In a new book-length analysis, the National Academy of Education finds that current systems to evaluate teacher preparation programs typically use proxy indicators, such as incoming entrance-exam scores or course syllabi analyses, that do little to inform programs on how to better prepare teachers.
“Just doing an evaluation of a program doesn’t make it better,” said Robert Floden, a study co-author and the director of the Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning at Michigan State University, in East Lansing.
The report sets out a framework for next-generation evaluation systems, incorporating ways to hold programs accountable, provide consumer information to student-teachers and their potential employers, and support improvements in teacher education overall.
