What teachers think of teacher prep Findings from a survey of teachers
Our goal in surveying teachers about teacher preparation • We are starting a conversation about teacher preparation quality with those it most directly affects – teachers themselves. • NCTQ will not use any of the data from the survey in its national review of teacher preparation programs. • This stand-‐alone, unscientific survey will help us get a better sense of what many teachers think about teacher preparation.
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What teachers think of teacher prep: Key findings • 81 percent want a national review of teacher prep. • 59 percent felt “very prepared” or “prepared” in their first year in the classroom. • But only 40 percent of respondents who came via alternative routes into the profession felt very prepared or prepared.
• Respondents felt that their programs were particularly strong in imparting classroom management skills, but not in helping them to use data to differentiate instruction. • Respondents said they chose their programs based on location and reputation, but would have liked to have known more about quality of coursework and practical experience. 3
Basic facts about survey • 4,279 began survey; 3,777 completed most or all of it. • Survey open from August 3 until September 23, 2011 • Respondents recruited via: • Twitter • NCTQ newsletter mailing list • Mailing lists of teachers surveyed in Los Angeles and Miami-‐ Dade County for past NCTQ projects • Survey respondents’ own referrals (270) • Teachers’ unions: Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, Illinois Education Association, Missouri State Teachers Association
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Who responded to the survey: Years of experience Average number of years since graduating from teacher preparation program: ≈14 • 7 percent of respondents graduated in 2011 • 2 percent of respondents graduated before 1970 • Median number of years since graduation: ≈10
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Who responded to the survey: Pathways into the profession How did respondents prepare to become teachers? (n = 4,274) 2%
Undergraduate degree in educaCon
1%
Simultaneous undergrad subject-‐ maHer and educaCon degrees
7% 12% 38%
Graduate training (not necessarily degree) AlternaCve cerCficaCon (e.g., TFA, district "fast-‐track") Graduate degree before becoming teacher
12%
Post-‐baccalaureate undergraduate degree No preparaCon 13% 15% 6
Prepared outside the country
Who responded to the survey: What are they teaching? Grade level and area taught by respondents (n = 3,403) 11% 31%
10%
Elementary general ed Middle school general ed
2%
High school general ed
3%
Elementary special ed
5%
Middle school special ed High school special ed
21%
7
17%
Other I am not currently teaching.
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Overall satisfaction How prepared did you feel to teach in your first year in the classroom? (N=3,335) 8% 24% Very prepared Prepared
33%
Somewhat prepared 35%
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Not at all prepared
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Focus on teachers who entered through alternative routes How prepared did you feel to teach in your first year in the classroom? (n = 489)
20%
10%
Very prepared Prepared 30% Somewhat prepared
40%
9
Not at all prepared
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Specific skill areas How much of a posiCve impact did teacher preparaCon make on respondents’ instrucCon in key areas? (3 = "big"; 0 = "didn't learn about area in teacher prep") 3.0
2.5
2.04
1.90
2.0
1.51
1.5
1.56
1.47
1.0
0.5
0.0
How to help students How to use data on Classroom management How faculty at successful Understanding how to from diverse student learning to skills (n=2630) schools work use technology to backgrounds succeed modify and differenCate collaboraCvely (n=2617) enhance learning (n=2668) instrucCon (n=2626) (n=2622) 10
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Focus on elementary teachers and classroom management Elementary school teachers’ responses on posiCve impact of teacher preparaCon on their classroom management skills (n = 1,026) Didn't learn this in teacher prep 10% Made not much difference at all 14%
Made a big difference 38%
Made some difference 38%
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What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Focus on elementary teachers and using data Elementary school teachers’ responses on posiCve impact of teacher preparaCon on capacity to use student data to differenCate instrucCon (n = 1,021)
Didn't learn this in teacher prep 31%
Made a big difference 24%
Made some difference 28% Made not much difference at all 17% 12
Respondents overwhelmingly want a national review of teacher preparation programs Should there be a naConal review of teacher preparaCon programs? (N=3,867)
18.6% Yes No 81.4%
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How teachers chose their teacher preparation program Top three reasons for choosing teacher prepara<on program (only reasons chosen by more than 25% of respondents; n= 3,426) 25.4%
Cost
29.1%
Known for providing good prac<cal experience
Reputa<on of teacher prepara<on program
37.5%
Reputa<on of college/university
38.2%
50.9%
Loca<on/Convenience 0%
14
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
What teachers now wish they could have known about their teacher preparation program before they attended Quality of faculty
22.6%
Strength of partnerships with school districts
28.3%
Strength of career services/job placement
33.3%
Quality of professional coursework on teaching and learning
42.8%
Quality of pracCcal fieldwork/experiences (e.g. student teaching)
43.2%
0%
10%
20%
(Respondents could check all that apply; N=2,770) 15
30%
40%
50%