A Teacher Preparation Survey based on the Entry-Level Standards for Michigan Teachers was prepared and distributed (both in a hard copy mailing and online interactive) Winter 2002 and Fall 2002 semesters to all teacher candidates in directed student teaching,alumni, university supervisors, supervising teachers, principals/administrators, specialty area faculty and educational faculty. This survey is distributed each fall and winter semester for continuous improvement data recording.  Answering this survey is mandatory for all teacher candidates in directed student teaching, university supervisors, specialty area faculty and educational faculty.   Follow-up procedures will be in place to urge alumni, supervising teachers and principals/administrators to answer the survey (by postcard or direct telephone contact).

All survey data will be addressed through FSU's Teacher Advisory Council and each specialty-area's education committee for follow-up and use in continuous improvement plans.

Survey information that is specific often reveals how our program is actually performing. We asked survey takers to please give detailed information (in a comments section) on themselves or a teacher candidate that would qualify as evidence to the impact of our teacher preparation program (ex. achievements, student assessment levels, research, etc) on K-12. Those comments are listed below each perception chart.

Alumni Perception of Teacher Preparation

Candidate Perception of Teacher Preparation Program

University Supervisor Assessment of Student Teachers

Supervising (Cooperating) Teacher and Principal Evaluation of Student Teaching Program

Specialty Area Faculty Perception of Teacher Preparation Program.

Education Faculty Perception of Teacher Preparation Program

Critical Accountability Factor I:
Teacher Candidate Performance

Critical Accountability Factor II:
Field Placement

Critical Accountability Factor III:
Diversity

Critical Accountability Factor IV:
Faculty

Critical Accountability Factor V:
Parent/Community Involvement

Critical Accountability Factor VI:
Technology

Critical Accountability Factor VII:
Statutory/Regulatory/Policy Requirements

Survey Data

MTTC Pass Rates

Program Statistics

Web page last revised:
April 12, 2003

 

Alumni Perception of Teacher Preparation Program

The following scale was used to determine the alumni perception of the teacher preparation program as based on the Entry-Level Standards for Michigan Teachers:

"Granville L. Brown, Director, Workbased Learning, Grand Rapids Community College - 29 years of teaching, supervising or directing technical education students or programs."

"Since I am a retired teacher, technology as we know it today was not part of our education. What I know abut telecommunications, internet, etc., have been learned on an ""as needed"" basis."

"I have always felt that I received an excellent education at Ferris and that it helped me be a successful educator."

I feel that I am adaquately prepared to teach and I believe that I make a positive impact on my students. The training I recireceivedFerris has been very helpful to me, almost, on a daily basis. I assume that the training I recireceivedld still be available today for future teachers."

"I was immediately accepted into the special education program for my master's degree at Madonna University. They credited my knowledge with having been received from my education at Ferris State University. I now have my M.I.T. learning disabilities and teach 8th grade special education in Rochester School District. I combined the vocational and technical skills in business I learned at Ferris to create a Careers class for special ed middle school. I used additional material learned from Madonna in special education. I would not have been qualified with only my Ferris training to impact all children for I could only teach secondary business. Therefore, I think its vital that serious teachers immediately continue with their masters degree. It is impossible to learn all we must learn in today's world from a BA degree. But Ferris prepared me and instilled in me my basic philosophy of teaching and learning so I would be able to continue with my education. I continue to acquire education in the form of I.C.U.'s and inservices in technology and special education."

"Completing my 32nd year of teaching. Have a master's plus. Got a great foundation from FSC. Am continually updating myself on subject content. I USE technology, but do think we are wasting way too much money on something that does not work well when parents do not get involved actively...learning by TV and babysitting by computer do not help promote active learning by our students. What works best is when the student realizes that the best way to succeed is to find what is needed to achieve...and then just do it. I think much more emphasis needs to be placed on guidance, career planning, and job skills. Many parents do not have a clue about this. thanks! Keep up the good work. Sam Denn 1970 Wauseon, OH"

Arthur M. Leinberge, Degree in Trade/Technical Teaching, graduated 1967. Taught Automotive Service for 22 years at Delta College. Retired 1989.

