Recruiting, Preparing Pathways Reader’s Digest Fund and …€¦ · This report presents an overview of the Fund’s Pathways to Teaching Careers Program, its progress since 1989

Progress Report:Pathways to Teaching Careers

DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest FundPath

way

s Recruiting,Preparing and RetainingTeachers forAmerica’sSchools

RDDW

The mission of the DeWitt

Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund

is to foster fundamental

improvement in the quality of

educational and career develop-

ment opportunities for all

school-age youth, and to

increase access to these

improved services for young

people in low-income

communities.

1

C O N T E N T S

Preface 3

Summary 4

Part i: Meeting the Need for a Well-Trained, Diverse Teaching Force 6

Part ii: Recruiting from Nontraditional Populations 8

Part iii: Pathways Evaluation at the Midpoint: EarlyEvidence of Success 10

Part iv: Conclusion 15

Appendix A: Operation of the Pathways Program 16

Appendix B: Directory of Pathways Programs and Contacts 17

Path

way

s

3

R E C R U I T I N G , P R E P A R I N G A N D R E T A I N I N G T E A C H E R S F O R A M E R I C A ’ S S C H O O L S ■

For nearly 10 years, the DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund has beenat the forefront of efforts to develop better ways to recruit and train a diversecorps of teachers ready for the challenges and rewards of working in publicschools in low-income urban and rural communities all across the nation.The early results emerging from this work give us reason to believe a solutionto the problem of ensuring well-qualified teachers for every public school inAmerica is within reach.

This report presents an overview of the Fund’s Pathways to Teaching CareersProgram, its progress since 1989 and early evaluation findings. It is designedto inform and stimulate discussion. In particular, we hope the Fund’s experi-ences and the initial lessons will be considered carefully by the educationaland funding communities, policy-makers and government leaders, and otherswho share an interest in improving teaching and learning in our nation’sschools.

M. Christine DeVitaPresidentDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest FundAugust 1997

P R E F A C E

■ D E W I T T W A L L A C E - R E A D E R ’ S D I G E S T F U N D

4

For the past three decades,leading educationalresearchers and nationalcommissions have been

warning of looming teacher short-ages for America’s public schools.Others have been pointing to ashrinking minority teaching pool inthe face of an increasing minorityenrollment.

Today, neither of those worries isa projection. Teacher shortages arereal, they are growing and are espe-cially severe for low-income urbanand rural school districts that havedifficulty recruiting and retaininghighly qualified teachers in the bestof times. Similarly, the demographicmismatch between students andteachers has reached the point thatthere is a good chance some childrenmight go through 12 years of publiceducation without meeting a teacherfrom their same ethnic or racialgroup.

While these developments aretroubling, there are signs of hope.Since 1989, the DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund has beensupporting the development ofmodel programs to help increase anddiversify the supply of well-trainedpublic school teachers willing towork in hard-to-staff low-income

schools. Early findings indicate thatthe Pathways to Teaching CareersProgram is working and has thepotential to help the nation solve itsteacher shortage problem.

The Fund’s $40 million invest-ment in the Pathways program islinked directly to its mission of fos-tering fundamental improvement inthe quality of educational and careerdevelopment opportunities for allschool-age children, especially foryoung people in low-income com-munities. It also reflects a mainstayof the Fund’s grantmaking, which isto invest in the adults who areinvolved in the education of chil-dren in and out of school.

In designing the initiative, theFund drew on the findings of leadingeducational researchers. Their stud-ies made a strong case for investingin programs to recruit and preparenontraditional candidates to becometeachers. These included men andwomen already serving as classroomaides, substitute or emergency-certi-fied teachers in the very schools hav-ing staffing problems. It was believedtheir background and work experi-ence plus knowledge of the familylife and communities where their

students live would make many ofthem effective teachers. And oneway to attract these nontraditionalcandidates might be to open newavenues to the teaching profession.

Building on that belief, the Fundwent to great lengths to consult withothers in the fields of education andphilanthropy as it designed Pathways.Its first grants supported a pilot pro-ject. That was followed by formingrelationships with a small number ofschools of education at colleges anduniversities, mostly in New YorkCity, to begin recruiting noncertifiedteachers. In subsequent years, theFund expanded the program to otherregions of the country and addedcomponents to target paraprofession-als (classroom aides) and returnedPeace Corps volunteers.1

Paraprofessionals, like noncerti-fied teachers, have a working knowl-edge of the classroom and anunderstanding and appreciation ofthe challenges of teaching. Becausethey have taught in countries outsidethe United States and gained valu-able knowledge about different cul-tures, returned Peace Corpsvolunteers were also believed well-suited to the demands of teaching inlow-income inner-city and ruralschools.

S U M M A R Y

1In response to research findings that many teachers decide to enter the profession long beforegoing to college, the Fund also expanded Pathways to include a preprofessional component. Aspart of this effort, middle and high school students in Baltimore are introduced to career optionsin the teaching profession and talented undergraduates in 16 private liberal arts colleges in theNortheast are encouraged to become teachers, particularly to work in the middle grades.

Dewitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund Pathways to Teaching Careers Program


5

Today, 42 colleges and universi-ties around the country are partici-pating in the program. Each uses itsgrant money from the Fund to pro-vide scholarships and other supportservices so that paraprofessionals,noncertified teachers, returnedPeace Corps volunteers and othersknown collectively as PathwaysScholars can return to school andpursue bachelor’s or master’s degrees,teaching certificates and completeother requirements leading to full-time teaching jobs.

