The New Teaching Project Chicago Teaching Fellows Chicago, Illinois
For this “independent provider� that recruits but does not fully train teachers, we provide a narrative evaluation but not ratings. The Chicago Teaching Fellows program of The New Teaching Project provides only a small portion of the preparation for those enrolled in its program. Traditional education schools provide the larger share by enrolling individuals in coursework required after program graduation. Given this unique design, our conventional evaluation approach could not be taken. Instead, we applied as many of our 39 standards as were relevant and indicated the strengths and weaknesses of the program rather than ratings.
Total Teacher Production (2009): 83 Elementary (Graduate): Secondary (Graduate): Special Education (Graduate):
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The New Teacher Project Chicago Teaching Fellows Program Chicago, Illinois
Pre-induction Summer Program How we look at independent providers For the Illinois study, NCTQ examined “independent providers� separately from traditional pre-service programs because we recognize that a 6-8 week summer program is fundamentally different in design and scope from a traditional pre-teaching program stretching over at least two years. These abbreviated approaches should not be expected to replicate the design of a much longer program, but they should, at a minimum, provide an adequate introduction to the essential skills and knowledge teachers need before they enter the classroom. To the extent possible, NCTQ examined independent provider programs against many of the same standards applied to traditional programs, with the understanding that the responsibility of the independent providers over the summer institute is to provide an accelerated introduction to key concepts. For example, while taking classes, students are engaged in student teaching as summer school instructors. While these placements should be carefully chosen for maximum impact, it is not expected that they last as long as traditional student teaching. It is also recognized that, once the summer ends, teachers from independent providers (at least in Illinois) may take graduate coursework leading to a degree and full licensure or may simply take sufficient graduate-level coursework to gain a license. These post-baccalaureate courses should complement and extend what teachers learned in their first summer, and suggestions are provided about how this can be done. It is also important to note that Illinois has recently changed its law regarding providers of alternative certification programs. Nonprofit organizations are no longer required to partner with an institution of higher education in order to operate an alternate route program. Consequently, if an independent provider cannot find an existing program in Illinois that meets the needs of its teachers, it is now free to offer its own program. Strengths of the Chicago Teaching Fellows Program The Chicago Teaching Fellows Program’s (CTF) Summer Training Institute provides a strong introduction to several key areas relating to the NCTQ standards, providing a good foundation upon which teachers can build in further classes and professional development: n
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Early reading instruction is commendably focused on scientifically proven elements of teaching reading (Standards 28A, 28B). Significant time is devoted to the topic of classroom management, providing teachers with clear strategies for creating orderly classroom environments focused on learning, and maintaining discipline (Standard 20). Teachers learn to use state learning standards in lesson planning and assessment, and are given opportunities to practice these skills (Standard 5). Teachers are introduced to a variety of assessments, including diagnostic, formative, summative and standardized assessments. They practice creating assessments and use assessment data to plan lessons. (Standard 17).
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2010
NCTQ Teacher Preparation Program Design Ratings
Other strengths of the Chicago Teaching Fellows Program In addition, three other elements of CTF are particularly noteworthy. n
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The program successfully recruits talented recent graduates and mid-career professionals to school systems that are badly in need of such teachers. (Standard 1)
The program focuses on recruiting and training teachers to fill hard-to-staff positions. By concentrating its energy in Illinois on secondary math and science, special education and bilingual elementary teachers, CTF is addressing a pressing need (Standard 39 ).
The program tracks retention rates of fellows as well as fellow satisfaction and principal perspectives on fellow performance. The program also evaluates the impacts of its programs, with a specific focus on evaluating their impact on long-term teacher and student outcomes (Standards 24 and 25 ).
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Areas that must be addressed before or during the Summer Institute Several aspects of CTF’s program structure were noted that could result in significant gaps in preparation. Some of these problems cannot be remedied after the first day of school, either because they are beyond the scope of a post-baccalaureate program’s content, or because the information and/or skills are too critical to justify delaying until after school starts n
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CTF currently only requires its teachers to meet the state’s own minimum requirements in order to demonstrate that they know enough about the subject(s) they will teach. There are significant problems with the Illinois regulations, particularly the fact that some tests that teachers have to pass cover multiple subjects without requiring separate cut-scores for each, with the result that it is entirely possible to pass such tests without adequate knowledge in each subject area. For example, science teachers taking the Illinois biology test could fail the test’s chemistry section, earn an overall passing grade, and be licensed to teach all non-honors level chemistry courses; alternatively, elementary teachers could fail the mathematics section of the elementary content test and still pass the test. CTF should set a higher standard for subject area preparation, not relying only on the state’s requirements. Such a standard could be achieved through tests that are generally already available, and should not pose any problem given the strong academic backgrounds of its teachers (Standards 3, 27, 33 and 35 ). While some bilingual elementary fellows practice teaching mathematics in their summer placements, the summer program includes general methods training but does not provide elementary teachers with a specific introduction to teaching mathematics, which is no less important than the reading methods training that CTF does provide. NCTQ’s report No Common Denominator: The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics by America’s Education Schools includes an appendix with information about methods textbooks from which readings could be selected, and is found at http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_ttmath_fullreport.pdf (Standard 30 ). Very little information on child development or educational psychology is contained in the summer program. Fellows also take summer coursework in these subjects at Northwestern University, Dominican University or National Louis University. However, the relevant courses that we examined at these universities spent as little as one-fourth of class time on how students learn. Teachers need to know how children learn in order to design effective lessons. For example, knowing that background knowledge is necessary for learning cognitive skills, or that new knowledge is learned in the context of what is already known, gives teachers insight on how to structure their lessons. Before entering the classroom, teachers should be exposed to the most important principles about how children learn. Daniel Willingham’s Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom is an excellent resource on this topic (Standard 19 ).
