EPPAC Meeting

February 1, 2000

Those Present: Donna Barksdale, Chris Whytsell, Gary Cross, Ron Nichols, Phili McClung, Cindy Kelley, Judy Higgs, Cindy Gissy, Linda Dunlap, Joe Badgley and Kim Fluharty

Those Absent: Dan Metz, Larry Keaton and Bob Harrison

Items Discussed:

C Introduced Ron Nichols and Cindy Gissy as new members to EPPAC.

C Education First Grant - we have received $52,833. This grant will help pay for two Cooperative Learning workshops being held on our campus for area schools working with WVU-P in conjunction with the Partnerships Project. This grant will also allow five area public school teachers to attend a workshop in Orlando, FL sponsored by Spencer Kagan that will certify them in cooperative learning. Of all the grants received by the State Department of Education, ours was ranked first.

C Eisenhower Grant - we have received our third Eisenhower Grant in the amount of $13,000. This grant will continue to fund the partnership we have with Fairplains Elementary.

C New Admission Requirements - 2.75 overall GPA, no grade lower than a “C” in any class required in the program.

C NCATE Review - Joe distributed a copy of the Proposed NCATE 2000 Unit Standards. The Unit Board will act on them in March. Right now the only issue that could be changed is workload - they have taken out the requirement for a twelve hour workload and student teaching supervision formula. The standards have gone from 19 to 6, however, each standard has several different elements. A discussion followed on how the standards have moved to more performance based criteria. The first standard now includes student dispositions, i.e., do they think, act and feel like a teacher. This can be addressed through the placement, interpersonal skills, professional commitment and diversity. We can also further develop our conceptual framework to include this. We now have to meet all six standards to be continued with full accreditation. If you have a weakness you are continued with conditions, with a review of the conditions in two years. Major weaknesses you are placed on probation and have to have the whole review again in two years.

C Math and Science 5-9 Specializations - the specializations were discussed - Ron Nichols made the motion to approve and Donna Barksdale seconded - all were in favor.