THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:

 

Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee

 

FROM:

Johanna Duncan-Poitier

 

SUBJECT:

Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education Recommendation of Accreditation Action: Keuka College

 

 

DATE:

May 30, 2006

 

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1, 2, and 3

 

 

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision

 

Keuka College has applied for Regents accreditation of its teacher education programs.  Should the Board of Regents accredit these programs?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

Required by State regulation.
         

Proposed Handling

 

The question will come before the Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee at its June 2006 meeting, where it will be voted on and action taken.  It will then come before the full Board at its June 2006 meeting for final action.

 

Procedural History

 

The Board of Regents adopted a new teaching policy, "Teaching to Higher Standards: New York’s Commitment," in 1998.  As a result of that policy, in 1999 the Board adopted Section 52.21(b)(2)(iv)(c)(1) of the Commissioner’s Regulations, which requires New York State teacher education programs to become accredited by an acceptable accrediting organization.

 

 

 

 

 

Background Information

 

Keuka College has applied for accreditation of its teacher education programs by Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE).  The attached Summary of the Application for Accreditation lists the registered programs leading to certification offered by Keuka.

 

Keuka College is an independent, coeducational liberal arts college located on Keuka Lake in the State’s Finger Lakes region, between Syracuse and Rochester.  Founded in 1890, the College received a provisional charter in 1892 and its absolute charter in 1924.  It is one of 17 colleges across the country affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA.  From this tradition comes its stated commitment to cultivate a spirit of service, shared responsibility, and leadership; to encourage the use of knowledge, skills, and resources for the benefit of others; and to value human diversity in all its forms, and affirm the principles of human dignity and interdependence.

 

Most students come from within 100 miles of the campus.  The area’s population is predominantly White, although significant minority and high-need populations exist in the region. In 2004-05, the College had 1,035 full-time and 119 part-time undergraduate students and 16 full-time and 36 part-time graduate students.

 

The preparation of teacher candidates at Keuka is the responsibility of the Division of Education and Social Work.  Enrollment in teacher education programs in 2004-2005 included 289 full-time and 4 part-time undergraduates and 26 graduate students, all part-time.  Eighty-one percent were female and 19 percent male; 96.5 percent were White and 3.5 percent were underrepresented minorities.  The College states that experiential education is a hallmark and distinguishing feature of the Keuka education.  Each student, for example, is required to complete a "Field Period" - a three-credit course that requires a minimum of 140 hours of field work - every year.  Each year between 2001-2002 and 2003-2004, 51 to 56 candidates took the NYSTCE exams, achieving pass rates ranging from 94 to 100 percent.

 

In 2004-2005, Keuka employed 55 full-time and 107 part-time faculty. The Education Department accounted for seven full-time (five female, two male) and one part-time (female) faculty members; none were from underrepresented groups.  With some exceptions, faculty qualifications reflect a wide range of experience in theoretical and practical applications of special education, curriculum and instruction, and the content areas of the program's degree offerings. 

 

A RATE team visited the College in May 2005.  It conducted an on-site review of evidence, including documents in the exhibit room, interviews with College and school-based faculty and administrators, candidates, and alumni.  Review of syllabi, observation in classes, and interviews with candidates affirmed a grounding in New York State Learning Standards, research, and theory.  Candidates include the Learning Standards in lesson plans and activities.   

 

At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, the small size of the Education Department and the faculty’s commitment to student development have established a sense of intimacy and respect.  Faculty referred to their relationships with candidates as both a personal commitment and a conscious modeling of the quality of teaching and leadership expected of candidates.  There is a sense of a team effort among faculty, but the RATE team noted that Education Department faculty are overextended by their responsibilities.  Teacher Education and Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty collaborate and cooperate to improve teacher preparation.  For purposes of teacher preparation, Keuka has working relationships with 20 area schools (including high-needs schools).

 

Consistent with the institutional mission, the teacher education programs emphasize “real-world experience” in both classroom settings and program requirements. The team found some administrative issues that impact the effectiveness of the teacher programs.

 

While the RATE team concluded that the quality of Keuka College's programs demonstrated overall compliance with Regents Rules, Subpart 4-2, it identified 20 areas for improvement on 6 standards.  As is done with all RATE accreditation visits, the Department shared its draft report of findings with the institution, received the institution's comments on the draft, and then prepared the final compliance review report for consideration by the Higher Education Subcommittee of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching (PSPB).  That report, the institution's Self Study, and follow-up materials are available in the Regents Office.