Pathways, however, is more thana recruiting and certification pro-gram. The initiative also is fosteringchanges in schools of educationdesigned to both accommodate theneeds of Pathways Scholars and todraw on their strengths. Thesechanges include allowing them alonger period to complete their stud-ies as well as adding course offeringsthat are tailored to the work experi-ence, knowledge and skills theyalready possess. And because manyof these potential teachers hold full-

time jobs and have families, somecolleges and universities have addedevening and weekend courses andprovided needed support servicessuch as day care. After completingtheir studies, Pathways Scholars com-mit to teaching in low-income urbanor rural public schools for up to threeyears.

So far Pathways has successfullyenrolled over 2,200 Scholars, manyof whom have since graduated andbegun teaching assignments. Theirteaching effectiveness is beingassessed as part of a comprehensiveFund-commissioned evaluation. TheFund hopes that overall findings ofthe Pathways evaluation will providevaluable knowledge about how thenation can create the capacity torecruit and train highly motivatedand well-prepared teachers—drawnfrom diverse backgrounds—andplace them in schools where they areneeded most.

■ Pathways is more than a

recruiting and teacher cer-

tification program. The

initiative also is fostering

changes in schools of

education designed to

accommodate the needs

of Pathways Scholars and to

draw on their strengths.

6


Successful approaches torecruiting, preparing and plac-ing highly qualified teachers inthe most demanding public

school classrooms around the nation areemerging from Pathways to TeachingCareers. This news holds promise forAmerican education—and for thou-sands of children in public schoolsthroughout the country who deserve agood education and start in life. Thenation faces a significant shortage ofteachers, especially those from diversebackgrounds, to fill openings in schoolsin low-income urban and rural commu-nities. If the early indicators of successcontinue over the next few years,Pathways could lead the way to plannedlarge-scale efforts to place effectiveteachers in hard-to-staff school districts.

Origins of Pathways

B eginning in the late 1970s andcontinuing through the 1980s,

educational researchers issued warn-

ings of a looming shortage of teach-ers for America’s public schools. Anumber of educators also expressedconcern that the proportion ofteachers from minority backgroundswas declining while enrollments ofstudents from similar backgroundswere on the rise.

As part of its mission to improveeducational services for young peo-ple, the Fund examined possibleways to respond to those concerns.Staff delved into reports from lead-ing researchers and read the findingsfrom commissions and study groupsto familiarize themselves with thebest thinking in the field about waysto address the teacher shortage prob-lem2, and examined recruitment andtraining models other foundationswere developing.3

It became clear that whateverthe response, it would be costly, dif-ficult, take many years to accomplishand—most important—require achange in the nation’s system of

2 Research disclosed a troubling decline in the number of public school teachers from minori-ty backgrounds as well as remedies that drew wide backing among education experts. Many ofthe recommendations were summarized in the report: “Increasing the Number of MinorityTeachers: Recommendations for a Call to Action. A Paper Prepared for the QualityEducation for Minorities Project.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, March 1989.

3 Sources of information for the Fund included: Barbara Hatton, The Ford Foundation; ElaineWitty, Norfolk State University; Barbara Holmes, Education Commission of the UnitedStates; Linda Darling-Hammond, Columbia University, Teachers College; G. Pritchy Smith,University of North Florida; Lester Young, Jr., New York State Department of Education;Joan Baratz-Snowdon, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; Ernest J.Middleton, University of Kentucky; Carnegie Commission on Education; Carnegie Forum’sTask Force on Teaching as a Profession; American Association of Colleges for TeacherEducation (Mary Dilworth); and Teacher Education in the States: 50-State Survey ofLegislative and Administrative Action. Many foundation representivess also were consulted,including Bernard Charles, Carnegie Corporation of New York; Norm Fruchter, AaronDiamond Foundation; and Caroline Zinsser, Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

P A R T I

Pathways to Teaching Careers:A Program to Help Meet the Need for a Well-trained, Diverse Teaching Force for America’s Schools

■ The Fund began

Pathways in response to

warnings of a looming

teacher shortage and con-

cern that the proportion of

teachers from minority

backgrounds was declining

while enrollments of

students from similar back-

grounds were on the rise.


recruiting and preparing publicschool teachers. That, coupled withincreasing calls from the educationfield for substantial efforts toincrease the supply of teachers ingeneral and minority teachers in par-ticular, led to the decision to launchPathways to Teaching Careers.

History of the Pathways Program

In 1989, the Fund made a $250,000grant to New York’s Bank Street

College of Education to support aprogram to prepare minority teachersfor positions in the city’s low-incomeschools. Lessons learned from thiswork helped guide the developmentof a larger teacher-recruitment andtraining effort.

The first implementation grantswere made between 1990 and 1992to Brooklyn, Hunter and LehmanColleges in New York City;

Cambridge College in Massachusetts;and Clark-Atlanta University inGeorgia.

In late 1992, the Fund’s board ofdirectors approved plans for anational expansion of the program.Backed by $23 million in grants,Pathways programs were establishedin an additional 26 colleges and uni-versities throughout the country—11in the South under the direction ofthe Southern Education Foundationand 15 to support a Peace Corps pro-gram that was started in 1985 to helpreturned volunteers become teach-ers.4 Another $10 million in expan-sion grants followed in 1993 forPathways programs in 11 schools ofeducation throughout the Northeastand Midwest. Total Fund investmentin the program reached $40 millionby 1994 with the approval of addi-tional grants and the launch of thePathways evaluation.

In early 1997, the Fund’s boardapproved a plan to support the insti-tutionalization of the program atmost of the schools of education cur-rently participating in Pathways andto encourage other colleges and uni-versities to adopt the model.

4These grants also underwrote related pro-gram activities designed to introduce middle,high school and college undergraduates toteaching as a possible career.

■ The Fund’s board has approved a plan to support the institu-

tionalization of the program at several colleges and universities

currently participating in Pathways and to encourage other

schools of education to adopt the model.