"I have been able to place over 20% of my students in co-op programs with local empoemployers that group 50% has continued in the trade and in most cases with the employer that they had been working for during their co-op experience."

"I was a student on the Flint campus. I am now teaching at a Charter school. The grade levels and subjects are 6th, 7th, and 8th, entire language arts and social studies."

"We are training future citizens. Our emphasis should be on putting all of the load of education (of our youth) on their backs to chalchallengem in this ""everything has been done for me"" society. Teachers should be gaining the students cooperation in this self actualizing project. The teacher cooperatively needs very little knowledge or skill to create a student who can survive in this topsy turvy world we live. Student outcomes need to be described not teacher qualifications. Everyone is a teacher whether they like it or not. The good example to teach by is the role apprappropriateel we all must emulate. The question is how to identify the teacher qualities which potentiate the skills and attitudes future excellent students and teachers posess. But I don't need to tell you that!"

"As a current superintendent who graduated in 1982 from Ferris with a degree in science education I do not believe that the College of Education helped me in any way. I appreciate the science department for what they taught me, but everything I have learned about teaching/education came from being on the job or through my M.A. in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University. I found that when I graduated, the placement office did nothing to help me obtain any of my positions. I taught 5 yrs. in Kent City, MI; 5 yrs. in Portland Oregon; 3 years in Ravenna, MI.; 3 yrs as a high school assistant principal at Central Montcalm High School, Stanton, MI; 3 yrs. as the K-12 Principal at Ellsworth Community School, Ellsworth, MI; and have been the superintendent at Ellsworth for 1 year. It has always been a matter of who you know and accomplishments to date, rather than where I received my BS, that landed me the positions. In fact, I have even had it questioned ""Why Ferris? Teachers come from CMU..."""

"As a school district superintendent I have seen a shift in our school population from nearly all white to now only 40% white or less. Hispanic and asian student population is still on the rise. Many teachers who have been teaching for a number of years find it difficult to understand that the student population shift requires a change in the teaching process. What teachers did 15 or 20 years ago is not working today. Needless to say this creates many problems for students and teachers. Yes and even for us ""old superintendents."" we have had to provide endless staff development activities, some mandated others to meet our local needs to deal with changes in the classroom. AuthAuthenticessment and relevance are key issues in California. Teaching to standards is now critical for our teachers and many are now learning how to it for the first time. We are facing a critical shortage of qualified teachers in our state. We need dididedicatedchers that understand the world is a smaller place to day then when I attended Ferris in the late 19601960'se need teachers who understand other cultures, maybe who speak seveseveralguages. Now if we could just figure out how the hell to pay them what they are realreallyth to our children and our society I would retire a happy man! Dr. Bud Davis, class of 68"

"During the past 18 years, I have been able to seamlessly progress from teaching, to developing training, to working in the wholesale, then retail environment in the higher levels, and back to developing training. Achievements too numbnumerousmention here."

"I graduated in 1974. This survey is for more recent graduates."

"It's been quite some time since I graduated from the program (1979), but found that my preparation was excellent. I was prepared to adapt to the numerous changes which have occuoccurredthe world of education in the past 22 years. I'm now the Dean of Career & Occupational Education at Kellogg Community College and owe a great deal of my career success to the preparation I received at F.S.U.!"

"I am currently working on my masters in the art of teaching. I feel Ferris's program helped prepare me for the teaching profession. I am a third year teacher. Ferris needs to update some of it's math classes and utilize graphing calculators and other technology more. Also, more discipline and different strageties to make learning revelant to all students should be provided in the undergraduate classes in the education program."

"Masters in Occupational Education, Southern Illinois Univ. Currently operating on of four Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) Programs in Illinois that models the concepts described above. Utilizing Engaged Learning Techniques required by Illinois Learning Standards. Thank-you Richard E. Stevens Jr."

"I believe I was well prepared by ferris in most areas."

"I was a student on the Flint campus. I am now teaching at a Charter school. The grade levels and subjects are 6th, 7th, and 8th, entire language arts and social studies."

"Most of the skills were acquired on my own accord, not through any classes taken with Ferris."

