The Center for Community and School Action Research (CCSAR)

Welcome! The Center for Community and School Action Research (CCSAR) conducts research and evaluation on programs and initiatives that impact children and the communities in which they live. To that end, our primary focus in the School of Education is to conduct the annual evaluation of all the Educator Preparation Programs at SCSU. This program evaluation consists of the administration and analysis of student, alumni and principal surveys; focus groups; and a review of test scores from performance based assessments, e.g., Praxis II, BEST Teaching Portfolio, and other assessment measures.

The purpose of this evaluation is to assess and measure the overall effectiveness and quality of the Educator Preparation Programs, and to ensure that SCSU continues to meet the standards set by all of its accrediting bodies, e.g., NCATE, the State Department of Education, and other specialty accrediting bodies for our various disciplines. To assist us in our efforts to evaluate the quality of our programs, CCSAR distributes surveys to all undergraduate/graduate/sixth year and doctoral students enrolled in an educator preparation program prior to graduation This survey provides students with the opportunity to give feedback and to respond to various statements regarding their classroom and field experiences while a student at SCSU. Space is also provided at the end of the survey for additional comments, thoughts, etc.

The School of Education faculty and administration are very interested in obtaining your feedback regarding how well you think your program has prepared you to practice as an educator, and hearing your thoughts and opinions regarding your educational and field experiences while at SCSU.

The completion of a CCSAR student survey is a requirement for all students who are seeking recommendation for certification. At the end of each semester, students will be invited to complete and return their CCSAR student survey to the Director of Student Teaching/Certification Officer located in Davis Hall. Completed student surveys will be anonymous. The Certification Office will collect and track who has completed and returned a survey by reading the name written on the outside of the envelope. CCSAR will then collect and analyze the surveys and prepare a written report for the Dean, School of Education.

Again, welcome to the School of Education. Please feel free to stop by and visit us in Davis Hall 103 if you should have questions regarding the Educator Preparation Program evaluation. To learn more about CCSAR and our exciting research projects, please view us at http://www.southernct.edu/CCSAR

Sincerely, Norris M. Haynes, Ph.D.
Director, CCSAR