William & Mary ScholarWorks

Welcome! William & Mary ScholarWorks preserves and provides access to the research and creative output of William & Mary's faculty, staff, and students.

UPDATE 18th JUNE 2025: Our repository has migrated from Digital Commons to Open Repository DSpace as of this summer. Additional updates and improvements will continue through the Fall semester. Thank you for your patience during this transition.

Recent Submissions

Open Access
Examining the Validity of a Student Teaching Evaluation Instrument
(2022) Hylton, Sarah; Joseph, Jacob; Ward, Thomas; Gareis, Christopher; Education
This study examines the validity of a student teaching evaluation instrument used in a teacher preparation program. Grounded in research-based conceptualizations of teaching and aligned to standards from relevant professional associations, the instrument is used to evaluate teacher candidates during their student teaching experience. To determine the instrument’s validity, we used exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to study responses from cooperating teachers, university supervisors, and student teachers. Findings partially confirm the validity of the instrument and indicate that the 30 competencies of the instrument comprise an invariant structure of four domains: planning, onstage teaching, assessment, and professionalism. Implications include instrument revision, the need for rater training, and further exploration of curricular alignment. Keywords: evaluation instrument, student teaching, validity
Open Access
Performance Assessments: A Review of Definitions, Quality Characteristics, and Outcomes Associated with Their Use in K-12 Schools
(2018) Bland, Lynne; Gareis, Christopher; Education
After nearly two decades of federal and state accountability requirements relying on conventional standardized assessments, Virginia and several other states are moving to create more balanced approaches to statewide assessment systems that include the use of performance assessments. But Palm (2008) states, “Performance assessment can mean almost anything” (p. 3). This review of extant literature explores varying ways performance assessments are defined, characteristics of quality performance assessments, and educational outcomes associated with their use in K-12 schools. A rudimentary definition of performance assessment is established at the outset of this article to provide a foundation for undertaking the review, which includes sources from empirical, theoretical, and anecdotal literature. Drawing from the exploration of quality characteristics and evident educational outcomes, a refined definition of performance assessments is offered by way of conclusion to the article with the intent of providing some direction to current and future educators seeking to innovate assessment and accountability practices.
Open Access
Assessment Literacy for Teacher Candidates: A Focused Approach
(2015) Gareis, Christopher; Grant, Leslie; Education
The assessment of student learning has always been an integral element of the craft of teaching; however, contemporary demands for demonstrable student growth and teacher accountability have heightened the importance of this domain of professional responsibility. Additionally, there is evidence that many novice and experienced teachers tend to be relatively weaker in this domain as compared to other areas of professional practice, such as instructional planning, instructional delivery, and classroom management. This article describes an approach to developing the assessment literacy of teacher candidates in a nationally accredited, public university. A definition of assessment literacy and a conceptual framework for the foundational knowledge and skills of assessment literacy are presented and explained within the context of a focused, one-credit course for pre-service general education teachers. Evidence of impact is provided, as are limitations and cautions. The article concludes with grounded insights into the need to develop the assessment literacy of teacher candidates. Keywords: assessment literacy, teacher candidates, teacher preparation
Open Access
Investigating Student Teacher Outcomes of a Clinical Faculty Program
(2012) Gareis, Christopher; Grant, Leslie; Education
Twenty-five years ago, the Commonwealth of Virginia established the designation of clinical faculty to describe experienced in-service teachers who hold adjunct faculty status by virtue of their selection, training, and expertise in contributing to the preparation of new teachers in university-based education programs. This study investigated whether clinical faculty training is correlated with differences in the mid-term and final performance evaluations of student teachers in two groups: those mentored by trained clinical faculty and those mentored by untrained cooperating teachers. Findings suggest that clinical faculty training is associated with more effective assessment and feedback practices by clinical faculty, as well as with stronger overall performances of student teachers. Implications for building the capacity of untrained cooperating teachers through the culture created within partnership schools are also explored.
Open Access
Reported Experiences of School Counseling Site Supervisors in a Supervision Training Program
(2018) Merlin-Knoblich, Clare; Harris, Pamela; Chung, Sharon; Gareis, Christopher; Education
Many professional school counselors regularly serve as site supervisors to school counselors-in-training, despite never receiving formal supervision training. Using a phenomenological approach, the researchers explored school counseling site supervisors’ (N = 15) experiences in a clinical faculty school counseling university supervision training program. Findings included reported enhanced knowledge of supervision models and increased intentionality in supervision. Overall, participants’ experiences suggest meaningful outcomes associated with a counselor educator-led supervision training program for school counseling site supervisors. Keywords: supervision, school counseling, professional development