Partnering with School Leaders: Principal Assessments of Completers

Abstract

Analysis of one measure in on-going case-study of completer impact on P-12 students, employer satisfaction, has revealed core themes that speak to pedagogical practice and professional dispositions as well as a potential shift in what school leaders consider essential for student and teacher success in the classroom. This work underscores the importance of partnerships and collaboration with education stakeholders in collecting meaningful data to inform continuous improvement within teacher training programs. Findings suggest that a different set of aptitudes, beyond pedagogy and subject disciplines, may need to be measured for their effect on teacher effectiveness to counter previous claims that pre-service training does not contribute to teacher’s ability to increase student achievement.