An Exploration of Novice Teachers’ Core Competencies: Impacts on Student Achievement and Effectiveness of Preparation

• In Event: Understanding Variation in Teacher Education Programs: Features That Impact Teacher Learning

Abstract

This paper presents key findings from a study designed to understand teacher candidate’s learning of core competencies associated with student achievement. National and state licensure and accreditation requirements describe expectations for knowledge, skills, and dispositions presumed important to teachers' effectiveness. These represent "Core Competencies" (CCs). The project developed a research-driven framework to elaborate “CCs.” Then, in a multi-year endeavor, using surveys (upon exit, recent graduates, and faculty), analysis of program documents (screening tools, syllabi, assessments, classroom observation protocols), field observations and interviews, and statistical modeling, the study addressed two questions. First, can teachers' exposure to the CCs as taught in preparation be validly and reliably described and quantified? Second, what is the relationship between teachers' exposure to CCs and students' academic achievement growth?

The study includes approximately 1500 novice teachers (years 1-3) and their pupils in one US state. The teachers completed one of 18 different preparation programs, both university-based and district-based, and are teaching mathematics and/or reading/writing in grades 3 to 8. Students, whose data are linked to their teachers, represent diverse school settings and socio-economic and racial/ethnic status, including English language learners.

In year one, the team designed core competency descriptors from policy and research review, which served as common stems for surveys and basis for document coding. After administering the survey in 2012, the team evaluated reliability and validity (author, 2013). The team designed document coding protocols to assess each competency and to develop program CC profiles. Cross-data analysis has revealed important variation across programs in how competencies were addressed. While most institutions agree upon the importance of the core competencies conceptualized for this study, programs attend to these competencies in varying degrees and through different mechanisms.

In years two-three of the project, analyses are proceeding along two lines. First, a purposive sample of 32 novice teachers was selected based on program CC profiles and key features of school contexts where they teach. The team conducted classroom observations and follow up interviews in spring 2013 to better understand how teaching contexts mediated CC enactment. Second, in summer 2013, HLM analysis of students’ achievement growth scores was conducted on a subset of 900 teachers identified by program (for CC scores) and connected to their students’ data.

The presentation will highlight variation found across program CC profiles and then explore how those variations shape teacher performance and student learning in the classroom. In addition, much has been learned about interpreting data about teacher performance--in particular, school systemic processes and classroom contexts serve as important moderating and mediating variables that must be considered in order to make valid interpretations of the relationship of preparation to student outcomes. This study contributes to our understanding of program features that matter because the conceptualization and definitions of the Core Competencies offer a way to study teacher development and effectiveness across different types of programs (including potential alignment with PD supports) and to understand better the ways in which multiple measures are important to take contextual variables into proper account.

Authors

• Kent Seidel, University of Colorado Denver

• Jennie A. Whitcomb, University of Colorado - Boulder