Sacramento State faculty members are taking initiative to improve the performance of future teachers in K-12 schools by collecting data through surveys.

The CSU Center for Teacher Quality, located on the Sac State campus, collaborates with the university to gather data about the experiences of teachers who are now working in the field. The collected information is used to help students in teaching programs at all CSU campuses.

Various types of surveys are used to collect information from first-year teachers and school administrators. The surveys ask questions about teachers’ preparation experiences and the quality of work by their students.

“The Center for Teacher Quality assembles information for CSUs to improve academic programs for future students and teachers of K-12,” said David Wright, director of the Center for Teacher Quality. “It is important to see if the curricula at the CSUs are helping teachers during their first years of field experience.”

Wright said the center was created after the deans of CSU colleges expressed an interest in tracking the progress of new teachers. CSU Chancellor Charles Reed stepped in by supporting the center.

The data collected at the center is used to benefit both teachers and students.

“Not only would it lessen remediation of freshman students, but improve the overall academic profession of teachers by being well prepared,” Wright said.

Once the surveys are completed, they are evaluated and the results are summarized for each CSU campus.

Wright said teachers appreciate the reports they receive from the Center for Teacher Quality.

“Teachers express a measure of gratitude after the Center of Teacher Quality presents the data that was collect by our surveys,” Wright said. “As a result, future colleagues can improve to provide a better teaching and learning environment for teachers and students.”

According to a statement by Michael Spagna, dean of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, the first two years of teaching are crucial for new teachers because they are still learning their profession.

“They can’t tell how well prepared they are to be teachers until they are out there doing the job,” Spagna said, according to his statement.