BCCPP teaching - Blue Coat Certified Proxy Professional Updated: 2023

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Formal Evaluation by the Site director:

Site directors serve as the main liaison between Drexel University and the school where the teacher candidate is placed.  The site director is expected to visit the teacher candidate a minimum of six times during a term, and will observe teacher candidate a minimum of four times formally. Site directors will also conduct an introductory meeting as well as a final grade meeting. However, additional observations may be necessary, depending on the overall progress of a teacher candidate. Site directors will combine their observations with feedback from the mentor teacher to fully assess the teacher candidate.

 Site directors will provide a written assessment after each observation using the Daily Observation Evaluation Form found in Appendix C. Site directors complete a formal PDE 430 Form at the midterm and at the end of the student teaching experience (Appendix E). The site director will consult with the mentor teacher and the seminar instructor to determine a grade for the teacher candidate, which will be given to the seminar instructor, who will assign the final course grade based on both the site director’s grade and work done in the seminar course. 

Site directors use an evaluation form to assess teacher candidates during the placement. Click on the following link to download a copy of the PDE 430 document [PDF].

The teacher candidate is evaluated in 4 domains:

• Planning and Preparation
• Classroom Environment
• Instructional Delivery
• Professionalism

The teacher candidate is given feedback throughout the placement on these 4 domains, but is formally assessed twice by the Site director via the PDE 430 form. The score ranges from 1– 12, but the student must earn at least a 1 in each domain to pass. The first formal evaluation is formative and at the mid-term of the teacher candidate’s student teaching placement, giving the teacher candidate an opportunity to Excellerate in certain areas. The final evaluation is summative and is the final score (1 - 12) (see Appendix D). The scores for each evaluation are not added together, but viewed as separate scores and the Site Director also indicated the types of evidence used to evaluate each domain (i.e. lesson plans or student conference observations). Each domain includes performance indicators that reflect the candidate’s level of competence in that domain. Ex., the teacher candidate’s ability to plan lessons and curriculum units may be reflected by the teacher candidate’s content knowledge, knowledge of academic standards, knowledge of students, how to use this for instruction, and so on.

Students that score less than a total of 4 or who score a 0 in any of the four domains on the midterm evaluation will meet with the Site Director, Program Director, and a Field Placement Officer to discuss placing the student on academic probation and further to determine (a) if additional support is needed to help the student teacher reach proficiency; (b) if the placement must be discontinued; or (c) if the placement might be extended to allow more time for the student to demonstrate proficiency in each domain.

Students that score less than a total score of 8 on the final evaluation will meet with their Site director and the School of Education’s administration to determine if the candidate’s student teaching experience a) will be extended, with support, until the candidate gains and demonstrates sufficient mastery of course requirements to be successful in being assessed on a new final PDE 430 evaluation, OR b) must be repeated in a subsequent term through formal re-application and course.

Formal Evaluation by the Mentor Teacher:

The mentor teacher will be asked to provide the teacher candidates with ongoing constructive feedback throughout the 13-week student teaching experience in all areas including; planning and preparation, classroom environment, instructional delivery and professionalism. Mentor teachers are asked to identify a “standing meeting time” with the teacher candidate (most conducive to the mentor teacher’s schedule) to hold ongoing discussions regarding expectations, planning and general feedback on progress.

In addition, the mentor teacher is asked to complete both a midterm and final evaluation for the teacher candidate. The Mentor Teacher Evaluation Form should be completed during week 6 and week 13 of the placement. The form (please see Appendix D) requires the mentor teacher to evaluate the teacher candidate according to the four domains for novice teachers developed outline within Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching. These ten professional teaching standards have served as a set of guiding principles for the teacher candidates throughout their School of Education coursework at Drexel University. The mentor teacher is asked to review the document (both at midterm and final) with the student and then submit one copy to the site director. The site director will use the mentor teacher’s evaluation(s) as a significant component in determining the student’s overall grade. 

The Professional Seminar

 A critical component of the Student Teaching Practicum is the weekly professional seminar. EDUC 410: The Undergraduate Student Teaching Seminar and EDUC 540: The Graduate Student Teaching Seminar central purpose is to enrich and complement the field experience of the teacher candidate. Through guided discussions in seminar class, teacher candidates are able to grow as educators through critical self-reflection. In this setting, the teacher candidate is able to reflect upon one’s classroom experiences, connect to earlier acquired content and educational theory and set personal goals for improvement. Students are also able to collaborate with fellow teacher candidates, sharing ideas, advice and strategies. Attendance and participation at all seminar meetings are mandatory, and ultimately demonstrate the teacher candidate’s commitment to continued professional development. Seminar Instructors will collaborate with site directors in determining the teacher candidate’s overall grades for the experience.

