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We have recently experienced flooding in Mashburn Hall that caused damage to the offices in the Departments of Teaching and Learning, Leadership Studies, and Psychology. These office suites will remain closed until repairs are complete, which may extend through the semester. Please do not enter these areas.
In the interim, the following temporary office locations have been established:

Teaching and Learning: Dr. Freed (Mashburn 134), Ms. Suits (Mashburn 150C), and Mr. Ward (Mashburn 150C)
Leadership Studies: Dr. Whittingham and Ms. Escamilla (Mashburn 230)

Several classrooms were also affected. Classes held in Mashburn 115, 231, and 233 have been relocated. Students should contact their instructors for updated room assignments. Faculty who hold office hours in the affected spaces will conduct them virtually. In-person meetings can be scheduled, with locations to be determined. We are working to restore phone service in the temporary offices and will provide updates once the lines are active.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we address these disruptions.

COE Efficacy Proficiencies

EPP Efficacy Proficiencies*

The University of Central Arkansas College of Education (UCA COE) promotes every educator’s sense of professional efficacy. Professional efficacy influences an educator’s sense of responsibility and confidence in supporting the academic growth and development of all learners. The UCA COE and its candidates are committed to supporting the success of all learners, recognizing and responding to individual differences in background, experience, and perspective. Candidates engage learners in authentic practices that develop awareness, understanding, and respect for individual differences and their relevance to effective teaching, learning, and schooling through enacting the proficiencies established by the UCA COE to guide candidate practice.

  1. Demonstrate efficacy by adapting planning and practice to meet learner needs and by advocating for learners. (TESS 1)

    • Plan for all learners as individuals with differing backgrounds, abilities,  perspectives, languages, and dialects to achieve at high levels; persist in helping  each learner reach full potential 
    • Design learning experiences using strategies that build on learners’ individual strengths, self-direction, and ownership of learning 
    • Differentiate instruction and assessments for use with each learner’s strengths to  promote growth and development 
    • Modify and accommodate teaching, learning, and schooling for relevance,  accessibility, and rigor 
    • Analyze assessment data for patterns that emerge specific to learner subpopulations and to minimize bias within assessments. 
  1. Promote harmony within the classroom and among family, school, and community spheres of learning; build local and global learning communities; and respect and value individual and group differences within all communities. (TESS 2) 
    • Respect families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations; seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals. 
    • Work with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments. 
    • Use technological tools, techniques, and a variety of communication strategies to build local and global learning communities that engage learners, families, and colleagues. 
  1. Use multiple perspectives to enhance learning and relationships. (TESS 2, 3) 
    • Reflect on personal assumptions and seek resources to better understand learners’ backgrounds and experiences in order to build stronger relationships and design meaningful learning experiences.
    • Incorporate how personal background, perspectives, and prior experiences influence perceptions and expectations in the learning environment. 
    • Bring multiple perspectives to the discussion of content, including attention to learners’ personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms and acknowledge and appropriately respond to assumptions or misunderstandings that may affect the learning environment.
  1. Respect each learner’s culture and language and the influences on learning;  incorporate tools of language development into planning and instruction of content.  (TESS 3) 
    • Acknowledge each learner’s cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development influences on learning; make instructional decisions that build on learners’ strengths and needs. 
    • Incorporate tools of language development into planning and facilitation of curricular content, instructional strategies, and assessment techniques, including strategies for making content accessible to English language learners and for evaluating and supporting all learners’ development of English proficiency. With the assistance of ELL  personnel, seek to evaluate English language learners’ prior content knowledge.
  1. Advance cultural competence to increase learner engagement and achievement and enhance teacher self-efficacy. (TESS 4)
    • Reflect on practices, maintain records, and communicate frequently with learners and families in ways that respect and support learners’ cultural characteristics, academic strengths and challenges, and social interactions. 
    • Collaborate with colleagues and attend professional development related to advancing cultural competence and incorporate new cultural competence into practices. 
    • Strengthen connections between and among classrooms, homes, and communities and seek resources to enrich curriculum, instruction, and assessment. 
    • Distinguish and articulate the significance of students’ educational benefits and impact of varied learner backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

* Approved by EPP Fall 2025.

EPP Efficacy Proficiencies – Updated Fall 2025