Evidence in teacher preparation - Establishing a framework for accountability

This article reports on a survey examining the state of knowledge and practice about how universities provide evidence of the effectiveness of their programs to schools, parents, policy makers, and the public. The project asked three questions: What is happening? What is promising? What is believable? The survey focused on two areas: results and outcomes, and issues in measurement. Data from this study reveal that state colleges and universities are expending extraordinary energy and resources assessing prospective teachers and compiling data about teacher preparation programs. The survey data uncover the myriad issues that confound the data collection process, the difficulties around establishing validity and reliability, and the extraordinary demands placed on programs to produce data for a variety of constituencies. Recommendations are made for the development Of a national framework for evidence, guidelines that institutions can use to proactively develop data systems that promote a culture of evidence on their campuses.