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Dispositions Monitoring System
A dispositions committee was formed in the spring 2004 semester by the Education Department
to develop a means to assess student dispositions. The background and rationale are research
based and aligned with the standards of the College of Education and Human Services
Conceptual Framework, the Pennsylvania Department of Education Chapter 354, the National
Board for Teacher Certification Standards, and the various specialty program associations’
professional ethics standards.
The work that his committee had done and a process practiced by the Special Education
Department have informed the following proposal.
Goals:
1. To create a system that will monitor the Dispositions of Teacher Candidates as identified
in our Conceptual Framework, the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s certification
requirements, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards using a
process designed to provide multiple sources of evidence of mastery of identified
dispositions across all professional programs in the College of Education and Human
Services.
2. To create a system that will provide the opportunity for all faculty members to monitor
dispositions of students in professional courses.
3. To provide a means for remediation of identified student candidate dispositional issues.
Description of the Monitoring System:
Faculty members are best positioned to identify potential problems and initiate early intervention
strategies before students reach candidacy. This Monitoring System is an ongoing process
beginning with informal observations by the faculty of students enrolled in their professional
courses and continuing with a formal observation by cooperating teachers of the students in
Block and a final, formal observation of the student by cooperating teachers and university
supervisors during Student Teaching.
During at least one departmental meeting per semester, a portion of the time will be spent in
discussing concerns with student issues. If there are any areas of concern, the faculty addresses
the identified area(s) through the Professional Dispositions Rubric (see pgs. 4 – 5). The
departmental minutes reflect the number of students identified and the nature of the concerns
with respect to the Professional Dispositions Rubric. The next step in the process is for the
student’s advisor or other faculty member to meet with the student and develop a plan for
remediation. A copy of the Professional Dispositions Rubric with assessments, anecdotal
comments, the date, and the student’s name are placed in a confidential file. This documentation
stays in the student’s confidential file until graduation when the file is expunged.

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Outline of the Monitoring System
1. Professional Program Courses
a. Problem identified in department meeting by any faculty member and
documented by the department with regard to the Professional Dispositions
Rubric.
b. Student meeting with advisor / faculty member.
c. Monitor student for 1 semester.
d. Documentation for the problem resolution is contained in the student confidential
file.
e. File is maintained through graduation.
2. Block
a. Problem identified by cooperating teacher and / or faculty member during Block
with a formal observation recorded with the Professional Dispositions Rubric.
b. Student meeting with advisor / faculty member.
c. Monitor student.
d. Documentation for the problem resolution is contained in the student confidential
file.
e. File is maintained through graduation.
f. Block faculty put dispositional data in the online Data Collection System.
3. Student Teaching

a. Problem identified by cooperating teacher and / or faculty member during Student
Teaching.
b. Student meeting with university supervisor.
c. Monitor student.
d. Documentation for the problem resolution is contained in the student confidential
file.
e. File is expunged after graduation.

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Diagram of the Monitoring System:

Monitoring
Process

Professional
Coursework

Block

Student
Teaching

1. Faculty identifies problem.
2. Faculty meeting with student to address problem.
3. Remediation plan devised and student monitored.
4. Documentation placed in confidential file.

No

Student is counselled out of
program, repeats courses, granted
extention, other appripriate
intervention as determined by faculty
and student.

Improvement?

Yes

Student moves
forward in
program.

-4CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Professional Dispositions Rubric

Disposition
Acceptance of
Professional
Responsibilities
Attendance and
Punctuality

Professional
Performance

Personal Initiative

Flexibility and
Adaptability
Professional
Consideration
of Diverse
Populations

Professional
Communications

4
Outstanding

3
Competent

2
Needs Improvement

The candidate consistently demonstrates a
willingness to accept professional
responsibilities.
The candidate consistently demonstrates
an understanding of attendance and
punctuality in the performance of
professional responsibilities.

The candidate frequently demonstrates a
willingness to accept professional
responsibilities.
The candidate frequently demonstrates an
understanding of attendance and
punctuality in the performance of
professional responsibilities.

The candidate consistently demonstrates
an appearance that is reflective of a
professional attitude in the performance
of professional responsibilities.

The candidate frequently demonstrates an
appearance that is reflective of a
professional attitude in the performance
of professional responsibilities.

The candidate consistently demonstrates a
willingness and ability to take personal
initiative in the performance of
professional responsibilities.

The candidate frequently demonstrates a
willingness and ability to take personal
initiative in the performance of
professional responsibilities.

The candidate sometimes or rarely
demonstrates a willingness to accept
professional responsibilities.
The candidate sometimes or rarely
demonstrates an understanding of
attendance and punctuality in the
performance of professional
responsibilities.
The candidate sometimes or rarely
demonstrates an appearance that is
reflective of a professional attitude in the
performance of professional
responsibilities.
The candidate sometimes or rarely
demonstrates a willingness and ability to
take personal initiative in the performance
of professional responsibilities.

