Standard 4

Element 1: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences
Element 2: Experiences Working with Diverse Faculty
Element 3: Experiences Working with Diverse Candidates
Element 4: Experiences Working with Diverse Students in P-12 Schools

Standard 4: Diversity

The unit designs, implements, and evaluates curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. These experiences include working with diverse higher education and school faculty, diverse candidates, and diverse students in P-12 schools.

MSU and the Teacher Education Unit embrace the broad concept of diversity articulated by both NCATE and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Diversity refers to "differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographical area" (Glossary of NCATE terms at http://www.ncate.org/search/glossary.htm) as well as "differences in the ideas, viewpoints, perspectives, values, religious beliefs, backgrounds [...] of those who attend and work in the organizations" that make up the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. (Commission Statement on Diversity, February 21, 2003, http://www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org/resources/positionstatements/diversity/).

MSU recognizes, promotes, and supports an awareness and appreciation of diversity on campus. The university’s Diversity Committee fosters an awareness of diversity in both campus and classroom environments and works to expand diversity opportunities for both faculty and students. The Unit’s commitment to diversity parallels and expands the university’s own. The Unit integrates diversity awareness into candidate preparation at all stages. Unit curriculum, instruction, field experiences, clinical practice, assessments, and evaluations foster the knowledge, dispositions and skills that will prepare candidates to work with all students.

Element 1: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Curriculum Experiences Top

4.1.1. The unit is based on well-developed knowledge bases for, and conceptualizations of, diversity and inclusion.

As part of their MSU academic experience, all candidates receive experiences to help develop an understanding of diversity through their general education experience. The history and humanities components of general education present subject matter and methodology such as globalism, multiculturalism, gender, and ethnicity. In addition, the social science component of general education features courses that develop an understanding of cultures and cultural diversity, as well as tools and concepts necessary for the analysis of a variety of social, cultural, and political systems.

MSU also presents candidates with the opportunity to broaden and enrich their understanding of diversity through its minor programs including Native American Studies, History, Sociology, Gender/Women’s Studies, English, Art, Physical Education, and Humanities.

MSU requires that candidates complete three courses related to diversity prior to clinical practice:

Special Education 110 - Introduction to Exceptional Children (3 cr.) A survey course examining exceptionalities of learning with a focus on understanding current social and educational responsibilities.

Social Science 283 - Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in America (3 cr.) This course examines the historical development of American ethnic and cultural diversity, including Native American, and places that diversity in global perspective.

Education 470 - Teaching Diverse Learners (2 cr.) This course focuses on adapting teaching strategies to cultural, ethnic, linguistic, developmental and physical differences in the classroom. It also reviews the need for collaborating with related professions in individualizing instruction.

Each course ensures that candidates not only receive an understanding of diversity in all its complexities and the importance of inclusion, but also produce authentic performances or products that deepen and demonstrate this understanding. Course faculty assesses these performances according to a four-point rubric shown on page 37.

Course instructors report these assessments under INTASC standard 3 (Adapting Instruction for Individual Needs), Standard 7 (Instructional Planning Skills), and Standard 8 (Assessment of Student Learning). The most recent assessment of the Unit’s candidates, taken after they had completed their clinical practice, revealed a mean score of 3.09 on standard 3, a mean score of 3.14 on Standard 7, and a mean score of 2.76 on Standard 8.

4.1.2. The unit’s curriculum, field experiences, and clinical practice help candidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to diversity.

In addition to the curriculum reported above, methods courses integrate diversity and inclusiveness into candidate preparation. Candidates craft performances or products that demonstrate their knowledge, dispositions, and skills. Course instructors assess these products using a four-point rubric and report their findings under INTASC standards 3, 7, and 8. Field experiences and clinical practice provide further opportunities to demonstrate candidate preparation. The Unit also emphasizes that candidates learn and demonstrate proper teaching dispositions including "motivated/dedicated,’ "caring/sensitive," "ethical," "responsible," "open-minded," collegial (collaborative/cooperative)," "resourceful," and "poised." The Unit assesses candidate understanding and demonstration of teaching dispositions and the INTASC standards relative to all students at various points in the candidates’ preparation and clinical practice. Candidates also assess themselves at various points, being able to discern personal growth and development in these areas.

