Increasing Teacher Diversity

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Increasing Teacher Diversity

Strategies to Improve the Teacher Workorce

Saba Bireda and Robin Chait November 2011

www.americanprogress.o


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Increasing Teacher DiversityStrategies to Improve the Teacher Workorce

Saba Bireda and Robin Chait November 2011

Progress 2050, a project o the Center or American Progress, seeks to

lead, broaden, and strengthen the progressive movement by working

toward a more inclusive progressive agendaone that truly reects our

nations rich ethnic and racial diversity. By 2050 there will be no ethnic

majority in our nation and to ensure that the unprecedented growth o

communities o color also yields uture prosperity, we work to close racial

disparities across the board with innovative policies that work or all.


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1 Introduction and summary

5 Behind the shortage

6 State and district efforts to recruit teachers of color

9 Case studies

9 Teach for America

11 The New Teacher Project-Fellowship Programs

13 Urban Teacher Enhancement Program

16 North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship Program

18 Teach Tomorrow in Oakland

23 Findings, challenges, and lessons learned

27 Recommendations

33 Conclusion

34 About the authors and acknowledgements

35 Endnotes

Contents


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Introduction and summary

In he all o 2010, U.S. Secreary o Educaion Arne Duncan launched a naional

iniiaive, each.gov o recrui he nex generaion o eachers. Duncan emphasized

one paricular objecive or he programbuilding a more diverse eaching orce:

Im very concerned that increasingly, our teachers dont reect the great diversity

o our nations young people, and so making sure we have more teachers o color

and particularly more men, more black and Latino men, coming into education

is going to be a signicant part o this Teach Campaign.1

Secreary Duncans charge reecs a growing concern abou he number o each-

ers o color in Americas classrooms. Naionally, minoriy sudens make up 40.7

percen o he public school populaion. Alhough many schools (boh urban and

rural) are increasingly made up o a majoriy o black and Laino sudens, black

and Laino eachers represen only abou 14.6 percen o he eaching workorce.2

e scarciy o minoriy eachers is no limied o any one ype o schoolin

over 40 percen o public schools here is no a single eacher o color.3 And in

urban and high-povery schools where minoriy eachers are disproporionaely

employed, eaching sas are sill predominaely composed o whie eachers.4

e lack o diversiy in he eaching orce is roubling or several reasons. Fewer

minoriy eachers may indicae ha ew minoriies are ineresed in pursuing

a career in eaching. e low number o minoriy eachers also may indicae

ha here are ewer minoriy candidaes wih he skil ls and qualicaions o

ener he eld. e inabiliy o reain highly eecive minoriy eachers, like all

eachers, is also a challenge or many schools and disrics and may indicae high

urnover o cerain eachers.

Increasing he number o eachers o color is no only a mater o a philosophi-

cal commimen o diversiy in career opporuniies. eachers o color provide

real-lie examples o minoriy sudens o uure career pahs. In his way, increas-

ing he number o curren eachers o color may be insrumenal o increasing he


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number o uure eachers o color. And while here are eecive eachers o many

races, eachers o color have demonsraed success in increasing academic achieve-

men or engaging sudens o similar backgrounds. 5

Policymakers concerned wih sang a challenging schools also have anoher

incenive o increase he number o eachers o color. High minoriy, high-poveryschools are ofen he hardes schools o sa and research indicaes ha minoriy

eachers a he schools are more likely o pursue employmen a schools wih high

minoriy suden populaions. Ofen hese schools are in low-income areas or dis-

rics.6 e successul recruimen and reenion o eecive minoriy eachers a

sruggling schools may prove o be a powerul ool in creaing a sable workorce

and hereby increase suden achievemen.

e Cener or American Progress has consisenly called or a naional agenda

o increase he number o eecive eachers saed a high povery, high minoriy

schools. esearch demonsraes ha eecive insrucion has more inuence onsuden perormance han do oher resources wihin he school. Federal, sae, and

local policymakers have gradually begun o recognize his ac and have sared

developing mehods o assess eacher eeciveness, incorporae eeciveness ino

human capial policies, and creae pahways and incenives or eecive eachers

o work a he schools where hey are needed he mos. e Cener or American

Progress has discussed oher reenion sraegies, such as providing menoring and

inducion programs, creaing career ladders and diverse roles or eachers, and di-

ereniaing pay, in previous work.7 Sraegies o increase he number o minoriy

eachers mus also operae in his ramework and ocus on developing raining and

ools o ensure hese eachers will be eecive in he classroom.

As Secreary Duncans quoe denoes, here is a push on boh he naional and

local level o increase he number o eachers o color. e recruimen o such

eachers can be a dicul and ime-inensive ask. Saes and disrics across he

counry, as well as a number o naional organizaions, have devised successul

sraegies or recruiing eachers o color.

ese sraegies appear o have had some impac on diversiy. ere was a 96

percen increase in he number o minoriy eachers over he pas 20 years, com-pared wih a 41 percen increase in whie eachers.8 Bu he news on he oher

end is decidedly negaive. ecen research on eacher reenion reveals ha

schools may be losing minoriy eachers jus as hey are pulling more ino he

classroom. Universiy o Pennsylvania proessors ichard Ingersoll and Henry

Americas public schools grow

increasingly more diverse

every day. The authors

recognize that diversity

in the teaching workorce

and among public school

students includes a multitude

o individual characteristics.

The authors have chosen

to ocus on the shortage o

Arican American and Latino

teachers because the majority

o available research on

teacher diversity addresses

these two groups. We do

believe, however, that the

recommendations oered in

this paper do apply across

the spectrum o under-

represented groups in theteacher workorce.

What doesdiversity mean?


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Mays research on he minoriy eacher shorage ound ha while he overall

number o minoriy eachers has increased, urnover raes are signicanly

higher or minoriies han or whie eachers.9

During he 2003-04 school year, or example, abou 20 percen more minoriy

eachers lef he eld han enered.10

Such high atriion raes can neuralize heeecive recruimen sraegies resuling in a eacher workorce ha does no

reec Americas suden populaion.

Ingersoll and Mays research highlighs he imporance o approaching he

minoriy eacher shorage wih dual sraegies o recruimen and reenion. e

reasons or eacher atriion are varied and implicae a number o acors, includ-

ing disric/school dysuncion, pay, and personal career objecives. We know ha

eachers a high-povery schools are especially a risk or urnover as such schools

presen eachers wih a unique se o challenges. Schools and disrics ha do no

provide eachers wih suppor will coninue o ace high urnover.

ecruimen alone will no solve he minoriy eacher shorage, bu highly eec-

ive sraegies may increase he number o enering eachers o a rae ha oupaces

urnover. Finely uned recruimen eors ha seek eachers who are likely o suc-

ceed and provide suppor while in he classroom, even in challenging schools, can

help in increasing reenion. is paper will highligh elemens o hese innovaive

recruimen sraegies, presen brie case sudies o programs, and sugges recom-

mendaions or sae and local policy o suppor such programs and sraegies.

ese recommendaions include:

Increasing ederal oversigh o and increased accounabiliy or eacher prepara-

ion programs. is is he rs sep in ensuring ha minoriy eachers emerge

rom eacher preparaion programs wih he skills needed o be eecive each-

ers. e ederal governmen can also ake he lead on requesing programs o

repor on diversiy eors.

Creaing saewide iniiaives o und eacher preparaion programs aimed a

low-income and minoriy eachers.

Srenghening ederal nancial aid programs or low-income sudens enering

he eaching eld.