Target Populations

Pathways to Teaching Careersis built on a premise thatcertain individuals, be-cause of their knowledge,

skills, interests, life and work experi-ence, have the potential to becomeexcellent teachers, but for a varietyof reasons have not been able to pur-sue teaching careers. In response, theFund has designed Pathways to targetthe most motivated and qualifiedcandidates—many of the programsaccept less than 20 percent of appli-cants. Pathways also supportschanges at schools of education todraw on the strengths and meet theneeds of these adult learners.

Because one of the biggest hur-dles for many of these prospectivestudents is the cost of attending col-lege, the Fund’s scholarship supportis quite substantial, averaging 80 per-cent of tuition across the sites. Insome special cases, program partici-pants receive full scholarships.

Pathways Scholars also receiveother support and services thatincrease their chances of success inthe program. So those who hold jobscan continue to work, many colleges

and universities give students longerperiods to complete their studies orhold classes in the evenings or onweekends. Some courses are offeredat satellite centers near where theScholars live or at the schools wherethey work so they don’t have to trav-el far. In addition, a number of insti-tutions have created resource centersand small lending libraries to savestudents the expense of buying theirtextbooks. Other services range fromproviding day care to helpingScholars secure emergency loansfrom banks.

Pathways Scholars: Who They Are

The Pathways program drawsteaching candidates from the

ranks of paraprofessionals, noncerti-fied teachers and returned PeaceCorps volunteers. Individuals ineach of these groups have particularskills and strengths that form thebasis for the Fund’s belief in theirpotential teaching abilities.

◗Paraprofessionals and Noncertified Teachers

Often, paraprofessionals and noncer-tified teachers already live in theinner-city communities and work inthe schools for which they are beingrecruited to teach. From their yearsof service as teacher aides, manyalready are experienced in classroommanagement and know how to workwith students and teachers—skillsthat will serve them well in urbanclassrooms. Others have worked inbusiness, or as scientists or artists,and are able to draw on their knowl-edge and “real-world” experience tosupplement their teaching. Many arealso fluent in other languages andable to serve as a bridge between cul-tures for children of different ethnicbackgrounds.

Pathways Scholars in this groupcomprise the following ethnic andracial mix:• African American: 68 percent;• White: 15 percent;• Hispanic/Latino: 11 percent;• Members of other racial and eth-

nic groups (Asian American,Pacific Islander and NativeAmerican): 3 percent.

P A R T I I

Recruiting from Nontraditional Populations

■ Because one of the biggest hurdles for many people

targeted to participate in Pathways is the cost of attending

college, the Fund’s scholarship support is quite substanial—

averaging 80 percent of tuition across the sites.


9

The average age for thesePathways Scholars is 38, and 75 per-cent are female. Nearly two-thirdsare married and they have an aver-age of 2.2 children. Many work infull-time jobs that pay as little as$17,000 annually, even after 20 yearsof service.

Compared with typical teachereducation students enrolled in thesame colleges they are attending,Pathways Scholars tend to be older,have more family responsibilities, areeconomically less well off, and aremore knowledgeable about minoritystudents and their home and com-munity life. They also are committedto working in urban schools and aremore pedagogically adept than theirtraditional college counterparts.

Academically, the group varieswidely, although all paraprofession-als in the Pathways program have aconsiderable number of college cred-its already.

◗Returned Peace CorpsVolunteers

Former Peace Corps volunteers rep-resent an attractive pool of teachersfor hard-to-staff schools for severalreasons. Many of them already havebeen trained and gained experience

as teachers. They have taught out-side the United States in culturesdifferent from their own, and oftenunder physically arduous circum-stances.

Nearly three-quarters (72 per-cent) of returned Peace Corps volun-teers in the Pathways program arewhite. Their average age is 32 andthey are 58 percent female. Few aremarried and only a small numberhave children.

Members of this group tend torecognize that culture plays a power-ful role in teaching and learning and,because of their international experi-ences, are generally knowledgeableabout cultural differences.

Academically, they are aboveaverage and require few support ser-vices to help them with their studies.However, they do face considerablechallenges working in unfamiliarurban environments.

Common Traits From All Target Groups

A cross the participating sites,Pathways Scholars responded

with considerable similarity to a sur-vey assessing what strengths they feel

they can bring to the classroom.They said that flexibility, adaptabili-ty and perseverance were among themost salient personal qualities theybrought to the program. Scholars inthe paraprofessional and noncertifiedstrands rated themselves lower inacademic skills, while returned PeaceCorps volunteers said ability to han-dle conflict was among their weak-nesses. Participants reported usingtheir background, knowledge andexperience to motivate students,establish relationships with youngpeople they teach, and developlearning activities. Many more para-professionals reported using theirbackground experiences to establishrelationships with parents than theirPeace Corps counterparts. The over-whelming majority of PathwaysScholars said the primary reasonsthey wanted to become teacherswere because they wanted to makelearning meaningful and fun for stu-dents, to make a difference in howand what they learn and to empowerthem.

10


The Fund has commis-sioned the UrbanInstitute of Washington,D.C., to conduct a com-

prehensive evaluation of thePathways program. Evaluators areexamining 41 projects, where para-professionals, noncertified teachersand returned Peace Corps volunteersare enrolled.

The evaluators are tracking theprogress of Scholars through the pro-gram, taking care to document whatthe programs look like and what sup-port services are provided for theteaching candidates. Evaluators aregathering data on how many of thosewho entered the programs were ableto complete their academic course-work, graduate, pass certificationexams and secure teaching positions.Evaluators also are following the firstgroup of graduates to determine howeffectively they are performing asteachers.

