The Preparation and Education of First-Year Teachers: A Case Study

• In Event: 56.080 - Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: 56.080-14 - Understanding How Novice Teachers Grow Professionally in the Early Years

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to provide a policy analysis of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) standard that requires teacher preparation programs to follow their recent graduates during their first years of teaching to demonstrate their positive impact on student growth, satisfaction with their preparation, and effective teaching practices. This qualitative study used interviews and observations at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to discover five first-year teachers’ perceptions of their preparation, needs, level of confidence in all areas of teaching, and the ways in which they could have been better or more prepared for the classroom. Their annual teacher evaluations provided insight to their impact on student growth.

Author

• Jennifer Alayne Tygret, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs