The theme embraced by the Professional Education Unit is the “preparation of educators who are scholars and leaders.” This theme interlaces the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate programs of study. The theme reflects the mission of the National Network for Educational Renewal for schooling in a democracy and the four moral dimensions of teaching that support that mission: acculturation of youth into a democracy; access to knowledge by all learners; providing a nurturing pedagogy; and leadership and stewardship of schools. Refer to the Complete Conceptual Framework.

The conceptual framework is infused throughout the entire program of preparation and is evidenced in course syllabi, the vision and mission of the Teacher Education Program as stated in the 2005-2006 Furman catalog, p. 71; the Teacher Education Program Guide,p. 4; the Graduate Catalog, p. 4; and Contracts with Partner School Districts: Teacher to Teacher Program and Field Experiences and Teaching Internships . Additionally Part B. of the course evaluations is cross-referenced to the conceptual framework and may be reviewed on site. Further, the assessment of conceptual framework standards may be referred to in the Employer Survey Instrument, Alumni Survey Instrument, and Exit Evaluation Instruments (initial and graduate).

Development of the Conceptual Framework

 In January, 1998, the Teacher Education Program held a two-day "advance" to begin conversations about and development of the conceptual framework. Dr. Jackie Hass from Alverno College was the facilitator. Included in the "advance" were all education faculty members, the Teacher-in-Residence, a humanities faculty member and a school district administrator who worked closely with the program. In February, 1998, members of the Forum for Educational Inquiry (a virtual “center of pedagogy” that is currently inactive) participated in a three-hour meeting and reacted to the outline of the conceptual framework and made recommendations. Participants included university faculty members from English, computer science, mathematics, and religion; elementary, middle, and high school teachers from partner schools; and one district level curriculum consultant. In March, 1998, the Teacher Education Committee met to provide additional input into the development of the Conceptual framework. Participants included university faculty from every area of secondary and K-12 certification, as well as three teacher candidates in elementary and secondary programs of certification. During the summer of 1998, a smaller committee of education faculty continued to converse and incorporate the input provided by other constituents. During the 1998-1999 academic year, a conceptual framework team was appointed by the department chair, with representatives of the graduate program, and elementary and secondary certification programs. In July,1999, Dr. Loren Blanchard (AACTE/NCATE PETE Project consultant) conducted an external review of the program, including the conceptual framework. During the 1999-2000 academic year, a conceptual framework refinement team (two education faculty) was appointed and met regularly. The draft of the conceptual framework was given to all candidates enrolled in the Master’s Seminar in Education and their comments and suggestions passed along to the committee and included in the revisions. Dr. Phillip Bennett, at the time Dean of Lander University, consulted with the Teacher Education Program in December 2000, and subsequently reviewed the conceptual framework and provided recommendations. In January of 2001, the three mentors in the Teacher to Teacher Program reviewed the document and made recommendations. In February, two cohorts of graduate students reviewed the conceptual framework and gave input. A second conceptual framework Refinement Team of three (representatives of the graduate program and initial certification programs) modified the conceptual framework based on the input received. It is evident that the three years of developing the framework included a broad base of expertise – the university community, school partners, candidates, and external consultants.

 Changes in the Conceptual Framework

 During the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 academic years, the Division of Teacher Quality of the SC Department of Education sponsored a number of workshops dealing with various aspects of the NCATE 2000 standards. National consultants offered a series of sessions to prepare South Carolina institutions of higher education to more effectively meet those standards. Representatives of the Furman teacher education faculty actively participated in most of the workshops offered. Dr. Erskine Dottin presented three workshops, in particular, on creating, maintaining, and evaluating the conceptual framework. In addition, we worked with Dr. Dottin at one AACTE Conference, and had two conference calls with him in reference to our conceptual framework. The result was that very little was changed in the vision, mission, philosophy, diversity, and technology parts of the narrative. Changes were made to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions statements guiding candidate preparation and, ultimately, the candidate performance assessment system. The number of statements was significantly reduced and also re-organized into content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and dispositions (as opposed to the previous organization of educators as scholars… and educators as leaders, with knowledge, skills, and dispositions under each).

