Experiencing the implementation of NCATE 2000 standards: An analysis of assessment of teacher candidates in teacher education programs

The purpose of this study has been to learn about the experiences of teacher education programs going through NCATE 2000 accreditation standards about the assessment of their teacher candidates. The research questions focus on the teacher education programs' interpretation of the reform and its implementation, the challenges they encounter, and the outcomes they consider benefits. Two institutions volunteered to participate in the study. A total of 26 interviews with 10 informants, who played key roles in the reform processes, served as the source of the data along with the data from content analysis of the documents of Intuitional Report.; Informed by grounded theory, the analysis of the study was made using thematic categorization, discourse analysis, and content analysis. The findings of the study reveal: Output is impacting on K--12 learning. Though they remain important, curriculum and instruction are not seen as the guarantee for the production of effective teachers. Candidates' performance is the candidates' level of exhibited readiness to impact K--12 learning, which is an old idea with new vocabulary. Candidates' performance is assessed using performance-based methods, and yet paper-and-pencil tests will remain usable. Even though it is believed to be good, the idea of assessment based on impact on K--12 learning is considered less practical. Multiplicity is exercised by applying various assessments at many points, through the use of different forms of assessment, and with the involvement of internal and external sources of evidence. In terms of alignment, it is observed that content knowledge of pedagogical and subject area targets is assessed through the paper-and-pencil methods, whereas the actual teaching and related activities are assessed through the production of materials and actual engagement that are judged by demonstrable performances.; The challenges involved in the NCATE 2000 reform processes are: Lack of clarity and prevalence of confusion, prescriptive imposition, ambiguity and contradictions in the demands and requirements of the reform, the challenge of getting everybody on board in the spirit of the reform, and an overwhelming new role of doing assessment for faculty. NCATE gets praise for introducing a campus wide governing structure called teacher education council unit.