Conceptual Framework

The University of New Orleans (UNO), the urban research university of the State of Louisiana , provides essential support for the educational, economic, cultural, and social wellbeing of the culturally rich, diverse New Orleans metropolitan area. Located in an international city, the university serves as an important link between Louisiana and both the nation and the world. The university strategically serves the needs of the region through its undergraduate and graduate programs and through mutually beneficial collaborations with public and private bodies whose missions and goals are consistent with and supportive of UNO's teaching as well as its scholarly and community service objectives. 
 
The figure above depicts the conceptual framework (CF) for the professional education programs in the COEHD. Our conceptual framework, the theory-practice interaction model, permeates the programs that prepare candidates for professional roles in school settings. As candidates progress through their professional studies, they are introduced to formal theories and concepts that are validated by research, which, along with their personally held beliefs and assumptions, informs their professional practice. As candidates engage in various clinical and field experiences that are included in their programs of study, observation and study of professional practices inform and refine the educational theories and concepts they construct. Our goal is to have our candidates internalize the theory-practice interaction model as they develop into reflective practitioners who are constantly reassessing the educational theories, beliefs, and assumptions they embrace.

In addition, we in the COEHD regularly revisit the formal and informal theories to which we subscribe as we reflect on the feedback that we receive from candidates who complete our programs, as well as from the professional educators, family members, and community personnel who work with our candidates in clinical and field experiences. This continuous input helps us to better prepare our candidates to be highly effective educators.

The COEHD incorporates a three dimensional model within the CF. This model includes three constructs: levels, roles and responsibilities, and themes. This three dimensional model is conceptualized by the cubic figure in the center of the graphic image.

Levels

The first construct refers to two program levels: initial and advanced. Initial level programs include all programs of study resulting in initial teaching certification. This level includes the undergraduate degree program as well as the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), each of which results in initial certification. Advanced level programs include all programs that result in additional (add-on) certifications or an advanced degree in the field of education. This level includes masters (M.Ed.) and doctoral (Ph.D.) programs as well as the aforementioned advanced/add-on certification options.

Roles and Responsibilities

The second construct, roles and responsibilities, refers to the tasks and responsibilities assumed by educators in order to be effective in terms of student learning and school improvement. Three sets of roles, one for each key school career addressed by the COEHD, are included in the framework. The roles of effective teachers were identified via a review of the various Specialized Professional Associations (SPA) that inform the standards for the multiple Teacher Education certification areas offered by the college and state standards. The roles for Educational Leaders are aligned with the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC). The standards associated with the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) were used to develop the roles for Counselor Educators.

The roles are primarily used to form a framework to assist candidates in reflecting on their professional practice and the outcomes resulting from their work with students and schools. These roles are used in two ways: 1) to critique candidate performance by determining the specific roles in which he/she engaged to bring about a specific outcome, and 2) to identify the next steps to take in order to extend current work or engage in an improvement initiative. The role framework provides support for the program of study to move beyond a competency based program in which specific performances are demonstrated one time to verify knowledge and skills, to a performance based program in which specific knowledge and skills are used in different combinations based on the presenting need of the student and setting. Following are the roles that support teachers, educational leaders, and counselors to be Reflective Practitioners:

Roles and Responsibilities of Professionals in Teacher Education

Design and Deliver Instruction. Effective teachers assess student performance to determine current levels of performance, learning styles, and appropriate goals for instruction. Teachers use this information to develop comprehensive lesson plans. Teachers use a variety of methods and instructional strategies to deliver instruction to PK-12 learners.

Advocate for Children, Services and Supports. Effective teachers are able to recognize a need for advocacy when the welfare of the student is at risk or a need to address social justice issues is identified. Teachers are able to engage in direct advocacy efforts on behalf of a student or to support others, including parents and family members, to engage in advocacy efforts.
Manage Time, Tasks and Environments . Effective teachers arrange classroom and instructional environments to foster optimum student learning and performance. Teachers schedule instructional time effectively and plan for transitions among activities to facilitate efficiency. Teachers arrange instructional tasks in accordance with student and instructional needs.

Collaborate to Support Group Practice. Effective teachers use teaming skills to work in collaboration with other educators, family members, and others to address student learning and school performance. Teachers are able to convene team meetings, support collaborative practice, and determine responsibilities for team members to complete planning, implementation, and evaluation activities.

Use Inquiry to Inform Practice. Effective teachers use a variety of inquiry strategies to identify effective practices. Teachers utilize technology, professional associations, and peer information to inform practice.

Improve Classroom, School and System Practice. Effective teachers assess the effectiveness of instructional and improvement strategies using a variety of methods. Teachers adopt strategies proven effective for long term implementation at the student, classroom, campus, or district level. Teachers disseminate positive practices to peers, administrators, and parents/family members.

Establish and support vision. School leaders engage the school community in developing and maintaining a student-centered vision for education which forms the basis for school goals and guides the preparation of students as effective, lifelong learners in a pluralistic society.

Support effective teaching and learning. School leaders use a knowledge of teaching and learning in working collaboratively with the faculty and staff to implement effective and innovative practices which engage students in meaningful and challenging learning experiences.