The revisions were shared with the Teacher Education Committee, mentors in the Teacher to Teacher Program, administrators in selected partner schools, and Master’s seminar candidates. Overwhelmingly, the new organization of content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and dispositions was endorsed and considered clearer and more manageable by all stakeholders.

Shared Vision

The Professional Education Unit’s concept of preparing educators who are scholars and leaders is fully aligned with Furman’s mission, aspirations, and 2004-2006 strategic plan.

Scholarship and leadership development are integral to engaged learning, which promotes collaborative faculty/student research, summer internships, and programs that encourage students to make significant contributions to the university and the wider community. In addition, the strategic plan's multiple dimensions support the preparation of educators who are scholars and leaders.

It became evident through the development of the conceptual framework that a shared vision was achieved. This conclusion is supported by the fact that the conceptual framework was created and refined by the collaborative efforts of faculty, candidates, and the larger professional community of local educators. Pertinent aspects of the conceptual framework appear in course syllabi, in the university catalog, the graduate catalogue, other print material, as well as in assessments of candidate performance and course evaluations.

 Coherence

 The conceptual framework for the preparation of educators who are scholars and leaders provides a base for coherence among key aspects of curriculum and instruction, field experiences, teaching internships, and assessments across the scope of candidates’ programs. All courses and experiences are designed to allow candidates to achieve specific proficiencies within the conceptual framework. Candidates are expected to demonstrate all proficiencies during the practica and teaching internship experiences. Candidate proficiencies are listed clearly and are aligned with state (South Carolina System for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching {ADEPT}) and professional (Interstate New Teacher Assessment Support Consortium {INTASC},and National Board for Professional Teacher Standards {NBPTS}. Specialty Professional Association {SPA}) standards are aligned with ADEPT standards in most areas of certification, as appropriate. See Conceptual Framework Matrix. The alignments of SPA and ADEPT standards may be reviewed in the ADEPT Conference Forms: ED 43 Practicum in Teaching and ED 75 Teaching Internship.

 Professional Commitments and Dispositions

 The conceptual framework of the Furman University Professional Education Unit embodies a strong commitment to content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and dispositions that ultimately affect student learning. Regardless of the degree or program concentration, the Professional Education Unit’s leaders are united in their central role in facilitating positive effects on P-12 student learning.

The Unit’s assessment system serves as evidence of its commitment to monitor and guide candidates’ development of dispositions that are valued by the faculty and university as a whole. The disposition assessments are aligned with INTASC standards and the Unit’s conceptual framework. Furman is part of a pilot study on dispositions led by Drs. Steve Lang and Judy Wilkerson at the University of South Florida. Furman is utilizing, in somewhat adapted formats, USF’s first three disposition assessments – D 1: Event/Concern Report; D 2: Teacher Beliefs Scale; and D 3: Candidate Disposition Questionnaire. Each assessment contributes a different type of dispositional datum. The D 1 is used when a serious event or pattern of concern arises with a candidate. The D 2 is used in the first course in which candidates enroll and is a series of teacher beliefs that are rated “agree” or “disagree”. The D 3 contains nine questions about professional behaviors that the candidate describes in narrative from their own classroom and school experiences. See Disposition Assessments: D 1, D 2, D 3.

Additionally, dispositions are assessed in field experiences, practica, and teaching internships. See Candidate Disposition Assessments Related to Field/Clinical Experiences: ED 21, ED 30, ED 31, ED 32, ED 33, MUS 49, MUS 60, MUS 69.

In the programs for the continuing preparation of teachers and the preparation of other school personnel, dispositions are assessed in three ways. At the Admission to Candidacy phase (after completion of nine credit hours in the program), candidates are required to show that they have met certain requirements including “continue satisfactory demonstration of content knowledge, pedagogical skills and dispositions related to the program’s conceptual framework and national standards of the Specialty Professional Association (SPA) related to the concentration, as stated in the Graduate Catalog. In the practicum or internship experience, candidates are asked to complete a self-assessment form toward the end of the experience. Candidates are expected to demonstrate dispositions that have been determined by the professional education criteria set forth in each M.A. concentration area. After completion of the practicum/internship, candidates must complete EDFD 199: The Master’s Seminar, where they must complete the Conceptual Framework Survey. These Surveys are filed in the Office of Graduate Studies and a summary report is compiled annually (review on site).