www.nctq.org/edschoolreports
Illinois University
While the training that each fellow undergoes over the course of the summer allows feedback from a number of individuals, and school district staff run workshops on a variety of instructional topics, the summer curriculum sessions are all taught by one individual. The very wide range of topics that are included in the program makes it unlikely that a single person is fully qualified to teach all of the content. Instead, the program could be divided among two or more instructors in a way that takes advantage of their expertise (Standard 26 ).
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Areas that must be addressed by graduate coursework A number of other key topics are not addressed by CTF’s summer program. A summer program cannot and should not cover every issue of importance to teachers; it is preferable to discuss the most important topics in depth. However, CTF should ensure that its teachers attend graduate programs whose coursework includes any topics that were omitted from the summer program, including the following: n
Elementary and special education teachers need to receive adequate instruction in elementary mathematics concepts (Standards 29 and 37 ). Most of CTF’s bright recruits will have a solid mathematics background, but knowing calculus is not the same as knowing how to best explain operations with fractions.
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Filling this vacuum is made more difficult by the fact that NCTQ’s research in Illinois indicates that most graduate certification programs in Illinois do not require students to take elementary mathematics content courses. Elementary teachers need further preparation in teaching methods in science, social studies and language arts/writing (Standard 31), and secondary teachers need further instruction in subject-specific methods coursework (Standard 34 ).
Courses providing this instruction should incorporate the use of technology, instruction of English language learners, and use of state learning standards, using strategies that are appropriate for each subject (Standards 5, 6 and 8 ).
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While CTF pushes the district to identify the pool of classroom teachers with whom fellows will be paired early enough to allow for some sort of selection process, teachers are often identified just days before classroom training begins, meaning that the program cannot take an active role in selecting those teachers. Research has shown that involvement of the sponsoring program in making these placements results in an improved experience for the prospective teacher. In addition, NCTQ’s own research on student teaching shows that principals choose cooperating teachers for many different reasons, some which respect the needs of student teachers, some which do not. Principals may recommend individuals as cooperating teachers, but without confirming their credentials, CTF cannot be confident that its teachers are matched with quality mentors (Standard 15 ).
Concerns remain about three key topics to which all fellows should be introduced before they enter the classroom: special education, reading instruction and teaching English language learners (ELL). Readings about all three subjects are provided to both general and special education teachers. However, the general education workbook, which is used during the summer course, only recently included an addendum that covers IDEA and topics, leaving the topic of instructional strategies for students with special needs apparently still not addressed; the special education workbook does not include early reading instruction (for which the literacy workshop offered is no substitute); and neither workbook has a section on teaching ELL students. These omissions suggest that no class time is spent on these crucial subjects (Standards 6, 21, 36A and 36B ).
www.nctq.org/edschoolreports
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2010
NCTQ Teacher Preparation Program Design Ratings
Summary of our Findings
Topics to which the Summer Institute provides a strong introduction
Other strengths of the Chicago Teacher Fellows Program
Areas that must be addressed before or during the Summer Institute
Area
Relevant to NCTQ Standards
Elementary reading instruction
Standards 28A and 28B
Learning standards
Standard 5
Classroom management
Standard 20
Classroom assessments
Standard 17
Recruiting teachers with above-average academic skills (selective admissions).
Standard 1
Filling hard-to-staff positions
Standard 39
Ensuring that prospective teachers have strong content backgrounds (exit exams; broad subject and high school preparation).
Standards 3, 27, 33 and 35
Elementary math methods
Standard 30
Cognitive psychology
Standard 19
Areas that must be addressed by Elementary math concepts graduate coursework coursework for elementary and special education teachers.
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www.nctq.org/edschoolreports
Standards 29 and 37
Other methods courses in science, social studies and language arts/ writing for elementary teachers.
Standard 31
Secondary methods (subject specific)
Standard 34
Information about integrating technology, English language learners, and learning standards should be incorporated into methods coursework as appropriate.
Standards 5, 6 and 8
Illinois University
Topics that may need greater coverage, but about which we did not receive information sufficient to make a final judgment
Selecting mentor teachers for summer school teachers (student teaching placements)
Standard 15
Collecting data that can be used to monitor the program’s success (graduate outcomes and effectiveness)
Standards 24 and 25
Special education for general education teachers
Standard 21
Reading instruction for special education teachers.
Standards 36A and 36B
English language learners
Standard 6
www.nctq.org/edschoolreports
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