Evidence of Cultural Competence Within Teacher Performance Assessments

Abstract

Professional integrity and changing demographics in the public school system in the United States coupled with standards for teacher preparation require that preservice teachers possess knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to work with diverse populations. Using the Teacher Work Sample, a plan for instruction serving as a teacher performance assessment, the research examines the document for evidence of cultural competence. Student descriptions, reflections, and lesson plans provide evidence of preservice teacher dispositions and attitudes toward diverse students. The research revealed that work samples fell into four distinct categories depicting different levels of competence ranging from static to proactive. Data collected generated a rubric suggesting the placement of preservice teacher work on a continuum of development in the area of cultural competence.

Professionalizing Teacher Education Accountability

“…While PACT has been shown to have internal structure validity (Duckor, Castellano, Téllez, Wihardini, & Wilson, 2014) and claims that involvement in PACT has led to teacher education program improvement (Peck, Galluci, & Sloan, 2010), questions have been raised about its value in adequately assessing culturally responsive pedagogies (Ajayi, 2014) and cultural competence (Dee, 2012) and about its suitability and applicability in some subject areas, such as arts teacher preparation programs (Parkes & Powell, 2015). Research on the effects of the PACT link it to improved K-12 student learning and achievement (Liu & Milman, 2013;Pecheone, Pigg, Chung, & Souviney, 2005), and claims are made that it could improve teacher educator and candidates' practice and that the scores from the assessment could predict teachers' later effectiveness (Darling-Hammond, Newton, & Wei, 2013;Newton, 2010) The main issue in our view is to develop a research program in teacher education that can address the variety of questions that investigators seek about teacher education and its connections to the various kinds of outcomes important to society.…”