"I have found that I have had to use everything I learned at college within the classroom - no class, even one of the basic education classes, has turned out to be irrelevant. The teaching profession is constantly challenging, persistantly baffling, and inexpressibly rewarding. I have achieved only because my experiences at Ferris have forced me to learn to manage my time more strictly, inspired me to excell, and equipped me for success. The majority of the students in my classroom recieved a B or better this marking period. One student, in particular, acheived far more this marking period than he has in his entire secondary career. Again, I would like to stress that the positive impact that my work in the Education Program through Ferris State University is the reason I have been able to reach this level of achievement."

Candidate Perception of Teacher Preparation Program

The following scale was used to determine the teacher candidate perception of the teacher preparation program as based on the Entry-Level Standards for Michigan Teachers:

"I think that there should be a ""Teaching Grammar"" class for all English Education students. I haven't had a grammar class since 8th grade and have had to get my supervising teacher to re-teach grammar to me (parts of speech) so I could teach it to the students. A math teacher candidate would not be sent out into the world if he/she didn't know his/her multiplication tables, how can an English teacher explain why a student's grammatically incorrect sentence is wrong when he/she can't tell the student what is wrong with it?"

"We do way too much busy work and not enough prep is given to practical matters such as discipline and classroom management. In addition, the tuition fees for student teacher are way too high, and place a great financial burden on students. Other states fees for student teaching are in the $300 to 500 range - much more attainable for the average student than the $2000 that Ferris charges. The students I attended classes with were older and had full-time positions. For them to give up four months salary and then to have to pay $2000 meant an actual cost of approximately $8000 to $10000 for student teaching. This is absurd! In addition, there is a very definite lack of communication between Ferris and students in reference to what is required (ie basic skills tests, timeline factors, references, etc.) Many students complained that they knew nothing about various requirements until the last minute. Why can't Ferris develop a time-line that would show students exactly what they need, when they need to have it completed and what the costs of those requrequirementsld be? When I went to the orientation meeting for student teachers, one student had no idea until that day that she needed to take tests in her subject areas in order to teach (which are available on a limited schedule only) and another had just found out that she had to pay $2000 for student teaching - quite a shock."

"I strongly suggest that the English Education department makes Linguistics or History and Structure of the English LaguLanguageequirement for graduation. I also think that in the eduction classes students be required to teach a couple times in a row (a mini-unit or something like that). While teaching different lessons is important I also think that it is important for future teachers to learn the time management skills and the many other skills that come from teaching day after day. I also think that it would be beneficial for students to have to keep track of their own grade for the semester in a gradebook type chart. Aside from those suggestions I have found that my education from Ferris has been great. I think that the staff at Ferris is very supportive and encouraging. They are doing a great job!"

University Supervisor Assessment of Student Teachers

The following scale was used to determine the university supervisor's perception of the teacher preparation program as based on the Entry-Level Standards for Michigan Teachers:

"Our only feedback to date has been positive."

"The student teacher that I am working with is awesome. He has an excellent knowledge base and has a very good grasp on teaching techniques and teaching styles.

My student teacher is older than usual (39). Because of this, he has more extensive experience and awareness than the typical student teachers. He is definitely ready to be in the classroom. He is a life long learner! - and understands teenagers."

"I have a student teacher from FSU who will graduate in Dec. 2002 with a degree in Secondary Education, majoring in English and minoring in Speech Communications. She is 48 years old, a mother of two grown, college-aged sons, and has worked outside the home in several fields, including business, state government, and education."

"Technology could be used more in lessons. It always can be."

"My responses on this survey do not necessarily reflect my opinions of all teacher candidates that I have worked with. These responses relate to the most recent. Other candidates have been far superior and would be evaluated more positively. I would want to note that many of these observations have to do with the individual and do not necessarily reflect the quality or lack thereof on the part of the university preparation program."

"My student teacher was not creative or innovative in his lesson planning or presentations. I was expecting my student teacher to ""wow"" me at some point during his teaching experience. That still has not happened."

"I have observed how methodically our student teacher from FSU is able to work effectively with high school age students from various ethnic backbackgroundse has established an effective working rapport with her supervising teacher and has a solid background in Office Information Systems."

