TEXAS BEGINNING EDUCATOR SUPPORT SYSTEM

Transcription

1 TEXAS BEGINNING EDUCATOR SUPPORT SYSTEM EVALUATION REPORT FOR YEAR THREE PREPARED FOR THE STATE BOARD FOR EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION BY THE CHARLES A. DANA CENTER, AN ORGANIZED RESEARCH UNIT OF THE COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN August 2002

2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements... iv Executive Summary... 1 Overview of the Evaluation Report Characteristics of TxBESS Participants The Relationship Between TxBESS and Beginning Teacher Retention Rates Support Systems Provided Through the TxBESS Program The Use and Perceived Effectiveness of the TxBESS Activity Profile TxBESS and Student Performance Other Evidence Related to the Effectiveness of TxBESS Recommendations References Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E iii

3 Acknowledgements The evaluation team would like to thank the directors of the state s 20 regional education service centers for permitting us to work with their TxBESS coordinators and other professional staff in completing this project. We know that evaluation activities are an extra responsibility, and we appreciate the prompt and professional responses we received to requests for information and assistance. The evaluation team would also like to thank the participating TxBESS coordinators for taking the time to help us with site visits and interviews, for sharing their experiences implementing TxBESS, and for providing us with other valuable information about the TxBESS program. We also appreciate the contributions of TxBESS participants beginning teachers, mentor teachers, principals, representatives of teacher preparation entities, and education service center staff members who completed surveys and participated in interviews. The content of this report was improved through the contributions of several outside reviewers and consultants, including David Stamman, Academic Information Management Systems, Inc.; Catherine Clark, the Texas Association of School Boards; and Linda Wurzbach, Resources for Learning. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the TxBESS program team staff members from the Texas State Board for Educator Certification and Resources for Learning. iv

4 Executive Summary Texas Beginning Educator Support System Evaluation Report for Year Three of TxBESS Implementation Prepared for the State Board for Educator Certification by the Charles A. Dana Center, an organized research unit of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin August 2002 Background Recognizing the need for well-trained teachers, the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) calls for every state to place a highlyqualified teacher in every classroom by There is a large body of research, however, documenting the inadequate supply of highly-qualified teachers. 1 Most recently, the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) estimated that more than 33,000 Texas teachers did not hold an appropriate certification during the school year, and that between 47,000 and 56,000 Texas teachers taught in subject areas outside their area of expertise. 2 To fulfill the ESEA mandate, state policymakers will have to focus their efforts not only on recruiting well-trained teachers, but also on retaining teachers once they are working in the classroom. There is evidence to suggest that a focus on teacher retention (rather than just recruitment) can significantly affect the supply of teachers. Richard Ingersoll recently 1 See, for example, Henke, R.R. & Zahn, L. (2001). Attrition of new teachers among recent college graduates: Comparing occupational stability among college graduates who taught and those who worked in other occupations. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics; Texas Education Agency. (1995). Texas teacher retention, mobility, and attrition. Policy Research Report No. 6. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency; and Grissmer, D. & Kirby, S. (1987). Teacher attrition: The uphill climb to staff the nation s schools. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. 2 State Board for Educator Certification. (2002). Estimates of the teacher shortage in Texas public schools for the and academic years. [Available online through 1

5 reported on the negative effects of a revolving door in education, wherein large numbers of teachers leave the field for reasons other than retirement. 3 Ingersoll finds that 42 percent of all teachers nationwide who leave the field do so not because of retirement, but because of job dissatisfaction, to pursue another career, or to improve career opportunities inside or outside the field of education (for example, by pursuing a career in educational administration). He concludes that improving the levels of job satisfaction among teachers could substantially improve teacher retention. In Texas, SBEC found that about 77 percent of the increase in demand for teachers over the past five years was due to teacher attrition. 4 This further suggests that policymakers need to focus more attention on keeping teachers in Texas schools rather than on simply recruiting new teachers into the field. An emphasis on supporting teachers during their first few years in the profession should dramatically affect teacher retention. Results from a 1997 study of teacher attrition 5 indicate that nationally, more than 30 percent of teachers leave the field within the first five years of teaching. Data for Texas 6 also show that significant numbers of the state s teachers are leaving the profession; the attrition rate for the total Texas teaching force between the and school years was nearly 30 percent during that sixyear time period. The National Center for Education Statistics found that offering a program that provides support for beginning teachers as they adjust to their new professions can positively affect teacher retention. 7 The NCES reports that the attrition rate for beginning teachers who participated in such a program was only 15 percent, compared to 26 percent for those beginning teachers who did not have access to this kind of support program. The Southern Regional Education Board also found that high-quality support programs for new teachers can have a strong impact on teacher retention. 8 3 Ingersoll, R. M. (2001). Teacher turnover, teacher shortages, and the organization of schools. Seattle, WA: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington. 4 State Board for Educator Certification. (2002). Estimates of the teacher shortage in Texas public schools for the and academic years. [Available online through 5 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics. (1997). The characteristics of stayers, movers, and leavers: Results from the teacher follow-up survey, NCES Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 6 Data for this Texas analysis is from the Texas Education Agency s Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) database. For more information about the PEIMS database, see the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website, 7 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). The characteristics of stayers, movers, and leavers: Results from the teacher followup survey, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 8 Southern Regional Education Board (2001). Reduce your losses: Help new teachers become veteran teachers. [Available online through 2

