The Recruitment and Preparation, and Retention of Teachers ...

The Recruitment and Preparation, and Retention of Teachers for High Quality STEM Teaching

Dr. Doug Larkin!Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ!

AACTE-STEM conference, Washington, DC!9 June 2015

Overview of the session

• Quick tour of STEM teacher demographics and retention rates in New Jersey

• The system of STEM teacher education and its components

• STEM teacher education at Montclair State University

• New directions in STEM teacher education

A word about “STEM”

Economic imperative, education priority or overused buzzword?

http://www.vqronline.org/reporting-articles/2014/06/losing-sparta

http://www.vqronline.org/reporting-articles/2014/06/losing-sparta

% o

f Tot

al

0

20

40

60

80

100

Asian White Hispanic African American

Below BasicBasicProficientAdvanced

from 2011 NAEP and NJDOE data

90% above basic

NJ Science Achievement: 8th grade NAEP

39% above basic

45% above basic

83% above basic

% o

f Tot

al

0

20

40

60

80

100

Non-Low SES (Not Poor) Low SES (Poor)


from 2011 NAEP and NJDOE data

NJ Science Achievement: 8th grade NAEP

80% above basic

44% above basic

In a fair society, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic

status would have no correlation with academic

achievement.



achievement.

What would that look like?

% o

f Tot

al

0

20

40

60

80

100

Asian White Hispanic African American Poor Not Poor




achievement.

(completely fabricated ideal statistics)

STEM teacher demographics and retention rates in New Jersey

Of the 144,000 teachers in NJ 7,400 have a science certification 10,700 have a math certification

87%

7%5%

All Science All Math Other Certifications

Source: NJSMART, EPP, NJDOE Certificated Staff reports 2010-2014

NJ Teachers 2013-2014 Population by gender

Perc

enta

ge o

f tea

cher

s id

entif

ying

by

ge

nder

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

All NJ Teachers (n=144,102)

NJ Math Teachers (n=10,701)

NJ Science Teachers (n=7,380)

MaleFemale

NJ Teachers 2013-2014 Population by race/ethnicity

Perc

enta

ge o

f peo

ple

iden

tifyi

ng b

y ra

ce/e

thni

city

0%

30%

60%

90%

Hispanic White Black Asian

NJ Math Teachers (n=10,701)

NJ Science Teachers (n=7,380)

Total NJ population (n=8,911,502)

Note: Teachers were permitted to make more than one selection. Fewer than 1% of individuals identified as Native American or Pacific Islander

Years of Experience for NJ Math Teachers 2013-2014 (n=10,703)

# of

Mat

h Te

ache

rs

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Years of Experience

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Years of Experience for NJ Math Teachers 2013-2014 (n=10,703)

# of

Mat

h Te

ache

rs

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Years of Experience

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

More than 25% of all NJ math teachers have less than 5 years experience.

Years of Experience for NJ Science Teachers 2013-2014 (n=7,359)

# of

Sci

ence

Tea

cher

s

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Years of Experience

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

Years of Experience for NJ Science Teachers 2013-2014 (n=7,359)

# of

Sci

ence

Tea

cher

s

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Years of Experience

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

# of

Sci

ence

Tea

cher

s

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Years of Experience

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

25% of all NJ science teachers have less than

5 years experience.

Longitudinal Secondary Science Teacher Retention

# of

Sec

onda

ry S

cien

ce T

each

ers

0

200

400

600

800

Traditional Alternate Route

748

332

Certified 2010-2012Still teaching 2014

Longitudinal Secondary Science Teacher Retention

# of

Sec

onda

ry S

cien

ce T

each

ers

0

200

400

600

800

Traditional (67% retention) Alternate Route (43% retention)

320

222

748

332


# of

teac

hers

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Years of Experience

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

no dataTraditionalAlternate Route

NJ Science Teachers 2013-2014 Longitudinal Traditional vs. Alternate Route

(n=7,359)

Longitudinal Secondary Mathematics Teacher Retention

# of

Sec

onda

ry S

cien

ce T

each

ers

0

150

300

450

600

Traditional Alternate Route

599

484


Longitudinal Secondary Mathematics Teacher Retention

# of

Sec

onda

ry S

cien

ce T

each

ers

0

150

300

450

600

Traditional (69% retention) Alternate Route (38% retention)

226

334

599

484


Longitudinal Traditional vs. Alternate Route NJ Math Teachers 2013-2014 (n=10,670)

# of

Mat

hem

atic

s Te

ache

rs

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Years of Experience

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

no dataTraditionalAlternate Route

• The loss of so many STEM teachers in the first three years represents a tremendous economic strain on schools.

• Most states put very little resources into induction support.

