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OVERVIEW
PORTFOLIO HANDBOOK
FOR ADVANCED PROGRAMS
INTRODUCTION
Professional Education
at Oklahoma State University is committed to the development of professional
educators through the integration of theory and practice in a range of experiences
and settings. Throughout the program, candidates develop a professional
growth portfolio in which they record, reflect upon and integrate their
knowledge from their academic programs.
The goal of the program is to produce individuals who believe everyone deserves
the opportunity to learn and can learn; who act on the principle that diversity
is to be valued; and who are committed to the belief that professional educators
providing quality education are the backbone of society.
RATIONALE AND PHILOSOPHY
In Oklahoma State University's
Professional Education Programs, a portfolio is a set of materials that
provide evidence of the individual's learning, growth, and development toward
becoming a professional educator. These collections of authentic, learner
specific documents are also acknowledgment that the development of a professional
educator is an individualized process. They reflect the candidate's progress
over a period of time and provide useful information in assessing the success
of the programs in meeting their goals. The portfolio has four major uses:
-
Documenting
active learning by candidates in their professional growth and development.
-
Providing
graduates of the programs with a collection of relevant materials for
their use in the profession and/or for use as a personal marketing tool
in seeking employment.
-
Assessing
the Professional Education Degree Program - an important source of data
to give a more comprehensive and complete picture of the program.
-
Improving
the Professional Education Degree Program - revealed patterns of success
and/or deficiency serve as foci for changes in the program to ensure its
relevance and the attainment of its goals.
The OSU professional
education program provides a comprehensive experiential base of information,
research, observation, practice and reflection. The program faculty understand
that their candidates are active participants in their encounters and interactions
with their environment and the world. The faculty recognizes that candidates
may need assistance in understanding the importance, validity, utility and
meaning of these experiences. They also need assistance in integrating and
synthesizing knowledge and skills from different sources to solve problems
and to enhance their perspectives. The development of portfolios can provide
the reflective experiences needed to achieve these important goals. The
program should enhance the ability of the educator to respond appropriately
to students in terms of their needs and interests, the needs and interests
of society, and the characteristics of the various learning disciplines.
Candidates exiting
the Professional Education Degree Program at Oklahoma State University should
present appropriate documentation of the attainment of the competencies
of their programs in the form of a portfolio. The portfolio development
process should be a positive experience, addressing many professional activities
through assignments, class interactions and field experiences.
PURPOSE
The Professional Education
Portfolio demonstrates the talents, skills and experiences of each candidate.
It indicates each candidate's professional growth toward becoming an effective
educator, and it provides evidence of progress towards:
-
Individual
professional goals
-
OSU
program goals (general professional and specialized education)
-
Program
Standards, the standards and outcomes as set forth by the Specialized
Professional Association, Commission for Teacher Preparation, the State
-
Department
of Education and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Additionally, the portfolio
should be a useful tool in seeking employment by providing prospective employers
with evidence of the candidate's professional growth. Work on portfolios
will also assist candidates in developing reflective skills they will use
throughout their teaching career as they continue to document their professional
development.
Candidates should consider
this portfolio as unique, fluid and changing, an evolving display of life-long
learning. The portfolio is defined as a documented profile of an individual's
accomplishments, learning and strengths related to the Specialized Professional
Association and Oklahoma State University's Core Values and Goals. The
portfolio is required by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation
for licensure and, for purposes of institutional accreditation, is a unit
of measure which presents evidence that the institution is providing initial,
on-going, and focused opportunities and avenues which lead to student achievement
of competencies, standards, and outcomes.
OSU'S PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION UNIT MISSION AND CORE VALUES
The Professional Education Unit (PEU) prepares and develops professional educators who facilitate life long learning and enrich quality of life for people in public schools and other educational settings. OSU's Professional Education programs are based upon the L.E.A.D.S. conceptual framework: L eadership; E thics and Professionalism; A cademics and Professional Roles, including Content Knowledge, Integration, Human Growth and Development, Learning Environment, Technology, Teaching/Professional Practice and Assessment; D iversity; and S ervice Orientation/Community Outreach.
Candidates' attainment of unit and program goals is assigned and assessed in schools and communities in which continuous professional development for pre- service candidates, in- service school professionals, and university faculty is valued.
THE ROLE OF PORTFOLIOS
IN OSU'S PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Advanced and Initial
candidates in professional education should be aware that there are many
types of portfolios and that throughout their experience at Oklahoma State
University they will be asked to develop portfolios for several different
purposes. Because a portfolio's purpose and audience affect its contents,
there is not a single all-purpose portfolio. The content or evidence in
a portfolio depends on the purpose.
Table 1 explains the
four major purposes for portfolios.
