Process vs. Product

The purpose of this case study was to determine if the common practice of Impact on Student Learning (ISL) projects, such as those found in the edTPA and TK20 systems, is adequately preparing preservice teachers to engage in the kinds of action research that are necessary for continuously improving classroom practice. In these projects, teacher candidates administer pre- and post-tests, then determine the efficacy of the lessons between by comparing the scores. While ISL projects provide exposure to assessment for planning, it leaves preservice teachers underprepared for the types of action research that are required for continuously improving classroom practice. Preservice teachers would benefit from additional experiences with research during their undergraduate education programs in order to increase their efficacy, and interest, in classroom research practices.

Evaluation Results of Initial Training Teachers Programs in Mexico Based on the Performance of Their Students

The study aimed to evaluate the proficiency levels of students of programmes of initial teacher training in the areas of planning, evaluation, use of ICT, didactics, and research competences in institutions of higher education in Mexico. The research approach used was non-experimental because there was not a deliberate manipulation of the variables. This papers was worked with a cross-sectional design. Initial teacher training programs evaluated based on the results of their students (521 subjects in total). For the collection of data was used a questionnaire to assess competencies and get information that would make the diagnosis of initial teacher training programmes. The instrument responded in a single application and it was composed of two sections: Respondents' general data and professional skills: structured under teaching domains of planning, assessment, management, ICT usage and research. Questions were evaluated using a scale of frequency of five degrees the scale used corresponds to a Likert-type.

Lesson Study as an Effective Performance-Based Measure of Teacher Effectiveness

The Japanese Lesson Study Model (JLSM) became a focus of much research after the publication of the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). The JLSM has various possible manifestations, but most forms of the model include three key elements – collaborative planning of one or more lessons that will be taught by all participants, delivery of the lesson with fellow teacher observers in the room or with videotaping, and collaborative analysis by participants of students work and the lesson delivery. This study presents quantitative and qualitative data from approximately 400 teachers who participated in a form of lesson study. The history and research basis of lesson study is presented, followed by the researcher's adaptation of the model for use in the university classroom and professional development courses, followed by an analysis of the impacts of the model on teacher participants.

Portfolios

Graduate level teacher candidates preparing to work with English learners participate in coursework related to theory and practice for many aspects of second language acquisition. In this presentation the author describes and discusses an innovative capstone project, completed in the context of the second language acquisition course, which conceptualizes and embodies performance-based assessments. What makes this exceptional is that teacher candidates demonstrate deep insight regarding the authenticity of using performance-based assessments with K-12 English learners while simultaneously connecting the concepts to their own pre-service teaching performance-based assessments; Portfolios2.

Performance-Based Assessment Evaluated by Croatian Preschool Teachers and Students

Performance-based assessment strongly relies on the observation of children's behavior, preschool teachers' objectivity and accuracy, and presents a significant part of documenting children's development. Therefore, the main aim of this chapter is to analyze the PBA-use and its evaluation by Croatian preschool teachers and students from the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka. 60 undergraduate students and 64 preschool teachers participated in this empirical research by filling out self-rated questionnaires. As it was expected, students and preschool teachers demonstrated positive attitudes toward PBA and its documentation in general and if it is applied (will be applied) in practice. However, the students' positive attitudes, satisfaction and perceived usefulness of PBA are significantly higher than those of preschool teachers. These last findings definitely imply the need for modifications of the policy of the preschool education system, as well as significant changes that should be done in practice and relevant study programs.

Supporting Teacher Education Candidates through the edTPA Process

edTPA is a performance-based, content-specific assessment process designed by educators to determine whether new teachers are ready for the job. This chapter provides a thorough description of how two departments at the University of North Carolina implemented edTPA in teacher licensure programs and how candidates were supported through the process. Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Foreign Language Education programs are described and implementation details of edTPA are provided. Formative supports for each program are presented. Finally, the chapter discusses future directions and next steps.

Preparing Elementary Education Teacher Candidates to Design Learning Segments

By program completion teacher candidates should be able to proficiently demonstrate the skills associated with the teaching profession. This includes their ability to design instructional units on a set of standards. This chapter describes the process of preparing teacher candidates to design instructional units as part of the edTPA performance-based assessment. Two specific course assignments that are completed during candidates' junior and senior years are described. Implications for teacher education programs include the significance of providing candidates with multiple experiences to develop the skills associated with the performance-based assessment and providing adequate feedback to candidates throughout the entire process.

Examination of Content Validity for edTPA

In this chapter, the authors examine the content validity of edTPA for middle grades and secondary mathematics and raise critical questions regarding the edTPA's emphasis on academic language and the required use of representation as part of the subject-specific pedagogy. The authors compare the edTPA description and published validity information to standards for validity and the mathematics education research base. The discussion suggests that there is limited evidence for content validity and more work is necessary to support characterizing the edTPA as research-based and correlated with increasing student performance. Future research is suggested for improving the implementation and validation of performance assessments along with discussion of implications for teacher education programs.

Using edTPA Data to Improve Programs

This chapter will share a model for teacher preparation programs to consider when attempting program improvement through the use of edTPA data. This model, regardless of the edTPA context, mandated or voluntary, provides a frame in which teacher education programs can begin using edTPA data for program improvement and can advance their data use towards transformative, institutional improvements. This additive model takes time, commitment, and vision in order to systematically create programmatic improvements. Performance assessment data provides the structure and information needed for units and programs to make these purposeful changes. The increasingly explicit culture of assessment in teacher education, in conjunction with the promise of valid and reliable performance assessments, invites teacher education programs to engage in third spaces with renewed focus.

Redesigning Teacher Education in the Context of Multiple Reform Initiatives

Numerous teacher educators are revising their programs by focusing on high-leverage practices (HLPs). Concurrently, edTPA has been adopted by a number of states as a way to assess teacher candidates' readiness to teach. There is considerable conceptual congruence in these reform strategies. Both are practice-based, focusing on the authentic work of teaching. Nonetheless, the origins of these strategies, language, and materials are not seamless. HLPs, and ways of teaching them, are generated by local teacher educators themselves; edTPA was developed on a national scale with one purpose being to provide a common assessment of readiness to teach. This chapter illustrates the collective efforts of one teacher education program to productively handle the challenges that emerge in this dual reform climate while simultaneously meeting accreditation association requirements, including a conceptual framework for educator preparation programs. A model is subsequently presented for meaningful integration of edTPA, HLPs, and institutional conceptual frameworks.