4.1.2a. Candidates learn to contextualize teaching and draw upon representations from the students’ own experiences and knowledge.

As candidates receive rigorous teaching preparation through coursework, field experiences, and practicum experiences, they come to student teaching equipped with the resources and instructional strategies necessary to reach all students. In addition, candidates are required to identify the diversity found in their student teaching setting and report their findings to the Unit. The diversity profile heightens candidate awareness of the broad range of diversities found in their field or clinical settings and therefore allows them to effectively adapt their instructional strategies accordingly. In addition, candidates attend parent-teacher conferences, participate in IEPs, and often interact with their students in extracurricular activities. All the while, they can formulate profiles of their students and their needs. Candidates are required to assess the effectiveness of their teaching through such mechanisms as pre- and post-tests, candidates can evaluate their teaching, supplementing their self-awareness with that of their university supervisors’ and cooperating teachers’.

4.1.2b. Candidates learn how to challenge students toward cognitive complexity.

In a clinical setting, the cooperating teacher and university supervisor play critical roles in assessing the effectiveness of student teachers, especially in regard to INTASC standards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and. In addition, student teachers are required to evaluate their teaching dispositions and the INTASC standards throughout their teacher preparation. As a result, candidates operate in a clinical setting with a heightened sense of their own skill set and dispositions. They are able to convey their knowledge to their students utilizing techniques and tools designed to make the classroom an inclusive experience for all students.

4.1.2c. Candidates engage all students, including students with exceptionalities, through instructional conversation.

Learning a variety of instructional tools and strategies, candidates are able to craft teaching experiences that reach all students, including those with exceptionalities. Again, evaluated according to the ten INTASC standards and eight teaching dispositions, candidates are challenged at all stages of their teacher preparation to grow into a sophisticated understanding of their teaching role and the needs of their students. All candidates, for instance, develop an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) in SPED 110-Introdution to Exceptional Children. Often during student teaching, candidates draw upon this experience, working with their cooperating teachers to develop IEPs for particular students. Special Education candidates will develop IEPs as a matter of course during their clinical practice.

4.1.3. Candidates and faculty review assessment data that provide information about candidates’ ability to work with all students.

Unit faculty evaluates the ability of candidates to work with all students during required coursework, utilizing performance-based assessment tools. Specific instruments measure candidate understanding and implementation of INTASC Standards, particularly 3, 7, and 8. Cooperating teachers and university supervisors use similar instruments to assess candidates in clinical settings. Cooperating teachers also act as mentors, assisting candidates in adjusting their instructional strategies to ensure that all students learn effectively.

The Unit further requires that candidates provide evidence that students are indeed learning. Candidates must therefore consider carefully the needs of each student, gearing their instructional plan accordingly. Subject to the oversight of their cooperating teacher, candidates develop assessment tools to measure student outcomes. University supervisors evaluate teaching effectiveness at multiple points, providing candidates with guidance and feedback. The generation of a school diversity profile greatly facilitates the instructional planning process.

4.1.4. Candidates and faculty develop a plan for improving their practice in the area of diversity.

Continuous review of candidate progress through coursework and in clinical settings allow faculty and candidates to develop, in effect, individualized plans of improvement in the area of diversity. Candidates also measure their own progress through continuous self-assessment, both in regard to the INTASC standards and teaching dispositions. Self-assessment occurs when the candidate applies for admission to the teacher education program, when the candidate applies for student teaching, when the candidate completes student teaching, and while the candidate is a practicing, licensed teacher.

Element 2: Experiences Working with Diverse Faculty Top

4.2.1. Candidates interact in classroom settings on campus and in schools with professional education faculty, faculty in other units, and school faculty who represent diverse ethnic, racial, gender, language, exceptionality, and religious groups.

