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Research Fellows: Can Persistence of Urban Teachers Be Attributed to Their Preparation Pathway?

Editor’s Note: AACTE’s two Research Fellowship teams will present a joint session at the Association’s Annual Meeting, Saturday, February 28, at 1:30 p.m. in Room A704 of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. This post provides background on the fellowship based in New Jersey at Kean University, Rowan University, and William Paterson University.

Is there a difference in teacher persistence in urban districts attributable to specific pathways? Why do teachers say they persist in urban districts? Researchers from Kean University, Rowan University, and William Paterson University came together to explore these and other related questions as part of the AACTE Research Fellowship.

Collectively, our three universities prepare more teachers than all other providers in the state. We also are the chief producers of teachers for the largest urban school districts in New Jersey (Paterson, Newark, and Camden).

For AACTE’s fellowship, our research team developed a study that explores the effects of varied pathways into teaching on their graduates’ retention in urban schools through at least their 4th year of teaching. The study examines three high-profile programs across all three institutions, supported by the federal Teacher Quality Enhancement, Teacher Quality Partnership, and Transition to Teaching programs.

In our upcoming presentation at the AACTE Annual Meeting in Atlanta, our research team will share the goals and significance of our research, the research design, work completed, work in progress, preliminary findings, lessons learned, and potential implications for policy and practice.

Please join us in this discussion around the important issue of teacher retention in urban schools!


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Kabba Colley

Chair and Associate Professor, Secondary and Middle School Education, William Paterson University

Kathryn C. McGinn

Assistant Professor, Teacher Education, Rowan University

Anthony Pittman

Associate Dean, College of Education, Kean University