A positive perception of the Middle Level Education program by the candidates is supported by the consistently high teaching evaluations of the one course specifically designed for the program (TED 5250).
The long-range College assessment plan includes a survey of candidates one, three and five years out in the field. Additionally candidates complete a questionnaire at the end of their student teaching where they rank their portfolios/presentation on the 12 standards and then also indicate to what extent the teacher preparation program addressed the standards.
b. Content
Due to the small size of the program, 5-10 students entering each year, and due to a limited scope of the program, endorsements and minors, there is not a great deal of data generated on the program. With that being said, the passing rate for students of the MLE program at Wayne State have had a good pass record on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification for the Middle Level test. Of the seven (7) students who have finished the program at WSU, all but one passed it on the first try and the one exception passed it on the second try. The one who did not pass the state test the first try had taken the test before finishing the course work.
c. Pedagogy
There are no cooperating teacher or university supervisor evaluations of the candidates or the program, since all the graduates of the program have received endorsements. All of the candidates for the endorsement must provide a letter of recommendation form current or past administrators in a middle school setting stating their satisfactory past teaching experience.
However, as students attain a minor in MLE, their student teaching observation
and evaluation forms will be aligned with the COE standards and the ELSMT.
d. Cooperating Teacher/Mentor Perceptions
All candidates who have taken and finished the program are currently teaching in the middle level; one is an administrator. Thus, there have been no portfolios nor cooperating teacher evaluations of the candidates while they were in the program.
e. Content-area Faculty Perceptions
The various content area faculties at WSU are very supportive of the program. For example, despite the small size of the MLE program, the Reading faculty has offered one section each year with a focus on the middle school.
f. Evidence of Impact of Program Graduates on K-12 Learning
With so few graduates (7) it is difficult to gauge the impact of the
program on K-12 learning.