Teacher-preparation programs that supply a majority of teachers to New York City schools generally seem to be producing effective graduates who stay in their classrooms at higher rates than the national average, according to a report issued by the city school district.
The Teacher Preparation Program Reports look at 12 institutions, each of which supplied at least 150 teachers to city schools between 2008 and 2012. Among the findings, the reports show that more than half the teachers hired from these 12 institutions were in highest-need license fields, such as special education, math, science, or English as a second language. Programs differed in the percentage of graduates hired into high-needs schools, ranging from 16 percent for Queens College, City University of New York, up to 48 percent for Mercy College, both in the city. But overall retention of teachers after three years was high across the board.
District officials urged caution in looking at the effectiveness results, which are based on fairly small sample sizes. The report does not include information on teachers trained through alternative routes, such as Teach For America or the New York City Teaching Fellows program, though studies are planned.
