Repairing%20the%20Illinois%20High%20School%20Physics%20Teacher

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Repairing the Illinois High School Physics Teacher
Carl J. Wenning, PTE Coordinator, Illinois State
University
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Complete repair of any problem requires the
following

• recognition that a problem exists.
• correct identification of the problem source.
• appropriate action aimed at repairing the
  problem.
• must get at root cause for long-term solution.

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Teachers A Growing Demand

• The US Department of Education predicts that the
  nation will need more than one million new
  teachers by 2010
• Nearly half of the current teaching force of 2.6
  million will leave teaching to retire or change
  careers in the next decade (NCES, 1998)
• More than 1/4 of all current teachers are over
  age 50 and approaching retirement.

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On a National Basis

• The attrition rate of new teachers is
  approximately 10 to 50 over the first three to
  five years of teaching depending on type of
  preparation. (Darling-Hammond, 1998 Fuller,
  SBEC, 2002)
• Currently there is not a general nation-wide
  shortage of teachers in the U.S.

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Nonetheless

• We face shortages of people willing to work at
  the salaries and under the working conditions
  offered in specific locations - in rural and
  urban areas.
• (Darling-Hammond, 2001)

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Teacher Shortage Areas

• Teacher shortages do exist in a few subject areas
  -- special education, mathematics, physics,
  chemistry, and Spanish in order of national
  demand (AAEE, 2003).
• There is an adequate number of prepared and
  certified teachers to meet most of of the needs
  in other areas.

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AIP Statistics Research Center
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Enrollments in HS Physics
1948 - 2001
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Girls as a Percentage of TotalEnrollment in HS
Physics

• Increases in HS enrollments are occurring
  primarily in conceptual courses.
• In college courses, 20 of enrollments in
  engineering -type courses is female.
• In college courses, 60 of enrollment in
  algebra-based physics courses is female.

Female Enrollments in HS Physics
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Percentage of Students Taking HS Physics by Group
AIP Statistical Research Center
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Physics Teaching Nationally

• Only 61 of public high school physics teachers
  are endorsed to teach physics
• Only 27 of private/parochial high school physics
  teachers are endorse to teach physics.
• Only about 1/3 of all physics teachers majored in
  physics or physics education (Neuschatz
  McFarling, 2001)
• More than 50 of all high school physics teachers
  are teaching out-of-field -without a major or
  minor in physics (AIP, 1999)

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Science Excellence on a National and State Basis

• 82 of our nations 12th graders performed below
  the proficient level on the NAEP 2000 science
  test and this number has increased from 79 since
  1995
• The longer students stay in the current system,
  the worse they do.
• 4th graders 2nd place 12th graders 16th place
• PSAE results?

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PSAE Science Achievement

• According to Illinois PSAE 2002-2003 (ISBE,
  2003)
• Only 51.3 of 11th graders met or exceeded the
  science performance standard
• 38.0 of 11th graders fell below performance the
  science standard
• 10.7 of 11th graders substantially below and
  received academic warning - unable to use
  science knowledge effectively.

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Student Performance

• While there is no direct link between teaching
  performance and student success per se, careful
  teacher preparation and subsequent high quality
  teaching are very important to overall student
  success.

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IL Certified Physics Teachers

• Growing demand - HS enrollments expected to grow
  through 2007 elementary demand remains level.
• 64 of Illinois public high school physics
  teachers are endorsed to teach physics, but this
  is better than the national average.
• 99 teach physics half time or more.
• (ISBE, 2004)

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Illinois Physics Teacher Supply (IBHE, 2004)

• 123 districts report severe under supply
• 67 districts report under supply
• 33 districts report adequate supply
• 4 districts report over supply
• 4 districts report sever over supply
• 400 districts did not report on supply

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Physics Teacher Demand Applying Average
Statistics

• 440 public high school physics teachers
• 93 return to teaching each year (409)
• 7 leave teaching (31)
• Open positions 31 each year
• 23 accredited PTE programs graduate only 8 - 12
  new physics teachers annually
• Actual situation is worse than this .

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Projected Need - Physics Job Openings in IL
(ISBE, 2004)
School Year 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
Job Openings 46 48 52 56

• Supply in relation to demand suggests that 2/3 to
  3/4 of all physics openings are filled by
  teachers with majors other than physics!

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PTE Production Statistics

• 1994 - 1995
• 22 accredited PTE programs
• 8 programs reporting
• 3 institutions produced 50 grads
• 0.69 graduates per program average
• 50 had no students in the PTE major

• 2004 - 2005
• 23 accredited PTE programs?

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General Nature of Leakage
THEM
US
Data AIP Statistical Research Center
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Sources of Teachers

• Recruitment
• Native students
• Change-of-major students
• Transfer students
• 2nd degree students
• Alternative certification programs
• Retention in the major
• Retention in the profession

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Sources of PTE Majors -- the ISU Experience

• Currently 33 PTE majors
• Based on data from 1998-2004
• 23 native students (from high schools)
• 46 transfer students (community colleges)
• 31 second-degree students (universities)
• High schools, community colleges, and
  universities all play an important role.

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Failure to Retain a PTE Major Generally Speaking

• Inability or unwillingness of students
  (SuccessAbilityMotivationEffort - SAME)
• Disillusionment of student with post-secondary
  physics teaching
• Inadequacy of physics teaching program
• Appeal of other majors
• Predatory practices by other sequences within a
  department

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Other Routes to Teacher Prep

• Alternative Certification
• National Programs
• Teach for America
• Peace Corps
• Troops to Teachers
• Teacher Opportunity Corps
• Problem 90 in these latter program grads will
  have left teaching by the end of the 3rd year.
• CF 30 of traditionally-prepared (4-yr) teachers
  
• CF 10 of 4-year courses w/ 1-year STT

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Retention in the Profession

• Retention will not be solved by addressing only
  pay and benefits issues.
• Teacher pay and benefits ranked third behind
  student attitudes and behavior, and treatment by
  school administrators.
• (Pisciotta, 2001)

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Additional Findings

• 73 of the teachers who left the profession did
  not participate in an induction or mentoring
  program. (Piscotta, 2001)
• Theyre not adequately prepared, and theyre put
  into a situation completely unsupported.
  (Archer, 1999)

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Sources of Retention Problems with NYC Teachers
Teachers Novice Master
Salary Low High
Preps 4-5 diverse 1-2 similar
Students Lower socioeconomic status and minority students Higher socioeconomic status and college-bound students
Respect Lower Higher
Support Minimal to none Strong network
(Darling-Hammond, 2001)
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Illinois Teacher Retention

• Largest supply of certificated IL teachers is the
  previous years work force - 93 returned in 2003
• The 2nd largest supply of IL teachers is the
  first-time teacher
• The 3rd largest supply of IL teachers is the
  re-entering professional.
• The 4th largest supply of IL teachers is the
  States alternative certification program.

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Teachers for Downstate Schools the ISU
Experience

• Teachers tend to return to their home communities
  to teach.
• There are very few downstate teacher candidates
  at ISU.
• Salaries downstate are lower (mean salary
  statewide is 51,500)
• Downstate 23,000 to start
• Metropolitan Chicago 40,000 to start
• Huge downstate need for physics teachers

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ISBE Responds to NCLB High Quality Legislation

• After 2006 or 2007
• New physics, chemistry, biology teachers become
  science teachers only
• Endorsements to be replaced by designations
• Any designation may teach ANY course not
  requiring an introductory course.
• Only designations may teach AP or second year
  courses within their discipline.

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CPR for the Illinois HS Physics Teacher Pipeline

• Which comes first - repair or retention?
• Consider CPR - respiration or circulation first?
• Respiration without a circulation is worthless.

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Physics Pipeline CPR Goal 1 Repairing the
Pipeline

• Retention Questions
• Induction/mentoring programs?
• Networking?
• New teacher packets?
• Improving PTE programs?
• Concentrating PTE majors?
• ISAAPT Policy Statements?
• Work group recommendations?

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Physics Pipeline CPR Goal 2 Turning Up the
Flow

• Recruitment Questions
• Recruitment guidelines for HS teachers?
• Indentured servitude plan for districts?
• CC transfer agreements?
• Grant-funded opportunities?
• Loan forgiveness?
• ISAAPT policy statements?
• Work group recommendations?