learning, and teaching practices” (p 742). The findings from the program evaluation will provide
ideas for how other teacher educators may want to revise their own programs.
E. Implication for Action:
The program evaluation of our three programs has prevented us from “jumping the chasm
in two leaps.” The results have provided critical feedback for program modification including the
need for greater focus on working with English language learners, diverse populations,
classroom managements, and managing and analyzing formal assessment, especially data from
state tests. Dissemination of reports will assist other teacher preparation programs and
educational researchers in the development of high quality teachers for optional routes to teacher
certification and provide strategies for program evaluation that contributes to data-informed
decision making.
Section II: Outcomes and Methods
A. Learner/participant outcomes:
The learner/participant will learn:
•
Characteristics of two innovative optional routes to teacher certification;
•
How results of a program evaluation using a casual-comparative design informed the
revision and change of all three programs involved;
•
Characteristics of teacher candidates who entered the three licensure programs and
contributed to graduate success;
•
Characteristics of the program components that led to success and quality teaching
•
Problems and caveats of tracking 1
st
and 2
nd
year teacher graduates and challenges in
studying the teachers’ impact on student achievement in their classrooms.
B. Methods:
Each presenter will share her/his role in the program evaluation and the results of the various
data collected and analyzed. Participants will be invited to engage in our discussion, to provide
peer review of our work, and to share their experiences and concerns. Handouts will be
distributed to participants for review and follow-up.
References
Cochran-Smith, M & Zeichner, K. (Eds.). (2005). Studying teacher education: The
3
Convention