Building a dangerous outpost in the Green Mountain State: A case study of educator preparation policymaking

Authors

  • David J. McGough Northern Vermont University
  • Claudine Bedell Saint Michael’s College
  • Barri Tinkler University of Vermont

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.2848

Keywords:

teacher education, performance assessment, policy analysis, licensure candidate portfolios, case study, narrative methods, Vermont

Abstract

Poised at a bifurcation, the educator preparation community in Vermont faced either the adoption of a generic product for the assessment of initial educator licensure candidates or the comprehensive revision of a longstanding state-based assessment portfolio. Using a case study approach and narrative methods, specifically the Narrative Policy Framework (McBeth, Jones, & Shanahan, 2014), the authors analyze a project in which teacher educators intervened to shape the direction of educator preparation policymaking by designing an innovative assessment portfolio and a collaborative calibration system. The analysis reveals insights about the policymaking arena and demonstrates the value of education-related policymaking that includes teacher educators as active agents in collaboration with state personnel and policymakers. The case contributes to the notion of policymaking as a narrative process. In this case, a narrative of hope emerged as a guiding storyline.

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Author Biographies

David J. McGough, Northern Vermont University

David McGough is a Professor of the Social Foundations of Education and Education Research in the Education Department, and is Co-Director of the Educator Preparation Inquiry Collaborative. Formally a secondary math and computer science teacher, department chair, and licensure officer, he studies teacher education, practitioner inquiry, and educational policy.

Claudine Bedell, Saint Michael’s College

Claudine Bedell is an Associate Professor in the Education Department, Graduate Director, and is Co-Director of the Educator Preparation Inquiry Collaborative. Prior to her work in higher education, she was a middle school science and language arts teacher. Claudine’s research interests include personalized learning, teacher preparation, and classroom-based and large scale assessment.

Barri Tinkler, University of Vermont

Barri Tinkler is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Vermont.  Her research interests focus on service-learning in teacher education with an emphasis on social justice. She serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Research on Service-Learning in Teacher Education.

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Published

2018-03-12

How to Cite

McGough, D. J., Bedell, C., & Tinkler, B. (2018). Building a dangerous outpost in the Green Mountain State: A case study of educator preparation policymaking. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 26, 37. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.2848

Issue

Section

Navigating the Contested Terrain of Teacher Education Policy and Practice