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educing he cos o becoming a eacher by creaing more avenues o ener he

eld and increasing he number o qualied credenialing organizaions.

Srenghening sae-sponsored and nonpro eacher recruimen and rain-

ing organizaions by increasing sandards or admission, using bes pracices o

recrui high-achieving minoriy sudens, and orming srong relaionships wihdisrics o ensure recruimen needs are me.


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Behind the shortage

Why are here so ew eachers o color in proporion o sudens? Much o heshorage problem sars wih he low raes o academic achievemen or sudens

o color. High school graduaion, an absolue requiremen or enering he each-

ing eld, coninues o elude many black, Laino, and Naive American sudens.

Graduaion raes are 56 percen, 54 percen, and 51 percen or Laino, black, and

Naive American sudens respecively.11 College-going raes are similarly low or

sudens o coloronly 56 percen o black sudens who complee high school

and only 64 percen o Laino high school graduaes successully mariculae o

college. 12 Arican Americans and Lainos also sruggle o complee college. e

six-year graduaion rae or Arican Americans was only 40.5 percen in 2007.

Lainos graduaed a a slighly higher rae o 46.8 percen.13

e dismal rae o high school and college compleion or sudens o color imme-

diaely minimizes he number o eligible candidaes or he eaching eld. A sepa-

rae se o challenges arises when ransiioning college graduaes ino eaching. For

example, hisorically black college and universiies, or HBCUs, have radiionally

supplied many o he naions Arican American eachers. However, he Unied

Negro College Fund, an organizaion o privae HBCUs, repors ha he expan-

sion o career opporuniies or minoriy graduaes combined wih negaive expe-

riences wih eachers in heir own schooling discourages many sudens a UNCF

member schools rom pursuing a eaching career.14 And or hose sudens who do

wan o be eachers, a lack o academic preparedness or college can undermine

even he bes eors.15 UNCF also ound ha many sudens in eacher-educaion

programs a heir HBCUs aced signican diculies in passing he basic skills

exams ha are required or licensure in mos saes.16

In addiion o a lack o academic preparaion, economic, socieal, and culural

acors also depress he number o high-qualiy college graduaes o color who

become eachers. e high cos o college drives many graduaes o more lucraive

careers in order o pay back suden loans. Unlike some graduae school programsor proessional schools, eacher preparaion programs require sudens o ake ou

large loans wih litle promise o nancial reward. Wih hese consrains, eaching

has seadily los presige among college sudens, becoming a career o las opion,

ofen or low perormers. e nex secion will explore he diculies saes,


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disrics, and nonpro organizaions ace in rying o recrui and place Arican

American and Laino eachers in he classroom.

State and district efforts to recruit teachers of color

Saes and disrics have remendous incenives o recrui eachers o color.

Schools serving large numbers o minoriies ypically have diculy atracing

high-perorming eachers who are likely o say in he classroom. Minoriy each-

ers end o purposeully choose hese schools.17 Disrics ha successully recrui

eecive eachers o color may have an advanage in reaining hese eachers a

hard-o-sa schools.

And while urher research is needed on he link beween minoriy eachers and

increased academic achievemen or minoriy sudens, here is evidence ha

some sudens respond posiively o eachers who share heir same background.18eachers who share he same background wih heir sudens may also be more

ap a incorporaing culural reerences and oher culure-specic ools in insruc-

ion. ese pracices are no limied o minoriy eachers nor are hey necessary

o eecively insruc sudens o color, bu such benes should no be ignored

especially in schools where eachers sruggle o engage sudens.

We know ha radiional eacher-educaion programs produce he majoriy o

eachers in his counry and heir use should no be overlooked as a sraegy.

However, saes and disrics have also begun o use oher programs in an eor o

atrac candidaes no ypically ound in radiional eacher educaion.

ese programs include:

Alternative certification programs such as each or America, disric-led pro-

grams such as he Boson eacher esidency program, and local programs run

by ouside providers such as he New York eaching Fellows/e New eacher

Projec. Alernaive cericaion programs ofen specically ocus on recruiing

eachers o hard-o-sa schools.

Grow-Your-Own programs. In a Grow Your Own program, a school disric

parners wih an insiuion o higher educaion o prepare paraproessionals,

oher school sa, or oher members o he communiy who are no ceried as

eachers o each in he disric.


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e heory is ha drawing rom he school communiy will yield eachers who

are more likely o mach he racial, ehnic, and economic characerisics o he

sudens and will be more likely o say in he disric or a longer period o ime.

is heory is suppored by research ha nds ha eachers preer o each in

geographic locaions ha are similar o he place where hey grew upi.e., i

hey grew up in an urban area, hey preer o each in an urban area.19

Manyeachers also preer o each in schools where hey share he race and ehniciy

o he majoriy o he sudens.20

Early outreach programs. Early oureach programs atemp o atrac high school

sudens ino he proession beore hey ener college. Early oureach programs

exis in urban high schools across he counry and can provide a direc pahway

rom high school ino eaching. Minoriy high school sudens have an opporu-

niy o build more posiive eelings abou eaching hrough hese programs and

may also receive nancial suppor hrough college i hey commi o becoming a

eacher. e disadvanage o hese programs is ha hey are recruiing very youngpeople ino eaching and may no be able o adequaely ideniy paricipans who

have he skills, moivaion, and atiude o be successul eachers.

Traditional teacher preparation and district partnerships. Disrics can also

creae direc parnerships wih local universiies wih large numbers o minoriy

sudens. UNCF suppors one such program ha links Norolk Sae Universiy

According to the program director o the South Coast Partnership or

the Journey into Education and Teaching, or JET, a collaboration led

by the University o Massachusetts Dartmouth, with Bristol Com-

munity College, Lesley University, and the Fall River and New Bedord

school districts and their respective paraproessional unions, There

are ew programs serving paraproessionals because its very labor in-

tensive or the people who run the programs. Those candidates who

are succeeding are succeeding extraordinarily well--their GPAs are

between 3 and 3.88. Getting through the undergraduate program,

however, is a stretch or many in the beginning. Its a stretch because

o both academic rigor and lie circumstances. The average age o

paraproessionals in the JET program is in the 40s. Most o them

have amilies and obligations. Some are the primary breadwin

on a paraproessional salary and are under a lot o fnancial pre

They fnd the university courses to be much more challenging t

the community college courses they have taken. Particularly in

beginning, they need a lot o support academically, personally

emotionally. We need to build their confdence to succeed. The

program has had great support rom the University (University

Massachusetts Dartmouth). They have been able to fnd an aca

program director and academic advisor at the University who a

equally committed to students success.

Insight into grow-your-own programs


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o he ichmond Public School sysem. Call Me Miser, a saewide iniiaive in

Souh Carolina, links black male graduaes o area colleges o high-minoriy, high-

povery schools in he sae. Such parnerships have a high likelihood or rapidly

increasing he number o minoriy eachers in an area, bu many eacher prepara-

ion programs have been slow o rack he eeciveness o heir graduaes.

Many saes and disrics are uilizing elemens o hese programs in heir recrui-

men eors. As indicaed above, a successul recruimen sraegy hinges no only

on he programs abiliy o pu eachers o color in classrooms, bu also on ideni-

ying minoriy eachers wih high poenial o be efective in he classroom.


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Case studies

e case sudies in his secion highligh several dieren ypes o sraegies usedo recrui minoriy eachers. Some o he case sudies describe programs wih a

naional scope while ohers have a paricular regional ocus. Each program oers is

own paricular approach o recruimen, raining and suppor, and placemen. e

programs have demonsraed varied levels o success in heir recruimen eors bu

all enrich he discussion around recruimen and he minoriy eacher shorage.

