Evaluation of the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund's Pathways to Teaching Careers Program

EVALUATION OF THE DEWITT WALLACE-READER’S DIGEST FUND’S PATHWAYS TO TEACHING CAREERS PROGRAM SUBMITTED TO THE DEWITT WALLACE-READER’S DIGEST FUND OCTOBER, 2001 DW R D EVALUATION OF THE DEWITT WALLACE-READER’S DIGEST FUND’S PATHWAYS TO TEACHING CAREERS PROGRAM DeWitt Wallace- Reader’s Digest Fund Beatriz Chu Clewell The Urban Institute Ana María Villegas Montclair State University October, 2001 THE URBAN INSTITUTE 2100 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, DC 20037 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents..............................................................................................................................i List of Tables..................................................................................................................................ii List of Figures.................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................................iii Section 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................1 The Policy Context for the Pathways to Teaching Careers Initiative.........................................1 The Pathways to Teaching Careers Program..............................................................................3 The Structure of the Initiative.................................................................................................4 Overview of Sites Included in this Evaluation.......................................................................5 Section 2: Evaluation Methods.......................................................................................................7 The Summative Evaluation.........................................................................................................7 Data Collection.......................................................................................................................8 Survey Coding, Data Verification, Data Entry, and Data Validation...................................10 Analysis and Use of Survey Data.........................................................................................11 Section 3: Program Outcomes......................................................................................................12 Q. 1: Did the Pathways Program meet its overall recruitment goals?.................................12 Q. 2: Have Pathways participants remained in the Program through completion and certification? Once they have completed the Program, do they work in targeted districts?.14 Q. 3: Are Pathways graduates good teachers?.....................................................................18 Q. 4: Have Pathways graduates been retained in the teaching profession?.........................25 Section 4: Factors Contributing to the Success of the Pathways Program...................................33 A Strong Partnership.............................................................................................................33 Careful Recruitment and Selection of Program Participants................................................34 A Rigorous, Innovative, and Culturally Sensitive Teacher Education Curriculum..............37 Support Services for Candidates...........................................................................................39 Support Services for Completers..........................................................................................42 Section 5: Conclusions and Policy Implications...........................................................................44 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................44 Q. 1: Did the Pathways Program meet its overall recruitment goals?.................................44 Q. 2: Have Pathways participants remained in the Program through completion and certification? Once they complete the Program, do they teach in targeted school districts?44 Q. 3: Are Pathways graduates good teachers?.....................................................................45 Q. 4: Do Pathways graduates remain in teaching?..............................................................45 Summary...................................................................................................................................45 Policy Implications...................................................................................................................46 References.....................................................................................................................................47 APPENDIX A : Overview of DeWitt Wallace Pathways to Teaching Careers Program sites..A-1 APPENDIX B : Surveys.................................................