Research References
Part 1: Factors Associated with Entry into Teacher
Preparation Programs
Redding, C., & Baker, D. J. (2019). Understanding
racial/ethnic diversity gaps among early career teachers.
AERA Open, 5(2), 1–17.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1220726
From the ERIC abstract: “The growing evidence on the
importance of teacher representation points to the need to
better understand the factors shaping the lack of
racial/ethnic diversity in the teacher workforce. In this
study, we examine the extent to which college major choice
explains racial/ethnic gaps in teaching. Drawing on data from
the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, we find that
White college graduates are close to twice as likely to major
in education compared to Black, Latinx, and other graduates of
color. Even among college graduates, respondents who identify
as White are 5 percentage points more likely to enter teaching
than respondents who identify as Black and 2 percentage points
more likely to enter teaching than graduates who identify as
Latinx. Regression and decomposition analyses demonstrate that
the observed racial/ethnic gaps in entry to teaching can
largely be explained by whether a graduate studied education
in college.”
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary
Education. (2016).
Preparing and credentialing the nation’s teachers: The
Secretary’s 10th report on teacher quality,
Washington, DC: Author.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED576185
From the ERIC abstract: “This 10th report on teacher
quality presents information states reported to the U.S.
Department of Education (Department) in October 2012, October
2013, and October 2014. ‘Title II’ of the ‘Higher Education
Act of 1965’ (‘HEA’), as amended in 2008 by the Higher
Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), requires states to report
annually on key elements of their teacher preparation programs
and requirements for initial teacher credentialing,
kindergarten through 12th grade, on a State Report Card
designated by the Secretary. For many data elements, such as
the number of individuals enrolled in and completing teacher
preparation programs, states reported on AY 2010-11 data in
2012, AY 2011-12 data in 2013, and AY 2012-13 data in 2014.
For other data elements, such as the admission requirements
for each teacher preparation program and descriptions of the
state's alternative routes to a teacher credential, states
reported on the most current information available each year.
The 10th report provides a national overview of the state data
by key topics collected through the State Report Cards,
including graphics showing ‘Title II’ longitudinal trends over
more than a decade of state reporting. Similar to previous
reports, the report is organized into chapters, with each
summarizing states' data on ‘HEA Title II’ key elements. The
chapters are: (1) Teacher Preparation Providers and Programs;
(2) Teacher Preparation Program Participants; (3) Institutions
of Higher Education Offering Teacher Preparation Programs; (4)
State Standards for Teaching Credentials; (5) Evaluation of
Teacher Preparation Programs; (6) Assessments Required for an
Initial Teaching Credential; and (7) State Initial Credentials
for Teachers.”
Part 2: Effective Strategies for Recruitment and Retention
in Teacher Preparation Programs
Boggan, M. K., Jayroe, T., & Alexander, B. (2016). Best
practices article: Hitting the target with transition to
teaching in Mississippi’s poorest school districts: High
retention rates through program support, resources, and
strategic recruitment.
Journal of the National Association for Alternative
Certification, 11(1), 21–29.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1100870
From the ERIC abstract: “In order to assist in
alleviating the teaching shortage in poor, rural school
districts, also known as Local Education Agencies (LEAs),
faculty in the College of Education at Mississippi State
University sought funding that would provide financial support
for a new alternate route teaching program. This program,
known as Learning and Educating through Alternative Programs
(LEAP), would address preparation and retention issues in
teacher preparation. This article will tell the story of how
this transition to teaching program used effective support,
resources, and strategic recruiting in order to yield high
retention rates in partner school district[s], often at nearly
90 percent during the first three years of teaching.”
Coffey, H., Putman, S. M., Handler, L. K., & Leach, W. (2019).
Growing them early: Recruiting and preparing future urban
teachers through an early college collaboration between a
college of education and an urban school district.
