Appendix A Research Questions

Appendix A. Table of Research Questions, Data Sources, Analytic Approach, and Outcomes of Interest

Exhibit 1. Evaluation Questions, Data Sources, Analytic Approach, and Outcomes of Interest

	Data Sources	Analytic Approach	Outcomes of Interest
Impact Evaluation
Primary Research Question
What is the impact on student achievement of teachers who choose to enter teaching through a traditional university-based teacher preparation program that includes promising preparation features versus those teachers who choose to enter teaching through university-based programs that have more typical features?	Study-administered math and reading assessments at beginning and end of school year School records data Teacher survey data Teacher preparation program data on clinical practice features	Impact analysis Sample size: 5000 students taught by 200 teachers in100 schools	Reading and mathematics achievement
Secondary Research Questions
Among the teachers studied, what are the core features of their teacher preparation? In particular, to what extent does preparation vary on dimensions of clinical preparation?	Teacher survey data Teacher preparation program data on clinical practice features	Descriptive analysis Sample size: 200 teachers	Clinical practice features of teacher preparation programs
What is the impact on the classroom practices of novice elementary school teachers who experienced intensive clinical practice as part of their preservice teacher preparation program that they chose to attend compared to novice elementary school teachers who did not have the same experience as part of their preservice teacher preparation program that they chose to attend?	Classroom observation data Teacher survey data Teacher preparation program data on clinical practice features	Descriptive analysis Impact analysis Sample size: 200 teachers	Classroom practices
What teacher preparation features (such as opportunities to teach throughout the preparation program, extent or nature of the clinical practice, and structured feedback during clinical practice) are associated with teacher effectiveness?	Study-administered math and reading assessments at beginning and end of school year School records data Teacher survey data Teacher preparation program data on program features	Relational analysis Sample size: 5000 students taught by 200 teachers in100 schools	Reading and mathematics achievement
Extant Data Evaluation
Primary Research Question
What teacher preparation features are associated with teacher effectiveness for special populations (i.e. Special Education Students and English Language Learners)?	Extant data on teacher preparation program features, certification and employment data Extant data on EL (and SPED) students’ academic achievement	Value-added analysis Sample size: TBD	EL (and SPED) students’ academic achievement