Educator Preparation Program Perceptions of a State's Accountability System: A Mixed-Methods Study

The turn toward public accountability for educator preparation programs (EPPs) has been met with both optimism that public scrutiny will improve the quality of teacher education and concern over a perceived disconnect between public accountability tools and effective teacher preparation. This study examines the impact of the accountability metrics of the Tennessee Educator Preparation Report Card--one of the earliest public-facing EPP accountability tools, increasingly implemented by other states throughout the United States. This study uses an embedded mixed-methods research design to explore Tennessee EPP leaders' perceptions of the Report Card's strengths, weaknesses, utility, validity, and impact on program planning. Data instruments included questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, public-facing state report card or dashboard websites, and supporting documents. Findings suggested that EPPs are not opposed to accountability as previous literature indicated, but that EPPs embrace accountability and desire an equitable and valid evaluation. Findings also suggested that there is a relationship between an EPP's performance ratings and their perceptions of the Report Card based on specific EPP contexts and other factors. This study adds to the growing body of literature on state accountability measures and their effectiveness. EPP input into the state-mandated reports offers insight into the complex networks that impact accountability metrics and informs the policies that mandate those metrics. This study is significant because it could foster greater collaboration between state policymakers and EPP leaders to establish better quality systems of evaluation that can strengthen teacher preparation and ultimately increase student achievement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]