Manage the school environment. School leaders promote the success of all students by ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe and orderly learning environment.

Improve school and system practice. School leaders work with the school community to review data from multiple sources to establish challenging standards, monitor progress, and foster the continuous growth of all students.

Implement professional development. School leaders work collaboratively with the school faculty and staff to plan and implement professional development activities that promote both individual and organizational growth and lead to improved teaching and learning.

Build school and community relations. School leaders use an understanding of the culture of the community to create and sustain mutually supportive school-community relations.

Align practice with ethical standards. School leaders demonstrate honesty, integrity, and fairness to guide school programs in an ethical manner.

Roles and Responsibilities of Professionals in Counselor Education

Design, implement, monitor, and evaluate programs. Counselors develop effective and comprehensive programs which incorporate an awareness of various systems that affect students, school, and home.

Advocate for children, services, and supports. Counselors are effective advocates for students, families, and school communities.

Provide individual, group, and family counseling. Counselors promote school success as measured by the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students.

Offer career and academic guidance. Counselors utilize developmental approaches to assist all students and parents at points of educational transition for all students.

Collaborate to support group practice. Counselors link multiple stakeholders in the school and community to effect positive change using strategies that are grounded in the interaction of practice and theory.

Consult with teachers and parents/legal guardians. Counselors act as a resource regarding a variety of issues that pertain to the developmental needs of all students.

Themes

UNO program of study includes four key themes of professional knowledge and skills for school career candidates. The four themes are threaded throughout the program of study rather than being addressed in a single course or experience. The four themes integrated throughout the program are:

• Assessment - Candidates must be able to use multiple approaches to assess the needs of students and programs.
• Communication - Candidates must be effective communicators to be successful educators.
• Diversity - Candidates must be able to meet the needs of students representing diverse needs and backgrounds.
• Technology - Candidates must be able to utilize technology to enhance teaching, classroom management, and student performance.

Changes in Conceptual Framework The Conceptual Framework has evolved as a part of redesign efforts mandated by the state's Joint Commission on Educational Excellence that mandated program reviews and revision. Prior to the modification of the conceptual framework, a team of faculty attended professional development sessions, hosted by NCATE, on writing a conceptual framework. Using funds from a Board of Regents enhancement grant, input was received from university faculty in the COEHD, College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Sciences, school district leadership and teaching personnel, and other community members. The contribution of these stakeholders was used to identify the key performances associated with effective educators. The CF was expanded from its focus on theory-practice interaction to include other components to support a performance-based model of teacher education. The following groups of UNO teacher educators and school personnel have shaped the CF:

The Teacher Quality Task Force

• Teacher Education Council
• The COEHD Administrative Council
• The Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• PK-16 Task Force

Shared Vision

The program of study must move beyond simply aligning specific competencies with specific courses. With a shared community partnerships in the schools and agencies, we want to support our candidates in the repeated use of competencies with in different ways according to the changing demands of students, teaching, and school environments. This model ensures that our teachers, school leaders, and counselors can produce effective outcomes for their students and school leaders for the schools in which they work.

Role focused. A performance based program should focus on teachers, school leaders, and counselors being competent in performing the multiple roles associated with effective teaching, leading a school, and counseling..
Thematic content. The program of study is designed for key content related to teaching, leading a school, and counseling performance to be addressed at multiple points rather than in singular courses.
Sequenced field activities. Opportunity to practice targeted competencies in schools is critical to a performance based program. An effective program of study includes well-crafted field experiences which increase in demand and complexity as a candidate moves through the program.
Authentic evaluation. The UNO teacher, school leader, and counselor program (s) utilizes a professional portfolio as the key tool for evaluating effectiveness and content mastery. Portfolio review takes place at distinct points during the program of study in order to identify both professional strengths and areas of need.
Shared induction. The UNO teacher education program is designed to align with the requirements of the New Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP) which is designed by the LDE as a part of the certification process to provide induction support to new teachers.

Coherence

In the past decade, almost every initial and advanced school career program has been redesigned by the faculty with community input. Much attention has been paid to align course content, field experiences, and candidate assessments included in each program of study. Each program area completed an alignment audit using a standards matrix to ensure that the three programs of study components identified above were aligned with national and state knowledge and performance standards.

The TEC, the PK-16 Task Force, and the faculty hold regular meetings to ensure that course content, field experiences, and candidate assessment activities are coherent and consistent with the CF of the unit. Faculty members have also developed course syllabi to reflect alignment with the CF. Another indicator that the programs and faculty have coherence with the CF is seen in the design of the unit assessment system that aligns with the key themes embedded in the CF of the unit. A final indicator of program coherence is the fact that the governance structure for programs was modified since the last NCATE visit to assign one faculty member responsibilities as Program Coordinator for each certification/degree program. In this role, the Program Coordinator supports collaborative efforts among faculty members to ensure that course content, field experiences, and candidate assessment activities are designed and implemented in a coherent manner.

