2003 Natioal Associatio for Biligual Educatio Coferece New Orleas, Louisiaa Reyaldo R. Baca, Ph.D. Ceter for Multiligual, Multicultural Research
Itroductio ad Overview The Need to Recruit New Teachers i the U.S. High Need Areas The Teacher Diversity Challege Teacher Prep Programs for Paraeducators Califoria s s Diversity Challege Califoria s s Teacher Diversity Challege Reasos for Establishig Iductio Programs USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Program Empowermet Priciples for Latia(o) School & Career Success CMMR Priciples for Biligual Paraeducators Coclusios Future Challeges Additioal CMMR Iteret Resources
The Need To Recruit New Teachers I The U.S. 2,000,000 ew teachers eeded over ext decade: Risig Studet Erollmets: America America s s schools are servig more studets tha ever before - eve at the height of the baby boom. (1995: 50.7 millio; 2005: 55.9 millio) Agig of the Teacher Workforce: Average age of public school teachers is 43. Public school teachers with > 20 years experiece: 30% Need for Teachers of Color: 32.7% of public school studets are miority vs. 13.5% of their teachers. 85% of teachers i preparatio are white female.
High Need Areas Geographic (particular states, disadvataged urba, rural schools) -- Owig to school erollmet icreases, growig studet populatio diversity (racial/ethic ad liguistic), class size reductio. Subjects/fields: -- Special educatio, biligual educatio, mathematics, sciece. Teachers from uderrepreseted groups -- 42% of America s s schools have o miority teachers at all. -- Male teachers
Teacher Demad
The Teacher Diversity Challege Miority Percetage of Curret Teachers: White = 86.5% Miority = 13.5% Miority Percetage of Cadidates for Bachelor s s i Educatio: White = 80% Miority = 20% Miority Percetage of School-Age Childre: White = 68.5% Miority = 31.5%
TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS FOR PARAEDUCATORS Natioal Survey Fidigs Idicate Over 9,000 participats i respodig programs More tha 3/4 from groups uderrepreseted i teachig 200+ programs located i 30 states, DC, ad Caada Califoria, Texas, ad New York have the most programs. Close to 3/4 of respodig programs operate i urba areas, but ot exclusively.
TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS FOR PARAEDUCATORS Curret Participats - Number ad Characteristics: Over 11,000 paraeducators (coservative estimate) Highly experieced Mature Wome outumber me by early 5 to 1. 77% are from groups uderrepreseted i teachig
TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS FOR PARAEDUCATORS Icetives ad Accommodatios: Fiacial: - scholarships, forgivable loas, waivers - book allotmets - stipeds, salary replacemet - fee waivers, reductios Flexible class schedulig: - eveig - weekeds - summer term Support for meetig state requiremets, - e. g., test preparatio workshops Preferece, priority i hirig
Califoria s s Diversity Challege Demographic Story u Over 64% of Califoria. Studets come from miority backgrouds -- ow majority with LM studets accoutig for 25% (1.55 millio) of the state total. u 84% LM studet populatio Latio (1.3 millio) i state, followed by 2.4% Vietamese, 1.7% Hmog,, 1.6% Catoese, 1.3% Pilipio, 1.2% Korea, ad.9% Cambodia, u L.A. Couty (89%) Spaish speakig & 570,000 ELLs i 56 laguages). u 81% of the studet populatio i L.A. is racially/ethically other tha White, with 60% Hispaic, 11.2 Africa America, 7.8% Asia, 1.9% Filipio, ad 1/2% Pacific Islader.
Califoria s s Teacher Diversity Challege u u By cotrast the diversity of Califoria s s teachig force has ot kept pace with studet populatio -- 43% Hispaic (2.6 millio), 36% White (2.1 millio), 8% Africa America (1/2 millio), 8% Asia (less 1.2 millio), 25% Eglish Learers (1.5 millio) with 83% Spaish Speakers (1.3 millio) followed by 55 other laguages. 74% of Califoria s s teachers are White u 71% of cadidates preparig to teach statewide are Aglo u Majority of L.A. teacher are White (58%), Latio (22%), Asia (7%) u Chroic shortages of teachers for LM studets -- over 1500 i 2003 for biligual classes ad 29,500 total i 2003. u Miority teacher recruitmet has become high priority
Reasos for Establishig Iductio Programs Recet Attempts to icrease the umber of teachers prepared to meet the istructioal eeds of LM studets have prove usuccessful. Promisig strategy is to recruit potetial cadidates from the pool of LM paraeducators.. Have ideal attributes eeded: From the same ethic miority commuities Familiar with studet s s backgroud, beliefs ad values May are ative speakers of laguages other tha Eglish May have persoal isight ito experiece of learig Eglish
Reasos for Establishig Iductio Programs Large Numbers Available The total umber of biligual paraeducators (23,000) ivolved i primary laguage istructio exceeds the estimated 20,000 biligual teachers eeded i Califoria. Studies report that 50% of paraeducators have aspiratios to become teachers (Lavadez( Lavadez,, 1994) Additioal studies idicate that after workig as paraeducators for 5 years 75% plaed to become teachers (Gezuk, 1995).
