Students and Stakeholders Collaborating for the Public Good: Evaluating a Large-Scale, Alternative Teacher Education Program

• In Event: Evaluating Outcomes of Educator Preparation Programs: Data Sources and Measures

Abstract

In this study, graduate students and their instructors collaborated with organizational stakeholders to evaluate an Educational Studies (EDS) program and provide formative feedback for a forthcoming program redesign. As an alternative teacher education program, the EDS program provides knowledge and skills for individuals interested in educational careers outside traditional K-12 classrooms. The evaluation involved data collected from EDS organizational stakeholders, using survey research methods and archival institutional data. Evaluators used data to evaluate program trends, demographics, processes, outcomes, and strengths and challenges pertinent to further development and improvement of the EDS program. The evaluation approach also provided for a mutually beneficial and meaningful evaluation context in which graduate students and a variety of stakeholders engaged collaboratively to improve the program.

Authors

• Wendy Wakefield, Northern State University

• T'ata Roberts, Arizona State University

• Ivet Parra-Gaete, Arizona State University

• Kristi Glassmeyer, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Arizona State University

• Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University

• Clarin Collins, Arizona State University

• Esther do Lago e Pretti, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Arizona State University

• Garine Palandjian, Arizona State University

• Takeshi Terada, Arizona State University