Student Teaching Seminar Assignments:

Stuent Teaching Seminar Assignments include, but are not limited to the following:

• Classroom Management Plan
• Lesson Plans/Units of Study
• Journaling
• Philosophy of Education
• Reflective Papers
• Designing/Constructing an Interactive Bulletin Board
• Creating an Authentic Assessment and Assessment Tool (e.g. rubric)
• Video-taped lesson(s)
• Professional Teaching Portfolio

The Professional Teaching Portfolio:

The final assignment for the Student Teaching Seminar is to design a professional portfolio that illustrates the successes that occurred during the student/intern teaching field experience. The rubric detailing the organization criteria for this will be sent out prior to the start of the student teaching experience.

The Student Teaching Seminar: Emphasis on Best Practices:

 The student teaching seminar portion of EDUC 410: Student Teaching & Seminar and EDUC 540: Graduate Student Teaching & Seminar courses are designed to meet Danielson’s Framework for Teachers is characterized by research-based best practice that includes:

• Active learning in a problem-solving environment;
• The integration of learning technologies as mind tools;
• The use of multiple intelligences and learning styles to reach all learners;
• Facilitation of student voice and ownership in the learning process;
• Development of critical and creative thinking in all subjects;
• Performance-based assessments; and
• Collaborative and cooperative learning that facilitates multiple perspectives.

The Student Teaching Seminar course help to develop and further enhance each teacher candidate’s teaching knowledge, skills and abilities through field placement, supervision and reflective practice. Each week, the students share their experiences through journal entries, participate in workshops and team meetings, learn about resources, reflect on what they are learning and present their case studies.

All who earn a new certification are required to earn continuing education units (CEU) over the 5-year term of their certification to be able to recertify or upgrade to the next level. All ecologists who were certified prior to 2021 are permitted to recertify or upgrade one time without fulfilling the requirement, but are required to complete the CEU afterward.*

CEU will be self-reported by participants on an annual basis through the ESA account. Participants are required to adhere to the ESA Code of Ethics in all activities related to their profession, including when reporting professional development.

Interpretive leeway will be given to participants to identify suitable professional development opportunities per the requirements. Beginning in spring 2021, ESA will publish and regularly update a roster of approved training providers and other opportunities in the Professional Development Calendar, and participants are encouraged to favor those opportunities, but any suitable scientific or professional content will be approved, including credits earned toward certifications offered in the professional practice and application of related scientific disciplines.

Requirements

You must achieve 44 CEU across the categories as described below. Minima are the lowest number of CEU in a category that must be reported per review period; maxima are the highest number that will count toward your recertification or upgrade. You can of course complete more as you feel is beneficial to your professional development, but don’t report them toward your total requirement of 44 CEU, and don’t report more than 70 CEU across all categories.

In the spirit of continuing education, some activities are capped per event or year with the aim of distributing effort and professional development across multiple activities and multiple years. Ecologists certified by ESA are encouraged to seek development opportunities from a broad array of sources, and at least 50% of all units reported in Category I must be earned through activities provided by organizations other than ESA. This is to encourage broader professional scientific development and support organizations that support our certification program.

The time period in which you are eligible to earn CEU begins the day after your application due date and ends at the due date of your application for recertification or an upgrade. For instance, the application due date in 2021 was February 1; any CEU-eligible activity after that date can be reported and counted toward the requirements. Note that any participation in continuing education following application does not certain approval of your application, and cannot be included in your application.

Category I: Professional Education and Training

Category I(a) includes scientific education and training that contributes to your professional development as a practicing ecologist. Training may be virtual or in-person.

At least 14 CEU per reporting period must involve education or training in ecology or closely related subjects. Examples include academic or professional development activity in ecology, environmental science, biogeoscience, evolutionary biology, conservation, botany, mycology, entomology, data management, statistics, etc.

Category I(b) includes professional development in key skills for a professional ecologist. Training may be virtual or in-person.

Up to 10 additional CEU per reporting period may involve education and training in leadership, teamwork, project management, resource management, research management and administration, etc., or in allied fields that support your professional development as an ecologist, such as proposal or grant writing.

You may report up to 24 CEU for Category I toward your total requirement per reporting period.

Category II: Oral Communication

Includes training and practice in the communication of scientific research, data and outcomes via oral presentation. Examples include courses in public speaking or meeting facilitation, or applied instances like oral or live presentations at scientific conferences, teaching a scientific course or providing expert testimony. Includes virtual or in-person presentation. Activities should relate to your professional growth as an ecologist.

