COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION · COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION P: (803) 737 -2260 F: (803) 737 -2297 1122 Lady St, Suite 300 Columbia, SC 29201 @SCCommHigherEd CHE . 09/06/2018

SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION

P: (803) 737-2260 F: (803) 737-2297 1122 Lady St, Suite 300 Columbia, SC 29201 www.che.sc.gov @SCCommHigherEd

CHE 09/06/2018 Agenda Item 8.02.B

September 6, 2018

MEMORANDUM

To: Chair Tim Hofferth and Members, SC Commission on Higher Education

From: Chair Terrye Seckinger, and Members, Committee on Academic Affairs and Licensing

New Award for Centers of Excellence (Teacher Education) Competitive Grants Program, FY 2019

Background

The purpose of the Centers of Excellence (Teacher Education) grant program is to enable eligible institutions, or consortia of such institutions, to serve as resource centers for South Carolina in a specific area related to the improvement of teacher education. Teacher education encompasses both in-service and pre-service training. These resource centers develop and model state-of-the-art teaching practices, conduct research, disseminate information, and provide training for K-12 and higher education personnel in the center's specific area of expertise.

In FY 2019, CHE has requested the S.C. General Assembly approve a request for an appropriation of $112,000 for continuing the Center of Excellence for the Advancement of the Workforce and Knowledge Economy (AWAKE) and an additional $225,000 to support a Center for College and Career Readiness located at Francis Marion University. Currently, there is a proviso that requires $350,000 to be sent directly to Francis Marion University to support the Center of Excellence for Preparing Teachers of Children of Poverty. A total of $405,000 has been requested for funding new Centers of Excellence. The New Center of Excellence in Research in Teacher Education at the University of South Carolina Columbia will receive $105,000 for FY 2019, and a new Center of Excellence in Alternative Certification at Columbia College will receive $150,000 (approved May 2018 CAAL meeting). Finally, a new Center of Excellence for the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Teachers is under consideration. Upon favorable review, the initial year of funding for FY 2019 will be $150,000. The total funding request for the EIA Centers of Excellence, which includes funds for administration, is $1,137,526. Funding for all new and continuing Centers will be contingent upon availability of funds from the General Assembly. In FY 2018, CHE did not fund a new Center of Excellence. However, collaboration with the Education Oversight Committee resulted in the decision to fund a new center in FY 2019 with initial funding from

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the FY 2018 budget: the Center of Excellence in Research in Teacher Education at the University of South Carolina Columbia (approved May 2018 CAAL meeting).

In November 2017, Requests for Proposals for Centers of Excellence for the FY 2018-19 project year were issued to all eligible public and private four-year institutions with teacher education programs. At the direction of the Education Oversight Committee, proposals were requested that focus on Research in Teacher Education, Alternative Certification, and Recruitment and Retention of Minority Teachers. The CHE received a proposal for the Research Center from the University of South Carolina Columbia, a proposal for the Alternative Certification Center from Columbia College, and proposals for the Minority Teacher Center from the University of South Carolina Beaufort and Clemson University.

The FY 2019 Award

The Review Panel (Attachment 1) included one current district recruiter, one representative from the South Carolina Department of Education, one representative from the Education Oversight Committee, one representative from the Department of Employment and Workforce, one representative from an institute of higher education, one representative from a currently active Center of Excellence, and one staff member from the Commission on Higher Education.

The Review Panel met on April 12, 2018, for presentations by the representatives from the institutions applying to host a Center of Excellence. The panel members discussed the merits of each proposed center. Each group of presenters answered questions for over 45 minutes and two groups were asked to present additional information. The panel members deliberated the merits of each proposal and recommended the funding of the Center of Excellence in Alternative Certification at Columbia College and the Center of Excellence in Research in Teacher Education at the University of South Carolina Columbia, which were approved along with continuing Centers at the May 11, 2018 CAAL meeting. CHE staff requested additional information from Clemson during the summer of 2018 about project objectives, activities, outcomes, and budget allocation for its proposed center (Attachments 2 and 3). Upon review of the requested information, a recommendation is being made for the initial year of funding for the Center of Excellence for the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Teachers.

Conclusion

At its August 30, 2018 meeting, the Committee on Academic Affairs and Licensing approved the new Center of Excellence for the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Teachers at Clemson University, contingent upon fund availability in the FY 2019 budget.

Attachment 1: Review Panel Members Attachment 2: Project Narrative Attachment 3: Budget Request

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Attachment 1

Centers of Excellence

FY 2019 Review Panel April 12, 2018

Dr. John Payne Deputy Superintendent Division of Innovation and Effectiveness South Carolina Department of Education

Ms. Sharetta Dozier Professional Staff Certification Lexington School District One

Ms. Melanie Barton Executive Director Education Oversight Committee

Dr. Damara Hightower Dean School of Education Benedict College

Dr. Erica Von Nessen Researcher Department of Employment and Workforce

Dr. Deepti Joshi Director The STEM Center of Excellence The Citadel

Ms. Julissa Nixon Program Coordinator Commission on Higher Education

Staff Support: Dr. Falicia Harvey Program Manager Commission on Higher Education

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PROJECT NARRATIVE Purpose of the Center The purpose of the SC Center of Excellence for the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Teachers is to research, design, and implement the best strategies for minority teacher recruitment and retention (MTRR) at the preservice and inservice levels in the state of South Carolina. Education research suggests that all students benefit from having a diverse teacher workforce, but the positive short- and long-term impacts on educational attainment experienced by low income students of color are especially pronounced (Anderson, 2015; Strauss, 2017). South Carolina, with its education system ranked 48th among all states in 2018, has had acute educational challenges despite a growing economy, in part explained by high inequality in educational and employment opportunities by race (U.S. News & World Report, 2018). Given the largest teacher shortages are concentrated in schools with higher minority student populations (Hansen & Quintero, 2018), recruiting and retaining highly effective minority teachers and increasing their placement into vacancies in the most disadvantaged schools is an important step in improving education and employment outcomes across the state.

The Center will work in collaboration with partners to develop and support a comprehensive plan for identifying and developing minority teacher talent, to create greater demographic parity between the state’s teacher workforce and its student population. Partners include P-12 school districts, two-year colleges, four-year universities, the SC Dept. of Education (SCDE), education-focused organizations, and industry. Due to the localized nature of teacher labor markets, the Center’s approach to MTRR in South Carolina will leverage a “home-grown” model to recruit and develop minority teachers from within school communities. This approach has been suggested as a promising avenue to address teacher shortages and increase teacher retention, especially in high-poverty, diverse school districts (Dee & Goldhaber, 2017).

The context of our state. South Carolina faces a combination of unique challenges that further support the need for targeted MTRR from within the communities where schools are located. Approximately 40% of students in the state attend school in a rural district (Johnson et al., 2014). Overall childhood poverty rates are among the highest in the nation, with 43% of Black children and 45% of Hispanic children living in poverty and often concentrated in rural areas (NCCP, 2016). Schools in these high-poverty, demographically diverse rural districts face constant staffing challenges. Low compensation and guidance for new teachers, low student performance, and limited resources result in geographic, social, and professional isolation and a persistent churn of teachers in and out of schools (Appleseed Legal Justice Center, 2015; Garrett & Von Nessen, 2016; Reeves, 2003, Aragon, 2016). Attaining stability in staffing in these districts, though challenging, is also important because research suggests that low-income students are particularly dependent on their teachers to navigate educational challenges. South Carolina also faces an overall teacher shortage that has been growing annually in recent years. Districts reported 550 teaching positions unfilled at the start of this academic year, a 16% rise from the previous year (CERRA, 2018). This shortage appears to result from both recruitment and retention issues, with South Carolina seeing a 30% drop in students graduating with teacher certification-eligible Bachelor’s degrees in the last four years, and 22% of first-year teachers hired in the 2016-2017 no longer teaching in any school district in the state (CERRA, 2018). Given this combination of hiring challenges, it is not surprising that in the 2015-2016 the state had 48.4% minority students but only 17.5% minority teachers (SCDE, 2017).

Attachment 2

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Building retention into recruitment. MTRR research over the last two decades suggests that the disparity in demographic representation between minority and White teachers has been shifting from being an issue of recruitment to one of retention. Over this period, the number of minority teachers almost doubled and has a growth rate that far exceeds that of White teachers (Ingersoll & May, 2011). Yet, minority teachers are also almost three times as likely to work in disadvantaged schools. Unlike their White counterparts, their turnover rates from these schools are not significantly related to challenging school demographics, such as high poverty. Rather, minority teacher turnover rates, which are higher than those of their White counterparts, are related to organizational conditions and leadership that tend to be disproportionately negative in schools at which minority teachers are more often employed (Ingersoll & May, 2011). Studies suggest that retaining minority teachers, especially those new to the profession, requires systematic consideration of factors such as administrative support, mentoring, classroom autonomy, and school decision-making influence, rather than factors such as professional development (PD), classroom resources, and salary (Bednar & Gicheva, 2016; Ingersoll & May, 2011). These concerns were reflected in discussions the Clemson University team had with teachers and administrators from partner school districts and neighboring 2-year and 4-year higher education institutions during the development of this proposal.

Since 2011, several states including Connecticut, Colorado, and Maryland, have undertaken efforts to better understand local processes that underlie minority teacher shortages and enhance their MTRR pipelines. There are several points of confluence in the strategic recommendations made by these states and the Center’s proposed approach, in spite of a great deal of geographic, demographic, and economic differences: (1) expanding early recruitment efforts; (2) leveraging two-year institutions to lower financial and academic barriers to teacher preparation; (3) building informational and mentoring support systems for teachers; and, most resoundingly, (4) building relationships (Martin, 2011; MD Dept. of Education, 2013). As stated in a recent report to the Colorado Department of Education (Palaich et al., 2014, p.4):

Relationships—between education institutions and minority communities, between minority and majority educators, between mentors and minority novices as well as prospective teachers—are key to recruiting and retaining teachers. Relationships are a key concept to consider when developing pipeline strategies. Relationships signal long‐term engagement to supporting minority communities.

