Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Production of Teachers Who Remain in the Classroom Varies by Preparation Program

Report 09-28, June 2009

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Report Summary

  • The state provides a number of pathways that individuals may use to receive training needed to attain teaching credentials. Universities and colleges provide initial teacher preparation programs to individuals pursuing degrees. For individuals who already have baccalaureate degrees, Educator Preparation Institutes and school district alternative certification programs provide professional training on the competencies needed for professional certification. The effectiveness of these programs in producing completers, placing them in classrooms, and retaining them in the classroom vary substantially partly because each program serves different types of students. School district programs have the highest percentage (79%) of their participants who remain in the classroom after completion. In contrast, 45% of state university program participants and 32% of college program participants were placed as teachers and remained in the classroom. Because Educator Preparation Institutes did not begin until 2005-06, it is too early to assess their productivity in producing teachers that remain in the classroom.

  • Programs have implemented strategies to improve these outcomes. To improve program completion, the programs offer class scheduling accommodations, financial aid, and test preparation assistance. To improve placement rates the programs provide career advising, sponsor job fairs, and partner with school districts. To improve retention rates, programs provide mentoring, and sponsor workshops on classroom management.

  • Programs currently do not report sufficient information for the state to measure their effectiveness. By requiring programs to track student completion rates and cost information, the state could better understand how effective the different programs are at producing classroom teachers.

Related Reports
  1. Some Progress Achieved in Addressing Factors Contributing to Teacher Attrition
    Report 09-11 February 2009
  2. Dissatisfaction with School Governance, Student Behavior, Parent Support, and Career Opportunities Lead to Teacher Attrition
    Report 07-19 February 2007
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
teacher preparation, alternative, district alternative program, educator preparation institute, teacher certification, completion rates, placement rates, retention rates, new teachers, initial preparation program, professional preparation program