Our case sudies include:

each or America e New eacher Projec-Fellowship Programs Urban eacher Enhancemen Program Norh Carolina eaching Fellows Scholarship Program each omorrow-Oakland

Les begin wih each or America.

Teach For America

General program description

each For America is widely known as one o he counrys largesand mos selec-

ive alernaive cericaion programs. FA recruis college graduaes o each

in 39 underserved areas across he counry or wo years. e program ocuses on

selecing exremely high-achieving candidaes o become corps members, wih he

belie ha hose candidaes who exhibi cerain characerisics are likely o be highly

successul in he classroom. While FA corps members do ulll radiional eacher

licensure requiremens, hey do no necessarily have an undergraduae background

in educaion or a commimen o a long-erm eaching career.

FA is requenly criicized or he ransience o is corps members, bu he pro-

gram has had a air amoun o success in recruiing and reaining minoriy each-

ers while oher radiional programs sruggle o atrac minoriy eachers. FA


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recruis a wide cross-secion o candidaes bu wih he help o dedicaed unding,

began argeed oureach o under-represened minoriies in 2009.

A recen sudy o FA ound ha black and Laino corps members enjoy longer

eaching careers, on average, han whie and Asian eachers.21 On average, com-

pared o whies and Asians, Laino eachers careers are a hal-year longer andblack eachers careers are nearly one year longer. is daa is especially imporan

as black and Laino FA eachers have ypically graduaed rom selecive colleges

and have muliple career opporuniies available o hem.

Recruitment and selection

FA aligns is recruimen goals wih curren demographics a he counry s 400

mos selecive colleges. Arican Americans comprise a litle over 5 percen o hese

graduaes while Lainos are a litle over 6 percen.22 ereore, in 2011 FA serecruimen goals o 11 percen Arican American corps members, and 8.5 percen

percen Laino corps members, in order o oupace he rae o Arican American

and Laino sudens a selecive colleges. Figure 1 below demonsraes he diver-

siy o 2011 FA corps members.

e key o FAs success in recruiing high numbers o minoriy, and paricularly

Arican American eachers, appears o be he inensive relaionship building he

organizaion underakes wih individual candidaes. e relaionship building can

sar monhs beore a poenial applican acually decides o apply o FA. Is sa

assigned o campuses may conac individual sudens or meeings, ask alumni

o call ineresed sudens, and invie sudens o on-campus programming. FA

ound ha alumni were paricularly helpul in convincing poenial candidaes o

apply and mariculae.24

Training and support

FA corps members paricipae in a ve-week raining insiue prior o enering

he classroom. Corps members each summer school sudens wih a lead eacheror par o he day and also ake courses and plan lessons or heir summer school

sudens. Afer corps members sar he year and ener he classroom, hey coninue

o receive one-on-one coaching rom FA insrucional coaches in heir region.

Ethnic and racial diversity

in the 2011 Teach For

America Corps23

2011

Caucasian 65%

Black/African American 12%

Latino 8%

Asian-American 6%

Native Americanor Hawaiian

0.5%

Multi-Ethnic 5%

Other 2%

People of color 35%

Source: Teach For America Recruitment Team.Percentages are rounded and do not add up to

100 percent. TFA uses the receipt of Pell Grants as ameasure of socioeconomic diversity.


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FAs goal is o develop leaders who are working a every level o educaion,

policy and oher proessions, o ensure ha all children growing up in povery are

receiving access o an excellen educaion. FA corps members are well known or

migraing rom he classroom ino oher posiions in educaion and oher elds,

bu he organizaion is atemping o increase he number o eachers ha remain

in he classroom. e organizaions eacher Leadership Iniiaive encouragescorps members in heir second year o consider eaching beyond heir commi-

men. e organizaion pairs eachers wih more veeran FA alumni eachers as

menors. I also assiss eachers wih nding career opporuniies and pursuing

Naional Board Cericaion. FA esimaes ha wo-hirds o is alumni remain

in educaion, and abou hal o ha number consiss o eachers.

The New Teacher Project- Fellowship Programs25


e New eacher Projec operaes ellowship programs in disrics across he

counry. NP aciliaes alernaive cericaion programs or high-achieving

posgraduaes and mid-career proessionals who ypically lack a radiional educa-

ion background. e program conracs wih disrics in 18 ciies and specically

recruis eachers or hard-o-sa schools.

NP ailors is ellowship programs o he needs o disrics. Disrics concerned

abou he homogeneiy o is eachers have urned o NP o creae argeed

recruiing campaigns or minoriy candidaes. For example, in Nashville, where

he majoriy o sudens are non-whie, whie eachers make up abou 60 percen

o he eaching orce.26 e school disric conraced wih NP o sar he

Nashville eaching Fellows. e program seeks o bring new, diverse eachers

ino Nashville classrooms. By ocusing on older college graduaes and mid-career

changers, NP Fellows ofen are in a more secure nancial posiion and can

aord he ransiion o a eaching career.


NP sa sudy demographic daa in each o heir disrics o deermine he

poenial pool o applicans. e program hen creaes a markeing campaign


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o specically resonae wih

likely candidaes. In recruiing

minoriy candidaes, marke-

ing campaigns ofen sress he

need or new eachers o close

he achievemen gap beweenminoriy and whie sudens.

More personal messages pro-

moe he experience o eaching

in communiies ha are similar

o where poenial applicans

were raised. NP uses an array

o recruimen ools including

Inerne appeals, grassroos mes-

saging, and reerrals rom curren

eachers. NP sa, like FAsa, also invess considerable

ime in communicaing direcly

wih poenial applicans. e

organizaion hoss small group gaherings or poenial applicans o mee curren

eachers and ries o sraegically oer applicans opporuniies o mee parici-

pans wih similar backgrounds.

As shown in he gure above, people o color make up a signican porion o he cur-

ren ellows in disrics across he counry. NP esimaes ha 37 percen o heir

ellows are people o color, compared wih he 17.6 percen o eachers naionally. 27


NP ellows atend a summer raining insiue prior o enering he classroom.

NP also provides school disrics wih proessional developmen aimed a

increasing he eeciveness o new eachers.

Retention efforts

NP Fellows have made he decision o purposeully change heir career pah

and choose eaching. ereore, he program has enjoyed higher han average

Diversity in the New Teacher Project

People o color as a percentage o total 2010 Fellows

Arizona

Baltimore

Chicago

D.C.

Denver

In

dianapolis

Louisiana

Memphis

Milwaukee

Nashville

NewOrleans-

Alt.

Route

NewOrleans-

Certified

NYC

Oakland

PGCounty

Philadelphia

Rh

odeIsland

Texas

Percent of total fellows

60%

37%

29%

25%

40%

28% 29%

46%

40%

30%

34%

44%

24%

45% 45%48%

25%

17%

44%

40%

20%

0%

Source: The New Teacher Project


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reenion raes or is ellows

compared o radiional eachers.

e program has an 87 percen

reenion rae or eachers in

heir second year. eenion raes

or black and Laino ellows areslighly higher han or oher

ellows in boh New York Ciy

(NPs agship ellows pro-

gram) and naionally.

e gure above shows he percenage o black and Laino ellows saring heir

second, hird, and ourh year o eaching in 2010 compared o oher ellows.