Purpose and structure of the triad

partnership. Building a minority teacher pipeline that leverages long-term relationships with the community and its P-12 and higher education institutions and provides seamless transitions for minority students from education to employment has growing support; it is achieved through systemic development of local talent (Barth et al., 2016). As such, the proposed Center has not partnered solely with school districts but also with a triad of institutions in each region, including a P-12 district, a 2-year Figure 1. The home-grown teacher development

pipeline structure

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college, and a 4-year university. The triad represents the entire home-grown teacher pipeline. The triad partnerships will be the central collaborative mechanism through which the joint planning and actions of the grant will be coordinated. The purpose of the triad is to catalyze community-based solutions to MTRR, at the local level, while also providing a broader community of practice within the state that is dedicated to addressing issues related to MTRR. Importantly, the Center’s activities have been built around these triad partnerships in order to enable specific stakeholder groups within the triads to have meaningful interactions on an ongoing basis. For example, P-12 guidance counselors will regularly interface with higher education admissions officers (Activity 12) in order to enhance transitions from high school to 2-year and 4-year institutions, while minority higher education faculty and P-12 teachers will engage in technology-mediated group interaction in order to support mentorship and development (Activity 20). This triad structure will allow all triad partners to engage meaningfully and contribute significantly to the work of the Center, meaning all stakeholders will be essential to the identification of problems and the development of solutions regarding MTRR within our State. The Center’s Approach Professional development approaches to intervention in education use programmatic activities to grow specific skills and dispositions in educational professionals. The Call Me Mister (CMM) program has a long history of success in minority teacher recruitment and retention, within the state of South Carolina and beyond, adding approximately 200 male educators of color to the field over an 18-year period through intensive individual and interpersonal level intervention. Graduates of the program have a 97% five-year retention rate in the field of education. This remarkable success is accomplished by preparing Misters through formal and informal training and is grounded in an approach based on establishing high-quality relationships via cohort development, mentorship, and community engagement. Yet, despite considerable investment and success at the individual level, demographic representation of minorities in the SC teacher workforce has remained fairly stable—around 20% over the last decade. To increase the impact of successful minority teacher recruitment and retention programs on South Carolina’s teacher demographics, broadly and in economically viable and scalable ways, new approaches and new research are needed.

Although CMM has been very successful at accomplishing its mission of increasing the pool of African American male elementary school teachers in the state, there remains great potential for developing additional minority teachers, both male and female, from a range of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, to teach at all grade levels in South Carolina’s public schools. The proposed Center will undertake the challenge of conducting high quality research to better understand how the different components of the CMM program contribute to the program’s success and can be adapted for use with other minority teacher populations across South Carolina. To do this, the Center will bring together best practices in the current MTRR literature from around the country, the results of the Center’s own South Carolina-focused foundational research, and the lessons learned through CMM over the last two decades, within a Socio-Ecological framework of activities.

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Originating in the interdisciplinary fields of Public Health and Prevention Science, the Socio-Ecological Model posits that individual behavior and decision-making (such as the decision to become a teacher) is not just the function of individual characteristics, but rather is a function of a dynamic network of individual characteristics (e.g., individual skills and dispositions), interpersonal processes (e.g., professional mentorships; teacher-principal interactions), institutional factors (e.g., district recruitment budgets), community features (e.g., alignment of curricula across P-12 and higher education), and public policy (e.g., loan forgiveness programs for teachers). As such, widespread changes in individual behaviors and decision-making are achieved not just through intervention at the individual level, but through intervention activities that remove barriers and increase assets at every level of the system.

The proposed Center, built on this approach, will aim to increase the number of minority teachers in partner districts by 75 (50 through recruitment, 25 through retention) over the five year period of the grant – this translates to a 10% increase in minority representation in the teacher workforce (from 27% to 37%) in the partner schools based on baseline data. The addition of four additional partner districts in years 3-5 holds the potential to add an additional 45 minority teachers (30 through recruitment, 15 through retention) over the remaining 3 year period of the grant, if the baseline characteristics of the new partners are similar. Taken together, this would result in an additional 120 minority teachers being added to the workforce of partner districts over the grant period.

Figure 2. The socio-ecological approach on which Center activities are based

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Theory of change. The Center proposes a comprehensive plan for identifying and developing minority teacher talent, in order to create greater demographic parity between the state’s teacher workforce and its student population. The Center’s approach centers on leveraging a “home-grown” model to recruit and develop minority teachers from within school communities, which is a promising avenue to address persistent teacher shortages and increase teacher retention—especially in high-poverty, diverse school districts (Dee & Goldhaber, 2017). In order to accomplish this, the Center’s activities will work towards the following goals and objectives: Goal 1 (Research & Dissemination) Increase foundational understanding of MTRR practice and policy.

Objective 1. Strengthen Triad Knowledge (A3; A10): The activities in this group will help inform triad partnerships, in an effort to reduce MTRR barriers and increase assets at the organizational and community levels and strengthen organizational leadership.

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2

3

4 5

6

7 8

Figure 3. Theory of change for MTRR Center activities

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Objective 2. Clarify Policy Context (A5-A9): Activities in this group help increase understanding of the impact of local, state, and national policies & practices related to MTRR and disseminate summaries of new findings to policymakers and stakeholders in the teacher pipeline, in an effort to reduce MTRR barriers and increase assets at the public policy level.

Goal 2 (Recruitment): Increase the recruitment of prospective and preservice minority teachers.

Objective 3. Develop Prospective MTs (A1-A2; A29): Activities in this group support the identification and expansion of the pool of prospective minority teachers through specific programmatic professional development activities. Growing this pool of potential minority teachers will increase minority recruitment into the teacher development pipeline. Objective 4. Promote Teaching Careers (A11-A12; A18): Activities in this group increase the positive perception of teaching as a possible career option among prospective minority teachers and their families. This in turn will increase recruitment of prospective MTs into the teacher preparation pipeline. Objective 5. Reduce Teacher Preparation Barriers (A13-A14; A26; A30): Activities in this group reduce the barriers that are disproportionally experienced by minority teachers during their preservice years, or increase assets gained by minority teachers during higher education in order to increase entry opportunities into the teacher pipeline.

Goal 3 (Retention): Increase the retention of inservice minority teachers. Objective 6. Hire High Quality Minority Teachers (A15-A17;A21): Activities in this group are focused on enabling partner P-12 districts to hire high quality minority teachers by developing partnerships and incentives to support P-12 districts in their efforts to hire and retain MTs. Objective 7. Improve Induction Experiences (A4; A19-A20): Activities in this group are designed to enhance the induction experience for MTs new to teaching, leading to increased retention once placed in the field. This will be accomplished by enhancing the infrastructure of leadership and support at the schools in which they work. Objective 8. Strengthen Teaching Practice (A22-A24; A27): Activities in this group will support MTRR via enhancing teaching practice within P-12 school districts, leading to decreased turnover and enhanced retention of MTs in the field. Activities will better equip teachers and school leaders to support student learning and create a larger MT pool over time.

Promoting positive change in one aspect of this interconnected system will drive positive change in the next, creating a self-sustaining cycle that enhances the MTRR process within the State.

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Establishing baselines. Because the process for MTRR is cyclical, at any given point in time, the Center will be engaged in

measurable activities with different sub-populations in the teacher development pipeline. Therefore, it is important to understand in a cross-sectional manner who those target populations are. The figure below represents different points in the pipeline where the Center will track and grow the number of potential minority teachers and their interest in the profession (recruitment activities), and the numbers of minority teachers who enter the teaching field and stay in it over time (retention activities). Whereas the theory of change above explains the process by which the Center’s activities will increase the number of minority teachers in the field, the figure below shows the specific groups those activities will target and increase the size of over time. Although individuals can enter and leave the pipeline at any of the points below, an over-arching assumption of growing the pipeline at multiple points of leverage is that increasing the size of any one of these sub-populations will, over time, increase the size of the sub-populations below them.

Minority Baseline Projected Increase 23 students in TC & PT 98 students in SCOIS ed cluster

10 additional each year – total 50 more over 5 year

6 – data only available for 1 high school

20 additional each year (approx. 5 more per school) – total 100 more over 5 years

168 students across 4-year colleges

20 additional each year (approx. 5 more per 4-year college) – total 100 more over 5 years


10 additional each year (approx. 2-3 more per 4-year college) – total 50 more over 5 years

51 students across 4-year colleges & 10 new teachers across partner schools


57 out of 73 teachers across schools (22% attrition)

5 additional each year across schools (15% attrition ) – total 25 more over 5 years

127 out of 137 teachers across schools (7% attrition)

0 additional each year across schools (maintain 7% attrition )

Career Entry

Recruitment

Retention

1. Minority students interested in teaching during MS & HS

2. Minority students applying to college for teaching

3. Minority students starting education courses

5. Minority teachers (MTs) securing teaching positions

4. Minority students completing teacher education

d

6. MTs staying at school during first 5 yrs. of career

7. MTs staying at school after first 5 yrs. of career

Figure 4. Baselines and goals for sub-populations in the MTRR pipeline

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Goal 1: Foundational Research & Dissemination Activities The current set of proposed activities are based on the MTRR research literature, discussions with triad partners about their context-specific needs, an examination of available baseline data, and lessons learned through the teacher development experiences of the Center staff. Yet, we recognize that additional foundational activities are needed to better inform this work. As such, the proposed Center will immediately begin the following activities and use the findings from this ongoing work to make adjustments to the measurable activities focused on minority teacher recruitment and retention, which are the core focus of the Center. These activities—although not measurable in the same way as activities that will directly impact recruitment and retention of minority teachers or increase the size of the baseline sub-populations shown above (Figure 4)—will inform the development and the impact of the Center’s measurable recruitment and retention activities. Objective 1 Activities: Strengthen Triad Knowledge. The activities in this group will help inform triad partnerships, in an effort to reduce MTRR barriers and increase assets at the organizational and community levels and strengthen organizational leadership.

Activity 3: Conduct initial and annual needs assessment identifying current local MTRR barriers. Action: The Center will conduct an annual needs assessment for each P-12 partner district to track the changing local minority teacher recruitment and retention needs and understand the barriers to addressing those needs that the district is facing. The needs assessment will include several key components. First, an annual survey of district superintendents, human resources departments, and school leaders will be conducted to track recruitment and retention goals, resources, activities, policies, and barriers. Second, follow-up interviews with a subset of district leaders will be used to help clarify and make meaning of survey data. Third, an annual survey of teachers in partner districts will be conducted to track retention barriers, perceptions of school climate and leadership, professional challenges and development needs, and job satisfaction, and the extent to which these influence their intent to stay or leave their current position. Fourth, an annual survey of middle school and high school students in partner schools will provide information on career aspirations and school climate. Fifth, the Center will track district data from exit interviews/surveys of teachers that are leaving their positions and track actual attrition rates. All further references in this proposal to survey data from P-12 personnel and students will refer to data that will be collected in these annual surveys. Rationale: The data from these annual needs assessments will be used in two important ways. First, the findings will be presented by the Center to the triad partner leadership during their annual meeting every summer, and will be used as the basis for ongoing, data-driven collaborative decision-making and action plan development. Second, the data will be used by the Center to track the impacts of its previous year’s activities, and responsively adapt annual programming to meet the changing needs of partner school districts. More precise and timely information on recruitment and retention barriers from the perspective of district teachers and administrators will result in the reduction of MTRR barriers and increased retention of minority teachers in the field.