You may report up to 14 CEU for oral communication toward your total requirement. There is no required minimum.

Category III: Written Communication

Includes writing, editing, reviewing and publishing on syllabus in ecology and related sciences. Content can include papers for peer-reviewed journals, professional reports, and scientific communication for non-technical audiences (including scientifically rigorous journalism). Teaching this content to others is included, as is participating in or providing training on best practices in science communication. Activities should relate to your professional growth as an ecologist.

You may report up to 14 CEU for written communication toward your total requirement.

Category IV: Service

Includes service to a professional scientific society, public science programs, environmental advocacy groups and similar organizations. Activities should relate to your professional growth as an ecologist as you apply your skills as a scientist or leader.

You may report up to 14 CEU for service toward your total requirement.

Category V: Human Dimensions

This category must be fulfilled in addition to the other minimum 40 units. Ecologists certified by ESA should seek ongoing professional development in such syllabus as diversity, inclusion and equity; anti-sexual harassment; scientific or professional ethics; and community engagement.

You must report exactly 4 CEU for human dimensions toward your total requirement (if the total of your activities in this category exceeds 4, just report 4).

*If, for instance, you hold a certification that was issued in 2018, you may upgrade or recertify in 2023, but will need to earn CEU moving forward. By 2026, all program participants will be required to earn and report their CEU.

Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University examined the strategies used to develop and support high-quality teaching in three cities from different nations on three separate continents. The cities—Melbourne, Singapore, and Toronto—have developed a number of productive policies and practices that aim to create strong teaching and school leadership workforces in very different contexts.

What are some of the strengths of these systems? 

Melbourne has established professional standards for teacher registration (known as certification or licensure in the United States) and accreditation of preparation programs, and has recently increased the incoming supply of teachers with a range of service scholarships and incentives for entry. The Victoria Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has launched a variety of partnerships with universities to transform preparation—in particular to create much stronger clinical preparation in collaboration with partnership schools. It has also invested in leadership development for teacher leaders and prospective principals, with a focus on whole school improvement.

The province of Ontario also instituted a comprehensive induction program for new teachers that includes professional development and appraisal, as well as an appraisal program for all teachers that focuses on development and growth based on the OCT standards. The Toronto District School Board has added other elements to the induction requirements to create a strong entry system for new teachers. Professional learning opportunities are both individual and collective, and are tied to research-based strategies for school improvement. These policies are intended to complement the strong initial preparation that all teachers receive, and they have served to reverse an exodus from the teaching profession.

Singapore augments its strong initial preparation and induction with a highly developed performance management system that spells out the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected at each stage of a teacher’s career and, based on careful evaluation and intensive supports, provides a series of career tracks that teachers can pursue. This enables teachers to become mentor teachers, curriculum specialists, or principals, thereby developing talent in every component of the education system.

The systems in all three jurisdictions are continually being refined as needs in various areas emerge.

What can we learn from these systems?

Leaders in Melbourne/Victoria, Singapore, and Toronto/Ontario all believe that getting the right people into teaching and preparing them well is a critical piece in teacher development. All of these systems have worked to strengthen their capacity to recruit strong teachers.

Once selected, applicants for teaching in each jurisdiction go through preparation programs that are guided by professional teaching standards and that are increasingly tied to practice in the schools. Each of the three jurisdictions has recently adopted standards that describe the knowledge and skills that teachers programs are expected to impart and that candidates are expected to acquire.

When new teachers enter the profession, they experience significant induction supports. In Singapore, beginning teachers receive two years of coaching from expert senior teachers who are trained by the National Institute of Education (NIE) as mentors and are given released time to help beginners learn their craft. In Ontario, a recently enacted New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) provides a range of supports, including orientation, mentoring, and professional development focused on key areas of need identified by new teachers, including classroom management, communication with parents, assessment and evaluation, and work with special-needs students. In Victoria, the Victoria Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Victoria Institute on Teaching collaborate to support early career mentoring.

In addition to providing strong initial preparation for teachers and creating working conditions that encourage retention, each of these jurisdictions provides opportunities and support for teachers to develop their knowledge and skills, to Excellerate their practice, and to grow as professionals.

One of the most significant aspects of the educator development systems in Melbourne/Victoria, Toronto/Ontario, and Singapore is their investment in leadership development and support. These systems recognize that high-quality leadership strengthens teaching by providing skillful guidance and creating a school vision that teachers share. There are career-ladder programs help to create a strong profession.

Read the full report.