The issue...

For a variety of reasons, potentially excellent teachers choose not to enter the profession. A shortfall of up to two million by 2010 is now projected as student enrollments are expected to climb substantially and as policymakers press for smaller class sizes. Already, urban schools are suffering acute shortages due to retirements, high turnover rates and teachers’ reluctance to take or keep jobs in those settings.

The response…

The strategies…

The accomplishments…

• Through 2000, Pathways recruited and served nearly 2,600 participants – exceeding its goal by 18 percent – and the model has been institutionalized at 32 participating universities.
• Research published in 2001 by the Urban Institute (UI) found that 75 percent of Pathways participants complete teacher certification requirements, compared with 60 percent of traditionally educated students. Pathways teachers also rated higher in classroom performance than typical novice teachers, according to UI research.
• Eight-four percent of Pathways graduates worked in teaching jobs in targeted, high-need districts, and more than 81 percent remain in teaching for at least three years.
• In 1998, Congress and the U.S. Department of Education used Pathways as a model for teacher-recruitment legislation contained in the Higher Education Act that was reauathorized that year. Federal funds are now available for Pathways-type programs.
• Through a Wallace grant to the Education Commission of the States (ECS), eight states are considering legislation that would provide additional funding for Pathways-type programs. ECS expects to work with another 14 states interested in similar programs.

Recent publications…

• Ahead of the Class: A Handbook for Preparing New Teachers from New Sources, published by The Urban Institute in 2001, describes the Pathways model, includes a cost study, and offers lessons to help others duplicate its successes.
• Recruiting, Preparing and Retaining Teachers for America’s Schools, published in 1997, provided an interim report on Pathways early lessons.
• A final evaluation, Absence Unexcused: Ending Teacher Shortages in High Need Areas, published by the Urban Institute in January 2002, provided data on the successes of the Pathways model in preparing teachers from nontraditional pools for jobs in high-need districts.