Luke C. Miller University of

Virginia

15 May 2013

Third Meeting of the Committee

on Strengthening Science

Education Through a

Teacher Learning Continuum

BASICS OF THE SCIENCE TEACHER

LABOR MARKET IN NEW YORK STATE

Preparation RQ1: How many science teachers are produced through New York

approved traditional and alternative education programs?

Certification RQ2: How many individuals apply for Initial Certificates in science and

how many individuals are issued them?

Placement RQ3: How many first-year teachers accept science teaching positions?

RQ4: What are the characteristics of schools do first-year teachers accept science teaching positions?

Length of Service RQ5: What is the transfer and attrition behavior of first-year science

teachers during the first five years of their careers?

DESCRIBING THE SCIENCE TEACHER LABOR MARKET, 2000-2010

1998: Board of Regents enacted new teaching policy Teaching to Higher Standards: New York’s Commitment

2000: first alternative preparation programs approved

2000 & 2001: all preparation programs reviewed and reregistered

2003, September: temporary/emergency licenses no longer issued

2004, February: Provisional Certificate Initial Certificate and Permanent Certificate Professional Certificate

2009: Only 2 pathways—traditional and alternative preparation programs

TIMELINE OF REFORM IN NEW YORK

Preparation Traditional programs 114 approved teacher preparation programs 48 (42%) located in NYC or surrounding counties

Alternative programs Transitional B – individuals with a bachelor’s degree 15 of 20 (75%) programs offer science preparation; 10 of 15 (67%) science programs located in NYC or surrounding counties Eligible to teach after 200 hours introductory component (incl. >=40 field hours) and pass two

certification tests

Transitional C – individuals with post-baccalaureate degree All 4 programs offer science preparation; 3 of 4 located in NYC or surrounding counties Intensive program: eligible to teach after ~4 hrs training in identification/reporting child

abuse and school violence prevention and intervention and pass two certification tests

NEW YORK CONTEXT

Certification Type Initial Valid for 5 years Replaced the Provisional Certificate effective 2 February 2004

Transitional B/Transitional C (Alternative) Valid for 3 years Trans B first issued for 2000-01 school year; Trans C first issued for the 2003-04 school year

Grade Level Adolescent: grades 7-12 Middle Childhood: grades 5-9

Subject Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, General Science

NEW YORK CONTEXT

Pathways to certification Instate approved preparation program Traditional Programs Alternative Programs

Interstate reciprocity agreements First-year teachers must have completed an approved preparation

program in the other state that is comparable to a New York teacher preparation program

Individual evaluation Transcript review Pathway scheduled to be closed on May 1, 2014 at which time all

teachers must complete an approved teacher preparation program

NEW YORK CONTEXT

Science Curriculum (state course catalog) Childhood (grades 1-6)

Elementary

Middle Childhood (grades 5-9)

Life Science Physical Science Earth Science Other (integrated science)

Adolescent (grades 7-12)

Biology (incl. anatomy & physio, botany, marine biology, enviro science)

Chemistry (incl. forensics)

Physics Earth Science (incl. astronomy, geology, oceanography)

Other

Other science

NEW YORK CONTEXT

New York State Education Department HEA Title II Program Completer files, 2000-2010 RQ1 (preparation)

TEACH certificate data, through February 2012 RQ1 – RQ5 (preparation, certification, placement, & length of service)

Personnel Master File, 2000-2010 RQ3 – RQ5 (placement and length of service)

Institutional Master Files, 2000-2009 Augmented with NCES’s Common Core of Data, 2000-2010 RQ4 (placement)

School Report Cards, 2000-2010 RQ4 (placement)

Samples: 1) preparation, 2) certification, 3) placement, and 4) length of service

DATA AND SAMPLES

9,813 science teachers prepared 2000-2010 7,972 (81%) completed traditional preparation programs 95% completed an adolescent program 7% completed a middle childhood program

1,841 (19%) began alternative preparation programs 90% began an adolescent program 11% began a middle childhood program

PREPARATION

NUMBER OF SCIENCE TEACHERS PREPARED BY LEVEL AND PERCENT FROM ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY BY YEAR, 2000 TO 2010

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

Percent from

Alternative Pathw

ay

0

300

600

900

1200

Num

ber o

f Ind

ivid

uals

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

School Year (Spring)

Number Middle Childhood Number Adolescent

% Alternative of Middle Childhood % Alternative of Adolescent

PERCENT OF SCIENCE TEACHERS BY SUBJECT WITHIN LEVEL AND PATHWAY, 2000 TO 2010

0.66

0.56

0.670.63

0.170.14 0.14

0.17

0.08

0.28

0.150.12

0.03 0.020.07 0.08

0.06

0.00

0.16

0.04

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

Per

cent

with

in L

evel

and

Pat

hway

Biology Chemistry Earth Science Physics General Science

Traditional - Middle Childhood Alternative - Middle Childhood

Traditional - Adolescent Alternative - Adolescent

17,014 requests (from 13,507 individuals) for initial or alternative certification in a science subject, 2000-2010

7,804 (46%) through traditional preparation program pathway 93% for adolescent; 7% for middle childhood 96% requests and 98% individuals approved