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Activity 10: Develop metrics for early identification of prospective MTs. Action: The Center will use the considerable measurement and assessment expertise of its faculty members to develop and validate tools that reliably identify middle and high school students who are well-suited for a career in teaching. This process will take place over the first two years of the project, after which, these tools will be made available to school districts through the Center website and be used to identify high achieving minority students for Center recruitment and prospective MT development activities. During the two-year period when these metrics are being developed and validated, the Center will work with CERRA and teachers in partner schools to negotiate other approaches to identifying potential minority candidates for participation in Teacher Cadet and ProTeam, who may currently be excluded due to academic achievement thresholds. Existing data that is already being collected in partner districts, such as the South Carolina Occupational Information System (SCOIS) survey will be used to inform this development process and will help with validation of these measurement efforts. Rationale: The ability to reliably identify minority students who are dispositionally well-suited to teaching will allow the Center, and eventually school districts, to support attracting minority students into the teacher development pipeline earlier in their schooling experience, at a time when their vocational identities are developing. Districts can actively recruit identified minority students for programs such as ProTeam and Teacher Cadet, to increase the number of minority students entering teacher education programs, and eventually the teaching field. Measurable Outcome: Impact of this activity will be measured by comparing the number of minority students entering ProTeam and Teacher Cadet programs in partner schools before these identification tools are used for targeted recruitment into the programs and after. Further details on baseline data and outcomes are available in Activity 11.

Objective 2 Activities: Clarify the Policy Context. Activities in this group help increase understanding of the impact of local, state, and national policies & practices related to MTRR and disseminate summaries of new findings to policymakers and stakeholders in the teacher pipeline, in an effort to reduce MTRR barriers and increase assets at the public policy level.

Activity 5: Evaluate data from the CMM program to identify key factors in MTRR. Action: The Center will evaluate data currently housed by the CMM program in order to assess how different program elements have contributed to the program’s current success. Program elements and features as well as participant demographics will be reviewed. Additionally, the Center will gather new quantitative and qualitative data from Misters who are currently in the field in order to gain new insights into how the CMM program helped them persist in the field as pre-service teachers, as well as how it helped them prepare for their entry into and persistence in the teaching field. Currently, 132 of 134 CMM graduates since 2013 are still working in the field of education, with 130 in classrooms and 2 having moved into administration. The 5-year retention rate in classrooms is thus 97%. The Center will begin this activity in Project Year One. Rationale: Misters currently working in the field will be able to express, in response to the Center’s efforts to collect new quantitative and qualitative data, what about the CMM program contributed to their retention in the field as pre-service teachers (e.g., what the most

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important and helpful elements of the program were during their pre-service years) as well as how the program and the current network of Misters is contributing to their success—and their retention—in the field of teaching. By gathering this data, the Center will gain new understanding of how the best practices of the CMM program might transfer into the development of new programming for other minority teacher groups (e.g., African American female teachers, Latinx teachers). This activity will not serve in any way as a programming or operational extension of CMM, but rather will build the foundational knowledge of Center personnel, using this knowledge to develop new programs that draw on the learnings of the CMM program to support other minority teacher groups and shape the practices used by partner triads to support MTRR.

Activity 6: Analyze district and state data to identify trends in MTRR. Action: The Center will compile and analyze recruitment and retention data from partner P-12 schools, districts, and from across the State in order to build its foundational knowledge about MTRR trends and begin to establish itself as a clearinghouse for data and information related to MTRR within the State. Drawing on State Report Card data and other data collected through the SC Department of Education and CERRA, the Center will use complex statistical models to better understand how variations in teacher, school, and district characteristics predict differences in recruitment and retention outcomes between white and minority teachers, as well as variations in MTRR outcomes from one school to another. Rationale: This activity will equip the Center staff with the core foundational knowledge and baseline information regarding MTRR across the State, by allowing for empirical testing of the underlying mechanisms of MTRR in South Carolina. The increased understanding of the complex cause-and-effect relationships between different potential assets and barriers in different settings and MTRR baselines will help validate the Center’s theory of change and contribute to the programmatic activities of the center by grounding the work of the center in the current contextual realities of our partner P-12 districts as it relates to teacher recruitment and retention broadly—and MTRR more specifically.

Activity 7: Examine district and state policy data to assess impact on MTRR. Action: The Center will compile and analyze policy data from partner P-12 schools, districts, and from across the State in order to build its foundational knowledge about MTRR trends and begin to establish itself as a clearinghouse for data and information related to MTRR within the State. As with the previous activity, the Center will use complex statistical models to better understand how variations in recruitment and retention policies from one school to another predict differences in recruitment and retention outcomes between white and minority teachers, as well as variations in MTRR outcomes from one school to another. Rationale: This activity will equip the Center staff with the core foundational knowledge and baseline information regarding MTRR across the State, by allowing for empirical testing of the underlying mechanisms of MTRR in South Carolina. The increased understanding of the complex cause-and-effect relationships between different potential assets and barriers in different settings and MTRR baselines, will help validate the Center’s theory of change and contribute to the programmatic activities of the center by grounding the work of the Center in

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the current contextual realities of our partner P-12 districts as it relates to teacher recruitment and retention broadly—and MTRR more specifically. Activity 8: Conduct review of empirical research and best practices in MTRR. Action: The Center will compile and analyze research and best practice data from across the State and the nation in order to build its foundational knowledge about MTRR trends and begin to establish itself as a clearinghouse for data and information related to MTRR within the State. The main output of this activity will be review of MTRR literature that will inform the development and implementation of measurable recruitment and retention activities of the Center. Rationale: This activity will equip the Center staff with the core foundational knowledge and baseline information regarding practices shaping MTRR across the State and the nation, which will be essential to the continued execution of other Center activities. The knowledge and information generated through this research activity will set the stage for the programmatic activities of the center by grounding the work of the center in the current contextual realities of our partner P-12 districts as it relates to teacher recruitment and retention broadly—and MTRR more specifically.

Activity 9: Create and disseminate practice- and policy-oriented briefs, white papers. Action: The Center will create research articles, practice- and policy-oriented manuscripts, and white papers, in order to disseminate the information and knowledge that is being accumulated through the activities of the Center. Rationale: The intent of this activity is to shape and influence practice, policy, and the research field with knowledge generated through the Center’s work. This activity will help establish the Center as the clearinghouse within the State of information pertaining to MTRR. Dissemination will occur via the Center website, via state, regional, and national conferences, via annual reporting mechanisms, and via distribution of policy briefs and white papers to Center stakeholders and constituents. Measurable Outcome: To understand the impact of the impact of its dissemination efforts, the Center will track website activity, including the number of downloads to track the dissemination level of resources being generated through its research efforts. It will also track the number of citations of these resources in the work of others using web analytics to evaluate the extent to which its work is informing the MTRR efforts of others.

Minority Teacher Recruitment Activities The following measurable grant activities focus on increasing the pools of potential minority teachers (prospective and preservice) that exist at various points along the teacher development pipeline before entry into the teaching career. Where available, we have provided baseline data from our triad partners to show how these activities, which have been developed to influence multiple factors of the socio-ecological system in which teacher development pipelines exist, will directly or indirectly result in an increase in a current pool of MTs.

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Objective 3 Activities: Develop Prospective MTs. Activities in this group support the identification and expansion of the pool of prospective minority teachers through specific programmatic professional development activities. Growing this pool of potential minority teachers will increase minority recruitment into the teacher development pipeline. The following baselines and outcomes (presented earlier on page 7) will be used to determine if this objective has been achieved overall as a result of the specific activities that follow: Baseline Population Minority Baseline Projected Increase 1. Minority students interested in teaching during MS & HS

23 students in Teacher Cadet & ProTeam programs 98 students in SCOIS education cluster





Activity 1: Secure partnership agreements and MOUs between triad partners. Action: The Center has established meaningful partners throughout the preliminary proposal development process, securing partnership agreements and MOUs between and among its many triad partners. Rationale: The activities already carried out to establish these partnerships have created a commitment among stakeholders to the Center’s purpose and mission and have also created a shared understanding of the continued collaboration, joint planning, and ongoing engagement that will be necessary to ensure successful execution of Center activities. These partnerships are ultimately designed to ensure that the Center’s partner P-12 districts are increasing the number of students who matriculate across the pipeline from high school to college (either 2-year or 4-year). Measurable Outcome: The impact of this activity will be measured through the year-over-year increase in the number of minority students from partner high schools who are applying to and matriculating to 2-year and 4-year colleges, as well as the number of those who are applying to college for teaching. The aim of this activity will be to increase college enrollment rates of minority students among partner high schools by five percentage points over the five years of the grant. This will increase the available pool of students who apply to college for teaching – a measure of success for this objective.

College Enrollment Data for 2016-2017 Graduating Class

District School % of Students in 2017 Graduating Class Enrolled in 2- or 4-Year College

% of Minority Students in 2017 Graduating Class Enrolled in 2- or 4-Year College

North Charleston High School 23.3%* 23.4%* Gaffney Senior High School 76.6% 71.9% Edisto High School 64.0% 53.0% Spartanburg High School 70.6% 63.1%

*Data was pulled from the National Clearinghouse data file

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Activity 2: Secure partnership agreements and MOUs between additional triad partners. Action: The Center will continue to establish meaningful partners throughout the project period and beyond, securing additional partnership agreements and MOUs between and among new triad partners. Rationale: The continuance of these activities will maintain and extend commitments among stakeholders to the Center’s purpose and mission and will also create a shared understanding of the continued collaboration, joint planning, and ongoing engagement that will be necessary to ensure the successful execution of Center activities. As with the Center’s initial partnerships, these partnerships will ultimately be designed to ensure that the Center’s partner P-12 districts are continuing to increase the number of students who matriculate across the pipeline from high school to college (either 2-year or 4-year). Measurable Outcome: The impact of this activity will be measured through the year-over-year increase in the number of minority students from newly added partner high schools who are applying to and matriculating to 2-year and 4-year colleges, as well as the number of those who are applying to college for teaching. The aimaim of this activity will be to increase college enrollment rates of minority students among partner high schools by five percentage points over the five years of the grant. This will increase the available pool of students who apply to college for teaching – a measure of success for this objective. No baseline data is available for this activity, which will begin in year 3 of the grant, because additional partner districts have not yet been identified. Activity 29: Support prospective MTs in attending Men of Color conference and participating in education/educator strand. Action: The Center will coordinate with the organizers of the Men of Color National Summit to support and promote participation of students who are enrolled in partner P-12 districts at the junior and senior level—both male and female—in the Education-Educator track at the Summit. These sessions will be organized in collaboration with the Center, and they will be designed to attract MT candidates to the field of education and to give participants an opportunity to engage and begin building a personal network with career educators of color. Although other tracks in the Summit draw male students, the organizers and presenters at the Summit include both professional men and women of color, and the education track will be geared towards a mixed-gender audience. Rationale: This activity will introduce and expose high school juniors and seniors from partner high schools to the decisions involved in and benefits of pursuing a career in the education field. Measurable Outcomes: The impact measure for this objective is to increase the number of potential prospective MTs within the Center’s partner high schools. The Center will coordinate with institutions of higher education across the triad partnership to consistently track the number of prospective MTs applying to teacher education programs each year. Although baseline data for this activity is limited, the center’s goal for this activity will be to

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increase the number of minority students applying to college (2-year or 4-year) with an interest in teaching by an additional 20 students each year (approx. 5 more per school). The first step in accomplishing this will be to establish more accurate baselines in year 1 of the grant.