MSU’s commitment to diversity ensures that candidates increasingly interact in campus and classroom settings with diverse faculty from all areas. All candidates, in meeting their general education requirements, take coursework with faculty who represent diverse gender, ethnic, racial, language, exceptionality, and religious groups. Secondary education candidates, in particular, interact with faculty throughout the university as they pursue their majors beyond the general education experience. Unit faculty also ensures that classroom settings enhance opportunities for diversity for all candidates. Guest speakers, for instance, representing diverse constituencies, often appear in diversity-related classes or as part of diversity-related events.

The University’s Partners in Learning Program (PIL), a faculty co-mentoring program, enables faculty from various disciplines to interact in a classroom and non-classroom setting with other faculty and their students, enhancing candidate interaction with faculty from diverse backgrounds. Frequent university-sponsored forums bring together faculty, students, Unit candidates, and guest speakers representing diverse backgrounds, further facilitating interaction. For instance, the university’s affiliation with the Minot Area Council for International Visitors (MACIV), a member of the U. S. Department of State’s National Council for International Visitors program, provides candidates the opportunity to interact with visiting professionals from many countries, including Uzbekistan, Angola, Japan, and Tibet, among others. Minot State University’s Institute for International Business and its International Business Club provide further opportunities for candidates to participate in diversity-related activities with faculty and community representatives of diverse ethnic and racial groups. For example, its "Taste of the Middle East" program spotlights Middle Eastern Culture and Minot’s Muslim community. The North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD) heightens candidate awareness of persons with disabilities and provides internship opportunities for candidates. A number of Unit faculty are affiliated with the center and bring that expertise into their teaching and interaction with candidates. The university’s Diversity Committee promotes diversity awareness on campus for faculty, students, and Unit candidates alike. Recent initiatives include a revision of university guidelines concerning all types of harassment with a parallel commitment to sexual harassment training sessions for all faculty and staff. A future workshop on AIDS education is planned as well. Other activities include spotlight celebrations of each "month," publishing a monthly diversity calendar with an accompanying "diversity spotlight" feature, and promoting campus club events. Finally, the Diversity Committee is responsible for community outreach. For example, in January 2004, MSU will host a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration that is co-sponsored by the Minot YWCA and the Minot Air Force Base Diversity Program. Unit candidates will be assisting with the day-long series of activities.

The university and Unit commitment to diversity recruitment has resulted in growth in this area. Of the university’s workforce of 367, Native American representation has grown to six, Asian-American to ten, Hispanic to three, and international faculty to eighteen. The following tables present data on faculty at Minot State University.

Faculty breakdown by college & citizenship (Statistics are based on the 2002-2003 academic year)

Faculty breakdown by college & ethnicity (Statistics are based on the 2002-2003 academic year)

4.2.2. Faculty are knowledgeable about and sensitive to preparing candidates to work with diverse students, including students with exceptionalities.

Unit faculty has broad experience working with diverse ethnic, racial, gender, language, exceptionality, and religious groups and they share that experience with Unit candidates. For example, our international faculty members not only share their own culture with the candidates, but often they share experiences from other cultures they have dealt with, too. Many of our non-international faculty have studied, lived, and/or conducted research outside of the United States and bring those experiences into the classroom as well. Those who have not had these experiences have worked in other environments, such as socio-economically challenged areas, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation. A more specific example involves the university Writing Resource Center. An English faculty member provides tutor-training sessions expressly on working with ESL/EFL students, and those newly acquired skills are quickly put to use in the Center. The results of a recent survey of teacher education faculty reveal that approximately 60% had significant experience working with diverse cultures, learning styles, race, ethnicity, gender, languages, religions, and exceptionalities.

Element 3: Experiences Working with Diverse Candidates Top

4.3.1. Candidates interact and work with candidates with exceptionalities and from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, language, socioeconomic, and religious groups in professional education classes on campus and in schools.