1,711 (10%) through alternative preparation program pathway 88% for adolescent; 12% for middle childhood 90% requests and 91% individuals approved

1,952 (11%) through interstate reciprocity pathway 94% for adolescent; 6% for middle childhood 67% requests and 78% individuals approved

5,547 (33%) through individual evaluation pathway 93% for adolescent; 7% for middle childhood 49% requests and 46% individuals approved

CERTIFICATION

NUMBER OF CERTIFICATE REQUESTS AND PERCENT OF REQUESTS BY PREPARATION PATHWAY, 2000 TO 2010

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

Percent of R

equests

1000

1500

2000

2500

Num

ber o

f Req

uest

s

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

School Year (Spring)

Number of Requests

% Traditional % Alternative % Interstate Reciprocity % Individual Eval.

PERCENT OF REQUESTS APPROVED BY SUBJECT AND PREPARATION PATHWAY, 2000 TO 2010

0.97

0.90

0.67

0.51

0.930.87

0.60

0.45

0.95

0.88

0.62

0.34

0.970.93

0.57

0.49

0.960.91

0.73 0.74

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

Per

cent

Req

uest

s Ap

prov

ed

Biology Chemistry Physics Earth Science General Science

Traditional Alternative Interstate Reciprocity Individual Evaluation

9,188 observed first-year science teachers, 2000 to 2010

Underestimate because no data from NYC in 2003 (guess: ~470)

3,360 (37%) from traditional preparation pathway

1,374 (15%) from alternative preparation pathway

442 ( 5%) from interstate reciprocity pathway

1,882 (20%) from individual evaluation pathway

2,130 (23%) from unknown science pathway 15% never observed in certificate data 47% are hold an Childhood Level certificate (grades 1-6) 12% have a temporary or emergency science certification 26% hold some other certificate

PLACEMENT

NUMBER OF FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS AND PERCENT BY PREPARATION PATHWAY, 2000 TO 2010

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

Percent of Teachers

400

600

800

1000

1200

Num

ber o

f Tea

cher

s

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

School Year (Spring)

Number of Teachers

% Traditional % Alternative % Interstate Reciprocity

% Individual Eval. % No Science Pathway

PERCENT OF BEGINNING TEACHERS BY SUBJECT GROUP AND PREPARATION PATHWAY, 2000 TO 2010

0.500.47

0.52

0.49

0.29

0.36

0.27 0.28

0.35

0.21

0.250.23 0.22

0.27

0.15

0.28

0.31

0.28 0.29

0.49

0

.1

.2

.3

.4

.5

.6

Per

cent

Beg

inni

ng T

each

ers

Life Science Physical Science Earth Science Other Science

Traditional Alternative Interstate Reciprocity

Individual Evaluation No Science Pathway

AVERAGE SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS OF BEGINNING TEACHERS’ INITIAL PLACEMENT, 2000 TO 2010

0.31

0.64

0.43

0.35

0.57

0.34

0.86

0.66

0.47

0.72

0.89

0.70

0.76

0.850.83

0.93

0.840.88 0.89

0.93 0.95

0.830.87

0.920.87

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

Mea

ns

Free/Reduced Lunch Minority Met ELA AYP Met Math AYP Met Grad Rate AYP

Note: 3% of beginning teachers are initially placed in district or BOCES central offices and are excluded here.

Traditional Alternative Interstate Reciprocity

Individual Evaluation No Science Pathway

Beginning teachers 2004 to 2009 only (N=5,317)

No NYC data for 2003 Need to be able to observe teachers the following year

Two types of retention Remaining in initial science assignment (school-level retention) 51% have left after 2 years

Remaining in any science assignment (subject-level retention) 52% have left after 5 years

LENGTH OF SERVICE

PERCENT OF TEACHERS REMAINING IN INITIAL SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT AFTER EACH OF FIRST 5 YEARS, 2004 TO 2010

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

Per

cent

Ret

aine

d in

Initi

al S

cien

ce A

ssig

nmen

t

0 1 2 3 4 5

Years of Teaching Experience

All Teachers Traditional Alternative

Interstate Reciprocity Individual Evaluation No Science Pathway

PERCENT OF TEACHERS REMAINING IN ANY SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT AFTER EACH OF FIRST 5 YEARS, 2004 TO 2010

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

Per

cent

Ret

aine

d in

Any

Sci

ence

Ass

ignm

ent

0 1 2 3 4 5

Years of Teaching Experience

All Teachers Traditional Alternative

Interstate Reciprocity Individual Evaluation No Science Pathway

Preparation Alternative programs grown to produce ~25% of science teachers 65% biology programs; 15% each chemistry and earth science programs;

7% physics

Certification ~1,600 requests annually in recent years Differences in approval rates: 98% for traditional to 46% for Indiv Eval

Placement Shift toward traditional (34 to 44%) and alternative (0 to 31%) pathways Tradition and alternative prepared teachers placed in different schools –

more similar when compared within community type

Length of Service Differences by pathway in share w/ 5 years consecutive science teaching 68% traditional; 41% alternative; 46% interstate reciprocity 57% individual evaluation; 10% no science pathway

SUMMARY