2016-2017 Academic Year College Applications from Partner Districts

Partner High School Total # of Students in Graduating Class

# of Minority Students in Graduating Class

# of Students Who Applied to College

# of Minority Students Who Applied to College

Total # of Students Applying with Education Interest

# of Minority Students Applying with Education Interest

North Charleston High School 66* 63* 47** 46*** NA NA Gaffney Senior High School 423 167 370 140 13 6 Edisto High School 144 68 84 53 NA NA Spartanburg High School 385 225 272 142 NA NA TOTAL 1018 523 773 381 13 6

*Data reflects total number of graduates from 2017 as reflected in district graduation rate file **Data pulled from school’s state report card data collection survey ***Data pulled from Naviance report Objective 4 Activities: Promote Teaching Careers. Activities in this group increase the positive perception of teaching as a possible career option among prospective minority teachers and their families. This in turn will increase recruitment of prospective MTs into the teacher preparation pipeline. The following baselines and outcomes (presented earlier on page 7) will be used to determine if this objective has been achieved overall as a result of the specific activities that follow: Baseline Population Minority Baseline Projected Increase 1. Minority students interested in teaching during MS & HS

23 students in Teacher Cadet & ProTeam programs 98 students in SCOIS education cluster





Activity 11: Expand prospective MTs participation in Teacher Cadet & ProTeam. Action: The Center will use the metrics developed in Activity 10 to assist school districts in identifying minority students for participation in Teacher Cadet and ProTeam, early recruitment programs developed by CERRA. The Center will also work with CERRA to test the efficacy of using these dispositional metrics as supplementary criteria for student entry into the program. Rationale: The Teacher Cadet program has a long history of successfully recruiting high school students into the teacher development pipeline. Of the 2,909 students who completed the Teacher Cadet program in South Carolina in the 2016-2017 academic year, 37% plan on

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a career in teaching after college. Yet, with a student participant population that is 65% white, the program is not demographically representative of the student population of South Carolina schools. Academic achievement criteria for entry often serve as a barrier to minority student participation, and the introduction of alternate identification metrics can help reduce participation disparities. ProTeam is an early identification program developed by CERRA for middle school students and does not have the same level of saturation across the state as Teacher Cadet, yet it experiences similar demographic disparities in participation. By increasing prospective MTs participation in both of these programs in partner districts, the Center will increase the number of minority students graduating from high school with an expressed interest in teaching and strengthen the minority teacher pipeline. Measurable Outcome: Impact of this activity will be measured through increases in the number of Teacher Cadet (TC) and ProTeam (PT) programs in partner districts and increases in minority student participation in all programs in partner district. The Center will add one TC (high school) and four PT (middle school) programs to partner schools in the four partner districts that do not currently have these programs. They were selected because they are among the highest need middle and high schools in these districts. The goal of the Center will be to increase minority student involvement in existing programs by approximately 50% from the 23 minority students involved at baseline, or 10 additonaladditional students per year.

Baseline data below, provided by CERRA, are for the specific partner schools that had programs active in 2016-2017:

Partner Middle and High Schools with PT & TC

Total # of TC Students

# of Minority Students TC Students

Total # of TC Students Who Plan a Career in Teaching

Total # of PT Students

# of Minority Students PT Students

North Charleston High School 7 6 NA NA NA Gaffney Senior High School 25 7 NA NA NA Carver-Edisto Middle School NA NA 15 15 6 Spartanburg High School 12 4 NA NA NA TOTAL 44 17 15 15 6

Activity 12: Establish and support recruitment partnerships among triad partners. Action: The Center will support the creation of triad recruitment partnerships among P-12 guidance counselors, admissions officers from 2-year and 4-year higher education institutions, and faculty representatives and academic advisors from teacher education programs who are involved in recruitment efforts. These personnel will have regularly scheduled meetings three times each year – early in the fall and spring semesters and early in the summer – to review triad minority teacher recruitment data across institutions, discuss emerging recruitment challenges, identify shared priorities and plans, and create action steps, goals, and outcome measures for their efforts to support the matriculation of students from high school to teacher education programs. Rationale: This activity will help recruitment and retention of minority students into the teacher development pipeline through a critical career developmental period in several

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important ways. First, regular contact between relevant personnel across the triad will allow for ongoing identification for recruitment opportunities and challenges, and points in the pipeline where minority students leave the pipeline. Action plans can include specific strategies for more targeted transmission of information about teaching careers to minority students who have been identified through career cluster surveys, early identification metrics, and academic achievement as good targets for teaching careers. Second, these partnerships will also create shared responsibility for minority students across transitions points from one institution to the next, protecting against the attrition during transitions that disproportionately impacts college attendance rates of first generation and minority students (Carter, Locks, & Winkle-Wagner, 2013). Measurable Outcomes: Impact of this activity will be measured in multiple ways. First, among partner high schools we will track changes in the numbers of minority students graduating, applying to college, and more specifically applying to college with an interest in education as a career. Baseline data provided in the table below suggests that college application rates among minority students in these schools are comparable to overall college application rates of their class. Therefore, we will not focus on closing a disparity through this activity, rather, we will aim to increase the number of minority students applying to college with an interest in education by 20 students per year (approx. 5 per school). Because specific baseline data are only available for one school, this outcome will be adjusted after the first year to more specifically align with each school. Based on the current projection, we anticipate that over five years, 100 additional students will apply to college with an education interest in partner districts than would have otherwise.

2016-2017 Academic Year College Applications from Partner Districts








*Data reflects total number of graduates from 2017 as reflected in district graduation rate file **Data pulled from school’s state report card data collection survey ***Data pulled from Naviance report

Activity 18: Support coordination of annual “College Affordability Fairs” to aid local recruitment of MTs. Action: The Center will support school districts in conducting annual career fairs at partner middle schools for middle and high school students and their parents to promote the value and affordability of teacher education and a teaching career. The fairs will bring together members of the triad recruitment partnerships (described in Activity 12), as well as

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representatives from CERRA, triad financial aid offices, district human resource offices, and community partners who have specific incentive programs for teachers, in order to share information about numerous programs that can help students, specifically minority students, lower the cost college. The fair will also invite successful minority teachers to speak at the events and share their positive career experiences and serve as role models for minority students in attendance. Rationale: By bringing together important information that is not centrally located in a comfortable place and providing access to experts who can answer individual questions that students and parents have, the fairs will improve perceptions of teaching as a career option at a time when student vocational identity is starting to develop, and help students plan on ways they can take advantage of cost-saving programs (e.g., early college programs) as early as ninth grade. Promoting the financial viability and positive community impact of a teaching career will increase the number of high achieving minority students entering teacher education, and eventually the teaching profession. Current informational and college affordability initiatives offered by partner P-12 districts are as follows:

School District Current Informational & Affordability Initiatives Charleston County School District

• No data provided

Cherokee County School District

• Financial Aid Night, College Goal Day, Free College Application Days (2), College Application Fee is waived, Every High School student is allowed two school days to visit Colleges, Teacher Cadet Programs at both High Schools, Teaching Fellows Scholarships, Available Scholarships email distribution list for seniors, Academic Signing Day

Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4

• Scholarship nights with parents and students (including scholarship opportunities for those choosing an education career). Discussion of Teaching Fellows program, Call Me Mister program, and Teacher Cadet program.

Spartanburg County School District 7

• Financial Aid information sessions and workshops. Classroom visits with our juniors and seniors to discuss financial options and opportunities for college. Distribution of information to parents and students on paying for college and the cost. Weekly, digital newsletter published and distributed to all students, parents, administrators and community—including information about scholarships, college open houses, and deadlines.

*data provided by partner school districts Although these initiatives are all important aspects of supporting the teacher development pipeline, this particular activity will specifically target the option of a teaching career from the aspect of finances and career prestige, and attempt to allow oppoertunities for parents and students to discuss both aspects of the career decision with a ranges of informed stakeholders. Measurable Outcomes: Positive impact of this specific activity will be assessed in multiple ways. First, the Center will track the percentage of minority students expressing interest in a teaching career on an annual student survey and increases in the annual number of seniors in partner high schools applying to and attending teacher education programs, in support of the goals for this objective. We will also track year over year changes in SCOIC and other career interest data. In addition, the Center will ask a random selection of parents and students attending the fairs to complete a three-item exit questionnaire to evaluate their (1) perception

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of the teaching profession, (2) desire to enter [student] or have their child enter [parent] the teaching field, and (3) the extent to which their answers were influenced by attending the fair. Because not all schools use the same data points for tracking student career interests, the Center’s annual student survey will allow for triangulation across schools on a common metric.

2016-2017 South Carolina Occupational Information System (SCOIC) Data

Data Source & Partner Total # of Students Who Completed

# of Minority Students Who Completed

Total # of Students in Education Cluster

# of Minority Students in Education Cluster

8th grade Career Clusters Inventory Morningside Middle School* 9 8 7 3 Gaffney Middle School 540 305 56 33 Carver-Edisto Middle School 167 86 23 14 Carver Middle School McCracken Middle School High School Career Study Plan North Charleston High School* 38 37 0 0 Gaffney Senior High School 1975 789 39 14 Edisto High School 720 345 56 34 Spartanburg High School TOTAL 3449 1570 181 98

* CCSD uses Naviance instead of SCOIS for career education and exploration. Naviance has assessments and inventories very similar to SCOIS. 2016-2017 Academic Year College Applications from Partner Districts








*Data reflects total number of graduates from 2017 as reflected in district graduation rate file **Data pulled from school’s state report card data collection survey ***Data pulled from Naviance report Objective 5 Activities: Reduce Teacher Preparation Barriers. Activities in this group reduce the barriers that are disproportionally experienced by minority teachers during their preservice years, or increase assets gained by minority teachers during higher education in order to increase entry

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opportunities into the teacher pipeline. The following baselines and outcomes (presented earlier on page 7) will be used to determine if this objective has been achieved overall as a result of the specific activities that follow:

Baseline Population Minority Baseline Projected Increase

3. Minority students starting education courses


20 additional each year (approx. 5 more per 4-year college) – total 100 more over 5 years

4. Minority students completing teacher education degree



Activity 13: Foster efforts to align curriculum among triad partners. Action: In order to maximize the potential savings on the cost of teacher education that can be gained by first attending a two-year college, the Center will help two-year and four-year triad partners examine and improve their transfer agreements to maximize the number of credits that transfer from two-year to four-year institutions, and the number of credits that count towards completion of the teacher education degree. This activity will be carried out over the first two years of the grant for the current triad partners. As new triad partnerships are initiated in subsequent years of the grant, the process will be repeated with them as well. Rationale: Spending time at a two-year institution before transferring to a teacher education program at a four-year institution can provide at two-fold benefit to prospective minority teachers (Martin, 2011). First, MTs can greatly reduce the cost of entry into the profession through taking general education courses at a two-year college and transferring the credits in to a teacher education program. Second, they can use the time at the two-year institution to strengthen basic skills and prepare for the Praxis Core exam, which serves as a disproportionate barrier for minority teachers (Angrist & Guryan, 2008). Developing clearer transfer agreements within triads will ensure that credits being transferred from one institution to another are counting towards teaching degree completion, reducing a financial barrier to career entry, and increasing the number of minority teachers entering the field. Measurable Outcomes: Impact of this activity will be determined through increases in the average number of credits transferring from triad two-year institutions to four-year institutions, increases in the average number of these credits counting towards teaching degree completion, increases in the number of prospective MTs transferring from triad two-year institutions to teacher education programs in the partner four-year programs, and increases in the proportion of these prospective MTs completing teaching degrees and entering the field. As such, this activity will contribute to the anticipated outcomes for this objective as shown above. Baseline data provided by partner highlight two issues that the center will attempt to address. First, there is no clear tracking mechanism by which two-year partners can identify which of their students actually intend to transfer to teacher education programs. Although they can identify those in education related associates degrees, those intending to transfer to teacher

