Background/Purpose PETE programs must assess skill level competencies of teacher candidates for accreditation purposes and student competencies. This can be problematic in large PETE programs when assessing skill during class time. The purpose of this study was to determine the skill abilities of PETE candidates in a large PETE program and their ability to collect accreditation data within regularly scheduled class time.
Method IRB approval was obtained and protocols were established to collect data from peers. Participants were teacher candidates (N = 117) enrolled in two required major/minor courses. Testing formats included peer checklists, peer administered skill tests and game play skill assessment. Teacher candidates were trained in the use of all assessment types. Faculty determined proficiency benchmarks and linked scores to Unacceptable, Acceptable or Target levels for NCATE purposes.
Analysis/Results Results were aligned with the game classifications of invasion (basketball and soccer) and net/wall (volleyball, badminton and tennis). Acceptable/Target skill scores were 95% for basketball, 98% for soccer. Acceptable/Target skill scores were 98% for volleyball, 95% for badminton, 90% for tennis.
Conclusions Three main conclusions can be drawn from this study. First, it is possible to collect skill data within large PETE programs and within the confines of a class. Second, teacher candidates can be taught to collect data and additionally will benefit from a better understanding of skill testing considerations. Third, as a form of program review, this method identified teacher candidates' skill strengths and weaknesses during both authentic and standard testing formats. This process can help inform teacher preparation program practices.