 Commitment to Diversity

 Preparing educators who are scholars and leaders within the context of a democracy requires a wholehearted commitment to affirming all persons, no matter socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, gender, language, exceptionality, religion, or geographic origin. Furman University continues to challenge candidates to broaden their experiences and world views. Understanding the dynamic demographics of South Carolina and the Upstate is considered important to candidates’ success in the school and classroom during their practicum and teaching internship. This part of the state is seeing the largest increase in Hispanic populations. Thus, English language learners present one of the greatest challenges to educators. The overall minority representation in this geographic area is 33 percent and rising. In addition to Hispanics, there is a significant population of African-Americans, and lesser populations of Asians. Furman partners with 15 upstate districts but works most closely with three. The three are rural, suburban, and urban schools with student populations that come from a variety of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, language, and exceptionality backgrounds. The Teacher Education Program offers diverse community, school and classroom experiences throughout the curriculum in an effort to assure that candidates are exposed to a variety of settings and populations. Specific content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and dispositions in the conceptual framework address the Unit’s commitment to diversity. See Complete Conceptual Framework – Diversity.

 The teacher education faculty recognize that commitment to preparation of candidates for educating diverse populations in diverse settings can only be realized if the faculty themselves are continuous learners of cultures and responsive pedagogy. To that end, faculty development grants were awarded in spring of 2005 for the 2005-06 year to enhance faculty knowleddge about pedagogical approaches that might prove effective in teaching specific subgroups (for example, African Americans and students from low-income households). With this being Furman’s “Year of the Humanities” it was decided that one knowledge-base would come from groups reading historically important books (The Invisible Man, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Grapes of Wrath). In addition, faculty have attended workshops and conferences dealing with issues of multiculturalism. A field trip is planned for March to one of the “Corridor of Shame” districts that was part of the class action suit against the state of South Carolina for providing inadequate resources to appropriately educate their children, most of whom experience varying levels of poverty. Through the Adventure of the American Mind grant, digital storytelling and locating pertinent primary resources available online through the Library of Congress will be used as “hands-on” activities for incorporation into coursework.

 Commitment to Technology

 The Unit’s commitment to technology is part of the narrative of the conceptual framework. See Complete Conceptual Framework – Technology. While only one standard in the conceptual framework (under pedagogical skills) addresses technology, it is a strong and deep skill – “demonstrate ethical use of current educational technologies to enhance instruction, assessment, and student performance”. It requires a knowledge base, exposure to and use of current technologies, and discernment in use for instruction, assessment, and student learning outcomes. That statement represents the commitment of faculty themselves to become knowledgeable, to use technology wisely, and to expect candidates to employ student technology activities in instruction. The Professional Education Unit has a standing Technology Committee to oversee faculty needs for technology development and to ensure candidates are required to demonstrate ethical use of technologies in coursework and clinical experiences. Refer to the recent Education Faculty Technology Survey Results and the Technology Plan 2006.

 Since the initial NCATE accreditation visit, the Education Department and Office of Graduate Studies in Education have moved into a new building, Hipp Hall. Not only does every classroom in the building have projection, CD, DVD, video, and dcam, the Education Department designed a “methods classroom” that offers laptops and other technologies for candidates to use and experience in the development of their instructional plans. In addition, the Unit affiliated with LiveText in August of 2004. Candidates use this web-based system for the creation of lesson plans, reflections, projects, and portfolios with pertinent incorporation of UnitedStreaming videos for use in the classroom setting. In many cases, candidates’ access to current technologies exceeds what is available in schools. This presents a challenge to candidates as well as faculty. Faculty and candidates have ready access to the technology-based Center for Collaborative Learning and Communication located in the newly renovated library. See CCLC.

Candidate Proficiencies Aligned with Professional and State Standards

 INTASC, NBPTS, and the South Carolina ADEPT standards served as foundations for the conception and subsequent revisions of the Unit’s conceptual framework. More recently, SPA standards have been aligned with the proficiencies outlined in the conceptual framework and in ADEPT. See Conceptual Framework Matrix and ADEPT Conference Forms: ED 43 Practicum in Teaching and ED 75 Teaching Internship. Additionally, the dispositions assessments (D 1, D 2, and D 3) are based on INTASC standards.