Portfolio & Comprehensive Oral Exam

Overview: In their graduating semester, students must exhibit their mastery of the five program goals through the completion of an online portfolio and comprehensive oral exam. The purpose of the portfolio and comprehensive oral examination is to provide a capstone learning experience of the program. It is a summative evaluation of the student's professional growth and development during the M.Ed. program as students demonstrate mastery of the five program goals. Students turn in an online portfolio completed through Foliotek one week prior to the comprehensive oral exam date. The comprehensive oral exam consists of a 20-minute presentation displaying mastery of the program goals. This exam is not credit-bearing and thus students do not have to enroll in any courses to meet these final program requirements. However, all students must complete the exam to graduate.

Foliotek e-Portfolio: Foliotek is a software data management system (DMS) used in the assessment of your knowledge, skills, and dispositions relevant to program standards and objectives. You will be required to use your Foliotek account for the duration of your enrollment in the College of Education in order to upload required applications, course assignments, and other electronic evidences/evaluations as required. All students must register in the program portfolio that aligns with their degree plan. Registration codes and tutorials can be found on this site: /educator-preparation-office/foliotek. Contact Alyssa Strong (alyssa.strong@unt.edu) for assistance in setting up e-portfolio templates.

Comprehensive Oral Examination: Comprehensive examinations will typically be held in late September for Fall graduates, and the late February for Spring graduates. Students who complete their course work in Summer may request to complete the exam in the February before the final semester of classes or in the September after completing classes, but there will not be separate examinations scheduled except in extraordinary circumstances. Departmental deadlines for the completion of the exam are based on the requirements of the graduate school and may change based on reporting requirements. The facilitator for the M.Ed. program will announce the locations and more specific times for the comprehensive examinations at the beginning of the semester. The comprehensive exam period(s) will be two hours in length and attended by up to four students and three faculty assessors.

Policy and Procedures

Exam Date: Students should complete the comprehensive exam the semester course work is completed. Students will be contacted by the administrative specialist about the date for the comprehensive exam and make arrangements to attend at the scheduled time. Students should also check with the graduate school to register for graduation.
Exception Requests: Students must e-mail the program facilitator to request completion of the comprehensive oral exam at any other time than the date scheduled during their graduating semester. The request should include a detailed explanation of the reasons why the student cannot complete the exam at the scheduled time. The program facilitator will respond with a plan for completing the exam. Unless the circumstances were unavoidable, students will likely be advised to wait until the next scheduled comprehensive oral exam date to meet the requirement.
Exam Orientation: Prior to the semester in which the students intend to graduate, the students will attend an orientation to learn about the development of the portfolio and the specifications of presenting the comprehensive exam.
Foliotek and Program Goals: Each graduating student will prepare a portfolio using the Foliotek platform provided by the university. Access to the portfolio is found by going to my.unt.edu; ePortfolio module. The portfolio will be divided into five sections, each representing the five goals of the program. Into each of the five sections, the goal will serve as the descriptor for the sections. In each section, 1-2 artifacts from courses completed during the degree will be included as representative of addressing the attainment of the goal. In each of the sections, a narrative describing in detail how and why the artifact aligns with the attainment of the goal will also be included. The completed portfolio is submitted to the administrative specialist one week prior to the oral presentation. The administrative specialist will distribute the portfolios to the panel of faculty. Faculty will read the portfolio prior to attending the oral presentation.
Presentation Blocks: The exam will be administered in a block with all students presenting. Students should expect to attend the full block of time.
Presentation Time: Students will present to a group of faculty members and other students for a total of approximately 30 minutes. Students should prepare a 20-minute presentation and leave 10 minutes for answering questions. The presentation can be in the form of a PowerPoint, graphic organizer, pictures, or without digital visuals. As the presentation is organized, students should ensure the five goals are presented in 20 minutes in the time allotted.
Faculty Scorers: A minimum of three faculty members will score each student's exam using the rubric below. The program will attempt to ensure that a faculty member with expertise in the student's subject area (if within the LLBE, EDRE, or EDCI umbrella) evaluates the exam.
Results: Students will be notified by email within a week after the exam whether they passed, failed with the option to present additional documentation, or failed.
Additional Documentation: Students who fail with the option to present additional documentation during the same semester will have one week to present the additional documentation to the program administrative specialist. The materials will be reviewed by the faculty members who evaluated the original examination. The student will be notified of the committee's decision within two weeks from the original comprehensive exam. Submitting additional documentation does not count as an exam retake. Students who fail after submitting additional material will have the opportunity to retake the exam when it is next offered.
Exam Retakes: Students who fail the exam on the first attempt will have the option to retake the next semester in which it is offered. Students who only need to pass the comprehensive exam to graduate do not have to enroll in additional course work to retake the exam. Students will be allowed to retake the exam one time within one year of the first attempt.
Program Dismissal: Students who fail the exam twice will not be allowed to retake the exam and will be dismissed from the program.