Teacher Education Quarterly, 46(1), 35–54.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1202462. Retrieved from
https://www.academia.edu/38591498/TEQ_Winter_Special_Issue_Examining_Grow_Your_Own_Programs_and_Teachers_of_Color
From the ERIC abstract: “While Grow Your Own (GYO)
programs have sought for decades to remedy teacher shortages
across the United States, myriad factors, including the
demographic shifts in public school populations, have in
recent years exacerbated the need to recruit and retain
teachers of color and of bilingual backgrounds. Amid models of
precollegiate and university-based GYO programs, a unique
early college program, the Charlotte Teacher Early College
(CTEC), was developed in partnership between a large urban
school district and an urban college of education to
intentionally attract and support students historically
marginalized from the profession. This article describes the
innovative elements of the program, such as the curriculum,
workshops, and mentorships, designed to build from previous
GYO successes and to capitalize on assets offered by this
particular community. Because CTEC is only in its second year
of implementation, the authors present challenges and
opportunities for growth and research both for this particular
program and for the broader GYO teacher preparation movement.”
Garcia, A., Manuel, A., & Buly, M. R. (2019). Washington state
policy spotlight: A multifaceted approach to Grow Your Own
pathways.
Teacher Education Quarterly, 46(1), 69–78.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1202137. Retrieved from
https://www.academia.edu/38591498/TEQ_Winter_Special_Issue_Examining_Grow_Your_Own_Programs_and_Teachers_of_Color
From the ERIC abstract: “English learners (ELs) make up
10% of the U.S. student population and are increasingly
enrolling in school districts that have little experience with
educating these students. A majority of states report
shortages in teachers prepared to work with ELs, particularly
in the area of bilingual education. Grow Your Own (GYO)
programs that recruit and prepare future educators from the
community have the potential to increase the supply of
bilingual educators who can provide ELs with instruction in
their home languages and support their mastery of academic
content. Policy makers in Washington State are taking an
intentional approach toward remediating educator shortages in
the state through alternative routes to certification,
expanded pathways for paraeducators, and targeted course work
for high school students. Alternative routes are REL Southwest
Ask A REL Response Teacher Preparation—3 positioned as a
driver of local innovation that places emphasis on GYO
approaches and the recruitment of teacher candidates from
underserved populations. State grants support the development
of university-school district partnerships to recruit and
prepare a teacher workforce to meet local needs. The Woodring
Highline Bilingual Fellows program is a partnership aimed at
preparing bilingual paraeducators to become licensed teachers
in order to meet the school district's growing need for
bilingual educators. Key lessons from Washington's myriad
initiatives point to the need for collaboration between
multiple stakeholders to ensure a common vision and mission
for these programs.”
Garza, R., & Werner, P. (2014). Preparing mathematics and
science teachers through a residency program: Perceptions and
reflections.
Teaching Education, 25(2), 202–216.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1026123. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262579923_Preparing_mathematics_and_science_teachers_through_a_residency_program_Perceptions_and_reflections
From the ERIC abstract: “The critical challenge of
recruiting, preparing, and retaining high-quality mathematics
and science teachers for high-need urban schools is complex.
Therefore, identifying factors that support and impede a
teaching residency program’s implementation may have the
potential to build an effective initiative that will benefit
all stakeholders. The purpose of our study was to examine
preservice teachers’ perceptions about their experiences in
the Teaching Residency Program for [the] Critical Shortage
Areas program, a federally funded program designed to address
teacher shortages in mathematics and science in high-need
schools. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) the
residency framework, (b) a relevant curriculum, and (c)
immersion in an authentic school context. Our findings have
the potential to inform policy-makers, school administrators,
university directors of school partnerships, and other
individuals who have direct influence on teacher recruitment
and retention.”
Gist, C. D., Bianco, M., & Lynn, M. (2019). Examining Grow
Your Own programs across the teacher development continuum:
Mining research on teachers of color and nontraditional
educator pipelines.