What the Evaluation Comprises

The Pathways evaluation is divid-ed into three components: sum-

mative, process and formative.Summative: The evaluation

seeks to determine the overall

impact of the Pathways program byexamining its success in recruitingqualified individuals and retainingthem through graduation, and bytracking participants’ success inobtaining certification and securingteaching positions in targeted schooldistricts. In addition, the evaluationwill assess the teaching performanceof Pathways Scholars and examinewhether they remain in teaching forat least three years.

Process: The focus of this por-tion of the evaluation is to docu-ment clearly and precisely how thevarious programs at the Pathwayssites were implemented. This infor-mation will enable evaluators todetermine which features providedthe greatest support to the programparticipants in particular circum-stances.

Formative: This component ofthe evaluation is designed to providetimely feedback to individual pro-grams regarding how well they areprogressing toward their proposedgoals and also to guide the Fund indesigning future teacher recruitmentand preparation activities.

Preliminary Findings are Promising

P reliminary evaluation resultsindicating that the program is

meeting its recruitment and reten-tion goals and that Pathways showspromise in preparing teachers effec-tively are summarized below:

◗Recruitment GoalsThe Pathways programs seem to bedoing an excellent job of meetingtheir enrollment goals. Data collect-ed to date show that some 2,134Scholars—or 97 percent of the tar-get—have been served by Pathwaysprograms. Because several projectsstill have a year of funding to go, theoverall program should have no trou-ble reaching its goal of 2,210Scholars.

◗Retention RatesAlong with the strong recruitmentrates, Pathways projects are retaining90 percent of their students. Thataccomplishment is especially impres-sive when compared with traditionalteacher education programs thatlose, on average, almost one-third oftheir enrollment by graduation. Thenontraditional nature of the student

P A R T I I I

Pathways Evaluation at the Midpoint:Early Evidence of Success


population the Pathways programsare serving—including the fact thatso many work at full-time jobs—addsto the significance of these findings.5

Several factors seem to con-tribute to the high retention rates:scholarship support; careful recruit-ment and selection of Scholars; care-ful monitoring of their progress whilethey are in the program; and“extras”—such as comprehensivesupport services that they receive tohelp them through the program.

◗Progress through the ProgramEvaluators also have been examininghow fast students are progressingthrough the program. To obtain ameaningful measure, evaluators lim-ited their research to individualsenrolled in participating colleges oruniversities for at least two years.They also looked separately at ratesof progress for Peace Corps volun-teers and for paraprofessionals andnoncertified teachers. That is

because Peace Corps volunteers arestudying for their master’s degrees,while students in the other programsare going for their bachelor’s degrees,which require more credits for gradu-ation.

The evaluators have found thatnearly all the Peace CorpsScholars—93 percent—have com-pleted at least half their require-ments for graduation. Some 78percent of this group are past thethree-quarters mark, well on theirway to becoming teachers. A hand-ful lags behind—about 3 percenthave yet to finish more than 25 per-cent of their courses.

Some 72 percent of paraprofes-sionals and noncertified teachershave made it halfway through theprogram. And 62 percent of themhave completed three-quarters oftheir requirements. This group has ahigher number progressing moreslowly: about 14 percent have com-pleted one-quarter or less of theircoursework. As noted earlier, theslower rate is somewhat a reflection

of the larger number of courses stu-dents must take for a bachelor’sdegree.

◗Effectiveness of TeacherPreparation

The ultimate success of the Fund’sPathways to Teaching Careers Programwill rest largely on how well teachershave been prepared to work in low-income urban and rural schools. Thisportion of the evaluation representsa major investment in time andenergy as samples of PathwaysScholars undergo three separateassessments. The first takes placebefore graduation while they aredoing their student teaching; andthe second and third occur after theyleave the program and begin workingas teachers.

Compared to the first assess-ments, which are conducted byteachers’ field supervisors, evaluatorsconsider the two later ones to bemore important and better indicatorsof teaching effectiveness. In one

5 The retention rate for Pathways Scholars,while higher than the national average, islikely to decline somewhat in later years assome current participants leave the programbefore completing their degree requirements.

■ Because the ultimate success of the Pathways program will

rest largely on how well teachers have been prepared to work

in low-income urban and rural schools, a major part of the eval-

uation is devoted to assessing their classroom performance.

12

assessment the evaluators observethe performance of a sample ofteachers; the other is conducted byprincipals in the schools where grad-uates are teaching. To make theirassessments, evaluators use a newtool called Praxis III, which has beendeveloped by the EducationalTesting Service. Praxis III measuresperformance according to the skillsand competencies that most educa-tors agree good teachers need. Theseinclude:

• How well the teachers are able toplan lessons;

• How well they deliver lessons;• Whether their classrooms are orga-

nized in ways conducive for stu-dents to learn;

• How well they communicate withother educators and parents aboutstudent learning.

Because only 20 percent ofPathways Scholars have completedtheir training and begun working inschools, evaluators have assessedonly a small number of new teachers.While preliminary, their findings areworth sharing. Overall, the assess-ment gave the Pathways graduates anaverage Praxis rating of 2.1. Thatcompares with a benchmark rating of2.0, considered a strong performance

for a beginning teacher. The evalua-tors also note that no individualteaching competency for this sampleaverages below 2.0, and that thesenew teachers rate especially well increating a classroom climate that isconducive to learning.

Evaluators have begun to collectteaching assessments done by princi-pals in the schools where the gradu-ates are working. Because theprogram has relatively few graduates,and principals haven’t had a chanceto complete many assessments, itwould not be meaningful to reportthese early findings. However, theevaluators expect that these assess-ments will add considerably to theevaluation because they will showwhether the Pathways initiative hasprepared its graduates to meet thesame rigors of the profession as indi-viduals who became teachersthrough traditional programs. Simplyput, to retain their teaching posi-tions, virtually all teachers in thiscountry must receive positive evalu-ations from the principals of theirschools. Also, the principals’ ratingsare based on a whole year of observa-tion and are independent of theassessments done by evaluators.


