Examining Teacher Preparation: Does the Pathway Make a Difference?
The team’s central research project is “Examining Teacher Preparation: Does the Pathway Make a Difference? (Teacher Pathways Project). Policymakers at every level of government and the public understand that few issues are more important than improving the performance of America’s K-12 students, particularly those in urban, low performing schools. The Teacher Pathways Project fills a gap in existing research by providing a systematic, data-rich analysis of the pathways teachers take into teaching and the impact of those pathways and teacher choices on student achievement in the classroom, focusing on the New York City Public School System. The multi-year study analyzes and identifies the attributes of teacher preparation programs and pathways into teaching that positively impact student outcomes. The data includes detailed program information on fifteen public and private traditional teacher preparation programs and two alternate route programs primarily serving the New York City area.
The Pathways Model - Teacher Preparation Paths and Outcomes for Teachers and Students
The Pathways Project models conceptually and empirically how teacher characteristics affect the selection of preparation pathways, how teacher characteristics influence student outcomes, how pathways influence the matching of teachers to schools, and how teachers and schools together influence student outcomes.
The team’s central research project is “Examining Teacher Preparation: Does the Pathway Make a Difference? (Teacher Pathways Project). Policymakers at every level of government and the public understand that few issues are more important than improving the performance of America’s K-12 students, particularly those in urban, low performing schools. The Teacher Pathways Project fills a gap in existing research by providing a systematic, data-rich analysis of the pathways teachers take into teaching and the impact of those pathways and teacher choices on student achievement in the classroom, focusing on the New York City Public School System. The multi-year study analyzes and identifies the attributes of teacher preparation programs and pathways into teaching that positively impact student outcomes. The data includes detailed program information on fifteen public and private traditional teacher preparation programs and two alternate route programs primarily serving the New York City area.
Teacher Pathways Project
Excerpt from Executive Summary, Teacher Pathways Project
“The research will assess the role that pathways into teaching, both traditional and nontraditional… do and can play in both improving the quality of the teacher workforce and equalizing the distribution of highly qualified teachers across urban schools. The attributes of teacher preparation programs cannot be examined in isolation…[t]eacher salaries, teachers’ preferences about schools…and school district hiring practices all can affect teacher career paths and effectiveness. It is especially important to take these labor market characteristics into account when attempting to understand how to improve teaching in difficult-to-staff urban schools.”
The Pathways Model - Teacher Preparation Paths and Outcomes for Teachers and Students
The Pathways Project models conceptually and empirically how teacher characteristics affect the selection of preparation pathways, how teacher characteristics influence student outcomes, how pathways influence the matching of teachers to schools, and how teachers and schools together influence student outcomes.
Surveys
In the Spring and Summer of 2004, we surveyed program graduates in traditional and alternative teacher education programs in the New York City area. For a list of participating teacher education programs, go to Supporters.
In the Spring and Summer of 2005, we surveyed first-year teachers in NYC who began teaching in the 2004-05 school year and elementary teachers and high school math and science teachers who were first year teachers in the 2003-04 school year. Data collection for the 2004 first-year teachers ended in July 2005, data collection for the 2003 first year teachers ended in September 2005. (Has a more current data collection with surveys been done?)
List of Surveys Administered to Date
Teacher Preparation Program Graduates, Spring 2004
This survey of traditional teacher education program graduates was administered to prospective 2004 graduates of 18 public and private undergraduate and graduate teaching preparation programs located in the New York City area in Spring 2004. The survey solicits prospective teachers' experiences and views concerning their professional preparation, their subject matter preparation and their future plans.
Download survey
Graduates of Alternative Certification Programs, Summer 2004
This survey was administered to students in two alternative certification programs during the summer of 2004: the New York City Teaching Fellows Program and the Teach For America program. Students in these programs were administered the survey close to the end of their pre-service training and before they entered the classroom in September 2004. Like the survey of graduates of traditional programs, the survey solicits their experiences and views concerning their professional preparation, their subject matter preparation and their future plans.
Teachers in First Year of Teaching, School Year 2004-2005, Spring and Summer 2005
This survey was administered to all first-year teachers in New York City public schools who first began teaching during the 2004-2005 school year. The survey solicits first-year teachers' experiences and views concerning their preparation to teach, characteristics of the schools in which they are teaching and their future plans.
Download survey
Teachers in First Year of Teaching, School Year 2003-2004, Spring and Summer 2005
This survey was administered to all first-year teachers in New York City public schools who first began teaching during the 2003-2004 school year. The survey solicits these teachers’ experiences and views concerning their preparation to teach, characteristics of the schools in which they teach and their future plans, based on their first year of teaching during the 2003-2004 school year.
