Teacher Education Assessment Systems: State-Wide Changes Over Ten Years

Abstract

Assessment could not be done without an organized infrastructure of personnel and software. This study examined this infrastructure in educator preparation programs (EPPs) across one state in the southeast United States. The results are compared to a similar survey conducted in the same state ten years ago to identify changes over time. Several findings emerged. Personnel leading assessment efforts in EPPs have assessment as only one of several other job duties they perform. A variety of assessment management systems (AMSs) are used across institutions, with most in use for over a decade. EPPs tend to use their AMS to collect student artifacts and enable the evaluations of those artifacts, then export this data to other software for analysis and reporting. The primary need in assessment systems is (and has been for some time) additional personnel resources. Implications of these for both EPPs and AMS vendors are discussed.