Teacher Preparation Pathways: Differences in Program Selection and Teacher Retention

ABSTRACT

A comparison of population and employment projections shows the gap between teacher supply and demand growing through 2025. Alternative certification programs (ACPs) were created to increase teacher production, but research on who selects ACPs versus traditional preparation programs (TPPs) shows mixed results as does research on new teacher attrition. Analyzing employment and preparation data for over 225,000 new teachers (56% ACP), we found male and teachers of color were more likely to be ACP prepared. Using survival analysis, we found TPP teachers were significantly more likely to remain in the classroom than ACP teachers. We also found that teachers of color were more likely to stay teaching after accounting for preparation differences, and Latinx teachers from traditional preparation programs were most likely to stay teaching.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher demographics
• survival analysis
• teacher attrition
• traditional teacher preparation
• alternative teacher preparation
• Longitudinal study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Quantity based on authors’ calculations of 2016 Title II data available at https://title2.ed.gov/Public/DataTools/NewExcels/CompletersProgramType.aspx (accessed 3/22/2018).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Education [U336S090041].

Notes on contributors

James P. Van Overschelde

Dr. James P. Van Overschelde is an Associate Professor of Secondary Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instructionand the Director of Evaluation & Research in the Office of Educator Preparation at Texas State University. As associate professor, his quantitative and mixed-methods research focuses on critically examining educator preparation policies with a goal ofincreasing the diversity and quality of the future teaching force. He also examines the characteristics of school environments that result in healthy working environments for teachers and effective learning environments for students. As director, Dr. Van Overschelde is a member of the senior leadership team guiding the University’s continuous improvement efforts for educator preparation as well as being responsible for all accountability and accreditation reporting for one of the largest university preparers of educators in the USA. He earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Colorado in Boulder and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland.

Afi Y. Wiggins

Dr. Afi Y. Wiggins serves as Director of Evaluation and Research at the University of Texas at Austin Charles A. Dana Center. As director of program evaluation and research at the Center, she leads the development and implementation of comprehensive and coherent strategies for research and evaluation initiatives. Since 2002, Afi has conducted research and evaluation in myriad areas, including equity in STEM education, STEM teaching and learning, developmental education, math pathways, co-requisite frameworks in math pathways, college readiness, postsecondary enrollment and persistence, teacher attrition, teacher employment environments, teacher quality policy, English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching and learning, post secondary numeracy and literacy, youth and adult workforce development, youth mentoring, and adolescent development in girls. She earned her Ph.D. in Research Statistics and Evaluation from the University of Virginia. She also holds degrees in early childhood and elementary education, educational administration, and educational leadership.