THE SUPPLY, QUALIFICATIONS, AND ATTRITION OF TEACHERS FROM TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE ROUTES OF PREPARATION Ed Boe and Bob Sunderland University of Pennsylvania and Lynne Cook California State University, Dominguez Hills OSEP Project Directors Conference July 17, 2007 tqrm\OSEP Panel 7-07(1).ppt

2 PROBLEMS Chronic shortage of teachers in special education and other fields. Lack of high quality national data on the preparation of teachers by traditional and alternative routes intended to reduce the shortage.

3 NCES NATIONAL DATA SOURCES Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS): Teacher Follow-Up Survey (TFS): The first sources of high-quality sample survey data on teacher supply and attrition by type of preparation (i.e., traditional vs. alternative). Caution: Numbers reported are subject to sampling and other errors; therefore, numbers reported are an approximation.

4 COMMON TERMS TTP: Traditional Teacher Preparation Program ATP: Alternative Teacher Preparation Program SETs: Special Education Teachers GETs: General Education Teachers

5 FIRST RESEARCH QUESTION How many employed teachers are produced by TTP and ATP programs?

6 Years of Teaching Experience Type of Preparation by Years of Experience [Public and Private Teachers Combined] Source: SASS, NCES Percentage of Teachers Traditional Program Alternative Program or More

7 SECOND RESEARCH QUESTION How many SETs completed various types of preparation?

8 Percentage of Teachers by Type of Preparation Special Education Teacher Supply by Years of Teaching Experience Source: SASS, NCES Traditional Alternative 62 % 22 % 16 % Other 72 % 9 % 19 % 74 % 3 % 23 % All Other Alternative Programs Traditional Degree Programs

9 THIRD RESEARCH QUESTION To what extent did TTP and ATP programs produce beginning teachers who were hired to teach in shortage areas such as: *Special education *Mathematics education *Science education

10 Percent of Beginning Teachers Produced by Traditional Degree Programs and Alternative Programs by Teaching Area: (with 1-3 Years of Experience) Source: SASS, NCES Column Percents % Teaching Area Demand: Total Teaching Force Traditional Degree Program Alternative Program Special Ed. 13 % 14 % 20 % a Voc/Business Ed 5 % 4 % 9 % a Mathematics 8 % 9 % 11 % b Science 6 % 5 % 9 % b Elementary Ed. 33 % 35 % 22 % c Arts/Music 7 % 6 % 3 % c All Other Subjects 28 % 27 % 25 % Total 100 % a Significantly greater than traditional degree program b Equivalent to traditional degree program c Significantly less than traditional degree program

11 FOURTH RESEARCH QUESTION How much preparation was obtained by beginning SETs who completed TTP and ATP programs?

12 Percentage of Beginning SETs Supply of SETs from Traditional and Alternative Programs by Number of Methods Courses (Years 1 – 3) Source: SASS, NCES

13 Supply of Public Teachers from Traditional and Alternative Programs Completing Five or More Methods Courses by Years of Experience (1 versus 3) Source: SASS, NCES Percentage of Beginning Public Teachers With Five or More Methods Courses

14 Supply of SETs from Traditional and Alternative Programs by Weeks of Practice Teaching (Years 1 – 3) Source: SASS, NCES Percentage of Beginning SETs

15 FIFTH RESEARCH QUESTION To what extent did TTP and ATP Programs produce qualified SETs who were? *Fully certified *Prepared in special education

16 Years of Teaching Experience Fully Certified Special Education Teachers By Years of Teaching Experience Source: SASS, NCES Fully-Certified Teachers Traditional Degree Programs Alternative Programs

17 Supply of SETs from Traditional and Alternative Programs by Teaching Major Field (Years 1 – 3) Source: SASS, NCES Percentage of Beginning SETs

18 SIXTH RESEARCH QUESTION Attrition of beginning teachers prepared through TTP and ATP Programs: Is there a difference?

19 Attrition of Full-Time Public School Teachers by Type of Preparation Source: SASS, TFS, NCES

20 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS ATP Programs have become a major source of beginning SETs (22%). ATP Programs have responded to the shortage of SETs. Beginning SETs from ATP Programs are less well prepared and qualified than those from TTP Programs. Attrition of beginning teachers is equivalent from TTP and ATP programs.