Formal Evaluation by the Site director:

Site directors serve as the main liaison between Drexel University and the school where the teacher candidate is placed.  The site director is expected to visit the teacher candidate a minimum of six times during a term, and will observe teacher candidate a minimum of four times formally. Site directors will also conduct an introductory meeting as well as a final grade meeting. However, additional observations may be necessary, depending on the overall progress of a teacher candidate. Site directors will combine their observations with feedback from the mentor teacher to fully assess the teacher candidate.

 Site directors will provide a written assessment after each observation using the Daily Observation Evaluation Form found in Appendix C. Site directors complete a formal PDE 430 Form at the midterm and at the end of the student teaching experience (Appendix E). The site director will consult with the mentor teacher and the seminar instructor to determine a grade for the teacher candidate, which will be given to the seminar instructor, who will assign the final course grade based on both the site director’s grade and work done in the seminar course. 

Site directors use an evaluation form to assess teacher candidates during the placement. Click on the following link to download a copy of the PDE 430 document [PDF].

The teacher candidate is evaluated in 4 domains:

• Planning and Preparation
• Classroom Environment
• Instructional Delivery
• Professionalism

The teacher candidate is given feedback throughout the placement on these 4 domains, but is formally assessed twice by the Site director via the PDE 430 form. The score ranges from 1– 12, but the student must earn at least a 1 in each domain to pass. The first formal evaluation is formative and at the mid-term of the teacher candidate’s student teaching placement, giving the teacher candidate an opportunity to improve in certain areas. The final evaluation is summative and is the final score (1 - 12) (see Appendix D). The scores for each evaluation are not added together, but viewed as separate scores and the Site Director also indicated the types of evidence used to evaluate each domain (i.e. lesson plans or student conference observations). Each domain includes performance indicators that reflect the candidate’s level of competence in that domain. Ex., the teacher candidate’s ability to plan lessons and curriculum units may be reflected by the teacher candidate’s content knowledge, knowledge of academic standards, knowledge of students, how to use this for instruction, and so on.

Students that score less than a total of 4 or who score a 0 in any of the four domains on the midterm evaluation will meet with the Site Director, Program Director, and a Field Placement Officer to discuss placing the student on academic probation and further to determine (a) if additional support is needed to help the student teacher reach proficiency; (b) if the placement must be discontinued; or (c) if the placement might be extended to allow more time for the student to demonstrate proficiency in each domain.

Students that score less than a total score of 8 on the final evaluation will meet with their Site director and the School of Education’s administration to determine if the candidate’s student teaching experience a) will be extended, with support, until the candidate gains and demonstrates sufficient mastery of course requirements to be successful in being assessed on a new final PDE 430 evaluation, OR b) must be repeated in a subsequent term through formal re-application and course.

Formal Evaluation by the Mentor Teacher:

The mentor teacher will be asked to provide the teacher candidates with ongoing constructive feedback throughout the 13-week student teaching experience in all areas including; planning and preparation, classroom environment, instructional delivery and professionalism. Mentor teachers are asked to identify a “standing meeting time” with the teacher candidate (most conducive to the mentor teacher’s schedule) to hold ongoing discussions regarding expectations, planning and general feedback on progress.

In addition, the mentor teacher is asked to complete both a midterm and final evaluation for the teacher candidate. The Mentor Teacher Evaluation Form should be completed during week 6 and week 13 of the placement. The form (please see Appendix D) requires the mentor teacher to evaluate the teacher candidate according to the four domains for novice teachers developed outline within Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching. These ten professional teaching standards have served as a set of guiding principles for the teacher candidates throughout their School of Education coursework at Drexel University. The mentor teacher is asked to review the document (both at midterm and final) with the student and then submit one copy to the site director. The site director will use the mentor teacher’s evaluation(s) as a significant component in determining the student’s overall grade. 

The Professional Seminar

 A critical component of the Student Teaching Practicum is the weekly professional seminar. EDUC 410: The Undergraduate Student Teaching Seminar and EDUC 540: The Graduate Student Teaching Seminar central purpose is to enrich and complement the field experience of the teacher candidate. Through guided discussions in seminar class, teacher candidates are able to grow as educators through critical self-reflection. In this setting, the teacher candidate is able to reflect upon one’s classroom experiences, connect to earlier acquired content and educational theory and set personal goals for improvement. Students are also able to collaborate with fellow teacher candidates, sharing ideas, advice and strategies. Attendance and participation at all seminar meetings are mandatory, and ultimately demonstrate the teacher candidate’s commitment to continued professional development. Seminar Instructors will collaborate with site directors in determining the teacher candidate’s overall grades for the experience.

Student Teaching Seminar Assignments:

Stuent Teaching Seminar Assignments include, but are not limited to the following:

• Classroom Management Plan
• Lesson Plans/Units of Study
• Journaling
• Philosophy of Education
• Reflective Papers
• Designing/Constructing an Interactive Bulletin Board
• Creating an Authentic Assessment and Assessment Tool (e.g. rubric)
• Video-taped lesson(s)
• Professional Teaching Portfolio

The Professional Teaching Portfolio:

The final assignment for the Student Teaching Seminar is to design a professional portfolio that illustrates the successes that occurred during the student/intern teaching field experience. The rubric detailing the organization criteria for this will be sent out prior to the start of the student teaching experience.

The Student Teaching Seminar: Emphasis on Best Practices:

 The student teaching seminar portion of EDUC 410: Student Teaching & Seminar and EDUC 540: Graduate Student Teaching & Seminar courses are designed to meet Danielson’s Framework for Teachers is characterized by research-based best practice that includes:

• Active learning in a problem-solving environment;
• The integration of learning technologies as mind tools;
• The use of multiple intelligences and learning styles to reach all learners;
• Facilitation of student voice and ownership in the learning process;
• Development of critical and creative thinking in all subjects;
• Performance-based assessments; and
• Collaborative and cooperative learning that facilitates multiple perspectives.

The Student Teaching Seminar course help to develop and further enhance each teacher candidate’s teaching knowledge, skills and abilities through field placement, supervision and reflective practice. Each week, the students share their experiences through journal entries, participate in workshops and team meetings, learn about resources, reflect on what they are learning and present their case studies.