Journal of Teacher Education, 70(1), 13–25.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1199711. Retrieved from
https://sehd.ucdenver.edu/impact/files/JTE-GYO-article.pdf
From the ERIC abstract: “Grow Your Own (GYO) programs
are cited in recent policy briefs as viable pathways for
increasing the racial/ethnic diversity of teachers, yet recent
scholarship on GYO programs is minimal. To address this issue,
this article investigates what we know, and do not know, about
GYO programs, by examining a range of data sources on
different types of GYO program teacher pools (e.g.,
middle/high school, paraprofessional, community
activists/parents mentors) and making sense of findings over a
continuum of teacher development (e.g., recruitment,
preparation, induction, and retention). Based on a research
synthesis within and across GYO program teacher pools, we
argue implications for policy, practice, and research that
should accompany increased recommendations for expanding GYO
models for Teachers of Color.”
Henry, G. T., Bastian, K. C., & Smith, A. A. (2012).
Scholarships to recruit the “best and brightest” into
teaching: Who is recruited, where do they teach, how effective
are they, and how long do they stay?
Educational Researcher, 41(3), 83–92.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ960397. Retrieved from
https://publicpolicy.unc.edu/files/2015/07/Scholarships-to-Recruit-the-Best-and-Brightest-Into-Teaching.pdf
From the ERIC abstract: “Is a popular innovation for
increasing human capital in the teaching
profession—competitive college scholarships for
teachers—effective? The authors show that one large and
long-standing merit-based scholarship program (a) attracts
teacher candidates who have high academic qualifications; (b)
yields graduates who teach lower performing students, although
not as challenging as the students of other beginning
teachers; (c) produces teachers who raise high school and
third- through eighth-grade mathematics test scores more than
other traditionally prepared teachers do; and (d) produces
teachers who stay in public school classrooms for 5 years or
more at higher rates than alternative entry or other
traditionally prepared teachers.”
Herrera, S. G., Morales, A. R., Holmes, M. A., & Terry, D. H.
(2012). From remediation to acceleration: Recruiting,
retaining, and graduating future culturally and linguistically
diverse (CLD) educators.
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory &
Practice, 13(2), 229–250.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ937718. Retrieved from
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=teachlearnfacpub
From the ERIC abstract: “This ethnographic case study
explores one mid-western state university's response to the
challenge of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD),
especially Latino/a, student recruitment and retention.
BESITOS (Bilingual/Bicultural Education Students Interacting
To Obtain Success) is an integrated teacher preparation
program implemented at a predominantly White university that
seeks to both increase Latino/a students' initial access to
higher education and provide institutional support to
facilitate a high rate of graduation. The researchers consider
key elements of the BESITOS program model as they relate to
and support the sociocultural, linguistic, academic, and
cognitive dimensions of the CLD student biography. For each
dimension, the program model is first placed in the context of
existing literature on CLD student education. The key elements
and strategies of the program model used to successfully meet
recruitment and retention goals are then discussed.”
Irizarry, J. G. (2007). “Home-growing” teachers of color:
Lessons learned from a town-grown partnership.
Teacher Education Quarterly, 34(4), 87–102.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ795190.
From the ERIC abstract: “Many institutions that prepare
teachers profess a commitment to issues of diversity and
educational equity in their mission and vision statements.
However, despite the fact that the enrollment of students of
color in institutions of higher education has increased by 48%
over the last ten years, the racial/ethnic composition of
teacher preparation programs has changed relatively little.
Although teacher preparation programs have had a larger pool
of students of color from which to recruit, they have not been
successful in attracting more students of color into the
profession through traditional preservice pathways. If
diversifying the teaching force is a goal from which people of
color as well as Whites benefit, then the active recruitment
of people of color into the profession should be part of the
work of teacher preparation programs and district-based
teacher recruitment efforts. As such, colleges and schools of
education need to develop new approaches aimed at improving
the recruitment, retention, and preparation of teachers of
color. This article explores the challenges associated with
diversifying the teaching force through preservice teacher
education programs and forwards ‘homegrowing’—that is,
recruiting individuals to work as educators in the communities
in which they were raised and educated—as one strategy to do
so. It highlights Project TEACH, a town-gown partnership
between an institution of higher education and a local
community, examining features of the program that were
identified by participants as influential to their successful
transition into the teaching profession.”
Lau, K. F., Dandy, E., & Hoffman, L. (2007). The pathways
program: A model for increasing the number of teachers of
color.
