Download Speech / Theatre Evaluation Executive Summary

BSE Evaluation: Executive Summary
Jenny Emanuel, Todd Kitchen, Kari Monsees, Donald Scott, Ruthann Williams
The purpose of this utilization focused evaluation (UFE) (Patton, 1997) was to investigate the
Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) degree program in Speech Communication and Theatre
Education at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) regarding three main topics: (a) National
Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) reaccreditation preparedness, (b) state
teacher licensure examinations, and (c) alumni perceptions of program strengths and weaknesses.
By conducting the evaluation, the investigators and stakeholders sought to answer the following
questions:
1. How well is the Speech Communication and Theatre Education BSE program, based on
national standards, preparing candidates for careers in teaching?
2. How well did the program content prepare students for state teacher licensure examinations
(PRAXIS)?
3. What Speech Communication and Theatre Education BSE program changes are suggested to
improve program content?
Evaluation Methods
The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative research designs to gather the required data
from a focus group of current students and a survey of graduates. Since the primary component
of utilization focused research is an intimate relationship between the research team and the
stakeholders within the organization (Patton, 1997), the Speech Communication and Theatre
faculty who teach classes within the BSE program were included in the evaluation process.
Moreover, the evaluation team worked in collaboration with the faculty stakeholders to
determine their needs and establish their criteria for accepting evaluation recommendations.
Findings
The online survey and focus group results produced a variety of data useful in answering the
research questions. Thirteen alumni out of a sample of 25 (52%) responded to the survey, while
the focus group consisted of 11 of 29 (38%) current BSE students. The most cited reasons
participants reported for their choice of degree and emphasis included: passion for content area,
love of teaching, program reputation, and influence of high school experience. Focus group
members cited opportunities for involvement and strong faculty support as strong positives for
the BSE program and indicated collaboration between faculty and students provides an
environment that supports student success.
Career Preparation
Program graduates rated the program on 22 performance standards in education including
learning theory, pedagogy, student engagement, communication, assessment, and professional
development. At least 80% of graduates agreed or strongly agreed that the BSE program
prepared them to meet 20 out of 22 performance standards. Only 46.2% of graduates indicated
adequate preparation in terms of applying technology in the educational setting to facilitate
student learning and 53.9% of graduates indicated adequate preparation for making appropriate
adaptations and accommodations for students with diverse needs.
Licensure Preparation
All participants rated each of 11 core program courses regarding which PRAXIS content
standards for which they were best prepared. Students reported an excellent pass rate (100%) on
the PRAXIS exam; however, students indicated weaknesses in their preparation for media and
their influences and forensics sections of the exam. This finding is consistent with open ended
responses suggesting the need for more mass media and broadcasting content and the low
ranking of forensics content.
Suggested Program Changes
The focus group provided relevant information on current program operations indicating a need
for improvement. Communication issues were expressed by students as a concern between the
speech communication, theatre and education departments. Likewise, students suggested more
balance between the areas of emphasis allowing a more comprehensive program of study.
Currently, choosing a particular emphasis area allows for few, if any, elective courses in the
program and creates competition for student time.
Recommendations
Integrate use of technology into the program curriculum: Alumni indicate a lack of preparation
for the use of technology. This concern could be addressed by embedding more instructional
technologies into the existing program curriculum.
Integrate mass media and broadcasting into the program curriculum: Expansion into these areas
is suggested to fulfill PRAXIS content and high school program expectations. Adding
coursework in broadcast media can provide needed program content.
Formalize communication channels between the theatre, speech communication, and education
departments: One choice to address the perceived lack of communication is to develop standard
documents shared between members of each department, outlining program requirements. A
more radical approach is to move the entire program to one content area, retaining coursework
from the other content area as required to meet certification needs.
Balance the course requirements between the speech communication and theatre emphasis
areas: Theatre emphasis majors indicated they are less prepared in speech and debate, due to
limited time for participation in speech communications activities. One approach to address this
concern is to remove the requirement to choose an emphasis area and divide upper level courses
between the two content areas. A more aggressive approach would be to remove the requirement
of a minor, allowing for more required courses from the two content areas.
Patton, M. Q. (1997). Utilization-focused evaluation: The new century text. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.