Pathways to Teaching Careers

Past Investment: 1989-2001

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…

From 1989 to 1999, The Wallace Foundation invested $50 million to create Pathways to Teaching Careers. The program's goal was to respond to shortages in high need areas by providing new ways to certify and recruit teachers from nontraditional pools such as paraprofessionals, uncertified teachers, and returned Peace Corps volunteers. A 6 ½-year evaluation of the program that concluded in 2001 produced several publications offering evidence of its effectiveness and lessons on how to duplicate the model.

The strategies…

Pathways worked with 40 colleges and universities in 23 states to build effective strategies for recruiting, preparing and certifying teachers from nontraditional candidate pools. Grants supplied scholarships and support services to enable potential teachers to complete bachelor's or master's degrees, teaching certificates and other requirements leading to full-time teaching jobs. Partnerships between the universities and local school districts ensured that the new teachers were being prepared for assignments the schools really needed. In turn, the districts agreed to help place the graduates in high-need schools.

The accomplishments…

Pathways has become a nationally recognized model for creating effective alternative routes into the teaching profession:

  • 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…