■ Evaluators assessed a

sample of the first Pathways

gradautes who are current-

ly teaching in schools and

found that their overall

performance was slightly

above the average score for

beginning teachers.


Role of Special Support Services

There is a great deal of innova-tion taking place at the colleges

and universities in the Pathways pro-gram. Accustomed to teaching pri-marily 18- to 21-year-olds, they havehad to go to great lengths to designprograms that are responsive to theneeds of adult learners and to findways to build on the experience andknowledge these individuals bringwith them.

The role of support services inthe design, development and imple-mentation of Pathways can hardly beoverstated. These include child care,access to computers, academic tutor-ing, study groups and test-takingworkshops. Many Scholars—withthe exception of some returnedPeace Corps volunteers—couldnever imagine becoming full-fledgedteachers without this kind of help forthemselves and their families.

To help learn about the impor-tance of these services, evaluatorsare studying them across all 41 par-

ticipating institutions of higher edu-cation.

Here are summaries of observa-tions evaluators conducted at two ofthe universities:

◗Armstrong Atlantic StateUniversity

Paraprofessionals participating in thePathways program at ArmstrongAtlantic State University inSavannah, Ga., work full-time inschools and most have families.They have limited incomes andoften struggle to make ends meet.

Because Armstrong offers neitherSaturday nor evening classes, it hadto do something to enable parapro-fessionals to take classes during theday without quitting their jobs.

Armstrong and the local schooldistrict came up with a solution thatworks to everyone’s advantage.Paraprofessionals are now givenFridays off by their schools so theycan attend class. Armstrong Stateteacher education students who arenot part of the Pathways programwork as their replacements on those

days. In return, for their classroomwork, these students get credit fromthe college toward their graduationrequirements.

In another instance the school,the board of education andArmstrong State worked together tochange the student-teaching require-ments so Pathways Scholars wouldnot have to take a 10-week leave ofabsence from their jobs and losetheir pay and benefits for this period.Instead, Scholars who complete alltheir course requirements can workpart time as student-teachers andstretch their assignment over alonger time. This way they keeptheir jobs and continue to be paidand receive benefits.

◗DePaul UniversityDePaul is responsible for trainingreturned Peace Corps volunteers toteach in the Chicago Public Schools.Because these former volunteersactually hold jobs as paid internswhile they work to complete theirdegree requirements and earn certifi-

■ Participating colleges and universities have gone to great

lengths to design programs that are responsive to the needs of

adult learners and to find ways to build on their experience

and knowledge.


14

cation, DePaul provides an orienta-tion during the summer beforeschool starts. Scholars visit schoolsto familiarize themselves with wherethey will be working and also attendsome classes at the university. Theschools in which the Scholars areplaced are ones with which DePaulhas had a long relationship. Thisenables the university to match theScholars’ individual skills with theneeds of the schools. For example,Scholars proficient in Spanish mayhelp fill openings for bilingual teach-ers.

To ease them into their assign-ments, all Scholars are given lessthan full teaching schedules whenthey first start. They are also pairedwith veteran teachers who serve as

mentors. During the year, Scholarsreceive feedback about their teach-ing from their mentors, school prin-cipals and DePaul program staff whovisit their classrooms to observe theirperformance.

Scholars attend classes at theuniversity on Saturdays along withother teachers from the ChicagoPublic Schools who also are workingtoward their master’s degrees. Beingin class with veteran teachers pro-vides the Scholars a chance toexchange ideas and seek advice.

In addition to this formal sup-port, Scholars also receive help fromother Peace Corps volunteers work-ing as interns at the school and grad-uates of the program who are nowteaching.

These are just two of the manypowerful program strategies thathave been implemented. Evaluatorswill continue to document the rangeof activities underway to developinformation that might be useful toother programs that face similarchallenges as well as other collegesand universities that want to workwith nontraditional education candi-dates.

■ During the year, interns from DePaul receive feedback

about their teaching from their mentors, school principals and

university program staff who visit their classrooms to observe

their performance.

15


The Fund’s experiencewith the Pathways toTeaching Careers Programand early indicators of

success come at an importantmoment. The September 1996 publi-cation of What Matters Most, areport by the National Commissionon Teaching and America’s Future,has focused renewed attention onthe undeniably important role teach-ers play in shaping the lives of theirstudents. The study’s findings alsovalidate the underlying premise andvision of the Fund’s Pathways pro-gram. Among the NationalCommission’s many important rec-ommendations is a powerful call tofix teacher recruitment programs sowe can put qualified teachers inevery classroom. As noted in WhatMatters Most, current teacherrecruitment programs are “painfullyslipshod.”

According to the NationalCommission, many people choose tobecome teachers “not because theyare committed to teaching butbecause getting a teaching credentialseems like good job insurance.” Thatmay help explain Commission find-

ings showing that for every 100undergraduates who enroll inteacher education programs only 36of them will enter the profession.And of these, a mere 25 will remainin teaching more than three years.

That is the pattern Pathways isseeking to reverse. As this report hasdescribed and the evaluation hasdocumented, the Fund has seededmodel programs that are successfullyrecruiting and retaining candidateswho are being trained for teachingpositions in hard-to-staff schoolsaround the nation. The Fund ishopeful that the evaluation willgather evidence indicating thatPathways Scholars are effective inthe classroom and up to the chal-lenges of teaching. If that happens,then questions about how to attract,prepare and retain highly qualifiedteachers will shift from one aboutproblems to a constructive and morepromising discussion about opportunities.

