A Curriculum-Based Alternative Value-Added Model for Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs

The reality of changing state and federal policy, as well as the process of program
improvement across teacher preparation programs has prompted a line of research into
the exploration of an alternative curriculum-based value-added model (VAM). Based
upon a thorough review of VAMs as they have been applied to education policy and
decision-making, this line of inquiry focused on a curriculum-based approach to
increasing our understanding of how the instructional efforts of our candidates affect the
learning gains of the K-12 students they teach. Designed to conform to the fundamental
principles of evidence-based practice, candidate and program level data for 109 student
teachers between 2013 and 2017 were analyzed. Results indicate that variation in K-12
students’ learning gains can likely be attributed to the instructional efforts of our special
education teacher preparation program (TPP) completers. Limitations, implications, and
directions for future inquiry across policy, practice, and scholarship are discussed.