WINTER 2001
Thoughtful, knowledgeable, and
effective educators for a diverse society
WINTER 2001
Thoughtful, knowledgeable, and
effective educators for a diverse society
Admissions Criteria Strengthened
The Secondary Education and Special Education Departments brought Dr. Deborah Byrnes from Utah State University (USU) to campus to lead a workshop on using group assessment to assist in the admission process. Special Education has used individual interviews occasionally as part of the application process for admittance into its Master's program. Until now admission into the two programs has been primarily by reading the files of each applicant and making a decision to admit based on "paper."
The process used at USU combines a paper file with group assessment. The procedure has had a very positive effect on the quality of the students admitted to their program. Their failure rate in student teaching has been greatly reduced due to the addition of viewing the applicants as a group interacting to accomplish four tasks.
Secondary Education will begin a similar approach beginning with applications for the new Masters In Teaching (MIT) with Certification program for its fall admits. Early in May those who have applied for the MIT will spend a day on campus. They will first be put into groups of six to eight with two faculty per group who will facilitate the assessment process. Each group will respond to a variety of questions and tasks during a 90-minute session. Following the group work, each candidate will have an individual interview with a member of the Secondary Education faculty.
Why a group assessment interview? Research indicates that such a process, used in conjunction with assessments of academic ability, is a useful tool for predicting success in teaching. The process provides important information about each applicant that is not reflected in test scores or grade point averages.
What is assessed in the interview procedure? The function of the group interview is to evaluate characteristics and competencies that are widely accepted as those demonstrated by effective teachers. The rubric the faculty facilitators utilize consists of four categories: 1) verbal communication, 2) human interaction, 3) leadership, and 4) overall fitness for teaching. Each applicant is ranked from 1 to 6 in each of the categories. A "1" ranking indicates a poor level of competence while a "6" indicates an exceptional level of competence.
The group tasks include:
Following the group interview, the two facilitators independently rank the participants, meet to compare scores and reach a consensus, and arrive at a final score and ranking. The scores are then added to a grid for each student which shows test scores, grade point averages, and other pertinent numerical information. In the end, an applicant might have low test scores but score a "6" on the group assessment, thereby giving him/her admission over someone whose GPA and scores were extremely high but who only scored a "2" on the interview.
Secondary Education will add a one-on-one interview with a faculty member so that all applicants have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the program and add anything that they feel the faculty should know about them in making admission decisions.
The candidates will also be given a tour of the campus if they aren't WWU graduates, and time will be provided for them to meet with their academic content advisor.
Although this process requires a rather lengthy commitment on the part of the Secondary Education faculty, the research and anecdotal data indicate a high correlation of success in student teaching when a variety of methods are utilized in admitting students into teacher education programs.
Bob Keiper
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