P A R T I V

Conclusion

■ Early evaluation results

show that the Fund has

seeded model programs

that are successfully

recruiting and retaining

candidates who are being

trained for positions in

hard-to-staff schools

around the nation.

16


Pathways to Teaching Careersoperates at 42 colleges anduniversities throughout thecountry. Activities at three

clusters of participating institutionsare overseen by coordinating agen-cies selected by the Fund: BankStreet College of Education, NewYork, for schools in the Northeastand Midwest; Peace Corps/USA,Washington, D.C., for the returnedvolunteers component; and theSouthern Education Foundation,Atlanta, for programs throughoutthe South. Each coordinating agencyis responsible for acting as an inter-mediary between the Pathways sitesand the Fund, monitoring programimplementation and progress andpromoting information sharingamong the colleges and universities.The Fund manages a fourth group ofprograms comprising four colleges inNew York City and a fifth inCambridge, Mass.

Below is an overview of each ofthese clusters. (See Appendix B for acomplete list of participating col-leges and universities and coordinat-ing agencies that oversee theirprograms.)

Northeast and Midwest

The 11 schools in this grouprecruit paraprofessionals, emer-

gency or provisionally certifiedteachers, and substitute teachers

without certification employed bythe target school districts throughoutstates in the Northeast and Midwest.Each institution works with one ormore local school districts to preparePathways Scholars for teaching posi-tions in their schools.

Southern United States

The Fund is supporting the workof 12 colleges and universities

in Alabama, Florida, Georgia,Louisiana, Tennessee and Virginia,states where shortages of AfricanAmerican teachers are projected tobe substantial by the year 2000. Ofthis group, five predominantly whitecolleges and universities are coupledwith historically black colleges, andtogether each of the pairs of institu-tions works with one or more select-ed urban school districts.

Independent Programs

The five colleges in this groupwere the first to become part of

the Pathways program. While all fourof the New York City institutionswork with emergency-certifiedteachers, three colleges target theirefforts on Schools UnderRegistration and Review. Known asSURR schools, they are identified byNew York State Board of Regents asthe lowest performing schools in thecity. The fifth college, located inCambridge, Mass., prepares parapro-

fessionals to teach in Boston PublicSchools.

Peace Corps Fellows Program

The Peace Corps Fellows/USAProgram was established in

1985 as a teacher-preparation pro-gram at Teachers College, ColumbiaUniversity in New York City inresponse to a critical need for mathand science teachers. Since 1992,the Fund has supported 14 collegesand universities involved in recruit-ing and preparing returned PeaceCorps volunteers to become teachers.

Today, participating institutionswork with one or more school dis-tricts in urban and rural locationsaround the country. Returned PeaceCorps volunteers are placed as teach-ers in schools experiencing shortagesof teachers and at the same time takegraduate-level courses leading to amaster’s degree and teaching certifi-cation.

Several universities work withschool districts located in majorcities, while others work in smallercities and rural locations.

A P P E N D I X A

Operation of the Pathways Program

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DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund

Two Park Avenue23rd FloorNew York, NY 10016tel: 212-251-9700fax: 212-679-6990

Fund Staff Who Work on thePathways to Teaching CareersProgram:

P = primary contact

P Jane QuinnProgram Directortel: 212-251-9710e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Adam StollEvaluation Officertel: 212-251-9760e-mail: [email protected]

Bruce S. TrachtenbergDirector of Communicationstel: 212-251-9781e-mail: [email protected]

Tamara A. McAllisterAdministrative Assistanttel: 212-251-9716e-mail: [email protected]

External Evaluators

The Urban Institute2100 M Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20037

P Dr. Beatriz Chu ClewellPrincipal Research AssociateThe Urban Institute2100 M Street, N.W.Washington, DC 20037tel: 202-857-8617fax: 202-466-3982e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Ana María VillegasProfessor of EducationMontclair State UniversityChapin Hall, Room 111Upper Montclair, NJ 07043tel: 201-655-7937fax: 201-601-9205e-mail: [email protected]

Northeast and Midwest ExpansionCoordinating Agency:

Bank Street College of Education610 West 112th StreetNew York, NY 10025

P Dr. Y. Nona WeekesDirectortel: 212-875-4527fax: 212-875-4526e-mail: [email protected]

Cathleen HarveyAssistant Directortel: 212-875-4529fax: 212-875-4526e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Jacqueline RosenProgram Development Specialisttel: 212-875-4477fax: 212-875-4753

Dr. Phoebe SpeckCurriculum Development Specialisttel: 212-875-4578fax: 212-875-4753e-mail: [email protected]

Participating Colleges and Universities:

Dr. Mary DiezDeanAlverno CollegeSchool of Education3401 South 39th StreetMilwaukee, WI 53234tel: 414-382-6214fax: 414-382-6354e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Virginia SchuldenbergAssistant Professor, Project ContactDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest

Pathways to Teaching Careers Program

Alverno CollegeSchool of Education3401 South 39th StreetMilwaukee, WI 53234tel: 414-382-6215fax: 414-382-6354e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Nancy KleinProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Cleveland State UniversityCollege of Education, 1416 RhodesTower1983 E. 24th St.Cleveland, OH 44115tel: 216-687-5425fax: 216-687-5415e-mail: [email protected]

Connie SalleeProgram CoordinatorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Cleveland State UniversityCollege of EducationRoom 13521983 E. 24th StreetCleveland, OH 44115tel: 216-687-5425fax: 216-687-5415e-mail: [email protected]

Beverly SchneiderCo-CoordinatorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Detroit Public SchoolsAdministrative/Instructional PersonnelSchools Center Building5057 Woodward AvenueRoom 436Detroit, MI 48202tel: 313-494-1875fax: 313-494-1868

Dr. Fredricka ReismanProgram DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Drexel University32nd & Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104tel: 215-895-6770fax: 215-895-5879e-mail: [email protected]

A P P E N D I X B

Directory of Pathways Programs, Contacts


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Armetta WhitmoreProgram DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Harris-Stowe State CollegeTeacher Education Department3026 Laclede AvenueSt. Louis, MO 63103tel: 314-340-3669fax: 314-340-3322

Dr. Edwina B. VoldProject Director - UTRRRDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Indiana University of PennsylvaniaCollege of Education303 Davis HallIndiana, PA 15705-1085tel: 412-357-2400fax: 412-357-2961e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Mary Dean DumaisProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Kean College of New JerseySchool of Education, T-1301000 Morris AvenueUnion, NJ 07083tel: 908-527-2095fax: 908-527-1808

Dr. Ana Maria SchuhmanDeanKean College of New JerseySchool of Education, T-1301000 Morris AvenueUnion, NJ 07083tel: 908-527-2136/2137fax: 908-355-5143e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Janice PhilpotProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Lesley College29 Everett StreetCambridge, MA 02138-2790tel: 617-840-8324fax: 617-349-8169/8599e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Victoria ChouAssociate Dean for Academic Programs

and Co-Director, Project 29University of Illinois at ChicagoCollege of Education1040 W. Harrison - m/c 147Chicago, IL 60607tel: 312-996-4528fax: 312-996-6400e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Karen SakashCo-DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


University of Illinois at ChicagoCollege of Education1040 W. Harrison - m/c 147Chicago, IL 60607tel: 312-996-4551fax: 312-996-6400e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Ella SimmonsProject DirectorACT Program/DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s

Digest Pathways to Teaching Careers Program

University of LouisvilleSchool of EducationLouisville, KY 40292tel: 502-852-6415fax: 502-852-1601e-mail: [email protected]

Juanita LynesProject CoordinatorACT Program/DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s

Digest Pathways to Teaching Careers Program

University of LouisvilleSchool of EducationLouisville, KY 40292tel: 502-852-0577fax: 502-852-0726e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Marleen PugachAssociate Professor, Project DirectorMilwaukee Pathways to Teaching

Careers ProgramUniversity of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeDept. of Curriculum & InstructionPO Box 413Milwaukee, WI 53201tel: 414-229-6071fax: 414-229-5571e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Sharon ElliotCoordinatorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Wayne State University241 Education BuildingDetroit, MI 48202tel: 313-577-1620fax: 313-577-4091e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Paula Wood Dean, Principal InvestigatorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Wayne State University241 Education BuildingDetroit, MI 48202tel: 313-577-1620fax: 313-577-3606e-mail: [email protected]

Southern InitiativeCoordinating Agency:

Southern Education Foundation135 Auburn Avenue NE2nd FloorAtlanta, GA 30303tel: 404-523-0001fax: 404-523-6904

P Dr. Nathaniel JacksonSenior Program Officer

Dr. Elridge W. McMillanPresident

Cheryl HerringtonProgram Associate

Dr. Wiley BoldenConsultant


Dr. Allen StewartProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Alabama State University915 South Jackson StreetMontgomery, AL 36195tel: 334-229-6883fax: 334-229-6904


19

Dr. Evelyn DandyProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Armstrong Atlantic State University11935 Abercorn StreetRoom 100-AKing-Frazier Student Union BuildingSavannah, GA 31419tel: 912-921-2342fax: 912-921-5587e-mail: evelyn_dandy@mailgate.

armstrong.edu

Dr. Larry MartinProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Auburn University at Montgomery7300 University Drive, Room 213EMontgomery, AL 36117-3596tel: 334-244-3212fax: 334-244-3878

Dr. Trevor TurnerDean, School of Education and ProjectDirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Clark-Atlanta UniversityJames P. Brawley Drive at Fair StreetS.W.Atlanta, GA 30314tel: 404-880-8504fax: 404-880-6081

Dr. Robert IngramProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Florida Memorial College15800 Northwest 42nd Avenue(Lajoune Road)Miami, FL 33054tel: 305-626-3719fax: 305-626-3681

Dr. Andrea MillerVice President for Academic AffairsDirector, DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s

Digest Pathways to TeachingCareers Program

LeMoyne-Owen College807 Walker AvenueMemphis, TN 38126tel: 901-942-7305fax: 901-942-7373

Dr. Denise LittletonProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Norfolk State University2401 Corprew AvenueNorfolk, VA 23504tel: 804-683-9583fax: 804-683-2449

Dr. Paul HeineProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Old Dominion UniversityDarden College of EducationRoom 116, Education BuildingNorfolk, VA 23529tel: 804-683-4686fax: 804-683-5406

Dr. Melissa TurnerProject CoordinatorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Old Dominion UniversityRoom 116, Education BuildingNorfolk, VA 23529tel: 804-683-4686fax: 804-683-5406

Debra Ellington WilsonProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Savannah State UniversityPO Box 20492Savannah, GA 31404tel: 912-353-3190/3191fax: 912-356-2996

Dr. Diane ManningProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Tulane UniversityDepartment of EducationNew Orleans, LA 70118tel: 504-865-5108fax: 504-834-9281

Dr. Cindy ChanceProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


University of MemphisBall Building, Suite 200Memphis, TN 38152tel: 901-678-4988fax: 901-678-4778

Dr. Eunice SmithProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Xavier University7325 Palmetto StreetBox 60-ANew Orleans, LA 70125tel: 504-483-7487fax: 504-486-4577

Independent Programs(Supervised by the DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund)

