Conceptual Framework

The Michael D. Eisner College of Education Conceptual Framework

Adopted May 2018

The faculty of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, regionally focused and nationally recognized, is committed to excellence, innovation, and social justice. Excellence includes the acquisition of professional dispositions, skills, and research-based knowledge, and is demonstrated by the development of ethical and caring professionals—faculty, staff, candidates—and those they serve. Innovation occurs through the leadership and commitment of faculty, and through collaborative partnerships among communities of diverse learners who engage in creative and reflective thinking. We are dedicated to promoting social justice and becoming agents of change in schools and our communities. We continually strive to achieve the following competencies and values that form the foundation of the Conceptual Framework.

1. We value academic excellence in the acquisition of research-based professional knowledge and skills. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
   • Acquire in-depth knowledge of subject matter (aligning with state and national curriculum standards when applicable);
   • Acquire professional and pedagogical knowledge;
   • Acquire pedagogical content knowledge;
   • Use professional standards and empirical research to develop and evaluate programs and guide practice;
   • Capitalize on advancements in technology to promote learning;
   • Communicate effectively using multiple modalities, including speaking/signing, writing, and digital media, in professional and community settings; and
   • Understand, apply, and engage in scholarship and research.
2. We strive to positively impact schools and communities. Therefore, we foster a culture of evidence to determine the impact of our programs, to monitor candidate growth, and to inform ongoing program and unit improvement. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
   • Develop knowledge and skills that research and evidence have shown to positively impact schools and communities;
   • 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;
   • Use evidence from multiple assessments to inform and improve practice that will promote learning and growth of all pupils; and
   • Engage in cycles of understanding, learning, application in the field, reflection, and revision of practice.
3. We value ethical practice and what it means to become ethical and caring professionals. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
   • Engage in inquiry about what it means to be an ethical and caring professional;
   • Adhere to 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, demonstrating, and refining the values, beliefs, and assumptions that guide professional practice; and
   • Demonstrate attitudes, dispositions, and behaviors of caring and ethical professionals in daily practice.
4. We value collaborative partnerships within the Michael D. Eisner College of Education as well as across disciplines with other CSUN faculty, P-12 educators and related professionals, 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 Michael D. Eisner College of Education and the university;
   • Participate in external partnerships with schools, 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.
5. We value people from diverse backgrounds and experiences and are dedicated to 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;
   • Move from acceptance of diversity, to appreciation of diversity, to becoming agents of change for social justice;
   • 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
   • Participate in and be accountable for shared decision making within the academic and service communities in a manner that contributes to supporting diversity.
6. We value creative, critical, and reflective thinking and practice. We commit ourselves to, and expect our candidates to:
   • Engage in continuous and critical reflection;
   • Participate in ongoing professional development;
   • Accept feedback and consider implications for practice and program renewal;
   • Refine and apply professional competencies through collegial interaction, including for candidates a variety of clinical practice experiences; and
   • Solve problems, make decisions, facilitate change, and produce knowledge in new and creative ways.