Urban Teacher Enhancement Program

General program description28

e Urban eacher Enhancemen Program was esablished in 2004 o prepare

eachers who have a commimen o urban schools and who have he knowledge,

skills and disposiions o promoe high achievemen in urban schools and who

have a commimen o remaining in urban schools.29 e program is a parner-

ship beween he Universiy o Alabama a Birmingham and hree high-needs

school disrics in he Birmingham, Alabama meropolian area: Birmingham Ciy,

Bessemer, and Faireld. e program recruis mid-career proessionals, recen

college graduaes who did no major in educaion, and prepares paraproessionals

and oher school sa in he paricipaing school disrics o each in high-needs

areas. e high-needs areas are idenied by he paricipaing school disrics and

currenly include secondary mah, science, English, social sudies, elemenary

educaion, special educaion, and English as a Second Language.

e program is unique because he eacher preparaion curriculum is specically

ocused on developing a se o compeencies relaed o urban eaching. In addi-

ion, coursework is co-augh by universiy aculy and maser eachers rom heparner disrics. One unding source or he program is a ransiion o eaching

Gran rom he U.S. Deparmen o Educaion. Program unds pay or a porion o

paricipan uiionup o $5,000 per candidaeand helps compensae men-

ors and co-eachers. e program akes wo o hree years or par-ime sudens

Diversity and retention

New Teacher Project Fellow retention

New York City teaching fellows Teaching fellows (does not include

NYC teaching

fellows who are

Black/Latino

All NYC

teaching

fellows

Teaching

fellows who are

Black/Latino

All

teaching

fellows

Start Y2 92%

Start Y3 82%

Start Y4 74%

86%

77%

65%

88%

81%

78%

84%

76%

72%

Sources: NYCTF FellowTrack Database, No2010, TeacherTrack Database, November 2


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and one and a hal years or ull-ime sudens. Paricipans commi o each in he

disric or a specied period o ime; or example, he ransiion oues o Urban

Educaion program requires a hree-year eaching commimen.


UEP uses a variey o recruimen mehods o reach minoriy candidaes.

ey ask adminisraors in heir parner disrics o reer promising school

sa. ey also do direc mailings o paraproessionals, subsiue eachers, and

oher school sa. ey also reach ou o communiy leaders. In addiion, hey

recrui candidaes rom undergraduae mahemaics and science programs a

he Universiy o Alabama a Birmingham. ey have inormaion sessions or

hese undergraduaes and engage graduaes o he program o alk o poenial

recruis. ey also use a promoional video.

UEP has a compeiive selecion process. Applicans mus rs be acceped ino

one o hree programs in order o paricipae in UEP: he eacher Educaion

Program or undergraduae sudens, and eiher he Alernaive Masers Program

or radiional Masers Program or graduae sudens. Paricipans enering he

graduae program are required o have a specic score on he GE or Millers

Analogy es. Paricipans enering he undergraduae roue are required o have a

minimum 2.50 GPA. All candidaes also mus supply a wriing sample, a sae-

men explaining why hey would be a good candidae, and mus paricipae in an

inerview. UEP program sa screen all applicans and hen conduc in-person

inerviews wih promising applicans. eir disric and universiy parners par-

icipae in he inerview process; hey see abou 100-150 applicaions each year

and selec 20-30 people or he UEP program.

UEP currenly has 70 paricipans, our or ve o whom are paraproessionals.

e majoriy o paricipans are ransiioning rom anoher career. Fewer han 10

paraproessionals paricipae in he program a any one ime. Bachelors degrees are

no required or paraproessionals o paricipae in he program, bu hey do have o

complee he pre-requisie coursework or eacher preparaion, and mus submi he

wriing sample and paricipae in an inerview like he oher candidaes.

UEP paricipans are well posiioned o ge posiions wih parner disrics, since

he disrics are involved in selecing and supporing hem. e disrics, however,


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are no commited o hiring specic candidaes. UEP provides seminars or parici-

pans o coach hem on he hiring process. In recen years, he hiring process has

been more dicul because o hiring reezes, bu paricipans usually do ge jobs.


When UEP was esablished, a eam rom he Universiy o Alabama a

Birmingham and he Birmingham Ciy Schools developed he Urban eacher

Enhancemen Program compeencies ha are embedded in all o he UEP

courses. e compeencies are organized in our srands: arming atiude,

socio-culural compeence, collaboraive skills, and pedagogy or diversiy. e

UEP courses enhance he radiional educaion programs. Paricipans sudy a

variey o conen areas, bu ake a se o UEP courses as a cohor in addiion

o he regular course o sudy or educaion sudens. e courses are co-augh

by universiy aculy and maser eachers rom he parner disrics. eyinclude courses in classroom managemen, curriculum, eaching sudens wih

disabiliies, and assessmen. ey also have arrangemens wih paricipaing

disrics o place UEP paricipans in eldwork experiences ha are inegraed

hroughou he program. Paricipans are required o have a minimum o 180

eld hours prior o eaching.

Faculy liaisons work as menors o eacher candidaes o ensure hey success-

ully complee he program. Abou 90 percen o paricipans complee i, bu

UEP counsels candidaes ou o he program i hey don do well in he course

work. Assessmens o he Urban eacher Enhancemen compeencies are buil

ino he courses, so doing poorly in he courses is an indicaion ha hey haven

masered he compeencies. Candidaes mus mainain a GPA o 3.0 in he gradu-

ae program and 2.75 in he undergraduae program. Paricipans may also ge

disposiion saemens or being lae o class, submiting assignmens lae, making

unproessional saemens, or violaing condenialiy. ese saemens are also

considered in a decision o dismiss a candidae.

UEP provides a range o resources o suppor eacher candidaes. UEP has

porable echnology ceners ha paricipans can check ou o use in classes hainclude a lapop, a projecor, and speakers. ey have a small UEP library ha

specializes in eaching in diverse schools. ey also arrange seminars, social gah-

erings, elecronic newsleters, and opporuniies or he eachers o nework.


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Once candidaes exi he program, UEP provides menors or eachers rs

hree years o eaching. UEP is able o pay exemplary eachers in parner disrics

a sipend o serve as menors hrough heir gran unding.

Results and evaluation

Many o he grans ha suppor UEP require eachers o commi o each or a

specic number o years. Across hree years, UEP has a reenion rae o abou 70

percen, which varies by gran. UE, he ransiion oues o Urban Educaion

gran, a ransiion o eaching gran unded by he U.S. Deparmen o Educaion,

requires a commimen o hree years, and abou 80 percen o graduaes each in

high-povery schools. Abou 70 percen o UEP paricipans are Arican American.

UEP sa evaluaes paricipans masery o he compeencies while hey are in

he program. ey use a rubric aligned wih he UEP compeencies ha evalu-aes he exen o which he candidaes mee each one. ey have also developed

an observaional rubric or he eld experiences ha is grounded in he compeen-

cies. And hey have sared comparing he classroom pracice o UEP o non-

UEP graduaes using an observaional rubric. UEP sa would like o know i

heir graduaes look any dieren once in he classroom.

Direcor Deborah Volz saes ha she is mos proud o he genuine collabora-

ion ha UEP has wih is parner disrics. e program mees a real need o

he parner disrics and he principals ha UEP has worked wih are eager o

hire UEP graduaes.

North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship Program30


e Norh Carolina eaching Fellows program was enaced by he saes General

Assembly in 1986 wih a mission o recrui alened high school graduaes ino

eaching and o help hem develop leadership skills. e program is unded by hesae and provides a $6,500 yearly scholarship o 500 paricipans or our years.

e unding also suppors raining and suppor aciviies as well as summer learn-

ing experiences. Paricipans mus be acceped o one o he 17 public and privae

colleges or universiies in he sae ha paricipae in he program and complee a


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eacher preparaion program a one o hese schools. Las year, 2,000 high school

seniors applied or 500 slos.

