Meet Me in the Middle: Assessing the Impact of Middle-Grade Licensure

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Middle Level Research on Teacher Preparation (Table 3)

Abstract

The call for specialized middle school preparation programs has been growing for over twenty years. However, very little research has been done to understand the impact of middle school certifications on teachers’ professional experiences, especially in relation to other certification levels (elementary or secondary). This study investigates the relationships between middle grade teacher certification and middle school teacher experiences utilizing data from the most recent NTPS survey. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses show that preparation experiences across certification levels are vastly different across preparation levels, and that certification may have an impact on satisfaction levels of teachers. Implications for preparation programs are discussed, and a call for more data on middle grade teachers is put forth.

Author

• Rebecca Rock, American Educational Research Association