Teacher Preparation Program Accountability :
Michigan

Analysis of Michigan's policies

Michigan's approval process for its traditional and alternate route teacher preparation programs could do more to hold programs accountable for the quality of the teachers they produce.

Michigan utilizes Teacher Preparation Performance Scores for its traditional programs, which, according to the state, will someday include a "teaching success rate." Defined as the number of new teachers from the program who have been evaluated as at least satisfactory, divided by the total number of teachers who were placed during that focus year and for whom a rating was received, this longer-term factor is expected to be added later, and will be implemented over time. Although the state's new teacher evaluation system requires that student growth be a significant factor (see Goal 3-B), it is unclear at this time how the teaching success rate will specifically consider academic achievement gains of students taught by the programs' graduates, averaged over the first three years of teaching.

The state relies on other objective, meaningful data to measure the performance of traditional teacher preparation programs. Current components of Michigan's Teacher Preparation Performance Score are test pass rates (30 points), program review (10 points), program completion (10 points), survey of candidates and supervisors (10 points), and institutional responsiveness to state need (10 points). 

The state also appears to apply transparent, measurable criteria for conferring program approval. A program that scores 52-55 points is deemed "at-risk"; one that scores below 52 points is "low performing." Low-performing programs have two years to improve before penalties are imposed.

Commendably, Michigan makes its findings available by posting the data and program grades on its website.

For its alternate route, Michigan requires programs to report how many teachers were certified under each program and how long participating teachers served in the classroom and to compare the evaluations of participating teachers and teachers with traditional certification. A report is published on the state's website, but the published data relate primarily to enrollment and do not seem to have been updated since 2009.

Citation

Approved Performance Criteria http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Performance_Scores_Approved_10_07_217100_7.pdf Public Act 212 of 2008 Section 503 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/CMU-WSU_ARC_Report_2009_270920_7.pdf Title II State Reports https://title2.ed.gov

Recommendations for Michigan

Collect data that connect student achievement gains to teacher preparation programs.
To ensure that programs are producing effective classroom teachers, Michigan should consider academic achievement gains of students taught by the programs' graduates, averaged over the first three years of teaching.

Gather other meaningful data that reflect program performance.
Although Michigan relies on some objective, meaningful data to measure the performance of teacher preparation programs, the state should expand its current requirements for traditional teacher preparation programs to apply to alternate route programs and include additional metrics, such as five-year retention rates of graduates in the teaching profession.

Establish the minimum standard of performance for each category of data for all teacher preparation programs.
Michigan is commended for setting standards for performance for its traditional teacher preparation programs. The state should apply such standards to its alternate route programs, which should also be held accountable for meeting established standards and face articulated consequences for failing to do so, including loss of program approval after appropriate due process.

State response to our analysis

Michigan recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.