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Consortium For Research-Based And Equitable Assessments

With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Consortium for Research-Based and Equitable Assessments (CREA) was an initiative launched in 2021 to evaluate cut scores for entrance into educator preparation programs. Specifically, the Consortium seeks to examine the processes and considerations that states use to determine cut scores, and how they can be refined to attract, rather than exclude, potential teacher candidates.

Responsibilities

The Consortium’s responsibilities included, but were not limited to the following:

  1. Completing surveys to report on their state’s practices for establishing cut scores;
  2. Participating in qualitative interviews conducted by AACTE’s consultants;
  3. Actively participating in quarterly meetings to inform recommendations and guidelines for state leaders;
  4. Engaging in pre-work in preparation for quarterly meetings;
  5. Collaborating with state stakeholders during and between quarterly convenings;
  6. Disseminating the Consortium’s final recommendations and model state policies to state leaders and policymakers;
  7. Advocating for equitable practices that will attract diverse teacher candidates into educator preparation programs to address the shortage and diversity crises in the field.

State Teams

The Consortium is comprised of 14 state teams of educator preparation programs and state and local education agencies.

  • California – Cal State University San Bernardino
  • Delaware – Wilmington University
  • South Carolina – Claflin University
  • New Mexico – Western New Mexico University
  • Rhode Island – University of Rhode Island
  • Missouri – Lindenwood University
  • Wisconsin – University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
  • North Carolina – University of North Carolina-Charlotte
  • Minnesota – University of St. Thomas
  • Indiana – Indiana University-Bloomington
  • Ohio – Ohio University
  • Texas – Texas A&M International University/Texas A&M University System
  • Kentucky – University of Louisville
  • Tennessee – University of Tennessee-Knoxville

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Our Impact

The Consortium for Research-Based and Equitable Assessments (CREA) held focus groups with teacher candidates, in-service teachers, and faculty to better understand the impact of assessments required for entry into educator preparation programs, the experiences of students in managing these exams, how faculty are supporting students, and changes to policies to better support prospective teachers.

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The History, Current Use, and Impact of Entrance and Licensure Examinations Cut Scores on the Teacher-of-Color Pipeline

The Consortium for Research-Based and Equitable Assessments (CREA) project released a white paper to examine the history and baseline of entrance and licensure examination cut scores and its impact on the teacher-of-color pipeline. The paper addresses these three questions: (1) How are standardized entrance and licensure tests being used as a gateway into the profession? (2) Who determines cut scores for these tests? And (3) What are the historical significances and implications of these tests on the diversity of the profession today?

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