FAQs about the Comprehensive Exam

What are the requirements that must be completed before M.Ed. students can take the comprehensive exam? Students need to be in good standing and must be in the last semester of course work.
When and where is the exam offered? The exam is offered on the UNT campus during non-business hours, but videoconferencing options may be available for distance learners. The time and place of the exam are announced at the beginning of the semester. During a two-hour exam period, up to four students will make 30-minute oral presentations.
How do students “apply” to take the exam? Students need to submit an application to take the exam to C&I administrative staff prior to the beginning of their final semester of course work.
What areas does the exam cover? The examination covers the five C&I program goals as they relate to the student's area of specialization.
How is the exam structured? The exam consists of a 30-minute presentation during which the student will demonstrate mastery of the five program goals. Presentations should be explicitly organized around the five goals. Comprehensive exam presentations are public and may be attended by program faculty and other students. Examinees should be prepared to answer questions about their presentations.
What formats are accepted for the presentation? Examinees should check with their advisor regarding the technology available for the comprehensive exam. In general, computers, projectors, and Internet access will be available in the meeting room.
How can a student best prepare for the comprehensive examination? Students should familiarize themselves with the exam requirements and rubric as they enter the program. Activities in the core courses are designed to support the program goals and can provide artifacts for the comprehensive exam. Students should consider the ways in which activities in their selected specialization and elective courses also promote these goals. Program faculty can assist students in identifying how course assignments support program goals and may be used for the comprehensive exam. Prior to the exam, students will complete a program goal chart to help plan for the comprehensive exam and to provide to faculty evaluators during the exam. Students should maintain copies of artifacts produced in classes, as well as feedback from instructors. Additionally, students may wish to maintain evidence of professional growth and achievements related to program goals, but conducted outside of courses. During the semester in which the student plans to complete the comprehensive exam, the student will prepare a presentation using artifacts collected during the program as evidence of progress toward program goals.

Rubric: Faculty will use a scoring rubric to evaluate students for the comprehensive exam. The rubric to be followed is below.

Goal	Description	Rating (Check One)	Evidence/ Comments
1. Teachers understand the relevance of research and theory to practice.	Can access, understand, evaluate, and use educational research and theory to improve practice. Understands several paradigms for educational research and interprets the meaning and applicability of reports of research. Uses theory to frame and reflect on the value and meaning of practice.	Meets expectations: Student clearly presents evidence that the goal was met in terms of knowledge, understanding, professional application, and reflection. Unsatisfactory:—Student presents inadequate or no evidence that the goal was met. Recognition of Excellence: Evidence indicates student has exceeded expectations for this goal.
2. Teachers understand major theories of curriculum and instruction both within and beyond the state curriculum.	Plans and implements learning experiences for students that meet multiple criteria that include community context, the teaching of challenging content, student engagement, and authentic assessment.	Meets expectations: Student clearly presents evidence that the goal was met in terms of knowledge, understanding, professional application, and reflection. Unsatisfactory:—Student presents inadequate or no evidence that the goal was met. Recognition of Excellence: Evidence indicates student has exceeded expectations for this goal.
3. Teachers can justify instructional decisions in terms of relevant research and theory, curriculum, and student needs.	Practice reflects responsiveness to context and culture, use of a systems approach to differentiation, and effective use of technology. Employs a variety of community building, teaching, and assessment techniques and reflects on the effect of their teaching.	Meets expectations: Student clearly presents evidence that the goal was met in terms of knowledge, understanding, professional application, and reflection. Unsatisfactory:—Student presents inadequate or no evidence that the goal was met. Recognition of Excellence: Evidence indicates student has exceeded expectations for this goal.
4. Teachers become agents of change in their school communities.	Understands current educational policy, how it is developed, and how teachers can have a voice. Has developed skills in advocating for children and youth and in engaging communities for educational equity and change.	Meets expectations: Student clearly presents evidence that the goal was met in terms of knowledge, understanding, professional application, and reflection. Unsatisfactory:—Student presents inadequate or no evidence that the goal was met. Recognition of Excellence: Evidence indicates student has exceeded expectations for this goal.
5. Teachers gain expertise and assume roles that strengthen the profession.	They participate in mentoring, curriculum development, professional development, study groups, and/or support the profession through other means.	Meets expectations: Student clearly presents evidence that the goal was met in terms of knowledge, understanding, professional application, and reflection. Unsatisfactory:—Student presents inadequate or no evidence that the goal was met. Recognition of Excellence: Evidence indicates student has exceeded expectations for this goal.
Number of goals met: _______________________________________/5 Circle One: Pass Resubmit Fail General Comments

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