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Strivig to Make Laguage ad Culture Part of the Solutio Primary Objective - To icrease the umber of Latias(os) ad laguage miorities i the teachig professio by creatig a career pathway for laguage miority paraeducators. Primary Strategy - Provide support ad assistace, fiacially, socially ad academically to promisig paraeducators to eable them to successfully complete a teacher educatio program ad become successful biligual teachers.
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Backgroud - Ceter for Multiligual, Multicultural Research at USC fouded Latio Teacher Project - Iitial fudig from Ford Foudatio to support the iitiatio ad operatio of a Cosortium to carry out the operatig goals of the Project - Subsequet fudig to support o-goig operatios provided by the USDOE Office of Eglish Laguage Acquisitio (OELA) - Parter orgaizatios have succeeded i streamliig the pathway to teachig for participatig paraeducators
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Program Descriptio Project has trasformed teacher educatio experiece ito seamless iductio process that actively ivolves uiversities, school districts, schools, ad labor orgaizatios Early Iductio - icludes the teacher educatio course work supplemeted by a supervised laboratory experiece that paraeducators ecouter at participatig project schools
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Program Descriptio (cot.) Itermediate iductio exteds the appreticeship model, allowig paraeducators to complete their studet teachig while receivig assistace from carefully selected master teachers, idividual metors, ad uiversity persoel. Advaced iductio provides the support ad assessmet that have bee lackig for ew teachers to both improve istructioal performace ad retai this populatio i a workforce very susceptible to burout.
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Program Descriptio (cot.) Post iductio ivolves a advaced itegratio ito the teachig professio through graduate study, professioal staff developmet support, ad leadership developmet. We have developed a advaced iductio program for first ad secod year biligual teachers, icludig LTP graduates i Los Ageles (LMBTSA).
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Cosortium Structure The Project is admiistered by the USC CMMR ad oversee by a widely represetative cosortium that shares i decisio makig ad provides substatial support for participats which icludes four core uiversities, six school districts, a couty office of educatio, ad two labor orgaizatios represetig both biligual paraeducators ad teachers. From the start, cosortium members have met as a committee of the whole to review plas ad progress. Much of the work to date has required cooperatio amog all cosortium parters.
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Foudig Cosortium Parters icluded: Uiversity of Souther Califoria Califoria State Uiversity, Los Ageles Califoria State Uiversity, Domiguez Hills Loyola Marymout Uiversity Los Ageles Uified School District Little Lake City School District Leox School District Los Ageles Couty Office of Educatio L. A. City ad Couty School Employees Uio Local 99 Uited Teachers Los Ageles
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Goverace of Cosortium - Shared Decisio Makig l Policy Determiatios l l Committee of the Whole meets regularly to gover project Project policy is determied by cosesus of Committee l Fiacial Judgemets l Made by Pricipal Ivestigator ad Director iformed by Policies set by Committee of the Whole l Idividual cotracts ad agreemets are egotiated with Cosortium members ad outside cotractors for services eeded
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Activities of Cosortium Members l School District, Labor Orgaizatios ad Project Staff Idetified ad elicited participatio from schools with high eed for Latio/Biligual teachers. Idetified Paraeducators who were iterested ad qualified i participatig i the Project. Idetified faculty metors ad helped to develop policies so that metors would be able to provide services to Project participats. Collaborated o fiacial, social ad academic coditios favorable to support participatig Paraeducators.
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Activities of Cosortium Members Uiversities Heads up effort to meet ad iterview Project participats. Developed a Program of Studies - acts as guide or survival maual. Coordiates o-goig meetigs with other IHE s who participate to assure this iformatio is pertiet to all participats. Desigs ad implemets uiversity advisemet compoets.