6 About the Texas Beginning Educator Support System The Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) is a statewide program targeted at retaining Texas beginning teachers by providing them with instructional and mentor support during their first years of teaching. Funded for a three-year pilot by the U.S. Department of Education and the Texas State Board for Educator Certification, TxBESS addresses three major goals: 1) increasing beginning teacher retention, 2) helping beginning teachers develop and refine sound teaching practices that support high-quality instruction, and 3) improving student performance. TxBESS operates in every region of Texas through partnerships between the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and all 20 regional education service centers, 9 as well as selected school districts, teacher preparation entities, and local business and community groups. The program began in December of the school year with a half-year pilot serving 998 beginning teachers. In , TxBESS was implemented for the entire school year and served 2,059 beginning teachers. During this second year of implementation, 232 school districts and 54 teacher preparation entities participated. In , TxBESS served 3,058 beginning teachers. During this third year of implementation, 241 school districts and 54 teacher preparation entities participated in the program. TxBESS offers a comprehensive program of support, training, and formative assessment to assist beginning teachers in Texas public schools. Teacher mentors and other supportteam members such as campus and district administrators, education service center staff members, and/or faculty members from teacher preparation entities offer support and guidance during the beginning teachers first years of service. To ensure the quality of this support, the education service centers provide training for support-team members that is based on the TxBESS Performance Standards 10 (which are also known as the TxBESS Framework) and the TxBESS Program Standards. 11 SBEC initiated the TxBESS program, providing resources for participant training and mentor teacher stipends, in addition to a structure for program implementation. Each education service center is guided by the TxBESS Program Standards, which provide direction in program design, organization, and context; strategies for the support and formative assessment of beginning teachers; and resources to operate and strengthen the 9 The state of Texas is divided into 20 regions, each of which is served by its own regional education service center. 10 The TxBESS Performance Standards can be accessed online at 11 The TxBESS Program Standards can be accessed online at 3

7 program. While the TxBESS Program Standards are designed to guide program implementation, each education service center has adapted TxBESS to meet the needs of its local region. The TxBESS Performance Standards complement the TxBESS Program Standards by describing necessary proficiencies for beginning teachers. These performance standards consist of 22 interrelated proficiencies that describe what a beginning teacher should know and be able to do. The TxBESS Activity Profile (TAP) 12 is a formative assessment based on the TxBESS Performance Standards for teachers. The TAP is designed to stimulate professional conversation about teaching and to encourage reflection and professional growth on the part of the beginning teacher. The TAP is not designed as a tool for appraisal or performance evaluation. In each of the state s 20 regions, the educational service center serves as a liaison between SBEC and other partners in the region and maintains an advisory board for its region s TxBESS project. Additionally, each educational service center helps foster the conditions for local school district and campus success in the TxBESS program by coordinating activities and providing training to program participants. The education service center also works with teacher preparation entities and local business and community groups to implement TxBESS in its region. Participating school districts have tailored TxBESS to meet their needs. Some districts participate by allocating resources for mentor teacher stipends and release time. Other districts offer some release time or training opportunities but not stipends. Many participating school districts support their principals as they implement TxBESS and as they serve on support teams for their beginning teachers by enabling them to attend TxBESS training. Teacher preparation entities including institutions of higher education, local school districts, and education service centers provide faculty and staff to serve as supportteam members for beginning teachers and to participate as observers in the TxBESS Activity Profile formative assessment for beginning teachers. Participating teacher preparation entities also incorporate the TxBESS Performance Standards into preparation programs for teachers and administrators. These teacher preparation entities also develop appropriate graduate-level courses for TxBESS mentors, and they participate actively in the regional TxBESS advisory boards. Local business and community groups offer support for the TxBESS program by providing space for meetings and supplies for beginning teachers and by serving as local community advocates for the cultivation of a high-quality teaching force. 12 The TAP can be accessed online at 4

