Journal of Education & Social Policy

Quality of Educator Preparation: How the California State University Collaborates to Prepare Education Professionals and Refute the Claims of Policy Makers
Colleen Torgerson, Paul Beare, Michael Spagna

Abstract
The educator preparation programs of the nation’s largest university system have continued to collaborate to evaluate and improve the quality of teachers they produce throughout a period of continual criticism from the United States Department of Education. This study describes the manner of this collaboration and compares the evaluation by graduated teachers and their employment supervisors to the characterization of the profession. Results from 12 years of data collection, with a total N surpassing 57,000, shows that over 81% of principals rated the graduates as well or adequately prepared as did 73% of the graduates themselves, figures nearly double those repeatedly quoted. Further, research conducted as part of the system collaboration indicates that three of the four major components of the United States Department of Education's proposed Title II regulations appear to be invalid.

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