Variations in Teacher Preparation Evaluation Systems: International Perspectives
Abstract
"The purpose of this paper is to review how countries other than the United States assess teacher preparation program quality. The key idea is to clarify how existing systems-- accreditation, state program review, federal approaches, ratings or rankings, and program self-study, among others--map against the common purposes of evaluation (1) to provide diagnostic information for program self-improvement, (2) to provide accountability data for external monitoring, and (3) to provide consumer information. We begin by briefly describing the global context for evaluation of teacher preparation programs and provide an overview of institutional mechanisms that are used in other countries to evaluate these programs, including a brief description of how specific evaluation systems are designed or carried out, their strengths and weaknesses, and possible purposes and uses of data resulting from these systems. We then look at specific country cases. The paper attempts to address applicable issues, critiques, and lessons learned from other countries experiences that are relevant to evaluating teacher preparation in the United States. This paper is part of a larger project seeking to understand the range of institutional mechanisms for evaluating U.S. teacher preparation program quality, including their intended purposes and uses, and the evidence used for and emerging from such evaluations."