8 About this evaluation This evaluation report represents the third and final year of a three-year evaluation study of TxBESS conducted by the Charles A. Dana Center, an organized research unit of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. This evaluation was guided by the following six research questions: 1) What are the characteristics of the , , and cohorts 13 of TxBESS participants beginning teachers, mentors, and support-team members? 2) What are the retention rates of beginning teachers in the state? 3) What formal support systems for beginning teachers have regional education service centers implemented as a result of TxBESS? 4) What is the use and perceived effectiveness of the TxBESS Activity Profile (TAP)? 5) What is the relationship between student performance and teacher characteristics? 6) What other pertinent information or data illustrate the effectiveness of TxBESS? This final report will draw on findings from years one and two ( and ) of the evaluation, but will place most emphasis on year three ( ), the most recent year of TxBESS implementation. Data for this report came from several sources: identifying information submitted to evaluators by the regional TxBESS coordinators at the education service centers; data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) database; 14 survey responses from beginning teachers, mentor teachers, principals, representatives from teacher preparation entities, and regional TxBESS coordinators; and interviews conducted with program participants during evaluator site visits to five of the 20 education service center regions (a total of 15 of Texas 20 regions were visited by the end of the three-year evaluation period). More detailed information about data collection procedures and data collection instruments can be found in the appendices to this report. 13 TxBESS supported a different cohort of beginning teachers each year of program implementation. Beginning teachers supported in the first year of implementation ( ) are cohort one, those supported in are cohort two, and those supported in are cohort three. 14 For more information about the PEIMS database, see the TEA website, 5

9 Key findings from the evaluation This section summarizes the most important findings from this three-year study. TxBESS is associated with improved retention rates among beginning teachers. One of the program s main goals is to improve beginning teacher retention rates. Data from the TxBESS Evaluation Report for Year Two ( ) 15 suggested that TxBESS positively affected teacher retention, and this finding is verified by data. Analyses of the second and third cohorts of TxBESS-supported beginning teachers demonstrate that beginning teachers who participated in the TxBESS program have stronger retention rates than those who did not. As Figure 1 indicates, the difference in retention between teachers who participated in TxBESS and those who did not continued to grow into the third year of teaching. Figure 1. The percentage of cohort one ( ) TxBESS and non-txbess beginning teachers returning for a second and third year of teaching* TxBESS Non-TxBESS 20 0 Returned in Returned in Source: and TxBESS teacher participant records submitted by education service centers, combined with PEIMS data for the same years *Based on records for 703 TxBESS and 19,156 non-txbess beginning teachers. 15 This evaluation report can be accessed online at 6

10 TxBESS is associated with stronger retention rates for high school teachers and minority teachers. TxBESS is associated with stronger retention rates overall, but the data further indicate that retention rates among high school teachers and minority teachers are especially strong. At the high school level, almost 89 percent of TxBESS teachers returned for a second year of teaching, compared to 79 percent of non-txbess beginning teachers (see Figure 2). Figure 2. The percentage of cohort two ( ) TxBESS and non-txbess beginning teachers returning for a second year of teaching, by school level TxBESS Non TxBESS Elementary school Middle school High school Source: PEIMS data supplied by SBEC. 7

11 Additionally, as shown in Figure 3, TxBESS appears to have its largest effects among non-white beginning teachers. Figure 3. The percentage of cohort two ( ) TxBESS and non-txbess beginning teachers returning for a second year of teaching, by race/ethnicity* TxBESS Non-TxBESS 20 0 African American Hispanic White Other Source: PEIMS data supplied by SBEC *Based on 2,104 TxBESS and 18,188 non-txbess beginning teachers. TxBESS mentor teachers report that serving as a mentor positively affects their professional growth. After both the second and the third years of TxBESS implementation, evaluators collected information about the impact of serving as a mentor on the mentor teachers. Both years, mentor teachers described the positive effects that serving as a mentor had on their own professional growth. They reported that through observing and coaching beginning teachers, they felt reenergized, became more reflective about their own teaching practices, and realized that they had become more sensitive to the professional needs of other teachers on their campuses. Participating principals report that TxBESS support results in improved classroom performance for beginning teachers. After both the second and the third years of TxBESS participation, principals were asked about the impact of TxBESS participation on the performance of beginning teachers. Both years, most principals surveyed said that beginning teachers who were served by TxBESS were outperforming other beginning teachers in the areas of teacher attendance, student discipline, instructional effectiveness, and integration into the faculty. Representatives from participating teacher preparation entities report using TxBESS to guide their work with preservice teachers. Almost half (49 percent) of the representatives from teacher preparation entities that responded to surveys in said they are informing their preservice teachers about the TxBESS 8