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education are grouped with other students. Second, partner 4-year institutions shows a great deal of variability in student enrollment and credit transfer policies:

2016-2017 Academic Year Students Starting Major in Teaching at Partner Two-Year Colleges

2-year Partner Institutions of Higher Education

# of Students enrolled in Early Care & Education Associates Degree Programs

# of Minority Students enrolled in Early Care & Education Associates Degree Programs

# of 1st year students enrolled in transfer degree (AA or equivalent) with possible intent to transfer to teacher education

# of 1st year Minority Students enrolled in transfer degree (AA or equivalent) with possible intent to transfer to teacher education

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College

76 64 43 25

Spartanburg Community College

66 29 170 60

Trident Technical College

283 163 NA NA

TOTAL 425 256 213 85

Baseline data for Transfer Credits into Teacher Education

4-year Partner Institutions of Higher Education

# of Minority Students Entering TE Programs /Yr.

# of Minority Students transferring into TE Programs /Yr.

# of Credits transferring from 2-yr institution

# of Credits counting towards TE degree

Claflin University 58 4 30 24-27 College of Charleston 44 22 12-60 12-60 Limestone College 1 0 Up to 92 Up to 92. However, students

must complete 31 semester hours total (15 within the major) at Limestone, including all education courses with key assessments for accreditation.

SC State University 78 28 56-60 56-60 *Baseline data provided by partner institutions.

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Activity 14: Support provision of Praxis Core test preparation for preservice MTs. Action: The Center will take a three-tier approach to providing test preparation support for minority preservice teachers at triad partner institutions. To qualify for this support, students will have to be minority students in good academic standing with an expressed interest in a teaching career. The level support will vary. Tier 1 support will consist of a 3-day intensive Praxis Core preparation workshop with a trainer and will be made available to largest number of MTs. Three workshops, one at each partner two-year institution, will service 25 MTs each (total 75 MTs per year), from within the partner triad group. As part of this workshop, MTs will be supported in filing testing fee waivers if they qualify. At the end of the workshop, all MTs will take a practice Praxis Core exam. Up to 50 MTs per year will be provided with

additional Tier 2 supports, specifically targeting those who do not pass the practice test and need additional time to study. These MTs will be provided with a 90-day subscription to an online Praxis Core preparation software subscription to continue their studies. Because test fee waivers can only be used once, and test fees can be prohibitive for many MTs, the Center will provide re-test fee assistance for up to 25 MTs per year as part of the Tier 3 support. To qualify for this test fee assistance, MTs will have to commit to meeting with a mentor who will assist them with individualized test preparation for their second attempt. As part of this

most intensive support level, the Center will help the MT find a faculty mentor from within the triad partner institutions who will help guide their preparation for the second test attempt. The re-organization of this activity from the initial proposal has not resulted in a budget change – the same budgeted amount was reallocated for this revised plan. Rationale: Testing requirements disproportionately impact minority teacher entry into the teaching profession (Angrist & Guryan, 2008) and serves as a significant barrier for multiple reasons. First, minority students are disproportionately concentrated in high needs schools, and often do not receive high quality instruction in the academic skills captured in tests such as the Praxis Core exam. Test preparation courses and subscriptions can be cost prohibitive, even if they can help make up for some of these educational inequities. Furthermore, the cost of the test itself can be a barrier. Even though test fee waivers are available based on economic need, many preservice MTs, especially those who are first generation college students, struggle with the application process and may not have assistance available to navigate the process outside of their educational institution. The expense of the test only increases if additional attempts are needed to pass. The Center’s approach to this issue attempts to systematically address every one of these specific barriers. Reducing these barriers to entry will allow more minority students to progress through the teacher pipeline. Measurable Outcomes: We will use Praxis Core disparities in pass rates between white and minority students at partner triad partner institutions as a baseline from which to determine measurable outcomes for this activity. Because partner 2-year institutions do not track Praxis

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Core results, rather they follow students to their four-year teacher education institutions, baselines are based on the Praxis Core pass rates reported only by our four-year partners. The Center will aim to achieve an 80% pass rate on the Praxis Core exam for students who take part in its test preparation supports. This will also contribute to the broader objective outcomes that are shown above.

Differences in Passing Rates on Praxis CORE in 2017 Test by Minority Status

Partner Institutions of Higher Education

% of first-time white test-takers who passed

% of first-time minority test-takers who passed

Reading Writing Math Reading Writing Math Claflin University 15% 10% 10% 9% 7% 7% College of Charleston 98% 95% 85% NA* 71%** 60%** Limestone College 73.68% 41.67% 50% 64.29% 0% 73% SC State University NA NA NA NA NA NA

*No data is displayed on ETS report because the examinee count is fewer than 5. **African American or Black race only. All other races have no data displayed on ETS report because the examinee count is fewer than 5.

Activity 26: Host faculty discussion forums to report Center findings and discuss implications for improving teacher education. Action: The Center will host annual faculty discussion forums with teacher education faculty, at Clemson and partner four-year institutions, to discuss how ongoing finding from the Center’s work can inform improvements to teacher education programs, especially in their efforts to recruit and develop prospective and preservice MTs. Faculty attendees will be asked to consider concrete improvements to their curricula, teaching approaches, and field experiences in response to the Center’s report and related discussion with colleagues. Rationale: Improving teacher preparation experiences to meet the needs of prospective and preservice MTs in teacher preparation programs, will improve retention of MTs in the teacher development pipeline and result in more minority teachers completing teaching degrees and entering the field. Although this activity is more connected to disseminating information from the Center’s work to the Clemson faculty, and less to MTRR within partner districts, it can still make indirect contributions to MTRR in our partner schools. Because Clemson faculty are engaged in the preparation and professional development of so many teachers across the state every year, this activity can have a positive long-term effect on the Center’s overarching objective of reducing teacher preparation barriers for MTs. Measurable Outcomes: Impact of this activity will be assessed by tracking the number of teacher education faculty members who attend discussion forums, and through qualitative analysis of a questionnaire that faculty will be asked to complete at the end of the discussion where they will report changes they intend to make to their curricula, teaching approaches, and field experiences as a result of the discussion. Center staff will also follow-up with a subset of attending faculty during the following semester to conduct more detailed interviews regarding actual changes that they made and the impact of those changes on the minority student experience in their course. The Center will also examine annual program data look for reductions in the percentage of minority students who leave program before completion.

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Activity 30: Extend Call Me MISTER® program best practices to parallel programs for other MT populations. The Center will assist participating triad partners in the identification of other MT populations within their contexts for the purpose of developing tri-lateral mentoring models within a cohort framework. Rationale: This activity will draw on success experienced by the CMM program over its 18-year history with developing, placing, and retaining African American male educators. The success of the program has been due, in part, to the support that is inherent in the program’s cohort structure. Additionally, the program’s use of a tri-lateral mentoring model—which entails mentor-to-youth, mister-to-mister, expert-to-mister interaction—is intended to instill a commitment to empower and develop others. This model is transferable to other populations of MTs. Measurable Outcomes: The impact measure for this activity will be the number of established cohorts of preservice teachers from other MT populations within the Center’s partner triads. Currently, the Center is not aware of any operational tri-lateral mentoring models that are being implemented within a cohort framework across partner triads. As such no specific baseline data are currently available for this activity. As such, the measure of success that will used for this activity will be the extent to which it contributes to accomplishing the overarching goals for this objective of reducing teacher preparation barriers.

Minority Teacher Retention Activities The following measurable grant activities focus on increasing retention rates among minority teachers who have already entered the field. Where available, we have provided baseline data from our triad partners to show how these activities, which have been developed to influence multiple factors of the socio-ecological system in which teacher development pipelines exist, will directly or indirectly result in an increase in the current number of inservice MTs. Objective 6 Activities: Hire High Quality Minority Teachers. Activities in this group are focused on enabling partner P-12 districts hire high quality minority teachers by developing partnerships and incentives to support P-12 districts in their efforts to hire and retain MTs. The following baselines and outcomes (presented earlier on page 7) will be used to determine if this objective has been achieved overall as a result of the specific activities that follow:


5. Minority teachers (MTs) securing teaching positions

51 students across 4-year colleges & 10 new teachers across partner schools


Activity 15: Increase clinical placements for preservice MTs in priority schools. Action: The Center will work with partner priority and high needs schools to identify and support their strongest teachers to serve as a cooperating teacher for clinical placements of high achieving MTs from triad partner teacher preparation programs.

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Rationale: Recent research suggests that high achieving student teachers are placed in the most advantaged schools, and student teaching placements are highly predictive of where beginning teachers start their teaching careers (Krieg, Theobald, & Goldhaber, 2016). This results in disproportionate recruitment challenges for high needs schools, such as state and federal priority schools, in recruiting and retaining high quality teaching candidates. This challenge was also communicated by the Center’s partner district leaders during planning meetings for this proposal. Creating targeted clinical placements for minority teachers in high needs schools will increase the number of high quality MTs accepting positions in priority schools in partner districts, and because they will already have experience in these schools, and an established support relationship with their cooperating teacher, they will have a stronger support network and smoother induction experience which will reduce attrition rates from the field. Measurable Outcomes: Impact of this activity will be assessed using two different sets of baseline data – one from the perspective of teacher education partners, and the other from the perspective of school district partners. Baseline data suggests that while teacher education partners are having students complete student teaching placements in priority school, and many of those students are taking jobs where they student teacher, district partners are not hiring new graduates from within the triad. Furthermore, even though partner schools have high minority student populations, their hiring of minority teacher graduates reflects the state average of approximately 20%. The Center will use increased clinical placements within triad priority schools to strengthen the teacher pipeline within the triad. This activity will contribute to the outcome of increasing minority teacher hiring by 10 teachers per year across partner schools, and we will attempt to increase the number hired from within the triad.