 

Keuka accepted all 20 areas for improvement and indicated how each is being addressed.  The College's response is summarized in the attached Summary of the Application for Accreditation.  At its September 22, 2005 meeting, the PSPB's Higher Education Subcommittee unanimously recommended that the teacher education programs offered by Keuka College be accredited with conditions for a period of two years, with a focused visit in two years to ensure progress toward addressing all identified areas for improvement.

 

Following that meeting, Keuka submitted additional material that clarified information presented to the RATE team or demonstrated corrective actions taken in the summer and fall of 2005.  The Department found that the College's follow up addressed 11 of the 16 issues encompassed by the original 20 areas for improvement.  Considering the information submitted after the meeting of the PSPB's Higher Education Subcommittee and the progress that continues to be made by the institution to address the issues identified by the site visit team and the PSPB, the Department recommends accreditation for a period of three years.  This is consistent with recommendations on other institutions that have shown evidence of progress to address areas for improvement and where continued monitoring will help sustain that progress.  If accredited as recommended, the College would be required to submit annual reports to the Department to update progress on all areas for improvement identified in the Compliance Review Report.

 

Recommendation

 

It is recommended that the Board of Regents accredit for three years the teacher education programs offered by Keuka College, as listed in the attached Summary of the Application for Accreditation, effective June 20, 2006, for a period beginning immediately and ending on June 19, 2009.


Keuka College

 

Summary of the Application for Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs and Department’s Preliminary Recommendation on Accreditation Action

 

Keuka College, Keuka Park, Yates County, New York, has applied for accreditation of its programs of study leading to teacher certification under the Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE).

 

Preliminary Recommendation for Accreditation Action:                   

 

Accreditation, with term and conditions, if any, to be recommended by the Higher Education Subcommittee of the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching.

 

Teacher Education Programs to Be Accredited:

 

Keuka College currently offers 12 baccalaureate programs leading to initial New York State teacher certification and 1 master’s program leading to professional certification:

 

Degree and Program Title

Certification Type and Area(s)

B.S. Unified Early Childhood/Special Education

Initial:  Early Childhood (birth-grade 2), Teaching Students with Disabilities (birth-grade 2)

B.S. Unified Childhood/Special Education

Initial:  Childhood (grades 1-6), Teaching

Students with Disabilities (grades 1-6)

B.A. Adolescent American Sign Language Education

Initial:  American Sign Language 7-12

B.A. Adolescent American Sign Language Education/Special Education

Initial:  American Sign Language 7-12, Teaching Students with Disabilities: ASL 7-12

B.A. Adolescent Biology Education

Initial:  Biology 7-12

B.A. Adolescent Biology Education/Special Education

Initial:  Biology 7-12, Teaching Students with Disabilities: Biology 7-12

B.A. Adolescent English Education

Initial:  English 7-12

B.A. Adolescent English Education/Special Education

Initial:  English 7-12, Teaching Students

with Disabilities: English 7-12

B.A. Adolescent Mathematics Education

Initial:  Mathematics 7-12

B.A. Adolescent Mathematics Education/Special Education

Initial:  Mathematics 7-12, Teaching

Students with Disabilities: Mathematics 7-12

B.A. Adolescent Social Studies Education

Initial:  Social Studies 7-12

B.A. Adolescent Social Studies Education/ Special Education

Initial:  Social Studies 7-12, Teaching

Students with Disabilities: Social Studies 7-12

M.S. Childhood Education

Professional:  Childhood (grades 1-6)

 

 

In 2004-05, the College had 1,035 full-time and 119 part-time undergraduate students and 16 full-time and 36 part-time graduate students.

  

The preparation of teacher candidates at Keuka is the responsibility of the Division of Education and Social Work.  Enrolled in teacher education programs in 2004-2005 were 289 full-time and 4 part-time undergraduate students and 26 graduate students, all part-time.  Eighty-one percent were female and 19 percent male; 3.5 percent were underrepresented minorities. In 2004-2005, the Education Department employed seven full-time (five female, two male) and one part-time (female) faculty members; none were from underrepresented groups. 

 

Keuka College is committed to preparing candidates “with a strong liberal-arts based professional preparation program, which integrates experiential learning in an intellectually challenging and supportive learning environment, seeking to prepare professional educators who can meet the needs of the diverse learners with whom they work, and are committed to a lifetime of reflective practice, collaborative service, and ethical leadership.”

