Evaluating and Improving Teacher Preparation Programs

The National Academy of Education (NAEd) has undertaken a three-year study funded by the Gates Foundation focused on the evaluation and improvement of teacher preparation programs. The project aims to identify best practices among existing models of evaluation tools and provide recommendations for the development of new models. Under the direction of an interdisciplinary steering committee of researchers and practitioners in teacher education, the project outcomes will be made applicable and accessible to different stakeholders, including state and federal agencies, teacher preparation programs, practitioners, and researchers.

As the first step, this initiative has re-published the 2013 NAEd report on teacher education as a website that provides research-driven tools and information for stakeholders interested in evaluating and improving teacher preparation programs. Although the information on the website is based on data collected during the writing process of the 2013 NAEd report, the website provides interactive tools and features as well as highlights key information for stakeholder groups including the federal government, state governments, national accreditation agencies, media and other independent organizations, and teacher preparation programs.

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2013 NAEd Report Re-Published

 

Evaluation of Teacher Preparation Programs

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As part of the project outcomes, the writing team is currently in the process of drafting a commissioned paper series on key aspects of teacher preparation that examines the relationship between teacher preparation and instructional quality. The commissioned paper series will examine the following eight areas:

  1. Links Among Teacher Preparation, Retention, and Teacher Effectiveness
  2. Landscape of the Students Attending Teacher Education Programs
  3. Landscape of Teacher Education Programs and Evaluation Systems
  4. Best Practices for Evaluating Teacher Preparation Programs
  5. Evaluation of Clinical Component of Teacher Education Programs
  6. Teacher Performance Assessments
  7. Best Practices for the Use of Survey
  8. International Insights on Evaluating Teacher Education Programs

The eight commissioned papers will culminate in a peer-reviewed consensus study that identifies best practices and provides recommendations for developing new models of teacher preparation evaluation and improvement.

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

  • Linda Darling-Hammond (Co-Chair)
    Learning Policy Institute 
  • Kenneth Zeichner (Co-Chair)
    University of Washington
  • Shari Albright
    Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation
  • Eva Baker
    University of California, Los Angeles
  • Deborah Ball
    University of Michigan
  • Eric Brown
    National Education Association
  • Robert Floden
    Michigan State University
  • Gloria Ladson-Billings
    University of Wisconsin
  • John Papay
    Brown University
  • Mary Sandy
    California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
  • Marla Ucelli-Kashyap
    American Federation of Teachers

CONTACT

Amy Berman, Deputy Director

Dian Dong, Program Officer, Research

The project and research is supported by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The opinions expressed are those of the NAEd and authors and do not represent views of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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