MSU’s continuing commitment to diversity has resulted in a campus environment based on inclusion and respect. All facilities are accessible. A number of university programs provide academic, psychological, financial, and social support services. The Student Development Center, for instance, provides special services and counseling to the physically disabled and students with exceptionalities. The TRIO program provides academic and counseling services to students who are first-generation college, have a disability, or meet income eligible guidelines established by the federal government. The Multicultural Center and Woman’s Resource Center provide similar services. Unit candidates, as members of the university student body, have access to or participate in these programs. Please see the report on Human Relations and Diversity at Minot State University in the evidence room.

The University’s Diversity Committee, promotes diversity in all its aspects, raising faculty and student awareness on campus and facilitating interaction. Some of its activities include publishing diversity-related events and commemorations in the university newspaper, sponsoring diversity-related forums and events, and monitoring university policies and guidelines in regard to issues of diversity and inclusion. In addition, many disciplines on campus sponsor or support diversity-related events and activities. An examination of the student newspaper, The Red and Green, from the spring of 1999 to the spring of 2003 revealed an average of 22 diversity-related events or activities each semester. Of the 56 student organizations on campus, ten are diversity-related. Many candidates take advantage of these opportunities to increase their level of diversity awareness and to interact with students and other candidates of diverse backgrounds.

Through its recruitment efforts, the university has raised its diversity profile, particularly in the areas of age, gender, socio-economic, rural/urban, ethnic, and racial diversity. For example, MSU has a higher proportion of Native American students than any other institution, outside of the tribal colleges, in the North Dakota University System. Recruiting efforts cover at least four states and two Canadian provinces. Over 10 tribes are represented in total, including members from every tribe in North Dakota. Two Native American staff members actively advise Native American students, though all have major advisors, too. MSU averages 24 Native American graduates per academic year, and in May 2003, over 30 Native American students received degrees.

Personnel from Minot Air Base also contribute to the diversity on campus and in the classroom. 12.3% of students enrolled at the university are either active duty military personnel or their dependents. Air Force personnel represent, in particular, the many ethnic and cultural diversities found in the country. Active recruitment of international students has also led to growth in this area. Students are represented from over eighteen countries, including Botswana, Venezuela, India, South Korea, and Canada, the largest contingent.

Enrollment by Canadian Province (Fall 2003)

Student Enrollment by Country (excluding Canada):

Total breakdowns for only ethnic and racial diversity show an MSU student body that is 84.55 % white, 2.73 % black, 4.22% Native American, 1.02% Asian, and 1.63% Hispanic. The Unit has 395 declared majors. Of these nine (2.2%) are Native American, two (0.5%) are Asian/Pacific Islander, four (1.0%) are black, ten (2.5%) are Hispanic, and 370 (93.7%) are white, non-Hispanic.

Beyond these ethnic and racial categories, MSU demonstrates commitment to diversity through its extensive financial aid programs, as well as support programs for Older than Average (OTA) students, veterans, and other at-risk students. Historically, Minot State has also averaged more female students than male.

Enrollment by Gender & Ethnicity (1)

Older Than Average Students (2)

Financial Aid (3)

(1) Note: these are the standard Fedral guidelines for recording ethnicity.
(2) Undergraduate students are 25 years and older.
(3) Based on Fiscal Years, each year, MSU awards over 95% of the financial Aid Applications that are submitted.

Unit faculty members, particularly those teaching core diversity courses, ensure that candidates interact with each other, other students, and constituencies. For example, candidates in SS 283-Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in America interact with students from across disciplines as the course is required by a number of majors, including social work, communications disorders, and special education. Candidates and other students in the course collaboratively produce annotated bibliography projects tailored to their specific majors and the themes of the course. Utilizing technology that fosters collaboration and cooperation, candidates continually assess their work, receiving feedback from group members and the instructor. Before a final presentation of group findings, all candidates are required to review the projects of other groups and to formulate questions for those groups during their presentations. In this way, candidates receive commentary not only from other candidates but also from students offering the perspective of fields, such as social work, outside of education. Final group projects are available to all candidates, providing them with a database of diversity-related material essential to their teacher education preparation and practice (For example see http://history.misu.nodak.edu:8080/ss280summer03/2 ).