The candidate consistently demonstrates
the flexibility and adaptability needed in
the performance of professional
responsibilities.
The candidate consistently demonstrates
the willingness and ability to listen to and
consider the needs, thoughts, and feelings
of diverse individuals within the
educational community in the
performance of their professional
responsibilities.

The candidate frequently demonstrates
the flexibility and adaptability needed in
the performance of professional
responsibilities.
The candidate frequently demonstrates
the willingness and ability to listen to and
consider the needs, thoughts, and feelings
of diverse individuals within the
educational community in the
performance of their professional
responsibilities.

The candidate sometimes or rarely
demonstrates the flexibility and
adaptability needed in the performance of
professional responsibilities.
The candidate sometimes or rarely
demonstrates the willingness and ability
to listen to and consider the needs,
thoughts, and feelings of diverse
individuals within the educational
community in the performance of their
professional responsibilities.

The candidate consistently demonstrates
the ability and willingness to
communicate in a professional manner
with learners and their families and within
the educational community in the
performance of their professional
responsibilities.

The candidate frequently demonstrates
the ability and willingness to
communicate in a professional manner
with learners and their families and within
the educational community in the
performance of their professional
responsibilities.

The candidate rarely or sometimes
demonstrates the ability and willingness
to communicate in a professional manner
with learners and their families and within
the educational community in the
performance of their professional
responsibilities.

4

Score

Revised 2/22/07

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Disposition

Acceptance of
Constructive
feedback

Reflection

4
Outstanding

3
Competent

2
Needs Improvement

The candidate consistently demonstrates
the need to accept, respond to, and adjust
teaching strategies based upon
constructive feedback and self-reflection
in order to improve professional
performance in and out of the classroom
throughout the teaching/learning
sequence.
The candidate consistently demonstrates
the willingness and ability to engage in
reflection in action of their knowledge,
skills and classroom practices as a
professional educator and to modify their
practices based upon this reflective
ability.

The candidate frequently demonstrates
the need to accept, respond to, and adjust
teaching strategies based upon
constructive feedback and self-reflection
in order to improve professional
performance in and out of the classroom
throughout the teaching/learning
sequence.
The candidate frequently demonstrates
the willingness and ability to engage in
reflection in action of their knowledge,
skills classroom practices as a
professional educator and to modify their
practices based upon this reflective
ability.

The candidate rarely or sometimes
demonstrates the need to accept, respond
to, and adjust teaching strategies based
upon constructive feedback and selfreflection in order to improve professional
performance in and out of the classroom
throughout the teaching/learning
sequence.
The candidate rarely or sometimes
demonstrates the willingness and ability
to engage in reflection in action of their
knowledge, skills and classroom practices
as a professional educator and to modify
their practices based upon this reflective
ability.

The candidate consistently demonstrates a
professional appearance.

Score

The candidate does not always exhibit a
professional appearance.

*Professional
Appearance

*Candidate dress should exhibit a professional appearance.
Dress slacks/skirts and shirts, blouses, or sweaters are acceptable.
Blue jeans, shorts, short skirts, cutoffs, overalls, military fatigues, T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, and sweatpants are not acceptable.
Clothes that are too tight and/or too revealing (i.e. midriff or cleavage showing) are not acceptable.
Jewelry and body piercing should be kept at a minimum to avoid injury to the children and the student.

5

Revised 2/22/07

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CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Professional Dispositions Monitor

Student ___________________________________
Pre-Block _______________

Date __________________________________

Block _______________

Classroom Teacher _____________________

Student Teaching_______________

School______________________

Grade _________

Competency achievement:
O

Outstanding –exceeds expectations

C

Competent - meets expectations

N

Needs improvement

PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITIONS

4

3

2

1. acceptance of professional responsibilities ...................................................... O

C

N

2. punctuality ........................................................................................................ O

C

N

3. performance of professional responsibilities ................................................... O

C

N

4. ability to take personal initiative ...................................................................... O

C

N

5. flexibility and adaptability in performing professional responsibilities .......... O

C

N

6. consideration of the needs of diverse learners ................................................. O

C

N

7.

ability to communicate professionally with others ......................................... O

C

N

8.

acceptance of constructive feedback ............................................................... O

C

N

9.

responds to constructive feedback .................................................................. O

C

N

10. ability to engage in self-reflection and modification of practices ................... O

C

N

The candidate demonstrated:

11. professional appearance ..................................................................................
ATTENDANCE: Number of days missed

N

_______

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Do you recommend that this student receive additional field experience or other remediation prior to the
next field placement?
Yes ____________
No _______________

University Supervisor

Cooperating Classroom Teacher

Candidate Signature:

Date ____________________________
6

Revised 2/22/07