Professional Commitments and Dispositions

Becoming Reflective Practitioners requires candidates to demonstrate the professional commitments and dispositions of effective educators. Our CF is grounded in the importance of developing a professional commitment to improving educational outcomes for students and schools. The initial and advanced programs focus on ensuring that candidates have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create a positive impact on students, schools, and communities. The role framework included in the CF for each school career area supports candidates in developing their professional commitment to improved practice. A second demonstration of professional commitments is represented in the work of the faculty to redesign the initial TEP and the advanced teacher education and school leadership programs to reflect a performance-based model. Each program has been revised to ensure that candidates meet unit, state, and national standards associated with effective education.

The UNO program of study supports eight key dispositions for teacher candidates that were developed concurrently with the redesign of programs and the development of the unit assessment system.

The Dispositions of Teachers are:

• Values and respects individual differences
• Exhibits intrinsic motivation
• Engages in inquiry, reflection, and self-assessment
• Supports the premise that all students can learn
• Practices and models ethical and professional behavior
• Commits to lifelong learning and professional development
• Communicates effectively
• Engages in collaborative practices with all stakeholders

The program of study is designed based on the premise that candidates develop their professional dispositions over time. This development is facilitated by new knowledge gained in coursework as well as new experiences gained via the field assignments associated with coursework and practice. The design of the dispositions assessment tool reflects a developmental model as the indicators used as evidence of each disposition become more complex with each review.

The Dispositions of Educational Leaders are:

• The principal believes in, values, and commits to a vision of education.
• The principal believes in, values, and commits to learning excellence.
• The principal believes in, values, and commits to quality organizational planning.
• The principal believes in, values, and commits to ongoing school improvement.
• The principal believes in, values, and commits to professional development.
• The principal believes in and values fostering school-community relations.
• The principal believes in, values, and commits to professional ethics.

The Dispositions of Counselors are:

• Counselors demonstrate a willingness to engage in professional interactions with persons from diverse cultures.
• Counselors demonstrate an ability to share knowledge and resources with others and provide feedback in an appropriate manner.
• Counselors recognize the limits of power in a counseling relationship.
• Counselors convey an interest in the welfare of others.
• Counselors demonstrate a willingness to address personal prejudices and biases.
• Counselors address issues of conflict in appropriate ways and recognize that conflict may be an area of growth.
• Counselors demonstrate a willingness to respect viewpoints which differ from his/her own.
• Counselors maintain a balance in life and are alert to signs of stress.
• Counselors recognize the causal link between personal behavior and consequences.
• Counselors maintain client/colleague/peer confidentiality as defined by the ACA Code of Ethics.
  
  

Commitment to Diversity

The unit's commitment to diversity is expressed by the fact that it is one of the four themes in the conceptual framework. As a theme, diversity is addressed at multiple points in the program of study. The concept of diversity also guides course content, placement for field experiences, and candidate assessment. The program of study develops competencies of the candidates to assess learning styles of PK-12 students, use multiple strategies to deliver instruction, incorporate multicultural materials into instruction, and use multiple strategies to assess PK-12 student performance. All programs of study include content and experiences related to diversity and the redesigned undergraduate program includes all coursework required to gain an additional teaching certificate in special education.

The commitment to diversity is also supported by the dispositions selected for support and assessment. Faculty and others in the professional community have opportunities to assess candidates to ensure that they demonstrate the professional dispositions including that they value and respect individual differences and support the premise that all students can learn.

Our commitment to diversity is also demonstrated by membership of the faculty of the COEHD and the population of candidates enrolled in its programs of study. Indeed, our location in New Orleans provides multiple opportunities to ensure that candidates expand their knowledge of multiple cultures and demonstrate their ability to create a positive learning impact for PK-12 students from diverse backgrounds.

Commitment to Technology
The commitment of UNO to technology is also demonstrated by the fact that technology is a theme in the CF. Thus, technology is threaded across: 1) course content, 2) field experiences completed by candidates, and 3) the unit assessment system.

As initial candidates progress through their respective programs of study, they apply technology in three ways: 1) personal use of technology, 2) use of technology to support instruction, and 3) use of technology to manage classroom operations. Candidates learn to become informed consumers of web-based information, to utilize technology in the design and delivery of instruction, to communicate with faculty and students using technology, and to use technology to track student performance. Advanced candidates also address the use of technology to meet the needs of PK-12 students and schools. All candidates utilize Blackboard technology within coursework and build electronic professional portfolios using Live Text.

Candidate Proficiencies Aligned with Professional and State Standards

Throughout the redesign process, attention has been paid to align the UNO school career programs with professional and state standards. The roles and themes included in the conceptual framework derived from a process that included the INTASC standards and the LCET, which are the standards endorsed by the LDE for teacher assessment and certification. Matrices were completed by faculty during the redesign process to align all programs with relevant national and state standards as well as the key performances in the conceptual framework. Initial program coursework, field work, and candidate assessment activities were aligned with the LCET, the standards of the appropriate SPAs, and the conceptual framework. Advanced program coursework, field work, and candidate assessment activities were aligned with the standards of the appropriate SPA, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), and state standards where appropriate.

The unit assessment system and the various program assessment components, including the rubrics used to assess candidate progress through portfolios, field activities, and capstone experiences, document candidate attainment of professional standards as expressed by the unit, the state, and national professional organizations.
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