SS 283 also sees candidates participate in and reflect upon the annual Spring Celebration and Honor Dance sponsored by the university’s Native American Cultural Awareness Club. Syllabi from all three required courses related to diversity further illustrate how candidates gain an understanding of diversity and inclusion issues. Methods courses, particularly those in Language Arts and Mathematics, require candidates to engage in learning activities at the Quentin Burdick Job Corps, working with adult education and other challenged students.

Beyond the MSU campus, candidates often have the opportunity to interact with different cultures as well. All Foreign Language candidates are required to spend at least one semester (per language) in an exchange program designed to enhance not only language skills, but also to boost cultural awareness. Additionally, all candidates have the opportunity to participate in the various study abroad programs offered at MSU. Recent experiences have included the United Kingdom, Greece, Continental Europe, Italy, Spain, and Africa. The Social Work program at MSU has recently implemented a service-learning program into their curriculum, which is open to all students. The program launched in June 2003 with fieldwork in Guatemala, and the Central American programs are slated to continue.

4.3.2. Active participation of candidates is solicited, and valued and accepted, in all venues.

At its yearly retreat to analyze the program, the Unit invites candidate participation. Candidates from the elementary and secondary majors have the opportunity to interact with Unit faculty and stakeholders and to become actively involved in the analysis and critique of the program. At an earlier retreat, for instance, faculty, stakeholders, and candidates discussed the feasibility of requiring candidates to produce a school diversity profile during their clinical practice and recommended its implementation. Candidates serve on the Stakeholders Committee and their assessment of the Teacher Education program is sought out as they complete the program and as they complete their initial years of teaching.

All facets of Student Government are open to candidate participation, as open elections are held each spring. Additionally, institutional committees generally have at least one student member on it. The MSU Student Association hosts club fairs at the beginning of each semester during which candidates may explore the various clubs and organizations available to join. Many of these clubs participate in community outreach events, such as reading to children with disabilities, collecting materials for the women’s shelter, and so forth. The MSU Theatre encourages the donation of foodstuffs in lieu of payment. Beyond these community outreach activities, candidates are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of research activities. For example, the Office of Institutional Planning holds a poster session every spring at which students working with faculty members may highlight their research accomplishments. Candidates working in the sciences and social sciences have the opportunity to work with faculty in field research projects, while candidates in History work on oral history projects and the like. Candidates in the Humanities also have numerous opportunities to participate in public venues. The English Department hosts the Celebration of Language Arts (COLA) festival for regional middle and high schools, and candidates, particularly those in English, Theatre, Communication Arts, Art, Elementary Education, and Music, are invited not only to assist with the set up and monitoring of activities, but also to help with creating the program and leading individual sessions. Several English candidates have worked on individual research projects with faculty that have subsequently been presented at professional conferences, and some of these have resulted in publication of the materials. Students in the Art program are solicited to create posters for events on campus and around the community, as well as to participate in local school poster contests. Finally, all candidates, like all MSU students, have the opportunity to be on the KMSU TV shows and radio programs, and the literary journal, The Coup, invites campus-wide submissions.

Element 4: Experiences Working with Diverse Students in P-12 Schools Top

4.4.1. The unit designs extensive and substantive field experiences and clinical practices.

The Unit requires candidates to demonstrate and reflect upon the ten INTASC Standards in their course work, field experiences, and clinical practices. The Unit carefully structures, then, these experiences so that candidates can arrive at a solid understanding of the standards most relevant to diversity.

In its practicum placement policy, for instance, the Unit ensures that all candidates experience a variety of school settings and grade levels. If a candidate completes a methods practicum in a lower elementary urban school, then the candidate will receive a student teaching assignment in an upper elementary rural school. A secondary candidate will be required to have experience at both the middle school level and the high school level. P-12 candidates are required to have experience at the full range of their level of licensure. The Unit has also placed candidates in parochial schools for their initial field experiences, increasing awareness of religious diversity. A recent change in state legal opinion has opened up these settings to clinical practice experiences and the Unit has begun placing candidates in these schools. Placement policy tries to ensure that candidates will not return to their former P-12 schools. Although some candidates and indeed stakeholders have questioned this policy, the Unit remains committed to increasing the diverse experiences of its candidates. The Unit’s Director of Teacher Advisement and Field Placement also uses state school district information to identify diversities in order to craft meaningful clinical experiences for each candidate.