Download survey
Teachers in Second Year of Teaching, School Year 2005-2006, Spring and Summer 2006
This survey was administered to all teachers in New York City public schools who first began teaching during the 2004-2005 school year. The survey solicits these teachers’ experiences and views concerning their experiences, and their future plans, based on their first and second year of teaching.
Download survey of former teachers
Download survey of current teachers
In the Spring and Summer of 2004, we surveyed program graduates in traditional and alternative teacher education programs in the New York City area. For a list of participating teacher education programs, go to Supporters.
In the Spring and Summer of 2005, we surveyed first-year teachers in NYC who began teaching in the 2004-05 school year and elementary teachers and high school math and science teachers who were first year teachers in the 2003-04 school year. Data collection for the 2004 first-year teachers ended in July 2005, data collection for the 2003 first year teachers ended in September 2005. (Has a more current data collection with surveys been done?)
List of Surveys Administered to Date
Teacher Preparation Program Graduates, Spring 2004
This survey of traditional teacher education program graduates was administered to prospective 2004 graduates of 18 public and private undergraduate and graduate teaching preparation programs located in the New York City area in Spring 2004. The survey solicits prospective teachers' experiences and views concerning their professional preparation, their subject matter preparation and their future plans.
Download survey
Graduates of Alternative Certification Programs, Summer 2004
This survey was administered to students in two alternative certification programs during the summer of 2004: the New York City Teaching Fellows Program and the Teach For America program. Students in these programs were administered the survey close to the end of their pre-service training and before they entered the classroom in September 2004. Like the survey of graduates of traditional programs, the survey solicits their experiences and views concerning their professional preparation, their subject matter preparation and their future plans.
Teachers in First Year of Teaching, School Year 2004-2005, Spring and Summer 2005
This survey was administered to all first-year teachers in New York City public schools who first began teaching during the 2004-2005 school year. The survey solicits first-year teachers' experiences and views concerning their preparation to teach, characteristics of the schools in which they are teaching and their future plans.
Download survey
Teachers in First Year of Teaching, School Year 2003-2004, Spring and Summer 2005
This survey was administered to all first-year teachers in New York City public schools who first began teaching during the 2003-2004 school year. The survey solicits these teachers’ experiences and views concerning their preparation to teach, characteristics of the schools in which they teach and their future plans, based on their first year of teaching during the 2003-2004 school year.
Download survey
Teachers in Second Year of Teaching, School Year 2005-2006, Spring and Summer 2006
This survey was administered to all teachers in New York City public schools who first began teaching during the 2004-2005 school year. The survey solicits these teachers’ experiences and views concerning their experiences, and their future plans, based on their first and second year of teaching.
Download survey of former teachers
Download survey of current teachers
Many individuals and organizations have contributed to the work of the Pathways Project. From our funders, to our advisors, to the faculty at cooperating institutions, to the first year teachers completing our survey, we have been fortunate to have so much interest in and support for our project. We recognize and applaud the following individuals and organizations for their important contributions.
We thank these organizations for important financial support: the Carnegie Corporation, the City University of New York, The National Science Foundation, the New York State Department of Education, The Spencer Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.
We thank our review panels whose members helped us frame and structure the research questions in the early stages of the project and reviewed preliminary findings and gave us much-needed feedback. These individuals made themselves available to us in meetings, phone conversations and written correspondence to provide critically-needed reactions and comments to our research efforts and findings. Their continued assistance is a critical component of our research.
We thank our participating universities and colleges. These organizations provided invaluable research information and assistance in the form of meeting with us early on in our study to offer counsel and support, providing access to documents and other information about their teaching education programs, making their faculty available to us for questions and interviews and assisting us with arrangements to survey their interested students. These organizations are: Bank Street College of Education; College of New Rochelle; Fordham University; Hofstra; Mercy College – Bronx, Dobbs Ferry and Manhattan Campuses; New York University; Pace University; St. John's University; and the City University of New York system colleges, including Brooklyn College; City College of New York; College of Staten Island; Hunter College; Lehman College; Medgar Evers College; Queens College and York College. Also participating are the New York City Teaching Fellows, the Teacher Opportunity Program, and Teach for America. We are indebted to the administration and personnel at these organizations for their patience, determination and enthusiasm in assisting us with data collection and support of the project. We are also grateful to the faculty members who offered up their time to complete the faculty survey and interview.
We thank the New York City Department of Education and the Mentoring Program, for providing us the means to administer surveys to first year teachers. We also thank the Regional Directors, who gave up time during their monthly Mentor Forums so that we could introduce the project to the Mentors, and to the Mentors and Teacher Volunteers for assisting us with the administration. Your assistance was invaluable.
