Preparing Teachers Building Evidence for Sound Policy (2010) / Chapter Skim
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8 Accountability and Quality Control in Teacher Education
8 Accountability and Quality Control in Teacher Education
Pages 153-172
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From page 153... ...
The next question to ask, then, is how these conclusions can be useful to policy makers in holding teacher education preparation programs accountable for the quality of the education they provide. Before discussing the utility of our conclusions for this purpose, we consider more broadly the accountability mechanisms in public education and teacher preparation.
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From page 154... ...
States and professional accrediting bodies exert direct influence over the operations and content of teacher education programs. Certification and licensure policies affect teachers directly, but they also affect preparation programs, which have the goal of certifying their graduates in particular areas and preparing them for the tests that states require of prospective teachers.
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From page 155... ...
For these reasons, we determined that a report on teacher preparation programs would be incomplete if it did not address accountability mechanisms. We look first at accountability mechanisms that affect teachers directly.
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From page 156... ...
, but they also reflect the values and views of faculty in both colleges of education and disciplinary departments. There is no centralized source of information about state requirements or the content of teacher preparation programs currently offered in the United States.
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From page 157... ...
. For tests of professional knowledge to provide valid information on which to base accountability systems, they will need to be aligned with scientifically based research on student learning and instructional practices.
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From page 158... ...
That is, program approval allows for graduates of particular programs that meet state criteria to be automatically recommended for individual certification at the program's discretion. State departments of education set program approval requirements and stipulate the review process for program approval, which typically involves an initial registration process and ongoing reviews; this process may or may not be related to national accreditation reviews (National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, 2006)
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From page 159... ...
. However, we were not able to find any comprehensive documentation or analysis of the standards that states used in accrediting teacher preparation institutions.
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From page 160... ...
The variation in states' policies regarding accreditation is shown in Table 8-1. Some states have performance, or competency-based, processes, requiring that programs demonstrate how they ensure that prospective teachers have acquired the necessary knowledge and skill; others examine program outcomes, examining graduation, job placement, and retention rates.
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From page 161... ...
. SOURCE: Compiled from data available on the website of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, see http://www.ecs.org/html/offsite.asp?
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From page 162... ...
For example, elementary education programs are required to provide study (and specify each by listing the relevant college course numbers) that will permit candidates to obtain an 11-point list of pedagogical knowledge, understanding, and skills (e.g., human develop ment, learning, language acquisition; curriculum planning; technology)
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From page 163... ...
Teacher preparation institutions that are accredited through the regional agencies must demonstrate that they meet the standards of eligibility of the Commission of Higher Education and then go through a process of self-study determined by the regional agency and aligned with that agency's standards. The regional agency procedures may include paper reviews of program curricula; in other cases on-site reviews are conducted by teams of educators and others.
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From page 164... ...
base on which to make decisions about the quality of teacher preparation, any interested party can claim some reason for participating in accreditation visits and processes. In sum, teacher education program accreditation traditionally has been voluntary and has been conducted by states and national nongovernmental organizations.
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From page 165... ...
2. Candidate evidence of attainment of uniform core curricular content is as sessed and data is collected from coursework, field or clinical experiences, and on the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations.
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From page 166... ...
NCATE has six standards, detailed below. Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions: Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other school professionals know and demonstrate the content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and skills, pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills, and professional dispositions necessary to help all students learn.
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From page 167... ...
International Technology Education Association (ITEA) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
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From page 168... ...
It is also worth noting that some countries that perform at high levels on TIMSS, such as Singapore and Finland, provide financial support for teacher candidates and are recognized for their ability to recruit high-achieving students for teacher preparation programs. 1 The Netherlands offers teacher preparation in 12 public universities and 13 professional colleges; Australia has 35 institutions; and England has 123.
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From page 169... ...
As part of the broader research agenda on teacher education (discussed in Chapter 9) , we recommend research on developing valid means of establishing links between teachers' preparation and outcomes for students that could be used in accountability policies for teacher preparation programs.
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From page 170... ...
The evaluation should also include an assessment of the near- and long-term effects of these mechanisms on key processes and, especially, K-12 student outcome measures. On the second point, the evaluation should assess the extent to which the information gathered in accreditation reviews serves as a force for ongoing improvement at the program level and whether and how it could contribute to a broader knowledge base about teacher preparation.
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From page 171... ...
Whatever the answer to that question, it seems reasonable to ask that teacher candidates and teacher preparation programs be held to high standards and that the accountability system used be both professionally responsible and publicly credible.
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