Teacher Education Quarterly, 34(3), 27–40.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ795184.
From the ERIC abstract: “The Pathways to Teaching
Careers Program was a national recruitment effort started in
1989 to bring teachers of color into the teaching profession.
This effort was instrumental in forging the investment of some
$50 million for a series of grants that included 26 programs
in 66 colleges and universities, located in 43 cities in 26
states (the Armstrong Atlantic State University Pathways
Program began as a grantee in 1992). The grant was targeted to
produce, recruit and prepare more than 3,000 teachers,
especially minorities, who would serve more than 100,000
students annually in urban and rural public school systems.
Regional technical assistance for program direction in the
southern states was provided by the Southern Education
Foundation, that has a 125-year record for promoting equity
and equality in education. A six-year study yielded a
recruitment goal of 2,593 participants and documented an 81%
retention rate. The national Pathways Program targeted three
groups of school personnel—teacher assistants, substitute
teachers, and provisionally certified teachers—all of whom
were non-certified public school employees. Programs that
participated in this initiative were required to have the
following essential features: a consortium structure
partnering historically black colleges and universities with
traditionally white institutions and school districts, a
value- added philosophy that guided recruitment and
enhancements to teacher preparation curricula, and a
nontraditional talent pool as the target recruitment
population. In this article, the authors examine the Armstrong
Atlantic State University Pathways to Teaching Program. First,
they describe basic features of the program itself, and
provide data on its graduates. Then, they report results of a
study investigating factors underlying its high rate of
retention.”
Mannion, C. M., & Davis, J. R. (2018). (Un)knowingly made for
the middle: Why teacher candidates decide to teach in middle
schools.
Current Issues in Middle Level Education, 23(1), 1–21.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1191663.
From the ERIC abstract: “This study used a mixed
methods approach to examine why teacher candidates choose to
teach in a middle school. The study analyzed two populations
of pre-service teachers in The College of New Jersey’s (TCNJ)
Secondary Education department: (a) students completing their
first field experience in a middle school and (b) students who
were part of TCNJ’s first two middle school specialization
cohorts. The first group of participants completed pre and
post surveys surrounding their field experience and a sub-set
of participants engaged in interviews. The second group of
participants engaged in semi-structured interviews. The data
revealed four major themes to underpin teacher candidates’
motivations to teach in either a middle or high school: (a)
impact; (b) perceptions of middle school; (c) content; and (d)
job prospects. This knowledge is necessary for understanding
how middle level teacher preparation programs recruit and
retain strong candidates to teach in middle schools.”
Roegman, R., Pratt, S., Goodwin, A. L., & Akin, S. (2017).
Curriculum, social justice, and inquiry in the field:
Investigating retention in an urban teacher residency.
Action in Teacher Education, 39(4), 432– 452.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1164266. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321867632
From the ERIC abstract: “This qualitative study
analyzes the retention data of an urban teacher residency
program, a recent approach to developing quality teachers. The
authors identify patterns of movers, leavers, and stayers and
draw on interview data to better understand residents’
(program graduates) perspectives on ways the program informs
their practice after graduation. Using the university
conceptual framework of curriculum, inquiry, and social
justice, the authors examine how residents might demonstrate
retention and practice of key concepts and principles that
undergirded their residency program. This study furthers our
understanding of how residencies support the preparation of
new teachers in high-needs schools and shortage areas.”
Stewart, S., Coombs, L., & Burston, B. (2016). What’s sex got
to do with it? The preparation of elementary male teacher
candidates.
Journal for Multicultural Education, 10(1), 2–18.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1165575. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302917588
From the ERIC abstract: “Purpose: This paper examines
the experiences and outcomes of male teacher candidates in the
College of Education at a large university in California.
Design/methodology/approach: This mixed methods study
highlights findings from the preliminary analysis of student
records as well as qualitative observation notes from their
university supervisors and master teachers during their
student teaching placements. Comments from student teaching
assistance plans and remediation tools from the College of
Education, Field Placement Office were also used. It also
included the quantitative analysis of enrollment data as well
as mid- and final student teaching evaluations for one
semester. This multiple data triangulation process was used to
illuminate the unique challenges and successes of male teacher
candidates and the variables that influence their outcomes.