In reurn or he scholarship, paricipans mus agree o each or our years

afer college graduaion in one o Norh Carolinas public schools. I he recipi-

en canno repay he scholarship hrough service, hey mus repay he loan ohe sae wih 10 percen ineres. ecipiens mus be legal residens o Norh

Carolina and have lived in he sae or 12 monhs. e program also provides

supplemenary educaional experiences ha enrich paricipans educaion and

develop heir leadership skills.


NCF sa members engage in aggressive recruimen o nd alened candidaes

and o recrui higher proporions o minoriy and male candidaes han radiionaleacher preparaion programs in Norh Carolina. Four years ago, NCF creaed a

direcor o recruimen posiion charged wih increasing minoriy paricipaion.

rough a variey o oureach sraegies, he and his sa have helped he organiza-

ion consisenly mee is annual recruiing goals o 20 percen minoriy parici-

pans and 30 percen male paricipans.

One o he primary recruimen sraegies is called Projec each. rough Projec

each, recruiers ideniy school disrics ha have high populaions o minoriy

sudens and have average o above-average achievemen. ey are currenly work-

ing wih 24 disrics. Wihin hese disrics, recruiers ideniy a school-sysem liai-

son, which is NCFs main poin o conac. e liaison is charged wih creaing

a eam o communiy-based represenaives, aciliaing inormaion disribuion

o parens and sudens, and helping sudens apply o college and o NCF. is

sraegy proved criical, as NCF sa ound ha a lo o he sudens ha hey

were argeing hadn aken he seps hey needed o ake o apply o college.


Once candidaes are acceped ino he program, hey enroll in a eacher cerica-

ion program in one o 17 paricipaing colleges. ey also paricipae in a variey

o aciviies ha exend beyond radiional eacher preparaion. ese addiional

aciviies include seminars on curren educaion rends, social aciviies wih oher


24/44


ellows, and early eld experiences in public schools, including uoring, menor-

ing, and shadowing eachers. ey also mus paricipae in a variey o summer

learning experiences, including a bus our o a range o schools sysems hrough-

ou he sae, inernships, ravel opporuniies, and proessional developmen.

Afer compleing he program, paricipans apply or eaching posiions. e pro-gram does no provide assisance o paricipans in nding jobs wih he excepion

o publishing o an annual employmen direcory on heir websie.


While mos candidaes successully complee he program and say in he each-

ing proession, he program does no monior he eeciveness o graduaes o he

program in he classroom or rack heir evaluaion daa. From he classes o 1987-

2005, 84 percen o paricipans graduaed rom he program. Moreover, in 2009-10, 86 percen o graduaes were employed in heir fh year afer heir our-year

commimen was compleed and 65 percen were employed afer heir fh year.

Teach Tomorrow in Oakland 31


each omorrow in Oakland, Caliornia, is a parnership beween he Oakland

mayors oce and Oakland Unied School Disric, whose goal is o recrui

and reain excellen eachers who reec he ehnic and culural diversiy 32 o

Oakland. TO works collaboraively wih universiy and communiy parners o

atrac and prepare alened eachers who are commited o hree key principles:

ensuring ha all sudens achieve a high levels, proessional developmen, and

long-erm employmen wihin OUSD.33 TO only recruis candidaes who have

lived in Oakland or a leas ve years.

wo years ago, an educaion ask orce iniiaed by Mayor onald Dellum rec-

ommended he program afer nding ha he ciy needed a program o ge localresidens ino eaching. All paricipans mus make a ve-year commimen,

ormalized hrough a memorandum o undersanding, o each in Oakland or pay

back he uiion hey receive.


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e program includes our recruimen srands:

Oaklands alumni and community members.TO recruis paricipans and

sa rom Oakland civic, communiy, and aih based organizaions. I also

includes alumni o Oakland schools.

Middle and high school students.TO suppors middle school eaching clubs

and implemens Educaion Academies a several Oakland high schools. TO

provides nancial assisance o OUSD alumni who enroll in programs ha pro-

vide hem wih eacher cericaion and plan o reurn o Oakland o each.

OUSD employees.TO recruis promising paraproessionals and oher school

sa who are ineresed in becoming educaors, and suppors hem in comple-

ing a bachelors degree and eaching credenial, and nding a eaching posiion.

Student teachers.OUSD parners wih local colleges and universiies o iden-iy high perorming suden eachers in OUSD schools and help hem ransi-

ion ino posiions in he disric.

TO recruis candidaes rom all o hese srands and suppors hem in earn-

ing a eaching credenial and becoming a eacher Inern in he disric. eacher

Inerns receive inensive summer preparaion and hen assisance wih nding a

posiion wihin he disric. TO suppors applicans wihou bachelors degrees

in nding unding o complee heir degree and hen suppors hem in becom-

ing a eacher Inern. Applicans who have bachelors degrees may apply o

become a eacher Inern direcly.

e program is unded hrough a variey o sources including he ransiion

o eaching gran, sae money, oundaion grans, and he school disric. e

ransiion o eaching gran pays or everyhing relaed o he eacher Inern

program, including proessional developmen, es preparaion, supplies, and

uiion. e sae pays or he paraproessional program and uiion or he

paraproessionals o complee heir bachelors degree and eaching credenial.

A gran rom he David and Lucile Packard Foundaion pays or wo years o

junior college or high school sudens, and he Oakland School Disric paysor he program direcors salary. e program direcor is currenly working o

secure permanen unding or he program.


26/44



e disric gives TO a cerain number o slos ha hey are allowed o ll, so

hey know how many eacher Inerns hey can place. e program recruis heavily

in he communiies where hey wan heir eachers o each. ey hire recruiers

who reec he diversiy o he people ha hey are recruiing and who are par ohe communiies where hey are recruiing. ey inundae local schools wih y-

ers. ey also use oher nonradiional recruimen sraegies, such as adverising

in Spanish speaking newspapers and in churches. ese sraegies seem o pay o,

as many o heir paricipans come rom local churches.

Ineresed applicans undergo a horough evaluaion o become a eacher Inern.

TO inerviews boh ully credenialed applicans and hose who will need o earn

a credenial hrough he program. e applicaion process begins in January or he

upcoming all. Principals conduc a rigorous inerview process where each applican

eaches a sample lesson. In addiion o paricipaing in he sample lesson, sudensprovide eedback on candidaes afer each lesson. ey are asked o answer quesions

such as: Did I learn anyhing? Did I eel like I would wan his eacher in my school?

e paraproessional pahway is he mos challenging recruimen srand or a

number o reasons. One o he primary challenges is ha he paraproessionals

would have o swich unions and is hard o convince hem o swich. TO cur-

renly has 10 paraproessionals whove agreed o swich. Many don have bach-

elors degrees and would need more suppor o complee he program, such as

uoring and peer suppor. e paraproessionals usually also have amily respon-

sibiliies o atend o. While paraproessional recruimen is challenging, hese

eaching candidaes end o have similar ehnic and culural backgrounds o heir

sudens, and also have valuable eaching experience and are hereore a promising

pool or diverse eaching candidaes.


e program has parnered wih hree local universiies: Holy Name Universiy,

Caliornia Sae Eas Bay, and Caliornia Sae EACH, an online componen oCaliornia Sae Universiy. TO has worked wih hese hree eniies o ensure

ha heir summer preparaion is relevan o he needs o Oakland eachers. ey

also supplemen he program by bringing in Oakland eachers o demonsrae he

curriculum and providing addiional inormaion abou he Oakland conex.


