National Academy of Education Report on Evaluation Measures Underscores Validity, Multiple Measures of Assessment

(October 25, 2013, Washington, D.C.) – The National Academy of Education (NAEd) today released Evaluation of Teacher Preparation Programs: Purposes, Methods, and Policy Options, a report that aims to provide clearer information and direction around evaluation measures and systems in educator preparation.

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) commends the emphasis in the report on validity as the key principle to assess the quality of evaluation approaches. AACTE also agrees with the authors’ conclusions that program evaluation is critical but that it should not be the sole path to improvement, and that evaluation systems should be adaptable based on a program’s unique mission, goals and standards.

The report raises questions about edTPA, a multiple-measure assessment that evaluates the performance of aspiring teachers before they become teachers of record. AACTE continues to be confident about the efficacy of edTPA to answer the question, “Is this new teacher ready for the job?” The forthcoming analysis of edTPA field test results will help shed further light on its utility in evaluating both candidates and programs.

“The National Academy of Education report is right to stress the need for validity, reliability and integrity to guide our work as we determine the best way to measure educator preparation programs’ effectiveness,” said Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D., president and CEO of AACTE. “Bringing to bear the best research and scientific methods on this topic is essential. Moreover, AACTE appreciates the NAEd’s recognition of edTPA as an integral part of the conversation on program evaluation methods. We look forward to sharing data and analysis on the validity and reliability of edTPA as it becomes available.”

Learn more about AACTE’s work on edTPA here.

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AACTE: Serving Learners
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. AACTE’s reach and influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education. For more information, visit www.aacte.org.