 

Fifty-one to 56 candidates have taken the NYSTCE exams between 2001-2002 and 2003-2005; 96 to 100 percent pass the certification exams annually. Eight faculty members delivered the Education curricula at the time of the visit. Seven faculty members are full-time and one is an adjunct; four hold PhD’s, two are ABD’s, and two hold master’s degrees. Faculty qualifications are generally strong and reflect a wide range of experience in theoretical and practical applications of special education, curriculum and instruction, and all areas of degree programs except Early Childhood, which did not have a full-time faculty member with a terminal degree and expertise in early childhood education.

 

 

 

 

 

Keuka College Candidates’ Pass Rates on New York State Teacher

Certification Examinations for the Last Five Years

 

                     Year

ATS-W

LAST

CST

 

# Taking

% Passing

# Taking

% Passing

# Taking

% Passing

1999 - 2000

42

98

41

100

 

 

2000 - 2001

32

97

33

97

 

 

 

 

2001 – 2002

56

98

56

98

 

 

2002 – 2003

52

98

54

96

 

 

 

 

2003 - 2004

51

100

51

100

28

25*

94

96*

* Students with Disabilities CST

 

 

Summary of Findings and Institutional Response:

 

Following a review of the institution’s Self Study, a RATE team visited Keuka College in May 2005, as part of the accreditation review process.  The team conducted an on-site review of evidence, including documents in the exhibit room, interviews with College and school-based faculty and administrators, candidates, and alumni.  It was the team’s overall assessment that the College is in compliance with the standards found in Regents Rules, Subpart 4-2.  However, it did identify 20 areas for improvement on 6 standards.  The key Areas for Improvement focus on Standard 3c, d, and e (Program Registration—faculty, curriculum, collaboration), Standard 5 (Assessment of Candidate Achievement), and Standard 6 (Resources):   

 

Standard 3c: Faculty

 

         The Unified Early Childhood/Special Education program lacked a full-time faculty member with a terminal degree and credential in Early Childhood.

         At the time of the visit, faculty teaching assignments exceeded the maximum teaching loads as defined in Regulations.

         Some faculty teaching undergraduate courses or supervising student teachers did not possess a graduate degree.

         The College lacked faculty diversity.

         Additional faculty was needed to fulfill program responsibilities.

 

Standard 3d: Curriculum

 

         Field experiences at the infant and toddler levels for the Unified Early Childhood/Special Education program were not being adequately addressed.

         Methods courses did not ensure equal and adequate attention to the different certification areas: early childhood, childhood, and adolescence education.

         Pedagogical preparation and field experiences did not cover all categories of learning disabilities, including autism, multiple disabilities, and health impairments (in addition to the mild disabilities currently represented in the curriculum).

 

Standard 3e: Collaboration

 

         There was a need for greater synchrony between Education and liberal arts and sciences faculty to provide more effective student advisement, particularly for candidates in adolescence education.

 

Standard 5: Assessment of Candidate Achievement

 

         Candidate assessment did not include teacher education graduation rates. 

 

Standard 6: Resources

 

         Faculty support was limited to promotion and tenure issues.

         There was limited software to promote technology skills, to enhance knowledge and dispositions of the Education programs as embodied in various national and State standards. 

         The budget did not provide line items discrete to the Education Department.

         There was a need to increase library holdings.

 

 In its response, the College accepted all 20 areas of improvement and indicated how it will address each item.   The College:  

 

         has conducted outreach and extended the search for a full-time faculty with credentials and expertise in Early Childhood Education;

         has added another faculty line to strengthen the overall faculty base;

         will expand faculty training and strengthen advisement;

         is prepared to fund collaborative opportunities to support faculty scholarship;

         has adjusted faculty schedules to assure compliance with faculty loads;

         has provided assurance that adjunct faculty are qualified to teach their assigned coursework;

         has added a faculty member from an underrepresented group who will begin teaching in fall 2005;

         has revised syllabi to assure curriculum and field experiences with infants and toddlers for those pursing early childhood certification;

         will continue to work to address all certificate areas (childhood, early childhood, and secondary education);

         will track education candidates from entry to graduation to determine persistence and program completion rates;

         will add software for education programs using Title III grant monies;

         has provided a copy of its current budget which identifies line item distributions for education;

         is reviewing a library budget allocation for each program area undergoing review to determine where the education collection may be enhanced; and

         will correct catalog errors identified by the team.  

 

Annual reports submitted to the Office of College and University Evaluation will include evidence of satisfactory progress in each of the Standards identified as requiring improvements.