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eacher Inerns atend universiy programs rom May o July o ge heir pre-service

raining. ey hen paricipae in wo weeks o inensive raining beore beginning

school as he eacher o ecord in Augus. Paricipans coninue o ake classes in

order o earn heir credenial while hey each. TO also provides uoring o help

paricipans pass eiher he Caliornia Basic Educaional Skills es or he Caliornia

Subjec Examinaion or eachers o obain a eaching credenial.

Once eachers are placed, TO provides ollow-up suppor. Afer surveying each-

ers, TO ound ha he hree main suppors hey need o ulll heir commi-

mens were classroom supplies and suppor, advocacy or heir needs wihin he

school, and menoring. Now, TO provides all o hese resources. TO also hires

insrucional coaches using gran unds o suppor eachers. e coaches spend

hours in he classroom observing he new eachers beore giving hem eedback

and meeing wih hem once per monh o develop conen.


e program began in 2009 and hereore has no ye been evaluaed. I placed

12 eachers in 2009, 30 in 2010, and hopes o place 45 eachers in 2011.34 eir

eacher recruis are very diverse44 percen are Arican American, abou 15

percen are Laino, 4.3 percen Whie, 4.3 percen Asian, and abou 23 percen are

o mixed race. eir goal is o increase Laino represenaion.

TO hired an evaluaive eam o develop a 360-degree evaluaion model or

eachers. e evaluaion assesses eachers agains Caliornias sandards or he

eaching proession, bu also includes oher qualiaive and quaniaive daa.

e 360-degree evaluaion model includes a sel-reecion, a principal evalua-

ion, paren eedback, suden eedback, and school sie personnel evaluaion.

e evaluaion is inended o complemen he principals evaluaion, which will

include suden achievemen.


28/44


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Findings, challenges,

and lessons learned

Disrics hoping o recrui and place Arican-American and Laino eachers

sill ace an uphill batle. While disrics ofen sruggle o atrac high-achieving

candidaes, recruiing and reaining minoriy eachers brings specic challenges,

paricularly in he area o providing sucien resources and suppor o eaching

candidaes. e programs have o inves a grea deal o ime and labor o recrui

ineresed and alened candidaes while, compeing wih oher, more presigious

opporuniies. ey also mus balance he compeing demands o nding candi-

daes, bu ensuring hey are eecive. ey mus suppor candidaes nancially

and academically and ensure he programs are nancially susainable.

Successul programs are hose ha recognize he paricular challenges in recrui-

ing minoriies and have me hese challenges wih creaive and innovaive solu-

ions. eir success also comes rom dedicaing signican resources o his

endeavor and being able o mee candidaes where hey are in boh lieral and

guraive ways. Some o he ndings, challenges, and lessons learned rom he

above programs include:

ecruimen o alened minoriy candidaes is a ime- and labor-inensive process.

Highly atracive candidaes have many opions and may view eaching as a less

presigious career opion.

Balancing recruimen and eeciveness is a remaining obsacle or some

programs.

Once candidaes decide o ener he eld, remaining barriers in erms o ime and

nancially inensive licensure processes exis.

Programs ha seek o recrui candidaes wihou college degrees mus be prepared

o address he paricular challenges o susaining candidaes ineres and abiliies

hrough college.


30/44


All programs ace some nancial consrains in heir eors o recrui alened

minoriy candidaes.

Les consider each in urn.

Recruiting talented minority candidates is a time- and labor-

intensive process

Programs ha successully recrui minoriy candidaes engage in very aggres-

sive recruimen and relaionship-building aciviies. ese range rom one-on-

one meeings beween program sa and candidaes, o organizing large evens

aimed a raising he programs prole on campus. Sudens who have never

considered eaching or have serious concerns abou he proession needed o be

ully suppored hrough he process, especially i hey are no receiving encour-

agemen rom amily or ohers on campus. is level o suppor ofen requires apersonalized approachwheher o suppor he candidae nancially, link he

candidae o successul graduaes o he program, or be available o answer ques-

ions abou he eaching eld.

Competition with other opportunities and the lack of prestige

Candidaes who are he bes or eaching and have srong academic credenials

ofen have a plehora o oher opporuniies available. eaching is also perceived

as a less presigious career han oher proessions such as law or medicine.

Compeiion is paricularly inense or minoriy mah and science majors who are

also recruied rom echnology and engineering rms. High-achieving minoriy

candidaes ofen choose alernaive cericaion programs ha promise a shorer

commimen o eaching and allow hem o pursue oher pos-eaching careers.

eacher preparaion programs ha are commited o improving diversiy mus

demonsrae a range o opporuniies boh in he classroom and beyond o say

compeiive wih oher avenues o possecondary employmen.

FA is one organizaion ha has successully done his. I ofen uses recen FAalumni o encourage curren sudens o apply or he program. High-prole

alumni operae as model recruiers or he program and allow sudens o see

hemselves in he same role afer graduaion. FA has also been successul a cre-


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aing agreemens wih corporaions and graduae programs ha allow sudens o

deer admission unil afer he end o heir wo-year commimen.

Oher programs have atemped o seize upon he ineres o sudens seeking

opporuniies o ener he public service eld and give back. is sraegy is par-

icularly eecive or recruiing black and Laino eachers ha may have atendedschools wih a lack o minoriy eachers.

Balancing recruitment and effectiveness

Many programs ha ocus on recruiing minoriy eachers have no ye developed

ways o assess a candidaes poenial or success in he classroom. e ask o

helping he eaching candidaes ulll he program requiremens is ofen priori-

ized beore ensuring ha programs are selecing alened candidaes who will be

eecive in he classroom. is is unorunae, because a more diverse eachingorce will no help sudens i hey are no successul eachers.

Some programs have managed o accomplish boh goals. For insance, he New

eacher Projec recruis eaching candidaes who have rack records o success in

oher elds and he Norh Carolina eaching Fellows program recruis candidaes

wih srong academic backgrounds.

The cost and time of becoming a teacher

e licensure process can become expensive quickly or poenial eachers.

Credenialing exams, uiion or required courses, and sae ees may presen

nancial obsacles o eachers rom low-income backgrounds. Working proes-

sionals have o allocae ime o he cericaion process in addiion o obliga-

ions a work and a home.

Several programs work wih sae educaion programs o credenial program

paricipans. Allowing muliple organizaions, including nonradiional pro-

grams, o oer sreamlined raining and credenialing increases opporuniiesor minoriy candidaes who would like o ransiion o eaching wihou ener-

ing a ull-ime eacher-preparaion program.


32/44


Supporting candidates without bachelors degrees

When programs atemp o recrui and prepare candidaes o color rom he com-

muniies where heir schools are locaed, he pool o candidaes is no as likely o

hold a possecondary degree. I is much more challenging o help eachers wih

litle possecondary experience complee a bachelors degree in addiion o com-pleing heir cericaion requiremens.

ese candidaes are likely o have amily responsibiliies ha hey mus juggle

wih work and eacher preparaion. ey may also have o deal wih nancial

sress, rom working in low-wage jobs. Finally, hese candidaes migh have been

ou o school or a long period o ime and may never have aken universiy

courses. Adjusing o academic expecaions in a rigorous eacher-preparaion pro-

gram and compleing courses could hereore ake a much longer period o ime

han or candidaes who already have bachelors degrees.

All o hese challenges mus be addressed or a program o successully recrui

and reain hese candidaes.