Findings: There were significant statistical differences (p <
0.05) between the male and female teacher candidates across
each key measure used. Male teacher candidates scored lower in
the areas of mathematics, assessment, planning and student
engagement during instruction. Practical implications: This
study offers strategies that teachers' trainers may use to
recruit, retain and more effectively support the needs of
their male elementary teacher candidates. Originality/value:
Few studies have examined both qualitative and quantitative
data to determine pedagogical factors that impact male teacher
candidates' challenges and/or successes during their student
teaching experiences. Moreover, few studies have explored how
teacher training programs can more effectively support the
needs of this population. This study is designed to fill that
void.”
Swanson, P. B. (2011). Georgia’s Grow-Your-Own teacher
programs attract the right stuff.
The High School Journal, 94(3), 119–133.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ925915. Retrieved from
https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/mcl_facpub/11/
From the ERIC abstract: “There is a shortage of
educators and there are various factors that account for the
lack of teachers. Millions of new teachers will be needed in
the near future and the present study juxtaposes the
vocational personality profiles of adolescents (N = 262)
participating in Future Educators of America programs in
Georgia to in-service teachers’ profiles as determined by
Holland’s ‘Self-Directed Search’ inventory. Using Holland’s
theoretical framework for congruence between one’s personality
and the workplace as a lens, the results indicated that
adolescents in the future educator programs shared the same
Holland code as in-service teachers. Noting that teachers tend
to return to the area in which they were raised, findings from
this research have serious implications for the identification
and recruitment of tomorrow’s teaching force.”
Tyler, N. C., Yzquierdo, Z., Lopez-Reyna, N., & Saunders
Flippin, S. (2004). Cultural and linguistic diversity and the
special education workforce: A critical overview.
Journal of Special Education, 38(1), 22–38.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ693728.
From the ERIC abstract: “The need for special education
teachers from culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CLD)
backgrounds has become a national concern. The majority of
school districts nationwide list the recruitment and retention
of teachers from diverse backgrounds as a priority. Many cite
difficulties with finding adequate personnel, a problem that
is complicated by current special education teacher shortages.
The authors of this article synthesize research findings on
the current demographics of diverse teachers and the impact on
student outcomes. They also summarize qualities of teacher
preparation programs that successfully prepare CLD teachers
according to the following themes: recruitment, retention,
alternative certification, and post-teacher preparation.
Recommendations for future research are provided.”
Wong, P. L. et al. (2007). The M/M Center: Meeting the demand
for multicultural, multilingual teacher preparation.
Teacher Education Quarterly, 34(4), 9–25.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ795183.
From the ERIC abstract: “The Multilingual/Multicultural
Teacher Preparation Center (M/M Center), a teacher preparation
program offered by the Bilingual/Multicultural Education
Department (BMED) at California State University, Sacramento,
is entering its third decade of operation. The M/M Center was
established by a group of progressive teacher educators, most
with a history of activism and advocacy around democratic
education, immigrant rights, and the elimination of racism and
other forms of discrimination in local schools and our own
university. The Center founders developed a comprehensive
program to prepare teachers to be change agents actively
working towards social justice in low-income and culturally
and linguistically diverse classrooms, schools, and
communities. Race-conscious and language-conscious
policy-making and program development characterize the
program's history and current operations. Multicultural
content and the application of theory into practice through
extensive field experiences in schools serving low-income and
culturally and linguistically diverse students anchor the
program's design. Focus on these issues combined with active
and strategic recruiting and support make the M/M Center an
attractive option for students of color and bilingual students
who typically select the teaching profession as the avenue
through which they will work towards social justice for the
children in their communities. By sharing details and analysis
of the M/M Center, the authors hope to engage other social
justice educators in critical reflection on effective
practices in multicultural/multilingual teacher recruitment to
and retention in teacher preparation programs. This article is
organized as follows: (a) the theoretical framework that
orients the authors' efforts to recruit and retain students of
color and bilingual students; (b) history of the M/M Center;
(c) highlights from their multiple and single subject
programs; and (d) reflections on the M/M Center's
accomplishments. It describes the M/M Center based on the
experiences and perspectives of the authors—one of whom was a
co-founding member of the M/M Center and of BMED, and others
who have been active in recent transformations of the Center
and Department. Where appropriate, they accentuate their
description with data from a limited set of sources including
graduate exit surveys, student work, student interviews, and
anecdotal stories and accounts.”