• If we retained more science and math teachers we would solve the labor shortage. (Ingersoll and May, 2012)

• The high number of alternate route certification likely represents the labor shortage in STEM teachers

Retention and recruitment

Retention and recruitment

The system of STEM teacher education and its components

from Zeichner, K. (2006). Studying teacher education programs: Enriching and enlarging the inquiry. In C. Conrad & R. C. Serlin (Eds.), The SAGE handbook for research in education: Engaging ideas and enriching inquiry (pp. 79-93). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Access to !high-quality!mentoring!

and!feedback. !

Engagement with !professional communities!

Knowledge !about !

planning, !curriculum &!assessment!

!

Pedagogical skills, !technology use &!

knowledge about learning !

Knowledge of !students,!schools,!society!

Experiences!with scientific!

inquiry & !knowledge !generation!

Rich clinical!experiences with !opportunities to!

rehearse !high-leverage !

disciplinary practices

Opportunities to !reinforce subject !

matter competence!

Knowledge !of!

subject-!specific!

pedagogy!

App

ropr

iate

ass

essm

ents

of r

eadi

ness

to te

ach!

Rig

orou

s A

dmis

sion

s Pr

oces

s!

Time and opportunity for

critical!reflection on

practices, beliefs, and goals!


Focus on urban teaching or !district-specific contexts

!!


Discipline specializations !(e.g. integrated STEM,

Mathematics)


!!

!!


Focus on special needs populations (SPED/ELL)

Discipline specializations !(e.g. integrated STEM,

Mathematics)


!!

!!

!!

Residency programs

Site-based!courses

Fast-track !preparation

Cohort! programs

“Alternate route” programs

Curriculum-based !certification

“Traditional”! programs

Experiments in recruitment, !selection,!induction, !& retention

There is tremendous diversity in how science teachers are currently

being prepared.

What kinds of STEM teachers?

• Experts in their subject matter who know how to teach it to their students.

• Able to model the informed, active citizenship and critical thinking skills that students are expected to demonstrate.

• Knowledgeable professionals who make decisions about practice, NOT technicians following instructions from afar.

Teacher education with a secondary STEM focus at !Montclair State University

• Undergraduate preparation—Subject area certification & BS

• MAT program/post-baccalaureate subject area certification

• Dual certification in subject area &Teacher of Student with Disabilities

• $1.4 Million, 5-‐year grant from the National Science Foundation • 2-‐year certification program for chemistry, physics, earth science, &

biology majors.Part of the larger MSU teacher education program, but with additional supports (cohort meetings, summer experiences, etc).

• Candidates graduate with a BS degree in their major and a certification in secondary science teaching.

• Noyce Scholars receive tuition plus a $3000 stipend for two years. Comes with a commitment to teach for 4 years in one of New Jersey’s 1200+ high-‐needs schools.

• Partnered with local community colleges for recruitment. • Mentoring support upon graduation

Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

• Funded by two TQP grants by USDOE (NMUTR) and by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellow-‐ ship Foundation. ($12+ million)

• Graduates of this 1 year program complete 34 credits to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT).

• Strong recruiting and admissions component— application and 2 days of structured interviews.

• Residents receive $30,000 stipend. Partner districts commit varying levels of resources. Comes with a commitment to teach for 3-‐4 years in one of New Jersey’s 1200+ high-‐needs schools.

• Partnered with Orange (WWTF only) and Newark Public Schools. Strong commitment to hiring program graduates in partner districts.

• Mentoring support upon graduation

Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship Program (WWTF) &

Newark-‐Montclair Urban Teacher Residency Program (NMUTR)

• Funded by United States Department of Education and the Office of Special Education Programs — $1.5 Million, 5-‐year

• Graduates of this 2.5-‐year program complete 48credits to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), NJ Initial Teaching Certification in math or science, and NJ Teacher of Students with Disabilities Endorsement.

• Part of the larger MSU teacher dual certification program, but with an inclusive and integrated STEM focus. 120 hours of fieldwork.

• Summer courses in Integrated STEM (iSTeM I and II) use Content Driven Design Challenges to implement STEM concepts.

• All field experiences take place in a single district (Bloomfield, NJ) with well-‐trained partner teachers.

!

Dual Certification MAT Program: Inclusive iSTeM

• Collaborative observations: 6 conducted collaboratively by the Mentor Teachers, University Supervisor, Content Supervisor, and the candidate followed by a collaborative debrief and a structured reflection

• Weekly facilitated co-‐planning. Collaborate with the Mentor Teachers (general and special ed) and a facilitator to do co-‐planning for the week. This process is scaffolded across the professional year so that by the end of student teaching, the candidate is leading it.

!

Dual Certification MAT Program: Inclusive iSTeM

• Small-‐group Instruction observations: 2 formal observations during Fieldwork of RtI-‐based small-‐group instruction in the general ed, ICS classroom.