Financial sustainability of the programs

Several o he programs proled in his repor are unded by shor-erm grans,

hough program sa is rying o ideniy more permanen sources o unding.

Ohers are orunae o have some sae or disric suppor. Sill ohers bene

rom some ype o suppor rom heir universiy parnerswheher hrough sa

resources or ailored raining. Programs will have o build a diverse porolio o

long-erm unding sources in order o ensure susainabiliy.


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Recommendations

ere are a variey o policy and program levers ha could enhance he successo programs ha recrui and prepare diverse eaching candidaes. Federal policy

should suppor sae reporing and accounabiliy o provide common measures

o eeciveness across eacher preparaion programs. Federal policy could also

provide more eecive nancial suppor o eaching candidaes, by modiying

he EACH gran program and allowing suden eachers o receive work-sudy

suppor. Sae and disric policy should allow a diversiy o providers o eacher

preparaion, oer low cos opions or eacher preparaion and cericaion, and

suppor saewide programs o recrui and prepare minoriy eachers.

Finally, programs should balance high sandards wih inensive suppor byengaging in argeed recruimen, coninuous evaluaion, and providing inen-

sive suppor o candidaes. ey should also ensure hey are meeing disrics

needs by working closely wih parner disrics and requiring a signican ime

commimen rom eaching candidaes.

Recommendations for federal policy

Require reporting and accountability

Saes should be required o develop reporing and accounabiliy sysems or eacher-

and principal-preparaion programs wihin he sae as a condiion o receiving und-

ing under ile II o he Elemenary and Secondary Educaion Ac. is would ensure

ha all preparaion programs wihin a sae are evaluaed by he same high sandards.

A sae reporing and accounabiliy sysem should include a leas he ollowing

measures: a eacher-eeciveness measure ha repors he exen o which program

graduaes help heir K-12 sudens o learn; a measure o classroom eaching peror-

mance o program graduaes; program graduaes persisence raes in eaching; and

eedback surveys rom preparaion program graduaes and rom heir employers.35

Programs could also be encouraged o repor on eors o recrui and graduae

under-represened minoriies. e deparmen can highligh successul programs

and pracices as par o he EACH.gov iniiaive.


34/44


Strengthen the TEACH Grant program

Enering he eaching eld can be an expensive endeavor and especially dauning

or ineresed sudens o color rom low-income backgrounds. e EACH gran

program oers $4,000 grans o college sudens who inend o each in a low-

income school afer graduaion. EACH gran recipiens mus commi o each-ing or a leas our years in a low-income school and spend a leas 51 percen o

he ime eaching in a high-need subjec like mah or special educaion.

e EACH program should be a powerul lever o atrac high-achieving candi-

daes o he eaching eld. e program, unorunaely, is underuilized and does

no adequaely ocus on atracing sudens wih he highes poenial or success in

he classroom. A recen sudy ound ha only 30,650 awards were given in 2009-10

even hough hundreds o housands o eaching degrees are graned annually.36 Mos

accredied programs are qualied o give he grans even i hey don have a hisory

o producing successul eachers or eachers ha say in he proession.

As saes move o beter rack he success o graduaes rom eacher preparaion

programs, he EACH program should be modied o limi qualiying insiu-

ions o hose wih a proven rack record o producing eecive eachers. e

Deparmen o Educaion could also consider increasing he amoun o indi-

vidual grans as i becomes more selecive in he insiuions and sudens who

qualiy or EACH awards.

Offer federal work-study for student teaching and internship opportunities

Mos eacher preparaion programs, as well as alernaive cericaion programs, have

an elemen o suden eaching. e Deparmen o Educaion should allow low-

income suden eachers o collec ederal work-sudy dollars while suden eaching.

Recommendations for states and districts

Encourage policies that increase diversity

Sae policies should allow nonpro organizaions, charer schools, and school

disrics wih rack records o preparing eecive candidaes or high-needs


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schools o ceriy eachers. ese organizaions could hen creae heir own

programs ha prepare diverse candidaes o mee he needs o heir schools. All

providers should be required o rack he eeciveness o candidaes once hey

are placed in he classroom using a variey o perormance indicaors, including

suden achievemen.

Create lower-cost options for preparation and certification

Saes should ensure ha alernaive cericaion programs are aordable o a

wide range o nonradiional candidaes by limiing universiy courses and learn-

ing experiences o hose ha are essenial o beginning eachers.37 Saes should

speciy he compeencies new eachers mus demonsrae in order o be ceried,

raher han he numbers o courses or credi hours new eachers should ake.

Providers o eacher preparaion programs could hen design courses and learn-

ing experiences o ensure new eachers demonsrae hese skills.38 Saes shouldencourage a range o cericaion providers, including nonpro organizaions and

charer school managemen organizaions, o promoe compeiion in erms o

qualiy and cos. Saes can also pay or uiion or alened candidaes who agree

o each in high-needs schools or our or ve years.

Create targeted, statewide recruitment programs

Saes can creae argeed, eacher recruimen programs ha seek o atrac

high-achieving minoriy sudens o he eaching eld. e Illinois Legislaure,

or example, esablished a saewide Grow Your Own program in 2005. e

purpose o he Illinois program is o ideniy, rain, and employ 1000 or more

ully qualied eachers who have previous ies o he low-income communiies

where hey will work.

e creaion o a saewide program allows a sae o combine human capial

reorm goals wih a argeed eor o recrui minoriy eachers. As saes move o

creae new ways o assessing eacher eeciveness, sae-sponsored programs can

lead he way in recruiing minoriy eachers who will succeed under new evalua-ion sysems. Sae-led programs can also be models or eacher preparaion, rain-

ing, and proessional developmen.


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Recommendations for programs

High standards for participation

Successul programs recrui minoriy eachers wih a high likelihood o being

eecive in he classroom. ese programs concenrae on nding candidaeswih a core se o compeencies ha will ranslae o success in he classroom

insead o ocusing on meeing minimum sandards or enering he proession.

Core compeencies ofen include srong academic skills, an abiliy o engage

sudens, a desire o improve suden perormance a challenging schools, a

willingness o work wih school communiies, and a commimen o working in

a school or a se period o ime.

Programs are a dieren poins in he developmen o ools or measuring he

eeciveness o heir graduaes bu mus also ocus on developing recruimen

ools ha assess poenial candidaes or qualiies o successul eachers.

Targeted recruitment

Aggressive eors are necessary o increase he number o eachers o color. ese

eors are wased, however, i candidaes are unlikely o become eachers or say in

he classroom. In addiion o ideniying core compeencies, successul programs

arge hose candidaes who exhibi a desire o work in hard-o-sa schools and

undersand he challenges o doing so.

o successully compee wih sudens oher opporuniies, FA has devoed

resources o showcasing well-known and accomplished sudens ha ener he

program o increase is populariy on campuses. FA has also worked hard o

change he percepion o eaching as a presigious poscollege career. ecruiers

emphasize he role o eachers as leaders in heir schools and classrooms and mar-

ke his message o campus leaders. FAs low accepance rae also conribues o

is repuaion as a sough-afer opporuniy.

High-achieving candidaes are ofen sough afer or oher career opporuniies, sosuccessul programs need o be aggressive in communicaing wih applicans and

ensuring ha hey mariculae ino he program.


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Require significant commitment to high-need schools

Once programs have idenied successul candidaes, hey mus also ocus on

keeping hem in he highes-needs schools. ying sipends and loan orgiveness

o service in high-need schools will ensure ha candidaes undersand and ol-

low hrough on heir commimen. In Norh Carolina, Norh Carolina eachingellows mus agree o each or our years in a public school or repay he sae

wih ineres. Programs can consruc similar requiremens wih a ocus on

service in high needs schools.