12 program. On a related survey item, 37 percent said that they have used the TxBESS model and/or the TxBESS Activity Profile to redesign or improve their teacher preparation programs. This use of TxBESS by preservice entities will likely smooth the transition for beginning teachers from preservice training to the first years of teaching. TxBESS has expanded its services to support a larger number of beginning teachers since the first year of program implementation. Since the first year of implementation in , when TxBESS served 998 beginning teachers, the program has more than tripled in size, serving 3,058 beginning teachers in 241 school districts during the school year. In the school year, more than 3,600 teachers, administrators, representatives from teacher preparation entities, and other professional educators worked with beginning teachers through TxBESS. This number expanded from just over 2,600 in TxBESS participants indicate high levels of satisfaction with TxBESS training. TxBESS continues to provide targeted training on beginning teacher development and the overall TxBESS model, including effective mentoring strategies and the use of the TxBESS Activity Profile for beginning teachers, their mentors, and others who play a role in supporting beginning teachers. Those participating in this training have consistently indicated high levels of satisfaction with the training s quality and usefulness. Common planning times, proximity of classrooms, and similar teaching assignments continue to be important factors for fostering successful relationships between beginning teachers and mentors. Both the and surveys of beginning teachers indicate that beginning teachers were more satisfied with the support they received from their mentors when they had planning periods in common with their mentors, taught in classrooms located near their mentors, and taught the same subject or grade level as their mentors. Survey and interview data also show that beginning teachers and mentors preferred face-to-face communication to other forms of communication, and that open-door policies between beginning teachers and mentors helped the beginning teacher access assistance when needed. Beginning teachers and their mentors indicate that the TxBESS Activity Profile (TAP) is useful to beginning teachers. Overall, TxBESS participants indicated satisfaction with the TAP instrument and with improvements to the TAP that have reduced the amount of associated paperwork. Counter to the expectations of some mentors, beginning teachers who participated in interviews indicated a desire for feedback regarding their effectiveness in the classroom. The TAP provides this feedback. 9

13 Recommendations Based on the findings from all three years of this evaluation study, the evaluation team offers the following eight recommendations. Most importantly, based on the improved retention rates associated with the TxBESS program, the high levels of participant satisfaction with the program, and beginning teachers own assessments of their need for support, it is recommended that Texas continue and expand the TxBESS program to support more beginning teachers. The first three recommendations focus on sustaining and expanding TxBESS. The remaining five describe ways the program could be strengthened. Continue to provide TxBESS support for new Texas teachers, and expand the program to include a larger percentage of the state s beginning teachers. Results from the second and the third year evaluation studies consistently show that TxBESS is associated with stronger teacher retention rates, and that beginning teachers believed the support provided by the program was an important factor in their overall satisfaction with teaching. Participating principals reported that TxBESS-supported teachers were better prepared in key areas than were other beginning teachers on their campuses. The TxBESS program in , however, served only about 10 percent of the state s beginning teachers. These findings suggest that both retention rates and teacher quality might be improved by expanding the TxBESS program. Offer a second year of TxBESS support to beginning teachers. Only 45 percent of the beginning teachers surveyed felt that one year of TxBESS support was adequate, suggesting that most beginning teachers felt the need for continued support into their second year of teaching. However, analyses of PEIMS data combined with data on TxBESS participants suggest that only about a quarter of the beginning teachers who began TxBESS in received a second year of TxBESS support in Obtain state-funded beginning teacher support. Data from the three years of this evaluation indicate that TxBESS participants have realized the benefits of the program. If TxBESS is to be sustained and expanded, state funding is required to support program training, teacher release time, and mentor stipends. Encourage districts and schools to build their own infrastructure to support beginning teachers. Survey data for the third year of the program indicate that without the support provided by TxBESS, many schools would not be able to provide beginning teachers with the same level of support currently available. Only 35 percent of the principals responding said that if TxBESS were discontinued at their school they would still be able to provide mentor stipends; only 22 percent said they would provide a team of support persons for beginning teachers, and only 13 percent said they would continue using the TxBESS Activity Profile. Implement a mechanism for early identification of those beginning teachers who do not have a productive relationship with a mentor teacher. Survey and 10

14 interview data from all three years show that beginning teachers who received support from a TxBESS mentor found this support helpful. However, in , 17 percent of surveyed TxBESS beginning teachers said they received no support from a TxBESS-trained mentor. Other beginning teachers indicated through interviews that they were unable to establish a productive relationship with their mentor, either because their mentor was too busy, or because the mentor lacked interest in participating. If these beginning teachers could be identified early in the school year, new mentors or alternative means of support could be provided. Provide beginning teachers and mentors adequate time to complete the TxBESS Activity Profile (TAP). Most of the beginning teachers and mentors who provided feedback about the TAP indicated that they thought it was a useful tool for encouraging professional growth and reflection. However, they also indicated that the TAP process requires a significant time commitment on the part of beginning teachers. Several participants indicated that they did not see a way to meaningfully reduce the time commitment, but that beginning teachers needed release time to complete the process. Expand efforts to provide release time for beginning teachers and mentors. Each year, beginning teachers and mentors indicated the importance of being provided time to confer together and observe one another in the classroom. The number of mentor teachers who indicated that they received release time grew from 30 percent during the school year to 57 percent during the school year. TxBESS school districts should expand their efforts to provide this release time. Continue efforts to provide TxBESS training to principals. Beginning teachers and their mentors indicated both in surveys and interviews the important role principals play in effective support for beginning teachers. Principals support TxBESS implementation in many ways. They directly support beginning teachers and pair beginning teachers with mentors. They also provide additional supports to beginning teachers and mentors, such as release time, common planning time, and classrooms in close proximity to one another. Analysis of the principal surveys showed that the number of principals who reported they had received TxBESS training grew from 30 percent during the school year to 45 percent during the school year. Because TxBESS training can help principals understand the unique needs of beginning teachers and how best to serve them, TxBESS should continue expanding its efforts to ensure that all participating principals have been trained. 11

15 References Darling-Hammond, L. (1984). Beyond the commission reports: The coming crisis in teaching. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Grissmer, D. & Kirby, S. (1987). Teacher attrition: The uphill climb to staff the nation s schools. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Henke, R.R. & Zahn, L. (2001). Attrition of new teachers among recent college graduates: Comparing occupational stability among college graduates who taught and those who worked in other occupations. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Ingersoll, R. M. (2001). Teacher turnover, teacher shortages, and the organization of schools. Seattle, WA: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington. Southern Regional Education Board. (2001). Reduce your losses: Help new teachers become veteran teachers. [Available online through State Board for Educator Certification. (2002). Estimates of the teacher shortage in Texas public schools for the and academic years. Austin, TX: State Board for Educator Certification. [Available online through State Board for Educator Certification. (1999). Overview of Texas teacher supply, demand, and utilization. Austin, TX: State Board for Educator Certification. Texas Education Agency. (1995). Texas teacher retention, mobility, and attrition. Policy Research Report No. 6. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). The condition of education NCES , Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). The characteristics of stayers, movers, and leavers: Results from the teacher followup survey, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 12

16 Overview of the Evaluation Report This evaluation report represents the third and final year of a three-year evaluation study of the Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) conducted by the Charles A. Dana Center, an organized research unit of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. TxBESS is a statewide program targeted at retaining Texas beginning teachers by providing them with instructional and mentor support during their first years of teaching. Funded for a three-year pilot by the U.S. Department of Education and the Texas State Board for Educator Certification, TxBESS addresses three major goals: 1) increasing beginning teacher retention, 2) helping beginning teachers develop and refine sound teaching practices that support high-quality instruction, and 3) improving student performance. TxBESS operates in every region of Texas through partnerships between the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and all 20 regional education service centers, 16 as well as selected school districts, teacher preparation entities, and local business and community groups. TxBESS offers a comprehensive program of support, training, and formative assessment to assist beginning teachers in Texas public schools. Teacher mentors and other supportteam members such as campus and district administrators, education service center staff members, and/or faculty members from teacher preparation entities offer support and guidance during the beginning teachers first years of service. To ensure the quality of this support, the education service centers provide training for support-team members that is based on the TxBESS Performance Standards 17 (which are also known as the TxBESS Framework) and the TxBESS Program Standards. 18 TxBESS also includes the TxBESS Activity Profile (TAP), a formative assessment based on the TxBESS Performance Standards for teachers. The TAP is designed to stimulate professional conversation about teaching and to encourage reflection and professional growth on the part of the beginning teacher. The TAP is not designed as a tool for appraisal or performance evaluation. 16 The state of Texas is divided into 20 regions, each of which is served by its own regional education service center. 17 The TxBESS Performance Standards can be accessed online at 18 The TxBESS Program Standards can be accessed online at 13

17 This evaluation was guided and this report is organized by the following six research questions: 1) What are the characteristics of the , , and cohorts 19 of TxBESS participants beginning teachers, mentors, and support-team members? 2) What are the retention rates of beginning teachers in the state? 3) What formal support systems for beginning teachers have regional education service centers implemented as a result of TxBESS? 4) What is the use and perceived effectiveness of the TxBESS Activity Profile (TAP)? 5) What is the relationship between student performance and teacher characteristics? 6) What other pertinent information or data illustrate the effectiveness of TxBESS? This final report will draw on findings from years one and two ( and ) of the evaluation, but will place most emphasis on year three ( ), the most recent year of TxBESS implementation. Data for this report came from four main sources: identifying information submitted to evaluators by the regional TxBESS coordinators at the education service centers; data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) database; 20 survey responses from beginning teachers, mentor teachers, principals, representatives from teacher preparation entities, and regional TxBESS coordinators; and interviews conducted with program participants during evaluator site visits to five of the 20 education service center regions (a total of 15 of Texas 20 regions were visited by the end of the three-year evaluation period). More detailed information about data collection procedures and data collection instruments can be found in the appendices to this report. 19 TxBESS supported a different cohort of beginning teachers each year of program implementation. Beginning teachers supported in the first year of implementation ( ) are cohort one, those supported in are cohort two, and those supported in are cohort three. 20 For more information about the PEIMS database, see the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website, 14

18 Characteristics of TxBESS Participants Research Question 1: What are the characteristics of the , , and cohorts of TxBESS participants beginning teachers, mentors, and supportteam members? Evaluators collected information about the characteristics of TxBESS participants through data provided by TxBESS coordinators, the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), and survey responses. This section provides information about the numbers of beginning teachers, school districts, and teacher preparation entities that participated in TxBESS during each year of program implementation. It also describes the demographic characteristics of participating beginning teachers and their school districts and provides information about the beginning teachers certification, preservice preparation, and teaching assignments. In addition, this section reports on various characteristics of TxBESS mentors, such as years of teaching experience and methods by which they were selected to participate in TxBESS. 15

19 TxBESS began in December 1999 as a half-year pilot; in that year it served almost 1,000 beginning teachers in 175 Texas school districts. Table 1 shows the number of beginning teachers, school districts, and teacher preparation entities that have participated in TxBESS in each education service center region for the past three years ( through ). Each year, the program has continued to expand, serving more beginning teachers in a greater number of school districts. Table 1. Number of TxBESS participants by education service center (ESC) region ( , , and ) TxBESS beginning School districts Teacher preparation ESC teachers*** entities region * * * * * , Total 998 2,059 3, ** 54** Source: survey of regional TxBESS coordinators and and coordinator self reports *Information not available. **Some teacher preparation entities worked with more than one region. *** The definition of TxBESS participation varies by ESC region. In some regions, beginning teachers are provided only partial TxBESS support and are not counted as full TxBESS participants. For example, while only 51 beginning teachers in Region 4 were classified as full TxBESS participants in , 375 beginning teachers received partial TxBESS support. 16

20 Characteristics of beginning teachers The evaluators used PEIMS data to compare the demographic characteristics of TxBESSsupported beginning teachers to the characteristics of other beginning teachers in the state. Demographics of beginning teachers During the school year, the TxBESS program supported a cohort of The demographic makeup of beginning teachers that was relatively TxBESS beginning teachers has representative of the state s teacher remained relatively consistent over population in terms of race and ethnicity. As the three years of project Table 2 indicates, the population of implementation, and the population beginning teachers served by TxBESS in of TxBESS beginning teachers is had a slightly higher proportion of demographically similar to the Hispanic teachers than did the population of population of non-txbess beginning teachers not served by TxBESS. beginning teachers in the state. The TxBESS group, however, had a slightly lower proportion of White and African-American teachers. Table 2. Race/ethnicity demographics for TxBESS beginning teachers, non-txbess beginning teachers, and all teachers in Texas, Race/ ethnicity TxBESS beginning teachers (N=2,496) Non-TxBESS beginning teachers (N=19,040) All teachers in Texas (N=284,676) White 57.7% 65.8% 72.9% Hispanic 35.9% 20.0% 17.3% African 5.4% 12.5% 8.8% American Other 1.0% 1.7% 0.9% Source: PEIMS data supplied by SBEC 17

