The rise and fall of Missouri’s performance assessment of student teachers: A policy network analysis of the Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment

Abstract

This article examines the adoption and abandonment of the Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment (MoPTA). Our analysis draws on policy network theory to argue that the divergent rationales of Missouri’s primary teacher education policy network actors led to confusion, conflict, and disagreement, which contributed to the abandonment of the MoPTA as a policy prescription. Charting the rise and fall of Missouri’s high-stakes performance assessment provides important lessons for state education agencies, local school districts, and teacher education programs.