Initial Choices: Promising to Teach

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

Rutter

et al. 2017

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This longitudinal study follows 25 exemplar elementary, secondary English, and math teachers prepared in New Jersey's alternate route program (AR) or college-based programs (CB) for 11 years. Half of the AR and CB teachers entered teaching in their early/mid 20s; the others were older beginners. The 12 AR teachers included four males and three teachers of color; all 13 CB teachers were White females. Initial and subsequent teaching placements were critical in what teachers learned and how long they stayed in a particular job and in teaching. Four AR teachers’ placements did not match their stated interest or undergraduate major. Quantity and quality of supervision varied for AR teachers. Five AR teachers, but no CB teachers, began teaching in low-wealth districts. Ten CB and two AR teachers taught in the same school district for the first six years. Six-year retention was 25% for AR teachers and 85% for CB teachers. Eleven-year retention was 42% for AR and 62% for CB. No AR math teacher lasted more than four years. Age at entry, match between setting and teacher, and classroom focus were related to retention. Considering those with school-based administrative jobs, jobs supporting K–12, and those on child leave breaks, CB retention was 100%, and AR retention was 67%, including all entering teachers of color.

Section: Measuring Successmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This article summarizes findings about their recruitment, preparation, placement, and retention. Five additional articles (Randi, 2017a(Randi, , 2017bRandi & Zumwalt, 2017;Rutter, 2017;Sawyer, 2017) take a more in-depth look at the multiple choices made by these 25 teachers as their careers unfolded.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

First 11 Years: 25 Exemplar Alternate Route and College-Prepared K–12 Teachers

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

Rutter

et al. 2017

Self Cite

Initial Choices: Promising to Teach

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

2017

Self Cite

This article explores the motivations of the 25 exemplar elementary, secondary English, and secondary math teachers at the time they chose to enter teaching either through New Jersey's alternate route (AR) program or college-based (CB) programs in the state. The article presents data that reveal these teachers’ underlying reasons for embarking on a teaching career and the circumstances that led them to a particular pathway. Their reasons for choosing teaching as a career are characterized on a continuum from passion (altruism) to pragmatism (practical considerations). The article then compares demographic characteristics and motivational influences of each group. Although these new recruits chose different pathways, the reasons they provided for teaching seem to characterize a changing teacher workforce rather than reveal striking differences between pathways.

Recruitment, Preparation, Placement, and Retention of Alternate Route and College-Prepared Teachers: An Early Study of a New Jersey Initiative

Natriello

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

et al. 2017

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This article reviews survey findings about the recruitment, preparation, placement and retention of 315 elementary, secondary English, and math teachers prepared to enter New Jersey public schools in fall 1987, either having just completed New Jersey college-based education programs (CB) or entering through the New Jersey alternate route (AR) program. Teachers were surveyed through their sixth year of teaching. The AR program increased the number of teachers for urban and rural schools and diversified the teaching pool. AR teachers held more traditional views than those prepared in CB programs, but neither program recruited teachers with a consistently higher quality profile. Programmatic aspects (i.e., fusing of AR recruitment, preparation, and placement phases) correlated with some differing attitudes of teachers toward teaching and their programs, and qualitatively different experiences in preparing to teach. During the first two years, AR teachers were more likely to teach in urban schools, but differences diminished over the next four years. Three-year retention rates were highest for elementary and CB math teachers and lowest for AR math teachers. Six-year retention rates were highest for CB math teachers and lowest for AR math and English teachers. AR retention rates were higher for males, while CB retention rates were higher for minorities. Attitudes related to retention indicate program, subject matter, and elementary/secondary differences.