4.4.2. Experiences help candidates confront issues of diversity that affect teaching and student learning.

All candidates are required to identify the diversity found in their student teaching and report these findings to the Unit. The diversity profile form heightens candidate awareness of the broad range of diversities found even in field or clinical settings that at first glance may seem less than diverse. Candidates can therefore more effectively adapt their instructional strategies to their students’ needs.

All candidates develop an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) in SPED 110-Introdution to Exceptional Children. Often during student teaching, candidates draw upon this experience, working with their cooperating teachers to develop IEPs for particular students. Special Education candidates will develop IEPs as a matter of course during their clinical practice. Parent-Teacher Conferences provide an additional venue in which candidates can interact with parents regarding issues of exceptionalities and other kinds of diversity.

The annotated bibliography project required of all candidates taking SS 283-Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in America results in the creation of a diversity issues database accessible to all candidates. Candidates can use this database to research issues of diversity that may affect their teaching and student learning. Candidate projects range broadly and reflect such issues as "Over-representation of Minorities in Special Education Programs (http://history.misu.nodak.edu:8080/ss283f2003ethnicj/19) to "Educating ELLs in Rural Areas: Issues and Challenges (http://history.misu.nodak.edu:8080/ss283f2003ethnicj/5) to Portrayals of Minorities in Elementary School Textbooks: (http://history.misu.nodak.edu:8080/SS280Spring2003/6). For an example of the broad range of topics assigned to candidates in SS 283 see http://history.misu.nodak.edu:8080/ss280summer03/uploads/1/SS_283-Groups-Topics.htm taken from a summer version of the course (in a regular semester candidates usually operate in groups of four).

The most recent assessment of the Unit’s candidates, on standards related to diversity, taken after they had completed their clinical practice, revealed a mean score of 3.09 (4-point rubric). A score of 3 on the rubric is described as "Shows a solid understanding of the relevant ideas or processes. The concepts, evidence, arguments, and methods used are appropriate for addressing the issues or problems." (Assessmnet Data Summaries)

4.4.3. Experiences help candidates develop strategies for improving student learning and candidates’ effectiveness as teachers.

Unit methods courses reinforce the diversity awareness and training found in SPED 110, SS 283, and EDUC 470 and include specific sections and microteaching exercises on race, ethnicity, gender, and exceptionalities. For several secondary education majors the practicum requirement is broken into three 20-hour units, enabling candidates to reflect on each segment individually and then to apply strategies gained in the field to each subsequent experience. Candidates therefore enter into clinical practice with proven instructional strategies. Periodic assessment of student teachers provides another performance indicator that candidates are meeting Unit Standards (INTASC). For each candidate the cooperating teacher completes an early progress report, a mid-term progress report, and a final evaluative report. Periodic progress reports are filed as needed or desired. The university supervisor assesses candidates and completes a periodic progress report once in the first two weeks of teaching, again at midpoint in student teaching, and finally within the last two weeks of student teaching. Additional periodic progress reports are filed as needed or desired (see student teaching handbook). These forms are found in the student teaching handbook. At each stage the cooperating teacher and university supervisor aid the candidate in developing strategies for improving student learning and their effectiveness as teachers. A mark of MSU’s overall success is shown through the large numbers of our candidates who are recruited by school districts from more traditionally diverse regions of the country such as Las Vegas and El Paso.

Advanced Programs and Standard 4

In almost all of the advanced programs the candidates are already practicing teachers and have had a variety of experiences in dealing with diversity in the classroom. Three of the graduate programs in the Unit focus on issues of diversity directly; the MS in Communication Disorders, the MS in Special Education, and the Education Specialist in School Psychology. The M Ed degree has a core requirement of Ed 519: Diversity in a Global Perspective. The MME and the MAT programs are recent additions to the Unit and are focused on their specific disciplines.