Abstract
In addition to content knowledge and practical skills, certification candidates should demonstrate an understanding of dispositions—the professional behaviors that must be evident in their interactions with students, families, colleagues, and communities. However, it is challenging to monitor and assess dispositions without a formal process that teaches candidates the dispositions they are expected to demonstrate and provides feedback at specific points in certification preparation. This chapter will provide a detailed process for teaching, monitoring, and assessing dispositions within an educator preparation program (EPP) to develop candidates who exhibit professional behaviors prior to entering an educational role.
TopBackground
If candidates are deficient in any academic areas, EPP faculty provide additional coursework or more practice in terms of remedial opportunities to fully develop the skills that are lacking (Kincaid & Keiser, 2014). Unfortunately, when candidates struggle with inherent qualities of dispositions, such as timeliness, professionalism, responsibility, and personal accountability, some EPPs fail to provide remediation and support. Oftentimes candidates who struggle throughout a program tend to demonstrate the same poor performance in multiple contexts from coursework to field experience until the issues are so apparent that EPP faculty are faced with the decision to dismiss the candidate or simply hope candidates can complete the program without a major issue (Kincaid & Keiser, 2014). This type of situation should be avoided, and with proper procedures in place, EPPs can better ensure that candidates have the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes necessary to be successful.
In fact, faculty, staff, and others who are in a position to supervise candidates have ethical responsibilities to ensure candidates have the dispositions necessary to enter the profession successfully, in addition to content knowledge and pedagogical skills. Essentially, EPP faculty, staff, and others should be the gatekeepers—the quality control agents for the clinical training experience—because they determine the readiness and fit of candidates for their profession (Gizara & Forrest, 2004).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Professional Disposition Assessment Form: The standardized form used to assess candidate dispositions in an Educator Preparation Program.
Field: Settings other than the Educator Preparation Program classroom, such as the community or at one’s work.
Assessment: A formal measure of disposition behavior and attitudes.
Learning Management System (LMS): A platform for a course with modules, examples, and quizzes to verify understanding.
Disposition Handbook: A document that outlines the mission, vision, and values of the EPP in terms of candidate dispositions and includes the definitions and descriptions of each disposition, as well as the formal process for teaching, monitoring, and assessing these dispositions throughout the program.
Professional Disposition Improvement Form: The standardized form for remedial action for candidates who do not demonstrate dispositional behavior. The plan will include clear expectations and a timeline, and the candidate will be required to sign the PDIP as a binding contract.
Student: Person enrolled in pre-kindergarten through Grade 12.
Benchmark: A formal checkpoint in an Educator Preparation Program to assess candidate dispositions using standardized forms and procedures.