Supervising (Cooperating)Teacher and Principal Evaluation of Student Teaching Program

The following scale was used to determine the cooperating teachers' and principals' perception of the teacher preparation program as based on the Entry-Level Standards for Michigan Teachers:

"The teacher candidate shows little evidence of the criteria given in this survey. What she has learned at Ferris and what she does in the classroom are disconnected. Her university supervisor gives no critical feedback, and on relation to this survey the comment that has been made relates to higher level thinking questions."

"Actually the ferris candidates at our school have been impressive. Please consider the TBA career centers Teacher Academy as a possibility for an early start in your program."

"We have had 3 of your teaching candidates student teach at our school in the last two years. I have been impressed with the way they used real world connections to make learning more meaningful and their ability to use a variety of techniques to address student's varied backgrounds and learning styles. I would hire any one of them and have the greatest confidence they would have an immediate impact on our learning community."

"Make sure student advisor(from FSU) knows the intext of lesson plan prior to observation."

"I have had several students from your program in the past everseveral. (3 in the last 3 yrs)"

"My student teacher seems knowledgeable, self assured and willing to continue learning, she relates well to students and adults, she seems well prepared to use technology and to handle the subject matter. I feel it is important to expose education students to the classroom early in their college career, they sometimes have an unrealistic view of what teaching is like and need to get in the classroom early to see if it is truly what they want to do."

"I think you should allow your teacher candidates to substitute in rooms other than the one to which they are assigned, as long as they do not exceed the limit of 3 days you have imposed. Experience in other classrooms can be most valuable."

"Most candidates from Ferris have done well in our district. One was so woefully inadequate that we would encourage some sort of regulated screening before candidates are placed. As administrator, many of my answers are neutral because I have not personally observed candidates demonstrating these skills."

Specialty Area Faculty Perception of Teacher Preparation Program

The following scale was used to determine the specialty area faculty perception of the teacher preparation program as based on the Entry-Level Standards for Michigan Teachers:

"I am a doctorally-prepared faculty member with 30 years' experience in the classroom at the college level. I have taught in teacher preparation programs at two institutions."

"The questions on the teacher-candidate's methodology cannot be answered meaningfully by content faculty."

"I use cooperative learning groups as the primary instructional strategy in my college classrooms and my education students often comment on how grateful they are to see an example of how this process could work and that they will use some of the strategies I use in their own classrooms."

"I know that our teacher candidates that have left our program are well prepared in Spanish language skills because I have also taught at Michigan State University's study-abroad program in Alcala de Henares, Spain, and I know that our third-year students are comparably or better prepared than Spanish majors at MSU. I attribute this in part to the fact that our second and third-year classes tend to be smaller than at comparable universities so we can give them more individual attention. All three of us Spanish professors at Ferris have had extensive experience living, studying and travelling in Spanish-speaking countries, so we are able to incorporate first-hand cultural experience in our classrooms. Although we haven't had consistent and formal contact with our graduates in the Spanish education minor, anecdotal evidence suggests that they are gainfully employed as secondary school Spanish teachers and are doing well."

Educational Faculty Perception of Teacher Preparation Program

The following scale was used to determine the educational faculty perception of the teacher preparation program as based on the Entry-Level Standards for Michigan Teachers:

"The emphasis on technologies and methodologies seems to be overriding subject matter, critical thinking, respect for diversity, and humanity. In general (there are exceptions), our students don't understand what's wrong with a glitzy, well-prepared but insubstantive Powerpoint presentation . . . "

"I am a 1973 graduate of the School of Education. The teacher training that I was given enabled me to develop program and design a facility that currently houses my program. I also believe, that it was the education that I received at Ferris, that has allowed me be inquinquisitiveugh and learn to use new technology. This technology is used in the everyday management and delivery of my Technology and Vocational Electronics program over the years. I am thanthankful the training that has given my students the sucesuccessesthe job market. Students have entered jobs with companies such as; Ford, GM, National Semiconductor, Texas InstInstrumentsroXeroxnisonic, General Dynamics. We never know how we have touched students in the learning process. Thanks for the great adventure you started me on back in 1973."