The quality of graduate teachers is a significant concern for teacher educators, policymakers and the public. Initiatives regarding the quality assurance of initial teacher education (ITE) programs require critical examination to ensure that ITE programs develop proficient graduate teachers to meet the demands of modern classrooms. In this paper,…

The purpose of teacher preparation programs is to ensure that teachers are adequately equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to support the various educational needs of their students. Nevertheless, a call for a uniform process through which teacher candidates can demonstrate their ability to meet their students' educational needs using…

The edTPA, a national performance assessment for teacher candidates, has seen rapid adoption across the country since its development in 2009. Against the national backdrop of high stakes testing and accountability, the edTPA was developed to be an indicator of teachers' readiness to teach. The varying perspectives and responses to edTPA in…

A strong focus on teacher performance is resurfacing in teacher-preparation programs across the US. EdTPA, a teacher-performance assessment designed to determine K-12 teacher candidates' readiness for the classroom, has become central in teacher-preparation programs in several states and promises to be implemented in more states in the coming…

A study investigated the effects of training in cognitive monitoring on preservice teacher lesson planning. Planning and implementing lessons were more effective for prospective teachers training in cognitive monitoring. Implications for teacher preparation programs are discussed. (MT)

To assess the performance of student teachers, the authors describe two approaches to observation involving established observation inventories. Forty-nine competencies are identified, and results of student teacher performance are discussed and interpreted. (MT)

In order to determine if successful academic performance assures good teaching, four measures of academic achievement of teacher education graduates of Georgia State University from 1981 through 1984 were correlated with on-the-job performance assessments. Results are presented and implications for education policies are discussed. (Author/MT)

This study was designed to determine the feasibility of using the Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments (TPAI) to evaluate student teacher performance in northern Nevada by a more accurate and mutually acceptable method. Developed and validated by the University of Georgia, passing the TPAI is required for teacher certification in Georgia.…

Two student teacher evaluation methods used by the University of Toledo are the Classroom Observation Keyed for Effectiveness Research Instrument (COKER) and the Teacher Performance Assessment Instrument (TPAI). The COKER is an objectively administered low inference system for recording teacher and student interactions in the classroom. (The form…

Recent literature emphasizing the relationship of content knowledge to teaching performance has provided an inducement for some evaluators to use formal tests to assess teachers' understanding of subject matter. This study, conducted at a laboratory school connected with the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), examines the relationship…

The selection of students qualified for teacher education has many facets, only some of which are addressed by standardized tests and college grades. The purpose of the present study was to examine the American College Testing (ACT) Program Assessment, Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST), and college grade point average (GPA) as predictors of…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of teacher education graduates from the Department of Education and Psychology at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. A survey was sent to 148 randomly selected individuals from the graduating classes of 1985 through 1990. The former students were asked to assess their level of preparation for…

Results are reported of an investigation of the relationship between preservice teachers' cognitive developmental level and their ability to teach effectively during student teaching. Other variables, including teacher locus of control, SAT verbal and math scores, and teaching effectiveness, were also examined. Elementary (N=22), middle school…