Comparing Structures & Strategies across programs

1. Science methods courses

2. Field experiences

3. Access to mentoring and feedback

Program# of Science

Teaching Methods Courses

MSU Teacher Ed(K-12 Subject areas, BS & Cert)

1

MSU Noyce 2

Integrated iSTeM 3+

Woodrow Wilson 1+

NMUTR ~½

NJ Alternate Route (non-MSU)

0

1. Science methods courses

Includes methods + two summer courses

Student teaching seminar is Methods II

Methods integrated with other coursework

Only general pedagogy methods offered

What should happen in a Science Teaching Methods Class?

http://ambitiousscienceteaching.org/

http://ambitiousscienceteaching.org/

Program Field experiences in addition to full-time student teaching


Preq. 30 hours, practicum w/ site-based seminar. MSUNER partners

MSU Noyce Preq. 30 hours, Summer career survey experience practicum w/ site-based seminar. MSUNER partners

Integrated iSTeM 120 hours of fieldwork, all in Bloomfield, NJ intensive scaffolded co-planning

Woodrow Wilson Summer programs in Orange & Newark Full immersion in mentor’s class from Sept-June.

NMUTR Summer programs in Newark Full immersion in mentor’s class from Sept-June.


4 hours of observation. Hired as teacher of record.

2. Field Experiences

Program Feedback providers


Cooperating teachers and University supervisors(primarily STEM faculty & retired administrators)

MSU Noyce Cooperating teachers and University Supervisors,(primarily STEM faculty & retired administrators)

Integrated iSTeM Education faculty, Cooperating teachers, and Subject Area Mentors in collaborative observations

Woodrow Wilson faculty, program directors, STEM faculty, Cooperating teachers

NMUTR Cooperating teachers, Education faculty


School Administrators, peer mentors

3. Access to mentoring and feedback

• What are the admission requirements?

• Duration? Are summer semesters involved?

• Who is involved in the program?

• What is the nature of the methods coursework?

• What is the nature and purpose of the fieldwork?

• Who are the cooperating teachers? Are they compensated in money, time, or both?

• Are the cooperating teachers themselves mentored in some way?

20 Questions for designing STEM Teacher Education programs

• What sort of supervision will candidates receive?

• What is the program’s orientation to student diversity, justice, and teachers as agents of change?

• To what degree will STEM teachers certified in the program be prepared to teach English language learners? Students with special needs?

• Are students paid a stipend or a salary? Do they pay tuition?


• What commitments are made to and by partner districts?

• How much power do partner districts have within the program?

• Will the improvement of candidates’ content knowledge be within the purview of the program?

• Will it include pedagogical content knowledge from practitioners?


• What is the intensity of the program?

• What is the vision of STEM?

• What are the exit criteria for the program?

• How does a program fit into other institutional and governmental structures (e.g. CAEP) or align with science education reform efforts (NGSS)?


These questions are discussed in more detail in:!!Larkin, D. B. (2014). Structures and strategies for science teacher education in the 21st century.

Teacher Education & Practice, 27(2). !

What is the future of STEM teacher education?

• 3-5 year timespan

• Mentoring during first years just as important as preservice.

• More use of high-leverage practices (e.g. eliciting student ideas, model-based inquiry, argumentation)

• More robust and valid assessments of teacher quality

What is the future of STEM teacher education?

New directions in !STEM teacher education?

• Maybe teacher education ought to look like demonstrating competence in martial arts—what might a Black Belt Science Teacher know and be able to do?

• If we think about STEM teacher education as a five-year enterprise, what are the consequences for universities?

• Achievement Gap is situated in massive inequity. SAT vs. income. We’ll work on our 16% effect, but the rest needs attention too.

• Characterizing STEM education in an era of globalization for “the workforce” may be less useful than framing it in terms of solving national and global problems.

• The “deregulation” of teacher education is a big problem for STEM. Need to address the problem of supporting alternate route teachers.

New directions in !STEM teacher education?

• State or Federal government could just pay STEM teachers directly.

• What are the right incentives? Maybe not pay, but should science teachers teach the same number of students as PE teachers? Does incentivizing STEM teachers for high-need schools work?

• 100k in 10 is an anemic solution to the problem of recruitment.

• Need to solve the problem of creating structures for mentoring. “Moon shot” approach may be needed for recruitment & retention.

• Quality STEM teacher preparation is possible, but needs funding. Let’s start with free college (See work by Sara Goldrick-Raab).

• Science and math teacher education is a multi-year enterprise that requires discipline-specific methods instruction, rich clinical experiences, and access to mentoring and feedback. We cannot afford to keep thinking of STEM education as just curricular.

• When we short circuit the STEM teacher learning process, the cost is in teacher attrition—though school-based factors are important too.

• Recruitment and retention are wide open areas for innovation and experimentation.

Takeaway Message

Thank youDoug Larkin [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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