21 In the school year, the TxBESS program also supported a cohort of teachers that was representative of the state with respect to gender (see Table 3). Table 3. Gender demographics for TxBESS beginning teachers, non-txbess beginning teachers, and all teachers in Texas, Gender TxBESS beginning teachers (N=2,496) Non-TxBESS beginning teachers (N=19,040) All teachers in Texas (N=284,676) Female 75.8% 74.1% 77.4% Male 24.2% 25.9% 22.6% Source: PEIMS data supplied by SBEC Table 4 compares the demographic characteristics of TxBESS teachers across the first three years of TxBESS implementation with the demographic characteristics of all teachers in Texas in The table shows that the demographic makeup of the beginning teachers in the TxBESS program has remained relatively stable during the first three years of implementation. Table 4. Comparison of race/ethnicity and gender demographics for TxBESS teachers across three years of TxBESS implementation Demographic characteristic TxBESS TxBESS TxBESS All teachers in Texas White 57.0% 58.1% 57.7% 72.9% Hispanic 36.0% 21.9% 35.9% 17.3% African 8.8% 6.1% 10.9% 5.4% American Other 0.9% 1.2% 1.0% 0.9% Female 78.2% 77.2% 75.8% 77.4% Male 21.8% 22.8% 24.2% 22.6% Source: through PEIMS data supplied by SBEC 18

22 Table 5 shows the school level assignment of TxBESS-supported beginning teachers. TxBESS teachers are representative of all the state s teachers with respect to school level assignment, with roughly half teaching in an elementary school and half distributed among middle and high schools. Table 5. Comparison of school level assignment for TxBESS teachers and all teachers in Texas, School level TxBESS teachers All teachers in Texas High school 26.4% 28.9% Middle school 24.1% 21.1% Elementary school 49.4% 50.0% Source: PEIMS data supplied by SBEC In sum, the demographic makeup of TxBESS beginning teachers has remained relatively consistent over the three years of project implementation, and the population of TxBESS beginning teachers is demographically similar to the population of non-txbess beginning teachers in the state. Certification and preparation of beginning teachers Fifty-six percent of beginning teachers participating in TxBESS indicated in their survey responses that they were fully certified in their teaching area and that this certification was a standard, provisional, or professional certification. 21 The percentage of teachers who said they were fully certified with a standard, provisional, or professional certification differed according to whether they taught elementary or secondary grades. Sixty-nine percent of elementary school teachers had the appropriate certification, but only 43 percent of middle and high school teachers did, indicating that more than half the TxBESS-supported beginning teachers who taught secondary grades were either teaching out-of-field or were teaching under a probationary or emergency permit. 21 Some teachers may have been fully certified, but not in the subject area they were assigned to teach. Others may have held emergency permits or waivers that enabled them to teach while they pursued full certification. 19

23 As Table 6 indicates, almost 62 percent of the TxBESS beginning teachers responding to the survey in said they received their teacher preparation at an undergraduate program in Texas. Roughly 23 percent of respondents received their training at an alternative certification program, either at a Texas university or another setting within the state. 22 In aggregate, the survey responses indicate that a substantial percentage (just under 90 percent) of the TxBESS-supported beginning teachers received their preservice training in Texas, either through an undergraduate program, a graduate program, or an alternative certification program. This is consistent with percentages in prior years. In , roughly 94 percent of beginning teacher survey respondents indicated receiving their preparation in Texas, and in , 93 percent. Table 6. Types of teacher preparation programs completed by TxBESS teacher respondents Type of Program Number of responses Percentage Texas undergraduate % program Texas college or university % alternative certification program Texas alternative % certification program not at a college or university Preparation program outside % of Texas Texas graduate program % Graduate program outside Texas 6 1.8% Other 9 2.7% Total %* Source: survey of beginning teachers *Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding. 22 Alternative certification programs in Texas are designed for individuals who already have a bachelor s degree and are seeking a teaching certificate. These certification programs can be housed in a variety of locations, including institutions of higher education, regional education service centers, and school districts. 20

24 Challenges for beginning teachers In addition to their regular teaching responsibilities, teachers take on additional duties during their first years of service. Forty-nine percent of all TxBESS-supported beginning teachers who responded to the survey for reported that they took on an extracurricular assignment; when looking only at middle school and high school teachers, this increases to 63 percent. 23 Just over 65 percent of TxBESS beginning teachers reported having some administrative duties, and almost half (44 percent) said that they were assigned classes that included students with discipline problems. According to the principals who responded to the survey, most beginning teachers were expected to take on the same level of extracurricular assignments as more experienced teachers. Only 37 percent of principals surveyed reported that beginning teachers were assigned fewer than average extracurricular duties in , and only 34 percent of principals reported assigning beginning teachers classes with fewer than average numbers of students with special needs. These figures are consistent with information collected in the survey of principals, when 37 percent reported assigning beginning teachers fewer than average extracurricular assignments, and only 20 percent reported assigning beginning teachers classes with smaller than average numbers of students with special needs. Based on the principal and beginning teacher survey responses for the second and third years of TxBESS implementation, it appears that beginning teachers are expected to perform basically the same duties as more experienced teachers. School districts that employed TxBESS beginning teachers The TxBESS program serves a greater percentage of teachers who work in economically disadvantaged school districts than is typical for the population of all teachers in the state. Researchers combined data from PEIMS with data provided by the TxBESS coordinators to describe the school districts participating in the TxBESS program. One objective of the TxBESS program has been to work with high-needs districts, including those that serve larger than typical percentages of economically disadvantaged students. PEIMS data indicate that the program has been achieving this objective. 23 This is a decline from the number of beginning teachers who indicated taking on extra-duty assignments in In that year, almost 85 percent of beginning teachers indicated some extra-duty assignments. This difference is most likely due to a change in the wording of the survey item. In , beginning teachers were asked about all extra duties, and in they were asked to describe extracurricular assignments. 21

25 Table 7 illustrates that roughly half the beginning teachers supported by TxBESS in worked in districts where more than 61 percent of the students participated in the free and reduced-price lunch program. 24 As a comparison, only 30 percent of all teachers in the state worked in districts where more than 61 percent of the students participated in the free and reduced-price lunch program. Table 7. Percentages of TxBESS teachers and all teachers in Texas employed by districts grouped by the percentage of economically disadvantaged students, Districts grouped by the % of TxBESS teachers All teachers in Texas economically disadvantaged students Districts with 0 to 33.5 percent 9.2% 27.3% economically disadvantaged students Districts with 33.6 to 47.6 percent 14.9% 18.5% economically disadvantaged students Districts with 47.7 to 61.2 percent 25.6% 24.2% economically disadvantaged students Districts with over 61.2 percent 50.4% 30.0% economically disadvantaged students Source: analysis of PEIMS data *The quartile ranges in this table were determined by including an equal number of districts in each category (about 260 districts in each quartile), based on rank ordering of the data. 24 The percentage of students who receive free and reduced-price lunches is commonly used as a measure of poverty in public schools. 22

26 Although TxBESS supports a group of teachers that more often work in districts with a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students than is typical for the rest of the state, it is also true that more TxBESS teachers work in districts with slightly lower turnover rates 25 for all teachers than other Texas school districts. Given that districts with higher proportions of economically disadvantaged students tend to face higher teacher turnover rates, this outcome is somewhat unexpected and may indicate the positive effects of TxBESS support (see Table 8). Table 8. Percentage of TxBESS teachers and all teachers in Texas employed by districts grouped by teacher turnover rates, Districts grouped by teacher TxBESS teachers All teachers in Texas turnover rate Districts with 0 to 12.3 percent 27.0% 20.3% teacher turnover Districts with 12.4 to 16.8 percent 52.1% 44.5% teacher turnover Districts with 16.9 to 23.3 percent 15.7% 29.8% teacher turnover Districts with over 23.3 percent 5.2% 5.3% teacher turnover Source: analysis of PEIMS data *The quartile ranges in this table were determined by including an equal number of districts in each category (about 260 districts in each quartile), based on rank ordering of the data. In , TxBESS teachers worked in districts that matched other districts in the state in terms of size, as measured by each district s average daily attendance (ADA) of students (see Table 9). Table 9. Percentage of TxBESS teachers and all teachers in Texas employed in districts grouped by districts average daily attendance (ADA), Average daily attendance TxBESS teachers All teachers in Texas 2 to 247 ADA 1.3% 1.5% 248 to 716 ADA 2.9% 4.3% 717 to 2,094 ADA 10.3% 10.2% Over 2,094 ADA 85.4% 84.0% Source: analysis of PEIMS data *The quartile ranges in this table were determined by including an equal number of districts in each category (about 260 districts in each quartile), based on rank ordering of the data. district each year. 25 Turnover rates come from PEIMS data and describe the percentage of teachers who leave the 23