Posts Tagged ‘research’

AACTE’s National Portrait Sounds the Alarm on Declining Interest in Education Careers

Today, AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) releases the second edition of Colleges of Education: A National Portrait. In addition to updating information on colleges of education and their leaders, faculty, and students, this edition features a special analysis on the contributions of community colleges to educator preparation.

This update of AACTE’s signature report offers a comprehensive picture of the nation’s schools, colleges, and departments of education: the work that they do, the people who do that work, and the students they serve. The report describes the key trends and challenges in meeting the nation’s need for highly skilled educators.

Colleges and universities can benchmark their programs against peers, gain innovative ideas to grow and diversify enrollment through community college partnerships, and describe to stakeholders the challenges confronting educator preparation.

Research and Survey Opportunity for Current Candidates for Teacher Licensure

Beautiful young teacher sitting at table in classroomAACTE has partnered with graduate students from the George Washington University and the Learning Policy Institute to distribute a survey intended for current candidates for teacher licensure. Specifically, they are seeking candidates of programs that have a teacher residency, student teaching, or Grow Your Own component. Candidates of diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as candidates for special education bilingual education, are highly encouraged to participate. This survey will aid research on the ways in which AmeriCorps grants could be utilized to deploy highly prepared teachers to high-need schools.

AACTE Announces Holmes Dissertation Funding Competition Awardees

Holmes Dissertation Funding Winners

The AACTE Holmes Program Dissertation Funding Competition, sponsored by the Council for Academic Deans for Research Education Institutions (CADREI), Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU), Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE), National Association of Holmes Scholars Alumni (NAHSA), and AACTE was held during the recent Holmes Preconference at the 74th AACTE Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The Holmes Program provides mentorship, professional development, and a supportive peer network to racially and ethnically diverse students who are pursuing graduate degrees in education. The purpose of the dissertation competition is to support Holmes Program participants’ dissertation research expenses, which are essential to the completion of their doctoral studies. These expenses vary and may include travel for ethnographic field work, specialized software, research assistance, transcription costs, and other research-related expenditures.

AACTE to Host Webinar on Colleges of Education: A National Portrait

AACTE will soon release the second edition of its signature report, Colleges of Education:  A National Portrait. In addition to updating information on colleges of education and their leaders, faculty, and students, this edition features a special analysis on the contributions that community colleges make to educator preparation. Topics to be covered will include:

  • Scope of educator preparation in the U.S.
  • Trends in undergraduate and graduate degrees conferred in education
  • Demographics of leaders and faculty
  • Student demographics
  • Contributions of community colleges to educator preparation

Webinar and Report Draw National Attention to Pandemic’s Effect on Educator Preparation

As PK-12 schools, colleges, and universities around the country cope with the surge of coronavirus cases, AACTE’s fall 2021 member survey is drawing public attention to the pandemic’s continuing impact on educator preparation. The teacher shortage is now front-page news, and AACTE’s survey is providing vital information on how COVID-19 is affecting the supply of new teachers, counselors, and other educators.

AACTE members can access a free copy of the survey report and view a short video summary of key results. A new infographic provides a quick visual representation to share on social media.

Congress 2022: An Early Look

This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.  

Capitol hill building in the morning with colorful cloud , Washington DC.As we begin the new year with hope for brighter days ahead, the congressional outlook has remained much the same as last year. This week the House is not in session, but the Senate is. Several members faced delays making their way back to Capitol Hill after the holiday break in the midst of the first D.C. snowstorm of the new year. The travel delays, coupled with the memorializing of former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, and marking the anniversary of January 6 filled much of the week on the Hill.

How to Use National Data Sets for a Greater Purpose

This article is a reflection from Holmes Scholar Kamilah Bywaters on the session “How to Use National Data Sets for a Greater Purpose” one of a five-part Holmes Fall Learning Series convened by AACTE.

Kamilah BywatersFor all my change-makers in the world, there is a wide range of data sets that are available for your use. It is my pleasure to share with you what I recently learned when I attended the AACTE Holmes Fall Learning Series session entitled, “Using National Data Sets for Education Policy Research.” The session was led by Jacqueline E. King, who provided valuable resources to guide the researcher in collecting useful data for their policy research initiatives. King shared the websites for the National Center for Education Statistics and Title II Reports. The resources provide vital information for every level of education.

