THE TEACHER TIPPING POINT: THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS IN TEXAS
JUNE 2022
We know that educator preparation matters when it comes to teacher retention and effectiveness, and more importantly, when it comes to student outcomes.
In Texas, the PreK-12 system loses about 10% of its teachers in any given year1. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, teacher attrition rates have been much greater. Historically, one response to the teacher shortage in Texas has been the development of different pathways into the profession, and more teachers are certified through alternative pathways than any other state. To understand how different educator preparation pathways connect to student and teacher outcomes, The College of Education at UT Austin, in partnership with Educate Texas and other Texas education leaders, commissioned an educator preparation study. Below is an overview of the top-level findings.
1 Texas Education Agency. (2021, May). Public education information management system (PEIMS), Employed Teacher Attrition and eN w Hires 2006-08 through 2020-21 report. Retrieved from https:t/ / ea.texas.gov/sites/default/ffles/employed-teacher-attrition-and-new-hires-tgs210519.pdf
Student learning differed based on teacher certification programs.
Months of learning: Months of learning is a measure of how much students learned during a given school year based on their scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam. Students whose scores go up by more than expected are said to gain additional months of learning.
Learning gaps cumulate over time.
Students from low-income households are more likely to get assigned alternatively certified teachers, and by 9th grade are a year behind their wealthier peers.
Additional months of learning in 9th grade English language arts when student had teachers from a university certification program compared to alternatively certification program.
Additional months of learning in 9th grade Math when student had teachers from not-forprofit program compared to for-profit program.
Not-for-profit EPPs - universities, colleges, school districts, schools, and educational service centers.
University-certified teachers - those who were prepared in a Texas university educator preparation program and went through student-teaching, including post-baccalaureate degree-holders.
For-profit EPPs - all companies that were excluded from the not-for-profit definition above.
Alternative certified teachers - those who were not prepared in a Texas university educator preparation program.