content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, technology, diversity, professionalism, and
emotional intelligence) identified the working environment as schools; the application of
acquired knowledge to PK-12 students; and program completers as teachers or leaders in school
roles, which didn’t address those working with clients, and those outside the school environment.
Inclusive language now represents all those the unit serve.
We also have added the words Educators, Practitioners, and Candidates to the center of our
Conceptual Framework graphic. They were added during the process of designing our new
(2008- 2013) CEHS Strategic Plan. The rationale for doing so evolved as we began to
operationalize our conceptual framework. This was a conscious effort to expand the CF to be more
inclusive of the work in which faculty, staff, and collaborative partners are engaged in order to
successfully implement the conceptual framework, rather than the Conceptual Framework being
viewed as a vehicle specifically designed to guide what our candidates should know and
being able to do.