Additional Organizations to Consult
Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement
(CERRA) Teacher Cadet program, South Carolina—https://www.cerra.org/
From the website: “CERRA provides a number of programs
that serve as a national model for teacher recruitment and
teacher leadership initiatives. CERRA’s agenda is a
comprehensive one in which the Center pursues a variety of
programs for increasing the number of students in the
education pipeline and recruiting and retaining qualified,
caring, and competent teachers. The Center’s primary target
groups are middle and high school students, college students,
and adults interested in changing careers.
CERRA also targets groups of accomplished teachers through
programs including mentoring, teacher leadership and National
Board Certification. The network of educators in our programs
overlaps in powerful ways to increase the level of
collaboration for recruitment, retention, and advancement of
South Carolina educators.”
Center on Great Teachers and Leaders at American Institutes
for Research—http://www.gtlcenter.org/
From the website: “The Center on Great Teachers and
Leaders (GTL Center) is dedicated to supporting state
education leaders in their efforts to grow, respect, and
retain great teachers and leaders for all students. The GTL
Center continues the work of the National Comprehensive Center
for Teacher Quality (TQ Center) and expands its focus to
provide technical assistance and online resources designed to
build systems that:
- Support the implementation of college and career
standards.
-
Ensure the equitable access of effective teachers and
leaders.
-
Recruit, retain, reward, and support effective educators.
-
Develop coherent human capital management systems.
-
Create safe academic environments that increase student
learning through positive behavior management and
appropriate discipline.
-
Use data to guide professional development and improve
instruction.”
Education Commission of the States—https://www.ecs.org/
From the website: “Education Commission of the States
serves as a partner to state policymakers by providing
personalized support, unbiased information and opportunities
for collaboration. Through our programs and services,
policymakers gain the insight and experience needed to create
more effective education policy.”
National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)—https://www.nctq.org/
From the website: “The National Council on Teacher
Quality (NCTQ) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit research and
policy organization that is committed to modernizing the
teaching profession. We conduct research to assist states,
districts, and teacher prep programs with teacher quality
issues. We don’t just call attention to what’s wrong, but
offer concrete solutions to help solve teacher quality
challenges.”
Title II, Higher Education Act, Office of Postsecondary
Education (OPE), U.S. Department of Education (ED)—https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx
From the website: “Academic Year 2016-17 Data: The 2018
State Reports include data that states reported to the
Department in October 2018. For many data elements, such as
the number of individuals enrolled in teacher preparation
programs, states reported on AY 2016-17 data. For other data
elements, such as the admission requirements for each teacher
preparation program and descriptions of the state's
alternative routes to a teacher credential, states reported on
the most current information available.”
UTeach Institute—https://institute.uteach.utexas.edu/
From the website: “We have more than a decade of
experience supporting the successful implementation of UTeach
programs across a variety of university settings. Our proven
model is research-based and employs an improvement approach
designed to take advantage of our network of faculty
expertise.
The UTeach network crosses the entire nation, with UTeach
teacher preparation programs in 45 universities and thousands
of UTeach alumni working at school, district, and state levels
to improve secondary STEM education.
In collaboration with the National Math and Science
Initiative, we support UTeach teacher preparation programs
with comprehensive resources and technical assistance to
universities implementing the program. Through the UTeach STEM
Educators Association (USEA), we continue that support through
the national network.
Our National UTeach Alumni Network connects our thousands of
alumni teachers and leaders across the U.S.—giving them an
online community where they support each other.”
REL Southwest note: The UTeach Institute provides the
following relevant publication:
