Coming Soon! Issue Brief supplement to National Portrait paints rich picture of student diversity
One of the most striking findings of AACTE’s signature report, Colleges of Education: A National Portrait, is the lack of diversity among education students, particularly at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. Education Students and Diversity: A Review of New Evidence draws from a recently released U.S. Department of Education survey to examine the characteristics of students working toward bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, to compare these students to the general student population, and to identify key differences by race/ethnicity.
The issue brief, which will be available for free download as an exclusive AACTE member benefit later this month, presents newly available data on the following topics for education students in bachelor’s and master’s degree programs:
- Personal characteristics
- Family circumstances
- Parental education
- Financial status
- Employment
- Attendance patterns
The issue brief’s findings suggest that African American and Hispanic education students face significant financial and personal hurdles as they work to become professional educators. In particular, these students need support and resources in order to attend as close to full-time as possible so that they can maintain momentum toward completing their degrees. The findings also challenge schools, colleges, and departments of education to carefully consider how to support students as they pursue both academic and clinical preparation. As educator preparation programs seek to expand clinical practice, an important consideration is how to support students of color so that they can afford—both financially and in terms of their other obligations—to devote additional time to working in a school setting.
AACTE members are committed to increasing the diversity of their faculty and the students they prepare so that educators more accurately reflect the diversity within PK-12 schools. As AACTE looks to the future, this issue brief documents significant challenges that all schools, colleges, and departments of education around the country will face as they prepare professionals for increasingly diverse and complex educational environments. AACTE believes this issue brief will assist deans and program chairs as they navigate and manage an ever-changing educator preparation landscape. AACTE’s goal as an association is to build a portfolio of programs, products, and services to help educator preparation leaders thrive in this dynamic environment, and this issue brief is an installment in that growing portfolio.
Report author Jacqueline E. King will present a free webinar for AACTE members on March 7. Register now.
Tags: data, diversity, membership, research