Student Teaching and Employment in Priority Schools in 2016-2017

Higher Education Partners

% of Student Teaching Placements in Priority Schools

% of Minority Student Teaching Placements in Priority Schools

% of Graduates Accepting Positions in Priority Schools

% of Minority Graduates Accepting Positions in Priority Schools

% of Graduates Accepting Positions in Schools Where They Student Teach

% of Minority Graduates Accepting Positions in Schools Where They Student Teach

Claflin University 100% 100% 100% 100% 8% 8% College of Charleston 32% 36% 28% 32% 9% 11% Limestone College 0% 0% 0% 0% 18% NA SC State University 100% 100% 89% 89% 93% 93%

2016-2017 New Graduates Starting Teaching Positions in Partner Schools

Partner Schools # of New Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career

# of Minority New Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career

# of New Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career from Triad Partner University

# of Minority New Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career from Triad Partner University

Charleston County Schools Edmund A. Burns ES 7 1 0 0 North Charleston ES 3 1 0 0

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Morningside MS 2 0 0 0 North Charleston HS 5 0 0 0

Cherokee County Schools Mary Bramlett ES 1 0 0 0 Gaffney Middle 0 0 0 0 Gaffney Senior HS 3 1 1 0

Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 Hunter-Kinard-Tyler ES 4 2 0 0 Edisto Elementary 1 0 0 0 Carver-Edisto ME 3 0 0 0 Edisto High School 1 0 0 0

Spartanburg County School District 7 Mary H. Wright ES 6 2 0 0 Cleveland Academy 6 0 0 0 Carver Middle School 6 3 NA NA McCracken Middle NA NA NA NA Spartanburg High 4 0 NA NA TOTAL 52 10 1 0

Activity 16: Develop partnerships with local businesses and community members. Action: The Center will develop partnerships with local chambers of commerce, businesses, and community members to develop additional incentive programs to offset cost-of-living and professional expenses for district teachers as well as increase the value of the district’s current compensation plan. Rationale: Although it is not in the purview or capacity of the Center to directly raise teaching salary scales in school districts, perceptions of teaching as a low paying job, and actual low salary scales, serve as a recruitment and retention barrier, especially for high needs districts and schools. By leveraging community and local partnerships the Center will increase incentives and discounts for teachers, specifically those in priority schools, to make hard to fill jobs more attractive. These incentives could range, for example, from low-interest car loans to discount cards for teaching supplies, depending on local availability and needs. Current district recruitment incentives vary a great deal, and no baseline data exists on how much they influence MTRR decisions: School District Current Recruitment Incentives Charleston County School District

• $10,000 ($5,000/yr.) Signing Bonuses for 3 critical areas 2017-18 • $1,000-$6,830 (based on banded schedule) annual supplement with a two-

year commitment at “top talent schools” starting 2017-18 • For the 2017-2018 school year, math teachers at Title I schools will be

compensated on an elevated salary schedule that begins at $45k for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and 0 yrs. experience.


• $3,000 Signing Bonuses for 8 critical areas 2018-19 • $10,000 Signing Bonuses for 8 critical areas 2016-18 • New Teacher of the Month Recognition Program • New District First Year Teacher of the Year Award • Student Teacher/Cooperating Teacher Luncheons – Fall/Spring • Mentor/Induction Teacher Luncheon

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• Salary supplement, mileage stipend, and an increase in mentor stipend through CERRA.

• Stipend through priority schools for teachers employed in priority school. • Monthly induction meetings and provide a mentor for 1st year teachers. • Signing bonus through the general fund. • Student loans can be forgiven if individuals work within a critical need

subject area or a geographical critical need school site. Spartanburg County School District 7

No incentives at this time.

*data provided by partner school districts

Measurable Outcome: The impact of this activity will be measured through the number of new partnerships established with local businesses and community members, as well as the number of teachers taking advantage of the new incentives that will be offered. Furthermore, as an indirect measure of the efficacy of current and future incentives offered, we will gather qualitative data through the annual teacher survey in order to ascertain (1) the perception of the salary scale, (2) the extent to which the salary scale influences the choice to work at the district, (3) the extent to which specific incentive and discount programs (listed) influence the decision to come to and stay in the district. This activity will contribute to the outcome of this objective as listed above – the hiring of 10 additional minority teachers each year across partner school. Activity 17: Examine district practices in utilization of recruitment budgets and conduct cost-benefit analysis to maximize allocation of funds. Action: The Center will complete a cost-benefit analysis of the various ways that partner P-12 districts are currently utilizing recruitment and retention funding, with the goal of examining the return on investment (ROI) of the funds that districts are using to support MTRR. This analysis will be provided to P-12 district partners after analyses are completed by the Center’s quantitative analysis experts. The Center will consult with economists or other specialists at Clemson University as needed. Rationale: The completion of cost-benefit analyses for partner P-12 districts will enable the Center to provide support and guidance in the effective utilization of funding for MTRR. In conversations with triad partners during the development of this proposal, we learned that districts utilize varied and multiple methods to recruit minority teachers. Through this activity, we will coordinate with our partner districts to analyze the “rate of return” they are currently getting from their investment of recruitment dollars, in order to help them determine which recruitment activities have the highest return on investment. Findings from the cost-benefit analyses will be provided to P-12 district leaders (e.g., at the annual triad meeting), who ultimately make decisions about the allocation of district resources used in support of MTRR. This will provide triad leaders who make policy decisions with information needed about successful strategies to maximize the efficacy of funds spent on MTRR within their districts. Measurable Outcome: The outcome of this activity will be to provide district partners—using data they provide the Center—with an assessment of the rate of return for the funds they currently utilize for recruitment efforts. Ultimately, the goal in providing this information to districts is to allow them to make decisions and prioritize their use of funds to maximize the

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return on investment of their recruitment investments. In other words, we aim through this activity to increase the return on investment of recruitment expenses for partner P-12 districts. Baseline data directly related to this activity will be collected during Year One of the grant. This activity will contribute to the outcome of this objective as listed above – the hiring of 10 additional minority teachers each year across partner school.

Activity 21: Conduct “listen and learn” bus tours for higher education faculty to visit partner districts. Action: The Center will support annual triad partner bus tours that will bring teacher education faculty and field placement coordinators to local schools within the triad to better understand the individual context of each school and engage with teachers and school leaders at these schools concerning issues of MTRR. Rationale: This activity will develop closer working relationships between teacher education faculty and P-12 school personnel, so they can work together to support new MTs effectively during clinical placements and induction experiences, creating a smoother transition into the teacher workforce. A better understanding of contextual differences between district schools and the characteristics of teachers who succeed in these specific contexts will improve the clinical placements of preservice teachers, specifically those who complete placements in priority schools, as described in Activity 15. This, in turn, will increase MT recruitment into teaching positions at schools where they have completed student teaching and support retention in the field through the induction experience occurring in a familiar environment where MTs already have experience and a support network. Measurable Outcomes: Impact of this activity will be assessed by tracking the number of teacher education faculty and staff members who participate in the bus tours, and through qualitative analysis of a questionnaire that faculty and staff will be asked to complete after the bus tour where they will report changes they intend to make regarding clinical placements and induction experiences. Center staff will also follow-up with a subset of participating faculty and staff during the following semester to conduct more detailed interviews regarding actual changes that they made and the impact of those changes. The Center will also examine annual increases in the number of preservice MTs accepting teaching positions in schools where they completed student teaching, and increased retention of new MTs in school districts at the end of the first-year induction period. This activity will contribute to the outcome of increasing minority teacher hiring by 10 teachers per year across partner schools, and we will attempt to increase the number hired from within the triad.

Student Teaching and Employment in Priority Schools in 2016-2017 Higher Education Partners

% of Student Teaching Placements in Priority Schools

% of Minority Student Teaching Placements in Priority Schools

% of Graduates Accepting Positions in Priority Schools

% of Minority Graduates Accepting Positions in Priority Schools

% of Graduates Accepting Positions in Schools Where They Student Teach

% of Minority Graduates Accepting Positions in Schools Where They Student Teach

Claflin University 100% 100% 100% 100% 8% 8% College of Charleston 32% 36% 28% 32% 9% 11%

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Limestone College 0% 0% 0% 0% 18% NA SC State University 100% 100% 89% 89% 93% 93%

Objective 7 Activities: Improve Induction Experiences. Activities in this group are designed to enhance the induction experience for MTs new to teaching, leading to increased retention once placed in the field. This will be accomplished by by enhancing the infrastructure of leadership and support at the schools in which they work. The following baselines and outcomes (presented earlier on page 7) will be used to determine if this objective has been achieved overall as a result of the specific activities that follow:



57 out of 73 teacher across schools (22% attrition)


Activity 4: Annual triad partner meeting to develop collaboration and leadership. Action: The Center will host an annual meeting of triad partner leaders every summer to support collaborative planning and leadership development. During this annual meeting, leaders from triad partner institutions will be presented with findings from the Center’s activities from the previous year, including results of the annual needs assessments and stakeholder surveys. Based on these findings, triad leaders will identify shared priorities and plans, and create action steps, goals, and outcome measures for their shared work on MTRR. This meeting will also include specific professional development components for school leaders, including workshops on creating and managing diversity in the workplace that will be conducted by the Clemson Office of Inclusion and Equity. In addition, as part of school leader professional development, the Center will share the leadership survey component of the annual needs assessment with school leaders and support the work of a Professional Learning Community of partner P-12 school leaders to develop individual leadership development plans, action steps, goals, and outcome measures that address concerns raised by their teachers in the annual leadership survey. Rationale: The annual meeting of triad partner leaders for the development of collaborative action plans will be a primary activity to strengthen commitment from all partner institutions to purposeful, data-driven, joint action related to MTRR across each localized teacher development pipeline. Development of these action plans that are responsive to annual, local data will help triad partners take well-aligned steps across the pipeline to increase recruitment and retention of minority teachers. Furthermore, considerable research on minority teacher attrition (e.g., Ingersoll & May, 2011), and the results of planning meetings with partner school districts suggest that challenges with leadership quality and stability result in institutional environments that have disproportional negative impacts on the teaching environments of minority teachers. The targeted PD opportunities for partner P-12 leaders at the annual meeting will improve leadership quality, and also reduce school leader retention rates as a result of improved leadership practice. This will, in turn, increase minority teacher retention rates by creating a more positive school climate and work experience for minority teachers.

29

Baseline leadership turnover rates for partner P-12 districts are as follows:

School District Current Leadership Turnover Rates Charleston County School District

• Principal: 13% (2016-2017) • Assistant Principal: 5% (2016-2017) • Associate Principal: 14% (2016-2017)


• Principal: 9.45% (5-year average) • Assistant Principal: 10.7% (5-year average)


• Principal: 50% (5-year average) • Assistant Principals – 38% (5-year average)


• No data available

*data provided by partner school districts Measurable Outcomes: The impact of this activity will be assessed through multiple measures, including the percentage of goals from these triad action plans and leadership development plans that are achieved each year. In addition, The Center will also track improvements in leadership surveys from one year to the next and aim to reduce attrition rates among P-12 leaders in partner school, to show evidence of improving leadership quality and stability over time. We will also use statistical analyses to establish that reduction in leadership attrition rates are associated with a reduction in minority teacher attrition in partner P-12 districts, especially in the first five years of teaching. This activity will support the above stated objective outcome of reducing early career minority teacher attrition by an additionl five teacher per year across partner schools (from 22% to 15% attrition rate).