We thank The College of St. Rose and Pace University for giving us access to students interested in helping us to pilot our surveys. These pilots provided invaluable feedback which was used to create the final version of our surveys. We thank the University at Albany – SUNY for its participation and assistance in the early stages of the project.
We thank our data partners: the City University of New York, the New York City Department of Education, the New York State Department of Education, and Teach For America for providing us important access to data on teachers and students.
Finally, our research would not be possible without the many program graduates and first-year teachers who took valuable time out of their busy schedules to complete our surveys and provide us with the data necessary to conduct our analyses. This project would not be possible without their active participation.
We thank these organizations for important financial support: the Carnegie Corporation, the City University of New York, The National Science Foundation, the New York State Department of Education, The Spencer Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.
We thank our review panels whose members helped us frame and structure the research questions in the early stages of the project and reviewed preliminary findings and gave us much-needed feedback. These individuals made themselves available to us in meetings, phone conversations and written correspondence to provide critically-needed reactions and comments to our research efforts and findings. Their continued assistance is a critical component of our research.
We thank our participating universities and colleges. These organizations provided invaluable research information and assistance in the form of meeting with us early on in our study to offer counsel and support, providing access to documents and other information about their teaching education programs, making their faculty available to us for questions and interviews and assisting us with arrangements to survey their interested students. These organizations are: Bank Street College of Education; College of New Rochelle; Fordham University; Hofstra; Mercy College – Bronx, Dobbs Ferry and Manhattan Campuses; New York University; Pace University; St. John's University; and the City University of New York system colleges, including Brooklyn College; City College of New York; College of Staten Island; Hunter College; Lehman College; Medgar Evers College; Queens College and York College. Also participating are the New York City Teaching Fellows, the Teacher Opportunity Program, and Teach for America. We are indebted to the administration and personnel at these organizations for their patience, determination and enthusiasm in assisting us with data collection and support of the project. We are also grateful to the faculty members who offered up their time to complete the faculty survey and interview.
We thank the New York City Department of Education and the Mentoring Program, for providing us the means to administer surveys to first year teachers. We also thank the Regional Directors, who gave up time during their monthly Mentor Forums so that we could introduce the project to the Mentors, and to the Mentors and Teacher Volunteers for assisting us with the administration. Your assistance was invaluable.
We thank The College of St. Rose and Pace University for giving us access to students interested in helping us to pilot our surveys. These pilots provided invaluable feedback which was used to create the final version of our surveys. We thank the University at Albany – SUNY for its participation and assistance in the early stages of the project.
We thank our data partners: the City University of New York, the New York City Department of Education, the New York State Department of Education, and Teach For America for providing us important access to data on teachers and students.
Finally, our research would not be possible without the many program graduates and first-year teachers who took valuable time out of their busy schedules to complete our surveys and provide us with the data necessary to conduct our analyses. This project would not be possible without their active participation.
We have two panels that advise us on the Teacher Pathways Project. Panel members come from a wide range of organizations in New York and around the country, and bring with them broad experience and knowledge in the field of teacher education. They represent varied interests and provide us with a range of perspectives and insights on our research methodology and findings. These individuals have made themselves available to us at various phases of our project to review methodology and preliminary findings and provide critically-needed reactions and comments to our research efforts and findings. Their involvement is a vital part of our study.
Our policy panel has helped us to better frame policy issues related to our study and to better understand the policy implications of our research and findings. The policy panel is represented by individuals who often are called upon to make or advise policy decisions related to teacher education in New York State. Policy panel members are:
Our policy panel has helped us to better frame policy issues related to our study and to better understand the policy implications of our research and findings. The policy panel is represented by individuals who often are called upon to make or advise policy decisions related to teacher education in New York State. Policy panel members are:
- Elizabeth Arons, CEO, Division of Human Resources, New York City Department of Human Resources
- Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education, New York State Department of Education
- Aminda Gentile, Vice President, United Federation of Teachers
- James Kadamus, Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education, New York State Department of Education
- Jan McDonald, Dean of Education, Pace University
- Carla Asher, Associate Dean, Education Department, Hunter College, City University of New York
- Vicki Bernstein, Director, New York City Teaching Fellows Program, New York City Department of Education
- Marilyn Cochran-Smith, John E. Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools, Boston College
- David K. Cohen, John Dewey Professor of Education, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy, University of Michigan.
- Ronald Ehrenberg, Irving M. Ives Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics, Cornell University.
- Robert Floden, Professor and Associate Dean, Institute for Research on Teaching and Learning, Michigan State University
- Lori Mei, Senior Instructional Manager, Office of Assessment and Accountability, New York City Department of Education
- Richard Murnane, Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society, Harvard University
- Ana Maria Villegas, Professor, Curriculum and Teaching, Montclair State University
- Nicholas Michelli, Professor, City University of New York