Cathleen HarveyCoordinatorBank Street College of EducationPathways to Teaching Careers Program610 West 112th StreetNew York, NY 10025tel: 212-875-4466fax: 212-875-4753

Dr. E. Terry SchwarzProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Brooklyn College2900 Bedford Avenue, Room 2309 JamesBrooklyn, NY 11210tel: 718-951-5205fax: 718-951-4816

Dr. Sharyn BoornazianDean, Undergraduate ProgramsCambridge College1000 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA 02138-5304tel: 617-868-1000 ext. 187fax: 617-349-3545e-mail: [email protected]


20

Eileen M. BrownPresidentCambridge College1000 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA 02138-5304tel: 617-354-0033fax: 617-354-6387e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Ethlyn Davis FullerProject Director and Dean, GraduateProgramsDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Cambridge College1000 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA 02138-5304tel: 617-868-1000 ext. 213fax: 617-349-3545e-mail: [email protected]

Mahesh SharmaDean for Professional Programs inEducationCambridge College1000 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA 02138-5304tel: 617-868-1000fax: 617-349-3545e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Nancy de la Cruz-ArroyoProject CoordinatorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Hunter CollegeDivision of Programs in EducationRoom 1034W695 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10021tel: 212-722-4648fax: 212-650-3464

Dr. Sherryl Browne GravesProject Co-DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Hunter CollegeDivision of Programs in EducationRoom 1034W695 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10021tel: 212-772-4710fax: 212-650-3464e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Dolores M. FernandezProject Co-DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Hunter CollegeDivision of Programs in EducationRoom 1034W695 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10021tel: 212-722-4648fax: 212-650-3464e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Hugh ScottDean of the Division of Programs inEducationHunter CollegeDivision of Programs in Education695 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10021tel: 212-772-4622fax: 212-650-3959

Dr. Valerie M. WashingtonProject DirectorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest


Lehman CollegeCarmen B31Bedford Park Boulevard WestBronx, NY 10468tel: 718-960-7878fax: 718-960-8996e-mail:in%“[email protected]”

Dr. Elliot WeitzProject CoordinatorDeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest

Pathways to Teaching Career Programs

Lehman CollegeCarmen B31Bedford Park Boulevard WestBronx, NY 10468tel: 718-960-7878fax: 718-960-8996e-mail: in%“[email protected]

.edu”

Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program

Coordinating Agency:Peace Corps of the United States1990 K Street NWSuite 9500Washington, DC 20526

Dr. Frances T. BondDirectortel: 202-606-9496fax: 202-606-3619e-mail: [email protected]


Dr. Daniel TamulonisDirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramColumbia UniversityTeachers CollegeBox 31New York, NY 10027tel: 212-678-4080fax: 212-678-4048e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Barbara RadnerProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramDePaul UniversityCenter for Urban Education2320 N. Kenmore Street Chicago, IL 60614tel: 312-325-7171fax: 312-325-7741e-mail:[email protected]

Dr. Robert FarrellProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramFlorida International UniversityCollege of Education3000 NE 145th StreetAC1 Room 370North Miami, FL 33181tel: 305-919-5829fax: 305-956-5494e-mail: [email protected]

21


Dr. Jeannie EmbichProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramGeorge Washington UniversityDepartment of Teacher Preparation &Special Education2134 G Street, N.W., #416Washington, DC 20052tel: 202-994-7329fax: 202-739-0614e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Dan KainProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramNorthern Arizona UniversityCenter of Excellence in EducationBox 5774Flagstaff, AZ 86011tel: 602-523-7114fax: 602-523-1929e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Andrew DubinProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramSan Francisco State UniversitySchool of Education1600 Holloway AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94132tel: 415-338-1300fax: 415-338-7019

Dr. David FittProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramTemple University13th and MontgomeryPhiladelphia, PA 19122tel: 215-204-6110fax: 215-204-1414e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Trevor SewellDeanCollege of EducationTemple University1301 Cecil B. MoorePhiladelphia, PA 19122tel: 215-204-8017fax: 215-204-5622e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Gary KilarrCoordinatorPeace Corps MAT ProgramTowson State UniversityCollege of EducationTowson, MD 21204tel: 410-830-3191fax: 410-830-2733e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Stuart RankinProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramUniversity of MichiganSchool of Education, Suite 3112Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259tel: 313-747-4723fax: 313-763-1229e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Paul MikoCoordinatorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramUniversity of New MexicoCollege of EducationJohnson Center, Room 112-CAlbuquerque, NM 87131-1251tel: 505-277-8183fax: 505-277-6227e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Judy GraysonProgram CoordinatorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSchool of EducationWaite Phillips Hall 1100Los Angeles, CA 90089-0031tel: 213-740-3485fax: 213-746-8142e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Eric LuceProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramUniversity of Southern Mississippi/GulfCoast730 East Beach BoulevardLong Beach, MS 39560tel: 601-865-4554fax: 601-867-2656e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Thomas WoodAssociate Dean and Project DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramUniversity of Texas at El PasoCollege of Education, Suite 414El Paso, TX 79968-0569tel: 915-747-5572fax: 915-747-5755e-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Robert AlleyProject DirectorPeace Corps Fellows/USA ProgramWichita State UniversityDepartment of Curriculum & InstructionCollege of Education, Box 28Wichita, KS 67260-0028tel: 316-689-3322fax: 316-689-3302e-mail: [email protected]

DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest FundTwo Park Avenue, 23rd FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: 212 251-9700Fax: 212 679-6990E-mail: [email protected]

Recruiting, Preparing Pathways Reader’s Digest Fund and …€¦ · This report presents an overview of the Fund’s Pathways to Teaching Careers Program, its progress since 1989

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