Constant evaluation of efforts

High-perorming programs evaluae heir recruimen eors, he ypes o candi-

daes ha apply o he program, and mariculaion and reenion raes once in he

classroom. ese programs do no simply ge people in he door. Insead, heyare ocused on bringing high-perorming, commited eachers ino low-perorm-

ing schools and classrooms. Minoriy recruimen programs mus be able o evalu-

ae heir success in placing highly eecive minoriy eachers as saes and disrics

move oward more rigorous eacher evaluaion sysems.

Intensive support for nontraditional candidates

Programs ha serve paraproessionals and oher school sa requenly need o

devoe resources o providing suppor services, such as uoring, and help navigaing

college courses because hese candidaes end o have litle prior experience wih

higher educaion. ese programs hereore need o allocae more sa ime o guid-

ing paricipans hrough he preparaion and cericaion process han programs

serving career changers. e pay-o can be grea, wih eachers who have srong

culural compeency and are commited o saying in he communiy indeniely.

Strong partnerships with receiving districts

Programs need o develop srong parnerships wih receiving disrics o ensure

hey are preparing eachers ha mee disrics needs. Eecive programs re-


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quenly prepare candidaes in he grades and subjec areas ha disrics ideniy

as areas o need. e programs also know how many eachers o recrui based on

he disrics esimaed vacancies. Finally, programs should work wih disrics o

ensure hey are preparing eachers o each he disric curriculum, and o each

according o he disrics proessional sandards and evaluaion merics.


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Conclusion

Americas rapidly diversiying suden populaion demands an equally diverseeaching orce. Policies ha srenghen eacher raining, recruimen, selecion,

and reenion should include an emphasis on increasing he number o minoriy

eachers in he eld. And programs and policies enaced o urher diversiy he

eaching orce mus also reec lessons learned abou he qualiies o successul

eachers and he need or high sandards or enrance ino he eld.

As Secreary Duncans quoe a he beginning o his repor indicaes, here mus

be a naional commimen o hese eors. Jus as naional atenion has ocused

on increasing he number o blacks and Lainos in science and echnology, local,

sae, and ederal programs and policies need o be creaed o aggressively bringhigh-achieving minoriies o eaching.


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About the authors

Saba Bireda is depuy direcor o he Povery & ace esearch Acion Council.

Prior o coming o PRC, Bireda was an Educaion Policy Analys a he Cener

or American Progress. She was also a liigaion associae a he law rm Morgan

Lewis and a sa atorney wih he Educaion Law Cener in Philadelphia. Biredais a graduae o Harvard Law School and Sanord Universiy, and worked or wo

years or each For America in he Disric o Columbia Public Schools.

Robin Chait is currenly working on he implemenaion o he Disric o

Columbias ace o he op gran. In her role as Eeciveness Manager, she is

responsible or overseeing he projecs relaed o eacher and leader eecive-

ness. She is he ormer Associae Direcor or eacher Qualiy a he Cener or

American Progress, where she ocused her work on eacher and principal qualiy

and eeciveness. Prior o joining American Progress, Chai was an independen

consulan and worked wih Pracical Sraegy, LLC, and Cross and Jofus, LLC,o conduc research and wrie repors or nonpro organizaions and govern-

men agencies. She was also a D.C. eaching Fellow and eacher in he Disric o

Columbia. Chai holds a masers degree in eaching rom American Universiy,

a masers in public policy rom Georgeown Universiy, and a bachelor o ars in

poliical science rom ugers Universiy.

Acknowledgements

e Cener or American Progress hanks he Bill & Melinda Gaes Foundaion

or generously providing suppor or his paper.


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Endnotes

1 B lh shw, eut r, sty adu Wgh i (2010).

2 nt ct eut sttt, chtt pub, pt, Buu i eut e-ty sy sh Th th Utstt: rut F th 2007-08 sh stgsuy (nces 2009-324) (2009).

3 Ut ng cg Fu, pg pt Bug a a Thg F (2008).

4 rh ig Hy my, rutt, rt-t, th mty Th shtg (m:ctu py rh eut, 2011).

5 Th s. d, Th, r stut ah-t rz ext, The Review ofEconomics and Statistics 86 (1) (2004): 195-210.

6 Btty aht th, rtg Th c: a pg pb ptt sttgy H-t-st sh, Review of Educational Research80 (1) (2010).

7 s rb cht, eug et Th a stu-t: sx stt sttg atttg rtg

et Th Hgh -pty Hgh-mtysh (Whgt: ct a pg,2009).

8 ig my, rutt, rtt, thmty Th shtg.

9 ib.

10 ib.

11 d cut 2010: Gut by th nub,Education Week, Ju 10, 2010, b t htt://www.wk.g/w/t/2010/06/10/x.ht.

12 Jh mh l, J. at rw, Th cgct ag 2010 pg r t (pt:cg B, 2010).

13 ib.

14 Ut ng cg Fu, pg pt Bug a a Thg F.

15 ib.

16 ib.

17 Btty aht th, rtg Th c.

18 ib.

19 d By th, Th dw H: HwTh p pxty dtg Ubsh, (Wht: nt Buu erh, 2003), .124, b t htt://www.th-yh.g/t/1//Th_dw__

H_(Jpam)..

20 ib.

21 mg ly d, Th a Th- c: Whth, Wh, Why Thy l lw-i sh th Thg p. Wkgp (pjt th nxt Gt Th,H Gut sh eut, 2008), bt htt://www.g.h.u/~gt/w_/mld_TFa_p1..

22 Th F a ut t y th t g ut, whh k t t t h g t U.s. nw W rt. i t, Th F aut t t t g ut.

23 p ut wth sty Jh

ab Bk, Th a, db 9, 2010.

24 p ut wth sh Jk dw,Th a, otb 5, 2010.

25 p ut wth ly a, v-p-t Fwh pg, Th nt Thpjt.

26 Wh th mty Th? b t htt://hty./tt/ty-w/wh--ty-th.

27 Th nw Th pjt, Th Fw pg,ow 2010 rut.

28 it th t w tk thtw wth dbh vtz, t, ct Ubeut Ub Th eht pg,

b t htt://www..ub.u/ut/.

29 Ub Th eht pg ow, -b t htt://www..ub.u/ut/.

30 it th f w tk tw wth dy B, t utt,nc Thg Fw shh pg; x-hg wth Ky mb, tt t, nc ThgFw shh pg pub sh Fu nth c; nth c Thg Fwpg, b t htt://www.thgw.g/.

31 it th f w tk twwth rh rg-a, g g, Th

Tw ok; ok Uf shdtt, Th Tw ok, b t htt://t.u.k12..u/Th%20Tw.ht.

32 ok Uf sh dtt, Th Tw ok, b t htt://t.u.k12..u/Th%20Tw.ht.

33 ib.

34 itw wth rh rg-a, pg mg,Th Tw ok.

35 e cw, mug Wht mtt, a stg a-utbty m Th eut (Whgt:ct a pg, 2010).

36 ch a th., a mu ah tig Th pt (Whgt: eu-t st, 2011).

37 rb cht mh mlugh, rzg thp, Hw stt py c sut att c-

tft pg (Whgt: ct apg, 2009).

38 ib.


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The Center or American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute

dedicated to promoting a strong, just, and ree America that ensures opportunity

or all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to

these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies relect these values.

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Documents

Increasing Teacher Diversity