The Board of Higher Education shall contract for an independent evaluation of program implementation by each of its participating consortia and of the impact of each program, including the extent of candidate persistence in program enrollment, acceptance as an education major in a 4-year institution of higher education, completion of a bachelor’s degree in teaching, obtaining a teaching position in a target school or similar school, subsequent effectiveness as a teacher, and persistence in teaching in a target school or similar school. The evaluation shall assess the Initiative’s overall effectiveness and shall identify particular program strategies that are especially effective.