Table 1. Purposes
of Portfolios
| Purposes |
Contents |
Audience |
Time
frame |
Evidence |
| To
complete the Plan of Study process while providing the audience with
an opportunity to identify initial strengths and weaknesses for the
purpose of providing appropriate assistance if needed. |
Documentation
of previous experiences and accomplishments. |
Interview
committee for admitting program |
Usually
due at the time of the Plan of Study for the program area. |
Specified
by Program requirements. |
| Demonstrate
learning in course content or to fulfill specific course requirements |
Assigned
items that demonstrate learning in a particular course, related to program
and state goals. |
The
course instructor |
Instructional
time frame--usually the semester or duration of the course. |
Course
specific |
| Present
as the best candidate in application for an advertised position. |
Edited and
reduced from the Program portfolio to show self as the best candidate
for a teaching job in a particular district.
|
Search
committee |
Time
required to complete the professional program with previous and subsequent
evidence as appropriate. |
|
| For
program review and certification. Reflect professional growth and overall
view of self as a educator, including strengths and areas for improvement. |
Evidence
of work from throughout the program, which illustrates the growth, reflections
and personal beliefs about self as educator. |
Peers,
university faculty. OCTP accreditation personnel. State Dept. of Education
reviewers. |
Time
required to complete the professional program, with previous and subsequent
evidence as appropriate through residency year. |
Program
Specific to meet Specialized Professional Association Standards |
OSU PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION PROGRAM PORTFOLIO POLICIES
The portfolio will provide
applicants/candidates with a personal tool for reflecting upon their teaching
skills, knowledge and understandings. This portfolio is an edited collection
of the candidate's evidence of learning and professional growth and reflections
representing progress through the entire professional education program.
This portfolio differs from individual course portfolios in that it represents
the integration of learning in all courses. Portfolios should show the candidate's
progress toward professional goals, Oklahoma State University Professional
Education Program Goals, and the Program Standards. The portfolio will provide
the basis for assessing the candidate's progress in, and completion of,
the program. Throughout the program, the applicant/candidate is responsible
for the safekeeping of the portfolio, but must make the portfolio available
upon request.
POLICY FOR PORTFOLIO
DEVELOPMENT & ASSESSMENT
Candidates will compile
their OSU Professional Education Portfolios throughout his/her years at
OSU and into his/her residency year (if applicable). The portfolio will
be submitted as designed by the graduate program to meet the standards of
the Specialized Professional Association. It may also be requested for OCTP
accreditation review. The checkpoints for program area are listed in the
Program Specific Handbook. Handbooks are available for each advanced program
area through the Program Coordinator
Per Title 712. Oklahoma
Commission for Teacher Preparation (OCTP), Chapter 10. Teacher Preparation,
institutions shall require all initial and advanced certification program
candidates to develop a portfolio following the guidelines listed below.
The portfolio development
process will begin with enrollment in the professional education course
work. This requirement is spelled out in the policy below.
RESOLUTION PASSED
BY THE OSU PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COUNCIL
Be it therefore resolved
that the Oklahoma State University Professional Education Council hereby
requires that all students in the following categories present a professional
portfolio in accordance with the guidelines of the Oklahoma State University
Professional Education Handbook.
a) Degreed
candidates seeking initial Oklahoma licensure who were admitted to an accredited
Oklahoma teacher education program during or after Fall 1997.
b) Candidates who are entering freshmen beginning Fall 1997.
c) Candidates already enrolled in an Oklahoma institution prior to Fall
1997 and admitted to an accredited teacher education program during or after
Fall 1997 who will graduate after September 1, 1999. and
d) Candidates holding a valid Oklahoma credential and seeking to add an
advanced certificate who will complete certification area requirements after
September 1, 1999. (Pending clarification from the OCTP and Regents)
Candidates are required
to submit portfolios for full admission to professional education and at
other intervals as designated by the program to meet the Specialized Professional
Association Standards. If requested, candidates will make their portfolios
available for OCTP review with one week's notice.
SUBMISSIONS
Submissions for OSU
Advanced Programs are in alignment with the program's national accreditation
process or Specialized Professional Association standards. Check with the
specific program to determine portfolio submission. Handbooks are available
for each advanced program area through the Program Coordinator.
ADDITIONAL CHECK
REVIEW FOR PROGRAM ACCREDITATION
Portfolios must be
available for either Program Specific Accreditation Site Visits or for the
Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation (OCTP). Program Coordinators
will provide you details concerning program specific accreditation site
visits.
The process for OCTP
to review the handbook is described as follows:
OCTP will randomly select a list of candidate's names for an on-site portfolio
review. The OSU Professional Education Unit will notify those candidates
whose portfolios must be submitted. Candidates will then have up to 10 days
to submit their portfolios to OSU's professional education unit. The OCTP
will not be evaluating the work of individual candidates. They will use
a sampling of portfolio work to assess the Professional Education Unit at
OSU. Upon completion of their review the portfolios will be returned to
the candidates.
PROGRAM SPECIFIC
PORTFOLIO HANDBOOKS
Candidates should check
with the Graduate Program Coordinator for the Program Specific Portfolio
Handbook designed to meet the Specialized Professional Association Standards
and national accreditation requirements (if applicable).
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