2016-2017 Early Career (Years 1-5 in Profession) Teacher Retention in Partner SchoolsPartner Schools

Total # of Teachers in first five years of teaching →

How many of these Teachers returned to the school in 2017-2018?

# of Minority Teachers in first five years of teaching →

How many of these Minority Teachers returned to the school in 2017-2018?

Charleston County Schools Edmund A. Burns ES 16 5 1 1 North Charleston ES 24 15 4 4 Morningside MS 20 12 5 5 North Charleston HS 22 18 2 2


Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 Hunter-Kinard-Tyler ES 14 10 12 9

Edisto Elementary 12 8 5 3 Carver-Edisto ME 11 9 4 2 Edisto High School 16 10 7 4


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Mary H. Wright ES 16 16 8 8 Cleveland Academy 6 5 5 4 Carver Middle School 14 9 6 4 McCracken Middle Spartanburg High 17 17 6 6 TOTAL 232 163 73 57

Activity 19: Establish discussion groups and supports for MTs in partner schools. Action: This activity entails the establishment of weekly discussion groups for MTs, which will bring together newly placed MTs who work in each P-12 partner school through a community of support. Rationale: This activity targets retention of MTs by creating an environment of connectedness and belonging, through a community of practice, for MTs in partner P-12 districts. These discussion groups are based on the cohort model of support that is included in the CMM program and has garnered great success among preservice teacher participants of the program. The discussion groups and supports offered will be designed to draw on local support and local, contextualized knowledge to enhance problem-solving and increase job satisfaction for new MTs working in the teaching field. Measurable Outcome: The impact measures for this activity include an increase in the sense of belonging (belongingness) expressed by MTs through the use of a validated survey scale. We will use statistical analyses to determine the extent to which changes in this measure are related to a reduction in minority teacher attrition in partner P-12 districts. Belongingness will be measured during the annual teacher survey, with baseline data being collected in Fall 2018. This activity will support the above stated objective outcome of reducing early career minority teacher attrition by an additionl five teacher per year across partner schools (from 22% to 15% attrition rate). Baseline data is provided in Activity 4 above.

Activity 20: Establish technology-mediated minority professional mentorship groups across the pipeline. Action: The Center will use social media to connect minority preservice (seniors) and inservice teachers, as well as minority higher education faculty connected to teacher education across triad partner institutions. Members of this mentorship group will serve as a community of practice to support fellow minority education professionals across the triad. Rationale: This activity targets retention of MTs by creating an environment of connectedness and belonging, as well as providing educational expertise to support professional growth, through a mentorship community of practice for MTs that includes preservice and inservice minority teachers and faculty from across triad partner institutions. The triad web-groups will use social media platforms such as Facebook to draw on local support and local, contextualized knowledge, as well as higher education expertise to enhance problem-solving and increase job satisfaction for MTs working in the teaching field. Teachers will be able to discuss issues related to classroom practice and professionalism with minority education professionals who can contribute different perspectives, experiences, and expertise. Preservice teachers will be able to connect to inservice teachers in their triad

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partner district to better understand their transition into a position at the school. As new teachers progress through the pipeline from preservice to inservice, this platform will also allow them to stay connected to higher education faculty and reach out for support as needed.

Measurable Outcomes: The impact measures for this activity include an increase in the sense of belonging (belongingness) expressed by MTs through the use of a validated survey scale. We will use statistical analyses to determine the extent to which changes in this measure are related to an increase in minority teacher retention in partner P-12 districts. Belongingness will be measured during the annual teacher survey, with baseline data being collected in Fall 2018. In addition, the Center will track user activity logs to see if greater engagement in the online group is related to these impact measures and lower attrition rates. This activity will support the above stated objective outcome of reducing early career minority teacher attrition by an additionl five teacher per year across partner schools (from 22% to 15% attrition rate). Baseline data is provided in Activity 4 above.

Objective 8 Activities: Strengthen Teaching Practice. Activities in this group will support MTRR via enhancing teaching practice within P-12 school districts, leading to decreased turnover and enhanced retention of MTs in the field. Activities will better equip teachers and school leaders to support student learning and create a larger MT pool over time. The following baselines and outcomes (presented earlier on page 7) will be used to determine if this objective has been achieved overall as a result of the specific activities that follow:





7. MTs staying at school after first 5 yrs. of career


0 additional each year across schools (maintain 7% attrition )

Activity 22: Conduct PD workshops for P-12 teachers in partner districts, to support discourse related to issues of inequality and diversity. Action: The Center will conduct professional development for P-12 teachers within partner districts, focused on equipping teachers to better engage with students around issues related to societal inequality and diversity—with a goal of strengthening teaching practice and enhancing the social context in which teachers are embedded. The Center anticipates that 50% of partner triads (i.e., two P-12 districts) will participate in this professional development in Year 1 while 100% of partner triads will participate in Years 2-5. Rationale: Strengthening teachers’ capacity to address issues of inequality and diversity with students will help teachers develop the kind of classroom climate that supports student learning and teacher effectiveness, resulting in enhanced critical literacy and academic performance. Additionally, these efforts will lead to an improved school culture and climate for teachers—which ultimately will support the goal of reducing MT turnover or attrition.

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Measurable Outcome: The impact measures for this activity will be increased teacher satisfaction with the learning environment, increased teacher satisfaction with the social and physical environment, and increased teacher retention (percentage of teachers returning from previous year)—as measured by the annual teacher survey and reported on the State Report Cards. The goal of the Center will be to see increased satisfaction rates among partner districts by five percentage points over the five years of the grant for those with rates below 80% and maintain satisfaction rates for those with rates above 80%. The Center will also include additional survey items pertaining to issues of inequality and diversity within the school environment, in its annual survey to P-12 teachers, in order to support its understanding of performance on these outcome measures. Statistical analyses will be used to determine the extent to which teacher responses on survey items are related to attrition rates. Baseline data for these impact measures is included below, and suggests that there is a great deal of disparity on this measure across partner schools. This activity will support the above stated objective outcome of reducing early career minority teacher attrition by an additionl five teacher per year across partner schools (from 22% to 15% attrition rate – baseline data shown above in Activity 4) and maintaining lower 7% attrition rate among later career teachers (baseline data below).

School Teacher Satisfaction

with Learning Environment

Teacher Satisfaction with Social & Physical Environment

% Teachers Returning from Previous Year

Charleston County Schools Edmund A. Burns Elementary 27.3% 45.5% 57.4% North Charleston Elementary 42.8% 47.6% 68.4% Morningside Middle School 55.8% 58.9% 75.2% North Charleston High School 58.4% 41.7% 71.6%

Cherokee County Schools Mary Bramlett Elementary 41.1% 53.0% 82.2% Gaffney Middle School 88.6% 85.7% 89.4% Gaffney Senior High School 81.7% 86.8% 90.1%

Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 Hunter-Kinard-Tyler Elementary 72.2% 66.6% 82.0% Edisto Elementary 89.8% 94.8% 79.8% Carver-Edisto Middle School 77.7% 88.9% 86.4% Edisto High School 70.5% 70.4% 87.7%

Spartanburg County School District 7 Mary H. Wright Elementary 81.0% 83.3% 78.0% Cleveland Academy of Leadership 88.8% 88.9% 85.6% Carver Middle School 88.5% 94.2% 73.1% McCracken Middle School 95.5% 94.1% 86.9% Spartanburg High School 92.3% 91.6% 87.2%

Data Source: 2017 State Report Cards

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2016-2017 Later Career (Years 6+ in Profession) Teacher Retention in Partner Schools

Partner Schools Total # of Teachers in years 6 and later of teaching →

How many of these Teachers returned to the school in 2017-2018?

# of Minority Teachers in years 6 and later of teaching →

How many of these Minority Teachers returned to the school in 2017-2018?





Spartanburg County School District 7 Mary H. Wright ES 20 16 5 5 Cleveland Academy 47 21 20 19 Carver Middle School 28 23 16 13 McCracken Middle Spartanburg High 105 105 19 19 TOTAL 511 412 137 127

Activity 23: Conduct PD workshops for partner districts, for creation and management of workplace diversity. Action: The Center will conduct professional development for P-12 school leaders within partner districts, focused on managing workplace diversity. The goal of these professional development activities will be to improve leadership as it relates to providing support for a diverse teaching workforce. The Center anticipates that 100% of partner triads will participate in this professional development in Years 2-5. Rationale: This activity will strengthen P-12 district school leaders’ capacity to manage a diverse teaching workforce and will help them develop a school climate supportive of MTs. This, in turn, will support the goal of increasing the number of MTs through enhanced hiring and the reduction of teacher turnover. Measurable Outcome: The impact measures for this activity will be increased teacher satisfaction with the learning environment, increased teacher satisfaction with the social and physical environment, and increased teacher retention (percentage of teachers returning from previous year)—as measured by the annual teacher survey and reported on the State Report Cards. The goal of the Center will be to see increased satisfaction rates among partner districts by five percentage points over the five years of the grant for those with rates below 80% and maintain satisfaction rates for those with rates above 80%. The Center will also include additional survey items pertaining to issues of inequality and diversity within the

34

school environment, in its annual survey to P-12 teachers, in order to support its understanding of performance on these outcome measures. Statistical analyses will be used to determine the extent to which teacher responses on survey items are related to attrition rates. Baseline data for these impact measures is included below, and suggests that there is a great deal of disparity on this measure across partner schools. This activity will support the above stated objective outcome of reducing early career minority teacher attrition by an additionl five teacher per year across partner schools (from 22% to 15% attrition rate – baseline data shown above in Activity 4) and maintaining lower 7% attrition rate among later career teachers (baseline data shown above in Activity 22). Finally, we will also conduct qualitative analysis through the use of a questionnaire that leaders will be asked to complete after the professional development, where they will report changes they have made or intend to make based on the training provided. Activity 24: Provide access to diversity-oriented programs via partnership with Clemson University. Action: The Center will provide access to diversity-oriented professional development for institutional partners across the triad, including P-12 schools, 2-year institutions, and 4-year institutions, with training focused on diversity (via Clemson University’s Diversity Speaker Series). The goal of these professional development activities will be to improve leaders’ capacity to support and engage a diverse teaching workforce, while also improving teachers’ awareness of and responsiveness to diversity-related issues. The Center anticipates that 100% of partner triads will participate in this professional development in Years 2-5. Rationale: This activity will strengthen triad partners’ capacity to train, manage, and support a diverse teaching workforce and will help triad partners develop a climates that are supportive of MTs—be they prospective, preservice, or inservice. This, in turn, will support the goal of increasing the number of MTs through enhanced hiring and the reduction of teacher turnover. Measurable Outcome: The impact measures for this activity will be increased teacher satisfaction with the learning environment, increased teacher satisfaction with the social and physical environment, and increased teacher retention (percentage of teachers returning from previous year)—as measured by the annual teacher survey and reported on the State Report Cards. The goal of the Center will be to see increased satisfaction rates among partner districts by five percentage points over the five years of the grant for those with rates below 80% and maintain satisfaction rates for those with rates above 80%. The Center will also include additional survey items pertaining to issues of inequality and diversity within the school environment, in its annual survey to P-12 teachers, in order to support its understanding of performance on these outcome measures. Statistical analyses will be used to determine the extent to which teacher responses on survey items are related to attrition rates. Baseline data for these impact measures is included below, and suggests that there is a great deal of disparity on this measure across partner schools. This activity will support the above stated objective outcome of reducing early career minority teacher attrition by an additionl five teacher per year across partner schools (from 22% to 15% attrition rate – baseline data shown above in Activity 4) and maintaining lower 7% attrition rate among later career teachers (baseline data shown above in Activity 22). Finally, we will also conduct qualitative

