Existing Teacher Preparation Program Evaluations
Purposes of TPP Evaluations
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Existing TPP Evaluations
Entities Evaluating TPPs
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Sources of Evidence
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How to Develop a TPP Evaluation
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About the Report
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At various points, the same TPP may undergo different types of evaluation, each with its own purpose, data sources, methods, and consequences. A useful way to make sense of the complex landscape of TPP evaluation is to consider both the sources of evidence used to assess program quality and the entities doing the evaluation.
Interactive Tool: Attributes of Existing TPP Evaluation Systems
This table summarizes the five types of existing TPP evaluation systems in terms of the following elements: evidence, inferences, incentives, and consequences.Select one or more types of evaluation systems to change the table view.
| Types of Evaluation Systems | Evidence: Input Measures | Evidence: Output Measures | Inferences | Incentives for TPPs | Likely Consequences (intended and unintended) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Government | Admission requirements Student teaching requirements | Teacher certification test results | Proportion of students passing certification tests; average scale score for the program Whether the program has a minimum GPA or SAT/ACT admission requirement How much student teaching experience candidates are gaining Whether a TPP has been identified by the state as low-performing | Must comply in order to receive any federal funds | Very low-performing programs identified, encouraging states to take remedial action or move toward closure (intended) Gaming pass rates (unintended) |
| State Government | Varies by state; some use national accreditation process Some states use VAMs | Varies by state; some use national accreditation process Some states use VAMs | Program meets or does not meet state teacher education standards Other inferences vary by state | Maintain ability to recommend teachers for state certification by having “stamp of approval” from state If detailed data are made public, incentive to improve in areas of identified weakness | TPPs will be aligned with state standards for teacher education (intended) Programs may work to address areas of weakness identified (intended) Possibly more conformity and less innovation by programs (unintended) |
| National Accreditation | Admission requirements, program documents and policies, faculty qualifications, case studies, student teaching observations | Candidate performance assessments, teacher certification test results, hiring and retention, VAM if available, employer satisfaction surveys | Program meets or does not meet national teacher education standards Level of satisfaction of employers of graduates Program strengths and weaknesses, aspects of program that need improvement | National “stamp of approval” can help with recruitment of highly qualified candidates and faculty Often also serves as state approval If detailed data are made public, incentive to improve in areas of identified weakness | TPPs will be aligned with standards for teacher education (intended) Programs may work to address areas of weakness identified (intended) Possibly more conformity and less innovation by programs (unintended) |
| Media and Independent Organizations | Admission requirements, course offerings, syllabi, textbooks, student teaching observation instruments | Rating of programs according to performance categories (more nuanced information than pass/fail) Extent to which program requirements and course materials align with standards held by the organization | Prestige associated with being highly rated, which may draw stronger faculty and students, as well as support from state policy makers | Improvement due to increased competition and desire to improve ratings (intended) Overreliance on syllabi may create perverse incentives (e.g., to create impressive syllabi that do not reflect actual instruction) (unintended) |
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| TPP Evaluation for Program Improvement | Varies by study. Some use: course syllabi, student teaching observations, candidate work samples | Varies by study. Some use: candidate performance assessments, hiring and retention, VAM | Program strengths and weaknesses, aspects of program that need improvement | Strengthen the program | Program improvement (intended) Culture of evidence within the program (unintended) |