Departmental Assessment Update - Education Report

Department: Educational Administration
Program: MED
Level: Graduate

1. Has your program developed learning outcomes? If yes, please list.

The Educational Administration program at the University of Hawai'i prepares educational administrators and supervisors for a broad range of education-related administrative positions. These positions include elementary and secondary school administrators, higher education staff positions, and department and grade-level chairpersons at lower and higher education institutions. The program develops leaders who conduct and apply research, utilize reflection and inquiry, develop and implement policy within a collaborative context, all of which fosters growth and transformation within individuals and organizations. The Department of Educational Administration has four student outcomes which guide the department’s curriculum, instructional goals, and assessment practices. These student outcomes are consistent with national standards (i.e., Educational Leadership Constituent Council) that form guidelines for administrator preparation and certification programs. These standards form the basis from which the Department’s four student outcomes were developed. EDEA develops educational leaders who: 1. are knowledgeable about and understand organizational life in schools and the dynamics of school change processes by examining trends, traditions, theory and policy of institutions in order to improve educational practice. 2. understand and can articulate the moral/ethical, political, collaborative, strategic and caring dimensions of administrative roles within diverse cultural contexts. 3. have a well-developed analytic capacity that is informed by theory, research, and practice to solve problems and generate policy. 4. can apply knowledge and skills to changing organization contexts impacted by social, political, economic, cultural, and technological forces in order to foster the growth and development of the organization and its members.

2. If your program has learning outcomes, where are they published (e.g., department web page)?

The SLOs are published on the department webpage and also in course syllabi.

3. Do your faculty list course learning outcomes on their syllabi?

Faculty typically list what students are supposed to learn in their courses on their syllabi.

4. Does your program have a curriculum map that links course outcomes to program outcomes? If so, please include.

Yes, the SLOs result from the department’s program objectives which are consistent with national standards set for the preparation of educational administrators. The department's program standards are addressed through its courses. The following table provides a summary of the relationship of the Department of Educational Administration Student Outcomes to the current Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Standards. Standard 1: Facilitates the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a school or district vision of learning supported by the school community (EDEA Goal#1) Standard 2: Promotes a positive school culture, providing an effective instructional program, applyingbest practice to student learning and designing comprehensive professional growth plans for staff. (EDEA Goals #1-4) Standard 3: Manages the organization, operations, andresources in a way that promotes a safe, efficient,and effective learning environment. (EDEA Goals #1,3-4) Standard 4: Collaborates with families and other community members, responds to diverse community interests and needs, mobilizes resources. (EDEA Goal #2) Standard 5: Acts with integrity, fairness, and in anethical manner. (EDEA Goal #2) Standard 6: Understands, responds to, and influences the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context. (EDEA Goal #2) Standard 7: Synthesizes and applies knowledge and practice; develops the skills in Standards 1-6 through substantial and sustained work in real settings, planned and guided cooperatively by the institution and school district. (EDEA Goals #3-4) The curriculum map that relates the standards and four EDEA program goals to key K-12 and higher education administration courses is as follows: ______________________________________________________ Course Topics EDEA Obj. ______________________________________________________ EDEA 601, EDEA 657 (Introduction to EDEA) 1,2 EDEA 602, EDEA 604, (Research methods) 3 EDEA 608, EDEA 629, EDEA 704, 780D EDEA 620, EDEA 630 (Finance, Legal) 2,3,4 EDEA 645, EDEA 660 (Leadership) EDEA 642 (Technology) 1,3 EDEA 650 (Organizations) 1,2,4 EDEA 610,780B, (Community, policy, EDEA 655 and cultural) 2,4 EDEA 670,EDEA 780F, (Curriculum) EDEA 663 1,4 EDEA 720 (Internship) 3,4 _______________________________________________________

5. Does your program benchmark or have goals for student performance? (e.g. 70% students will graduate within 5 years)

Yes, the department has goals for student performance relative to its four program objectives. Mastery is assessed by performance in the courses (see curriculum map). There are also benchmark assessments taken from the courses that are used to assess student progress at various stages of program participation (e.g., early, middle, exit). Examples include knowledge and application of various administrative practices (EDEA 601), legal case studies (EDEA 630), and master's theses (EDEA 699 and EDEA 700). The Department conducts follow-up surveys on graduates as part of the College of Education follow-up on its graduates.

6. Other than GPA, what data/evidence is used to determine that graduates have achieved stated outcomes for the degree? (i.e. capstone project, class assignment)

Several types of performance assessments are used in key courses at the beginning, middle, and exit of students' participation in the program. These include classroom assignments that all students must complete, legal case studies, and ending projects (e.g., portfolios, theses). These are assessed by faculty. Assessments are summarized and data are used for program improvement.

7. Who interprets the evidence of student learning?

The student projects chosen for review are assessed by faculty teams. Assessments are summarized, results are compared across faculty raters for reliability, data are summarized, and they are used for program improvement.

8. How are the assessment data/results used to inform decisions concerning the curriculum and administration of the program?

Assessment takes place at several levels. First, individual students are assessed relative to their progress in meeting the Department's objectives. This information is used in terms of determining whether candidates have met the Department's four program objectives. Second, data on students collected at several points in the program (beginning, middle, exit) are also aggregated in order to determine whether the content covered in courses is up-to-date and consistent with changing administrative landscape. For example, the legal landscape in schools is constantly changing. The legal cases used to assess student learning are consistently updated each year or so. In this way, students have to demonstrate that they understand and can act in accordance with evolving legal guidelines. The assessments, therefore, help the faculty identify places where the curriculum may need to be adjusted so that we ensure students are provided with the latest information needed. Third, students are also assessed in terms of their performance on the job by members of the Hawaii Department of Education and Department faculty members. For example, one way this type of assessment occurs is through student internships. Fourth, assessment also takes place by discussing curricular needs (knowledge, skills, application)and candidate performance with members of the Department of Education, who work in collaboration with the Department of Educational Administration faculty to plan and deliver preparation courses for school administrators. This assessment is more at the system level, and provides information about the State and EDEA program for preparing school leaders.

9. What attempts are made to monitor students’ postgraduate professional activities?

Students in the K-12 and higher education master's programs tend to work in the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii system. The College of Eduation conducts surveys with employers regarding its graduates. The Department of Educational Administration participates in these surveys. Several studies have also been conducted on graduates' administrative careers within the Hawaii Department of Education.