An assessment system for teacher education program quality improvement

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this study is to describe how one US Midwestern university implements quality principles, based on the value added premise in a teacher preparation program that yields accountability, teacher education standards attainment and ultimately improvement of teacher candidates and overall programs. Design/methodology/approach -Data pertinent to students were gathered in a systematic way as they declared a certification area. This data was used to identify students who needed tutorial support and class advisement to assure successful matriculation, program completion and success on identified critical assessments. The two assessments identified were teacher work sample (TWS) and the national physical education certification examination (Praxis II). Meaningful proactive advisement, data sharing and tutorial testing assistance program were the primary approaches used to improve teacher candidate competencies. Findings -Specific course modifications and curricular redesign resulted in positive results on the TWS and Praxis II. The results have been improved teacher candidate performance on knowledge, skills and dispositions measures. Research limitations/implications -As result of sharing data, a cultural shift occurred within the program. Faculty became more accountable to teacher candidate competency attainment and teacher candidates became more attuned to becoming an effective prospective teacher. Practical implications -Because this particular teacher education programs implemented quality principles, utilized the value added approach to management and systematically used data that yielded positive results, it has become a model for other teacher education programs. Originality/value -This study uses one program to provide examples of how management of accountability and standards attainment can lead to administrative, curricular, candidate and overall program improvement.

Do Student Achievement Outcomes Differ Across Teacher Preparation Programs? An Analysis of Teacher Education in Louisiana

“…These data also illustrate a potential process for providing TPPs feedback on the achievement of students taught by new graduates. These types of data provide one key element of continuous improvement models, the ability to obtain repeated measurements of a relevant meaningful outcome of interest (Reusser, Butler, Symonds, Vetter, & Wall, 2007). This is not to argue that it is the only outcome that should be of interest to teacher educators.…”

“…The difficulty of this task has highlighted a key challenge underlying this work. As with all value-added data, the results do not answer why a particular result occurred or what might be done to improve on it; rather, all it does is provide feedback on performance, focus program improvement efforts, and provide a benchmark that helps sustain a focus on continuous program improvement (Hart & Bogan, 1992; Reusser et al, 2007). It is interesting to note that at least two programs that engaged in the sort of self-study occasioned by the data identified plausible hypotheses regarding actions that they could and did take to improve their results.…”

Quality Management in Primary Schools

“…The principal is required to deploy strategies to advance school development and improvement, and maintain the quality change. Principal is also required to help teachers who develop their knowledge, skills (Reusser et al, 2007) and understanding of ICT which have had an influence on teaching and learning in the classroom. In addition, the school-level review process should be set up properly to improve the performance of their students.…”

Value-Added Assessment of Teacher Preparation

“…Although business and industry widely embrace CI as a way to learn from their behavior and create a competitive advantage (Stata, 1989), educational systems have been relatively slow to use the data they collect on a regular basis to engage in CI. Given that one critical element of CI is collecting repeated measurements of important outcomes (Reusser, Butler, Symonds, Vetter, & Wall, 2007), difficulties inherent in data collection and sophisticated statistical analysis have made CI difficult to implement in education.Although resource challenges historically have served as a barrier to outcomes-based assessments and CI approaches in education, systematic approaches to the evaluation of teacher performance in terms of student outcomes are increasingly evident in schools (Papay, 2010). The availability of databases that integrate student demographic data, disability data, achievement histories, classroom achievement, 579267I SCXXX10.…”

“…Although business and industry widely embrace CI as a way to learn from their behavior and create a competitive advantage (Stata, 1989), educational systems have been relatively slow to use the data they collect on a regular basis to engage in CI. Given that one critical element of CI is collecting repeated measurements of important outcomes (Reusser, Butler, Symonds, Vetter, & Wall, 2007), difficulties inherent in data collection and sophisticated statistical analysis have made CI difficult to implement in education.…”