Conceptual Framework
(Adopted Spring 2008)
The faculty of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, regionally focused and nationally recognized, is committed to Excellence through Innovation. We believe excellence includes the acquisition of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions and is demonstrated by the growth and renewal of ethical and caring professionals - faculty, staff, candidates - and those they serve. Innovation occurs through collaborative partnerships among communities of diverse learners who engage in creative and reflective thinking. To this end we continually strive to achieve the following competencies and values that form the foundation of the Conceptual Framework.
We value academic excellence in the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
- Acquire in-depth knowledge in subject matter;
- Acquire professional and pedagogical knowledge;
- Acquire pedagogical content knowledge;
- Use professional standards to develop and evaluate programs and guide practice;
- Use varied resources, including technology, to promote learning;
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in professional and community settings; and
- Engage in scholarship and research.
We value the use of evidence for the purposes of monitoring candidate growth, determining the impact of our programs, and informing ongoing program and unit renewal. To this end we foster a culture of evidence. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
- Acquire knowledge and skills in assessing those we serve, using various indicators including national, state, and institutional standards;
- Acquire knowledge and skills in identifying and selecting assessment approaches and measures that are reliable, valid, and fair;
- Develop skills in analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating data for the purpose of informing practice; and
- Use evidence from multiple assessments to inform and improve practice that will promote learning and growth of all pupils.
We value ethical practice and what it means to become ethical and caring professionals. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
- Articulate a code of ethics appropriate to professional practice and recognize its relationship to the realities of the contexts in which practice occurs;
- Assume personal responsibility for developing, articulating, and refining the values, beliefs, and assumptions that guide professional practice;
- Demonstrate attitudes and behaviors of caring professionals; and
We value collaborative partnerships within the College of Education as well as across disciplines with other CSUN faculty, P-12 faculty, and other members of regional and national educational and service communities. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
- Participate in intra- and interdisciplinary partnerships including the College of Education, university, and schools;
- Participate in extra-university partnerships with community agencies, other universities, and local, state, and national agencies with common interests;
- Collaborate with all stakeholders to support the learning and growth of faculty, staff, candidates, and those they serve; and
- Identify and use professional and community resources.
We value diversity in styles of practice and are united in a dedication to acknowledging, learning about, and addressing the varied strengths, interests, and needs of communities of diverse learners. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
- Foster a climate in which the meaning and implications of diversity are continuously defined, examined, and addressed;
- Respect and understand the conditions and contributions of communities and schools, and of families from all backgrounds;
- Develop, use, and promote positive interpersonal skills in an open and inclusive process for making decisions and achieving consensus; and
- Accept responsibility and accountability for shared decisions and actions of members of the academic and service community.
We value creative and reflective thinking and practice. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
- Engage in continuous reflection;
- Participate in ongoing professional development;
- Receive feedback and consider implications for practice and program renewal;
- Refine professional competencies through collegial interaction; and
- Solve problems, make decisions, facilitate change, and produce knowledge in new and creative ways.