35

analysis through the use of a questionnaire that leaders will be asked to complete after the professional development, where they will report changes they have made or intend to make based on the training provided. Activity 27: Develop and provide PD for inservice teachers with FMU Center of Excellence to improve teaching children of poverty. Action: The Center will consult with the FMU Center to develop and deliver PD workshops for partner districts that focus on locally-relevant approaches to effectively teaching children of poverty in order to address issues of achievement inequality between students of different socio-economic status. Rationale: Teachers of children of poverty historically have received little, special training to prepare them for their work with under-resourced children, such as those who make up the student populations of priority schools (see table of partner schools below). Providing professional development for teachers in partner school districts focused on the knowledge and skills needed to teach children of poverty, and teach them well, will help reduce persistent achievement gaps. Because poverty disproportionately affects students of color, this is an important step in expanding the pool of high achieving minority students with the potential to enter the teacher development pipeline. Measurable Outcomes: Impact of this activity will be measured through increases in the number of partner districts that are receiving professional development related to teaching children of poverty each year and the resulting reduction in achievement disparities between white and minority students. Currently, only Spartanburg 7 is a partner district with the FMU Center and receives teacher PD related to teaching children of poverty. Baseline achievement data from partner districts suggests significant achievement gaps currently exist. We will also use statistical analyses to establish that perceptions about the professional development provided is associated with increased retention of minority teachers in partner schools. Finally, we will also conduct qualitative analysis through the use of a questionnaire that teachers will be asked to complete after the professional development, where they will report changes they have made or intend to make based on the training provided.

36

*Key: U=Unsatisfactory, B=Below Average, A=Average, G=Good, E=Excellent; ** These schools were included to represent a complete P-12 teacher development pipeline for the district, even though they do not have the same level of need as other partner schools.

37

2016-2017 New Graduates Starting Teaching Positions in Partner Schools

Partner Schools # of New

Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career

# of Minority New Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career

# of New Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career from Triad Partner University

# of Minority New Graduates Teaching in First Year of Career from Triad Partner University





Spartanburg County School District 7 Mary H. Wright ES 6 2 0 0 Cleveland Academy 6 0 0 0 Carver Middle School 6 3 NA NA McCracken Middle NA NA NA NA Spartanburg High 4 0 NA NA TOTAL 52 10 1 0

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References Angrist, J. D., & Guryan, J. (2008). Does teacher testing raise teacher quality? Evidence from

state certification requirements. Economics of Education Review, 27(5), 483-503. Barth, P., Dillon, N., Hull, J., & Higgins, B. H. (2016). Fixing the holes in the teacher pipeline:

An overview of teacher shortages. Center for Public Education, 1-36. Bednar, S., & Gicheva, D. (2016). Workplace Support and Diversity in the Market for Public

School Teachers. Education Finance and Policy. Advanced online publication, 1-50. Carter D.F., Locks A.M., Winkle-Wagner R. (2013) From when and where I enter: Theoretical

and empirical considerations of minority students’ transition to college. In: Paulsen M. (eds) Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research. Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, vol 28. Springer, Dordrecht.

Dee, T. S., & Goldhaber, D. (2017). Understanding and addressing teacher shortages in the

United States. New York: The Hamilton Project, The Brookings Institution. Ingersoll, R.M. and May, H. (2011). Recruitment, Retention and the Minority Teacher Shortage.

Consortium for Policy Research in Education. CPRE Research Report #RR-69. Krieg, J. M., Theobald, R., & Goldhaber, D. (2016). A foot in the door: Exploring the role of

student teaching assignments in teachers’ initial job placements. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 38(2), 364-388.

Martin, J. (2011). Best Practices in Minority Teacher Recruitment A Literature Review. Hartford,

CT: Capitol Region Education Council (CREC). Maryland State Department of Education (2013). Minority Teacher Recruitment Study and

Report. Retrieved from http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5300/sc5339/000113/019000/019714/unrestricted/20140809e.pdf,

Nettles, M. T., Scatton, L. H., Steinberg, J. H., & Tyler, L. L. (2011). Performance and Passing

Rate Differences of African American and White Prospective Teachers on PraxisTM Examinations: A Joint Project of the National Education Association (NEA) and Educational Testing Service (ETS). ETS Research Report Series, 2011(1).

Palaich, B., et al. (2014). Keeping up with the kids: Increasing minority teacher representation in

Colorado. Denver, CO: Augenblick, Palaich, & Associates.

Project Year: 2018-2019INSTITUTION: Clemson University Proposed

BudgetInstitutional

FundsOther Funds

(school districts, grants,

private, etc.)

CHE use

PROJECT DIRECTOR(s): Dr. Roy Jones, Dr. Faiza Jamil

1. Key Personnel(Faculty/Administration) LIST NAMES & Role A. Salaries

1. Roy Jones, Project Director 480942. Faiza Jamil, Co-Project Director 166593. Luke Rapa, Collaborator 155834. Reginald Wilkerson, Collaborator 81255. Winston Holton 13989

Total Key Personnel Salaries 32242 70208 0 B. Fringe Benefits TOTAL


Total Key Personnel Fringes 10865 27758 0TOTAL KEY PERSONNEL COSTS 43107 97966 0

2. Support Personnel (LIST NAMES) A. Salaries

1. Call Me MISTER ® 20672. Research Assistant - Part time employee 58503. Graduate Adminstrative Assistant 147004. Graduate Research Assistant 11700

Total Support Personnel Salaries 17550 16767 0 B. Fringe Benefits

1. Call Me MISTER ® 8332. Research Assistant - Part time employee 11583. Graduate Adminstrative Assistant 17644. Graduate Research Assistant 1404

Total Support Personnel Fringes 2562 2597 0Total SUPPORT PERSONNEL COSTS 20112 19364 0

TOTAL PERSONNEL COSTS 63219 117330 03. Participant Support (District/School participants) a. Books b. Supplies and Materials 1386 c. Travel and Subsistence 10655 d. Room and Board e. Refreshments 4919

f. Tuitiong. Stipendsh. Technology/Equipmenti. Other - Meeting space 2500i. Other - Facility Incentive 0

BUDGET REQUESTCENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1984

Attachment 3

INSTITUTION: Clemson University Proposed Budget

Institutional Funds

Other Funds (school

districts, grants,

private, etc.)

CHE use

PROJECT DIRECTOR(s): Dr. Roy Jones, Dr. Faiza Jamili. Other - Test Fees 6750i. Other - On-line prep subscription 2500

i. Other - Registration Fees 2400 Total Participant Costs 31110 0 0

4. Supplies and Materials (Institution) LIST MAJOR ITEMS

a. General Materials and Supplies 584 b. c. d.

Total Supply Costs 584 0 05. Equipment/Technology (greater than $5,000 per item) a. b. c. d.

Total Equipment Costs 0 0 06. Additional Costs - PLEASE SPECIFY (includes contractual services) a. External Evaluator 8000 b. Academic Coach/Tutors 15000 c. Tuition Remission for Graduate Student 7298 d. Mplus Analytic Software 700 e.

Total Additional Costs 30998 0 07. Travel and Subsistence

a. State Employee 24088b. Non-State Employee

Total Travel 24088 0 0 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 150000 117330 0

Signature

Project Director(s)Dr. Roy Jones, Professor

Dr. Faiza Jamil, Assistant ProfessorTyped Name & Title

Typed Name & Title

SignatureDate

DateInstitutional AuthorityMs. Bettie McGowan-Hudson, Senior Grants Administrator


BudgetInstitutional

FundsOther Funds


private, etc.)

CHE use








1. Call Me MISTER ® 21292. Research Assistant - Part time employee3. Graduate Adminstrative Assistant 147004. Graduate Research Assistant 11700




TOTAL PERSONNEL COSTS 57507 120356 03. Participant Support (District/School participants) a. Books b. Supplies and Materials 1386 c. Travel and Subsistence 16896 d. Room and Board e. Refreshments 4919

f. Tuitiong. Stipendsh. Technology/Equipment



i. Other - Meeting space 2500i. Other - Facility Incentive 0i. Other - Test Fees 4486 2264i. Other - On-line prep subscription 2500





Total Equipment Costs 0 0 06. Additional Costs - PLEASE SPECIFY (includes contractual services) a. External Evaluator 8000 b. Academic Coach/Tutors 15000 c. Tuition Remission for Graduate Student 7146 517 d. Mplus Analytic Software 700 e.




Project Director(s) Typed Name & Title Dr. Roy Jones, Professor

Signature

Date

Dr. Faiza Jamil, Assistant Professor DateInstitutional Authority Typed Name & Title Ms. Bettie McGowan-Hudson, Senior Grants Administrator Signature


BudgetInstitutional

FundsOther Funds


private, etc.)

CHE use



1. Roy Jones, Project Director 510232. Faiza Jamil, Co-Project Director 15217 24573. Luke Rapa, Collaborator 14233 22984. Reginald Wilkerson, Collaborator 86205. Winston Holton 14841


1. Roy Jones, Project Director 205622. Faiza Jamil, Co-Project Director 5128 8283. Luke Rapa, Collaborator 4797 7744. Reginald Wilkerson, Collaborator 29055. Winston Holton 5981







TOTAL PERSONNEL COSTS 52479 123473 63573. Participant Support (District/School participants) a. Books b. Supplies and Materials 1336 50 c. Travel and Subsistence 14296 3285 d. Room and Board e. Refreshments 4919

f. Tuitiong. Stipendsh. Technology/Equipment



i. Other - Meeting space 2500i. Other - Facility Incentive 0i. Other - Test Fees 6750i. Other - On-line prep subscription 2500



a. General Materials and Supplies b. c. d.







Signature

Date



BudgetInstitutional

FundsOther Funds


private, etc.)

CHE use



1. Roy Jones, Project Director 525532. Faiza Jamil, Co-Project Director 15217 29873. Luke Rapa, Collaborator 14234 27944. Reginald Wilkerson, Collaborator5. Winston Holton 15286













i. Other - Test Fees 6750i. Other - On-line prep subscription 2500










Signature

Date



BudgetInstitutional

FundsOther Funds


private, etc.)

CHE use
















i. Other - Test Fees 6750i. Other - On-line prep subscription 2500



a. General Materials and Supplies b. c. d.







Signature

Date


Documents

COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION · COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION P: (803) 737 -2260 F: (803) 737 -2297 1122 Lady St, Suite 300 Columbia, SC 29201 @SCCommHigherEd CHE . 09/06/2018