Join Colleagues to Discuss the Pandemic’s Continuing Impact and Plans for 2022

As PK-12 schools, colleges, and universities around the country cope with a surge of coronavirus cases, and concerns rise regarding the Omicron variant, AACTE is offering a webinar to look back on the pandemic’s impact on educator preparation and discuss plans for 2022.

Since spring 2020, when schools and colleges around the country switched to online instruction due to COVID-19, AACTE has periodically surveyed members on the impact of the pandemic on educator preparation. A new report updates that series with information collected in fall 2021. It describes how conditions have changed since 2020, highlighting the lasting effects of the pandemic.

New AACTE Member Survey Describes Pandemic’s Continuing Impact on Educator Prep

Fall 2021 Member Survey CoverSince spring 2020, when schools and colleges around the country switched to online instruction due to COVID-19, AACTE has periodically surveyed members on the impact of the pandemic on educator preparation. A new report updates that series with information collected in fall 2021. It describes how conditions have changed since 2020, highlighting the lasting effects of the pandemic.

This report contains a lot of good news regarding the resumption of in-person instruction and field experience and the easing of enrollment and budget reductions. Nonetheless, the effects of COVID-19 linger for many institutions, with a sizable minority of respondents reporting significant enrollment losses, budget cuts, and staffing reductions. State licensing requirements have been reinstated, but some states are creating opportunities for prospective teachers to circumvent those rules, which may negatively affect enrollment in educator preparation programs and exacerbate the current shortage of profession-ready educators in the workforce.

CNN Cites AACTE’s Issue Brief

Line of diverse college graduates

CNN’s Katie Lobosco recently reported on President’s Biden’s universal pre-K plan that would make preschool available and affordable for six million more children and the resulting challenge of hiring “tens of thousands” of new teachers. In referring to the teaching shortage, Lobosco writes, “The average number of college graduates who completed teacher preparation programs fell 24% between the 2009-10 and 2018-19 academic years, according to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.”

Fifty Percent of Teachers say, ‘Salary is Not Enough to Sustain Them Long-Term’

Nearly 1 in 5 teachers have to work second jobs.

The Teacher Salary Project surveyed 1100+ teachers nationally, with an oversample of recognized teachers (e.g., State Teachers of the Year -STOYs, Nationally Board Certified Teachers – NBCTs, Teach Plus Fellows, and others) and found:

  • Nearly half of the surveyed teachers say their salary was not sufficient to sustain them in teaching for the medium-to-long term (two-thirds when teachers who weren’t sure if they could continue teaching on their salary are included). 

Don’t Miss Out on Newest Member Resources

As the fall semester creeps to a close, it’s easy to forget about all that is available to you via your AACTE membership. Check out these member resources:

Resource Library – Have you accessed the AACTE Resource Library lately?  If so, you have probably noticed a few changes, including a single sign on system. AACTE has completed its database migration and with that you will find a seamless way to transition between your AACTE profile and the improved AACTE Resource Library.  Feel free to view some of the latest resources below:

NAEd Releases AACTE Commissioned Report Evaluating and Improving Teacher Preparation Programs

Landscape Analysis Report CoverLandscape Analysis Report

A Tale of Two Cities: State Evaluation Systems of Teacher Preparation Programs

The National Academy of Education (NAEd) steering committee for Evaluating and Improving Teacher Preparation Programs commissioned the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) to produce a teacher evaluation system landscape analysis, including a state-by-state summary of the evaluation system components and an analysis of similarities and differences between and among states. Authored by AACTE Dean in Residence Leslie T. Fenwick, this landscape analysis report presents information and data about state evaluation standards for teacher preparation programs and providers.

Building a More Ethnoracially Diverse Teaching Force

Building a more ethnoracially diverse taching force - A Kappan Special ReportPhi Delta Kappan (PDK) recently released a special report about teacher workforce diversity, Building a more ethnoracially diverse teaching force: New directions in research, policy, and practice, guest edited by AACTE members Conra Gist (University of Houston) and Travis Bristol (University of California, Berkeley). The special report highlights the forthcoming Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color (AERA, 2022) by Gist and Bristol, featuring research by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) educators on developing a more diverse teacher workforce.

The Kappan report provides brief overviews of the 11 domains of inquiry that are explored in greater length in the handbook by Gist and Bristol, along with a wide range of contributors. To bring Teachers of Color, Indigenous Teachers, and other educators into the conversation about how best to diversify the teaching profession, each domain pairs research briefs with teacher-written testimonies. The domains of inquiry include the following: