The Making of a Teacher
A Report on Teacher Preparation in the U.S.

by C. Emily Feistritzer

Copyright © 2003 by the Center for Education Information.
All rights reserved.

The Center for Education Information is a 501( c ) (3) corporation in the District of Columbia.
Limited copies of this report are available from:

CENTER FOR EDUCATION INFORMATION
4401A Connecticut Ave., N.W.
PMB 212
Washington, D.C. 20008

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. SUPPLY OF NEW TEACHERS

  • Entering teacher preparation later

II. INSTITUTIONS PREPARING TEACHERS

  • Institutions by enrollment size
  • State approval and accreditation of Teacher Preparation Programs
  • Cap on number of students admitted into teacher preparation

III. TYPES OF TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS

  • Credit hours required in Teacher Preparation Programs

IV. ADMISSION INTO TEACHER PREPARATION

  • Level of entry
  • Tests required for admission
  • Other criteria for admission into teacher preparation

V. THE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM

  • Credit hours required in Teacher Preparation Programs
  • Fieldbased experiences
  • Length of student teaching/practicum experiences
  • Variety of student teaching experiences
  • Professional Development Schools

VI. PROFILE OF STUDENTS PREPARING TO BE TEACHERS

  • Age
  • Race
  • Gender

VII. COMPLETION OF TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS

  • Tests required for completion of Teacher Preparation Programs
  • Other requirements for completion of Teacher Preparation Programs

METHODOLOGY

APPENDIX A. NCES Tables

Table 29

Table 30

APPENDIX B. List of Institutions of Higher Education That Have Teacher

Preparation Programs in Each State

[NOTE: Some tables are very large. If you encounter web display problems but require use of the table, you may contact NCEI for a fax copy.]

 

TABLES

Table 1 Number of Graduates of Teacher Preparation Programs, by Control and Size of IHE

Table 2 Number of Graduates of Teacher Preparation Programs and Number of Institutions of Higher Education Preparing Teachers, by Control and Size of IHE

Table 3 Year of Their Studies that Students Preparing to Teach at the Elementary, Middle and Secondary School Levels are First Able to be Formally Admitted into an Initial Teacher Preparation Program

Table 4 Question: What Percent of Graduates From Your Initial Teacher Preparation Program Have Degrees in a Field Other Than Education?

Table 5 Profile of Students Enrolled in Initial Teacher Preparation Programs by the Following Characteristics

Table 6 Numbers of IHEs Preparing Teachers in 1999, Numbers of Education Bachelors and Masters Degrees Awarded in 199596 and 199495, Numbers of FirstTime Teachers and Total Numbers of Teachers in 199394, by State

Table 7 Number of Graduates of Teacher Preparation Programs and Number of Institutions of Higher Education Preparing Teachers, by Control and Size of IHE

Table 8 Distribution of Institutions of Higher Education that have Teacher Preparation Programs, by Control and Enrollment Categories

Table 9 Institutions of Higher Education by Type of Teacher Preparation Programs by Control of IHE and Enrollment Size

Table 10 Institutions of Higher Education that have Teacher Preparation Programs by Enrollment Size and Control of IHE

Table 11 Percent Distribution of Students Who Completed Initial Teacher Preparation Programs in 19971998

Table 12 Approval and Accreditation of Teacher Preparation Programs

Table 13 Question: Does your IHE have a cap on the number of teacher education students you can accept, i.e., are there any restrictions on the number of students you can accept into your initial teacher preparation program, such as budgetary constraints?

Table 14 Types of Teacher Preparation Programs

Table 15 How many college credit hours in the following fields are required to complete your initial teacher preparation program?

Table 16 Question: Is passing any of the following tests required for admission into your initial teacher preparation program?

Table 17 Question: Are the other criteria below used as requirements for admission into your initial teacher preparation program?

Table 18 Average Semester Hours Required in Teacher Preparation Programs

Table 19 Question: How many weeks is the student teaching/practicum experience? 38

Table 20 Question: Which of the following statements best characterize the fieldbased experiences available to students in your initial Teacher Preparation Program?

Table 21 Question: What percent of your initial teacher preparation program students are enrolled in a Professional Development School?

Table 22 Average Number of Students Who Applied, Were Accepted, Entered, and are Enrolled in Teacher Preparation Programs

Table 23 Profile of Students Enrolled in Initial Teacher Preparation Programs, by the Following Characteristics

Table 24 Average Age of Students Enrolled in Initial Teacher Preparation Programs

Table 25 Percent of Teacher Preparation Students Represented by Racial/Ethnic Groups

Table 26 Percent of Students in Teacher Preparation Programs by Gender

Table 27 Question: Is passing any of the following tests required for completion of your initial Teacher Preparation Program leading to certification to teach?

Table 28 Question: Were the other criteria listed below used as requirements for completion of your initial Teacher Preparation Program?

APPENDIX

Table 29 Number of Institutions Granting Bachelors or Higher Degrees in Education, by Control and Enrollment Size of IHE: 199596

Table 30 Number of Bachelors, Masters and Doctorates Awarded, by Control and Size of IHE: 1995-96

FIGURES

Figure 1 Percentage Distribution of Teacher Preparation Program Graduates, by Level of Teacher Preparation Program, and by Control and Enrollment Size of Institution of Higher Education

Figure 2 Institutions Preparing Teachers, by Control of IHE

Figure 3 Percentage of Teacher Preparation Program Graduates and Percentage of IHEs Preparing Teachers

Figure 4 Institutions Preparing Teachers, by Enrollment Size of IHE

Figure 5 Number of Teacher Preparation Program Graduates, by Size of IHE

Figure 6 Percentage of Teacher Preparation Program Graduates, by Enrollment Size of IHE

Dr. Feistritzer is president of the National Center for Education Information
in Washington, D.C.