Evaluation of Preservice Teachers’ Internships: A Model to Encourage Career Continuity and Program Reform

Quality teacher evaluation is a complex subject, requiring complex methods that draw from multiple data sources (Peterson, 2000). Most importantly, preservice teacher evaluation should match teacher education objectives (Popham, 1993) and, ultimately, be used to inform teacher practices and reform educational programming (Darling-Hammond, 1990). The purpose of this study is to present an evaluation model that uses multiple data sources for a preservice teacher’s internship experience. This model is employed within a teacher education program at a large land-grant university; the multiple data sources match program objectives and draw parallels between preservice and inservice teacher evaluation tools at use in this particular state. The evaluation model incorporates two guiding objectives within this college of education’s mission statement—objectives that focus on performance and reflection. First, preservice teachers are educated to assume roles of leadership and service in classroom practice, and second, preservice teachers are taught to become reflective practitioners, The first objective is measured by using a research-based classroom observation rating form during the internship that closely resembles the tool used by the state-licensing department of education. The second program objective is measured through the use of portfolios. In addition to using the results from these instruments to advise preservice teachers regarding their professional growth, the data can also guide program development within the college and suggest programmatic reform, an often overlooked yet integral factor of personnel evaluation. Discussion of specific rating results per instrument and specific avenues for program development are presented.