Breaking Through Barriers: Admitting, Supporting, and Graduating Teacher Candidates Who Reflect America's Diversity

• In Event: Teacher Experiences of Race and Diversity in Teacher Education

Abstract

In this exploratory study, we surveyed nearly 100 educator preparation program (EPP) representatives from across the country and interviewed a sample of them to examine how they are working toward diversifying the teaching workforce through efforts in admitting, supporting, and graduating teacher candidates from diverse backgrounds. The goal of our research is to identify strategies, programs, and approaches used by EPPs that are successful in preparing underrepresented teaching candidates. By conducting in-depth phone interviews with representatives from public and private colleges, tribal colleges, HSIs, and HBCUs who identified as having either successful, unsuccessful, or mixed results with these efforts, we identify and explore emergent trends for further study that may hold promise as best practices for increasing teacher candidate diversity.

Authors

• Amanda Savarese Roth, ETS

• Laura D. Goe, ETS