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Activities of Cosortium Members l Couty Office of Educatio Set up Project Semiars - DAP Assisted with School site presetatios to staff Assisted i IHE commuicatios
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Idetificatio ad Selectio of Project Schools Schools selected from various participatig School Districts, LAUSD, Baldwi Park Uified, Motebello Uified, Leox School District. Because selected schools play a pivotal role i the determiatio of project goals ad their implemetatio, their selectio is take seriously. Oce the schools have bee selected, the Project recruits para s from these sites.
Characteristics of Selected Schools A history of providig a supportive, urturig eviromet for paraeducators A critical mass of biligual paraeducators wishig to become teachers A prepoderace of experieced, credetialed biligual educatio teachers willig to work with the para s A sufficiet umber of biligual teachers willig to serve as faculty metors for the project para s Schedulig flexibility for para s s so they ca atted staff developmet activities, project-sposored semiars ad workshops, ad cofereces Schedulig flexibility for para s s who eed to prepare for college-related work, i.e. exams, lectures, assigmets
Project Participats Selected schools idetify, assess, ad omiate biligual paraeducators to joi the project. The project admits para s s i their sophomore, juior, seior, or postbaccalaureate years of teacher preparatio. To maitai eligibility i the Project ad meet state certificatio requiremets participats must: maitai a 2.75-3.0 GPA (depedig o IHE) show evidece of makig steady progress toward program completio
Factors i Selectio of Cadidates Recommedatios from pricipals ad others i schools where para s s employed Strog academic records Availability of suitable metor teachers at school sites Fluet self-reported biligual (read, write, speak, comprehed) Committed to becomig biligual teachers
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Compoets of Support Fiacial Assistace l l l Studets of low socioecoomic status, which icludes the majority of paraeducators,, deped greatly o fiacial aid to pursue degrees i higher educatio. Participats receive scholarship paid biaually providig they maitai ormal progress toward degree completio (2.75 GPA & 20 semester uits over a 12 moth period) Scholarship ca be used for o-academic expeses such as child care, trasportatio, etc. l Scholarships are academic bribes to promote iteractios with advisers, metors, project staff.
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Academic ad Social Factors Laguage miority paraeducators may also be at-risk eve if they meet grade poit average requiremets i high school ad i college. Para s s are typically the first geeratio i their families to atted college ad may are iadequately prepared i high school for college despite qualifyig grade poit averages that are iflated. Para s s ofte feel isecure i higher educatio settigs ad frequetly experiece a sese of isolatio, more so whe they atted predomiatly White uiversities. The demads of a full-time job ad part-time studies ted to create family tesios for may as well.
USC Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Project Academic ad Social Support To address these academic ad social cocers, the project has developed a creative etwork of support. O-site Faculty metors & Uiversity metor Project socials, icludig aual award lucheo. School site presetatios ad meetigs Professioal developmet support Support for coferece participatio O-site bi-mothly meetigs Cotiued attetio to balacig work, school, ad family obligatios. Sequecig of college course work to meet miimum Eglish ad math proficiecies RATHER tha workshop preparatio for required basic skills test such as the CBEST.
Program Empowermet Priciples for Laguage Miority Studet School & Career Success Istitutioal Support - LM studets must access istitutioal support embedded i social etworks that provide attachmets to idividuals as istitutioal agets.. These agets have the capacity ad commitmet to provide or egotiate istitutioal resources, support ad opportuities. To gai access to the istitutioal fuds of kowledge, LM studets must be provided access to these social etworks. Social Capital - LM studets must access the social relatios ad etworks from which they ca derive istitutioal support. LM studets must be ecouraged to rely o the social capital they have as a group to collaborate ad cooperate to succeed i college ad ecourage the success of future geeratios. Social Scaffoldig - LM studets must be placed i a zoe of proximal developmet where they ca lear from a more capable peer while egaged i a academic task ad where they ca lear from a more experieced metor with respect to their career developmet. Metorig is a essetial feature of social scaffoldig.
Program Empowermet Priciples for Latia(o) School & Career Success Additive Carig - I order for LM studets to ejoy the same advatages as more privileged peers, we must build upo these studets commuity fuds of kowledge i a additive fashio that promotes biligualism, biculturalism, ad biatioalism while also providig them with the resources to cross cultural ad social borders. Pro-active Frot loadig - I order for LM studets to avigate the higher educatio system, programmatic itervetios caot wait for studets to reach a trasitio period, but must egage them well before they eter the ext system of educatio. Examples iclude a fast-start program, a pre-articulatio program, a pre-college academic socializatio boot camp, high school/commuity college co-erollmet, ad commuity college four year college co-erollmet. Aticipatory Professioal ad Itegrative Socializatio - May LM studets are ot familiar with the U.S. occupatioal structure, the features of a credetialig society, ad how these are tied together. May LM studets are aki to vocatioal educatio studets but i a traditioal uiversity academic settig. Programs must build upo this vocatioal orietatio ad academically ad culturally erich it.
Program Empowermet Priciples for Latia(o) School & Career Success Affirmatio of Family ad Commuity - Family is of foremost importace to most LM studets. For may LM studet completig college requires balacig family, work, ad uiversity obligatios. Successful itervetios atted to this balace through child care, poolig of resources, flexible appretice work hours, ad flexible schedulig of classes. Public Celebratio ad Acclaim for Accomplishmets - Nothig reaffirms the collective cosciece ad spirit tha does public acclaim for accomplishmets, icludig award baquets, ewsletters, certificates of awards, special graduatio ceremoies, ad other activities that articulate culturally resposive orms of LM studets-geerated success.
Program Empowermet Priciples for Latia(o) School & Career Success Affirmatio of Differeces withi the LM Commuity - Itervetios must be sesitive to cultural ad atioality differeces, but they must also atted the icorporatio of LM studets to the U.S. Those who come as political refugees will feel a duty to brig remaiig family to the U.S.; those whose families migrated with the itetio of returig but who settled must deal with articulatig their ow acculturatio; ad those who immigrated without the itetio of returig are motivated to overcome all obstacles. Native-bor LM studets succeed to the extet that they perceive schoolig will pay off. Studet Commuity Self-Empowermet - LM studets studets must be placed i settigs that lead to self-empowermet. We caot wait for schools ad uiversities to chage; istead, studets ad commuity must lear to access istitutioal fuds of kowledge. They must cotrol their ow destiies with the mediated assistace of istitutioal agets who ca provide istitutioal fuds of kowledge ad opportuities.
CMMR Priciples for Biligual Paraeducators Structured withi the cotext of the Califoria Stadards for the Teachig Professio As part of a teacher-paraeducator istructioal team, egage ad support all studets i learig. As part of a teacher-paraeductor istructioal team, create ad maitai a effective ad culturally resposive eviromet for studet learig. As part of a teacher-paraeducator istructioal team, orgaize subject matter i a comprehesible ad meaigful maer for studet learig.
CMMR Priciples for Biligual Paraeducators Structured withi the cotext of the Califoria Stadards for the Teachig Professio As part of a teacher-paraeducator istructioal team, pla istructio ad desig culturally ad liguistically resposive learig for all studets. As part of a teacher-paraeducator istructioal team, assess studet learig i a culturally ad liguistically resposive maer. As part of a teacher-paraeducator istructioal team, reflect o teachig practices ad uiversity preparatio to develop as a culturally ad liguistically resposive professioal educator.
Coclusios To effectively recruit paraeducators ito teacher educatio ad to retai them through graduatio ad certificatio, programs must be specifically desiged for them. By chagig the way colleges ad uiversities operate we ca provide the sorely eeded laguage miority teachers for uderstaffed schools. With the ivolvemet of other sigificat stakeholders that will beefit from the upward mobility ad professioal preparatio of this potetial workforce, we are ot oly providig miority teachers but also creatig a visio of possibilities for revisig teacher educatio for all cadidates. I this evolvig model, teacher educatio is a exteded iductio process i which schools ad other participatig agecies are active parters i selectig ad preparig future teachers for studets.
Future Challeges Potetial elimiatio of the commuity college etry pipelie give the vast majority of Latio(a) studets begi their post-secodary careers through the commuity college. Potetial elimiatio of the iter credetial optio to begi paid full-time teachig. Possible requiremet that all studets regardless of major pass the CSET -- addig this comprehesive test to the CBEST (basic skills test), RICA (readig istructio test), ad other tests. Icrease eed to fiace the studet teachig phase whe paraeducators must resig their paid work to studet teach, especially with the removal of the emergecy permit as a optio ad potetially the elimiatio of the iter credetial optio.
USC Ceter for Multiligual, Multicultural Research For additioal iformatio visit our websites at: Ceter for Multiligual, Multicultural Research http://www.cmmr cmmr.org Latio ad Laguage Miority Teacher Projects http://www-rcf rcf.usc.edu/~.edu/~cmmr/ltp.html Natioal Clearighouse o Paraeducator Resources http://www.usc usc.edu/dept/educatio/cmmr/clearighouse.html Laguage Miority Begiig Teacher Support & Assessmet http://www.usc usc.edu/dept/educatio/cmmr/cmmr_btsa_home.html