Validation of a Formative Student Teaching Performance Assessment: Meeting State Standards

Abstract

Recent efforts undertaken to improve the quality of teachers in the state of Washington, have resulted in the development of pedagogical performance standards for student teachers. These standards are the result of a collaborative effort between the Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (WACTE) and the Office of the Superintendent (OSPI). These two groups have specifically attempted to create an instrument/standards that would enforce the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" and decrease the achievement gap. Student teachers are required to meet all of the standards while teaching p-12 students. Based on teacher preparation programs and the stage of teacher preparation of student teachers, an intermediary step is deemed necessary to ensure success in meeting the standards. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to 1) describe the Washington Performance Based Assessment; 2) examine the literature related to student teachers' perceptions, beliefs, educational needs, and pedagogical needs; 3) describe the development process and content validation of a formative assessment and its congruence with the state standards; and 4) describe the use and implementation process of the assessment using a laptop.