educator quality data and research

UNC Educator Quality Research Initiative

The 2020-2021 academic year marks the thirteenth year that the UNC System has partnered with external researchers to develop and implement an agenda of research designed to better understand teacher and school leader quality in North Carolina.  This research partnership, referred to as the Educator Quality Research Initiative (EQRI), provides educator preparation programs in the UNC system with research evidence to inform program improvement efforts, enhances statewide understanding of critical workforce needs, and supports evidence-based education reform efforts. Over the years, this initiative has addressed several key research questions including:

• Estimating the value-added effectiveness of teachers entering the profession through different portals or prepared at different UNC institutions;
• Examining early-career teachers’ on-the-job learning and attrition;
• Redesign and administration of the Recent Graduate Survey, which assesses beginning teachers’ perceptions of preparation quality;
• Analysis of the predictive validity of university-scored edTPA portfolios;
• Analyzing the performance value-added and evaluation ratings of graduates prepared at UNC system teacher preparation programs;
• Examining the predictive validity of the National Council on Teacher Quality’s ratings of teacher preparation programs;
• Estimating the effectiveness of teachers with graduate degrees in North Carolina.

UNC Educator Quality Dashboard

The UNC Educator Quality Dashboard provides unprecedented public access to the University’s research and trend data on the performance of North Carolina’s public school educators. Built with SAS® data visualization software, the dashboard provides an easy-to-use interface that enables users to analyze and display data on educator quality within selected populations, geographic regions, or subject areas. Visitors to the dashboard may also analyze performance indicators at the system and campus levels across a range of factors, including educator recruitment, selection, preparation and performance. The dashboard is also useful for analyzing the impact of educator-preparation program graduates on PK-12 student learning, measures associated with national accreditation, and other outcome-based indicators. To learn more about the UNC Educator Quality Dashboard, please visit the website linked below. Note: An updated version of the EQ Dashboard is in progress such that integration of the most recent years’ information is not included. Information included below is provided for historical purposes.