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California has a two-tiered credential structure for education administrators. The first tier is the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. An individual who has completed all requirements for a preliminary credential but does not have an offer of employment in an administrative position may apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, which does not expire. Once an individual secures an administrative position, the holder of a Certificate of Eligibility may apply for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. The second tier is the Clear Administrative Services Credential. To receive the Clear Administrative Services Credential, individuals must successfully complete a 2-year induction program. The state's 2-year induction model focuses on job-embedded, individualized support that includes: (1) coaching with a trained coach for at least 40 hours per year, (2) personalized professional development for at least 20 hours per year, and (3) multiple assessments that capture competency toward the practices outlined in the state's professional standards for administrators. These assessments include an initial assessment to inform a participant's individual induction plan, benchmark assessments to measure progress over the course of the program, and a summative assessment to demonstrate that participants have completed program requirements and to support programs in recommending participants for the clear credential. This report explores the landscape of new administrator induction in California using statewide survey data and case studies of administrator induction programs. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), which accredits and oversees all administrator induction programs, conducts a program completer survey asking about administrators' experiences with their induction programs and overall preparedness when they apply for their clear credential. This report analyzes 4 years of survey data from 6,812 administrators who completed induction between September 2017 and August 2021. It also draws on qualitative data from six case studies of administrator induction programs that were highly rated on the program completer surveys to highlight exemplary structures and practices.

Teachers of color often work in schools with few colleagues from the same racial or ethnic background. This "racial isolation" may affect their work experiences and important job outcomes, including retention. Using longitudinal administrative and survey data, we investigate the degree to which Tennessee teachers who are more racially isolated are more likely to turn over. Accounting for other factors, we find that racially isolated Black teachers are more likely to leave their schools than less isolated teachers. This turnover is driven by transfers to a different district and exiting the profession altogether. Consistent with an explanation that isolated teachers' work experiences differ, they also report less collaboration with colleagues and receive lower observation scores.

Teaching performance assessments (TPAs) can be used to assess the readiness of potential teachers because they require candidates to provide evidence of their planning and teaching skills through classroom videos accompanied by commentaries Ensuring that teaching candidates are well prepared to enter the classroom is a critical mission for teacher preparation programs and state agencies that approve programs and set teacher licensure standards. Teaching performance assessments (TPAs) can be used to assess the readiness of potential teachers because they require candidates to provide evidence of their teaching knowledge and skills through classroom videos, lesson plans, student work, and analysis of teaching and learning. Multiple studies have found that TPA scores predict effectiveness once candidates enter the classroom as licensed teachers. TPAs have been adopted in at least 16 states as a requirement of either teacher preparation program completion or initial licensure. California, the focus of this study, was one of the first states to adopt a TPA as a licensure requirement for beginning teachers. The report on which this brief is based explored whether certain preparation experiences predicted success on the California Teaching Performance Assessment (CalTPA) or the educative Teaching Performance Assessment (edTPA), the two widely available TPAs used across California preparation programs. Focusing on the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, this analysis examined whether TPA success for more than 18,000 California teaching candidates varied by preparation pathway, program, and the nature of preparation experiences as reported by respondents on the annual survey administered to all those completing preparation and applying for their preliminary teaching credential with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Recruiting and retaining a well-prepared, stable, and diverse teacher workforce is a critical endeavor to advance student learning and development. However, the persistent teacher shortages across the nation's schools challenge this mission. The teaching profession has been characterized by relatively lower levels of compensation compared to other professions that require equivalent levels of educational attainment, and salaries are often cited both as a reason why college students do not pursue teaching and as a driver of attrition among current teachers. Another barrier to entering and staying in the teaching profession is the cost of investments to become a teacher, along with the cost of attaining a higher degree or additional credential-requirements that have become not only more common for career advancement but also more expensive over time. This report analyzes one condition that is intertwined with teacher compensation, preparation and credentialing, and job-related stress: student loan debt. Against the backdrop of the current state of teaching, the strains arising from student loans and the return to repayment could pose additional challenges not only for teachers but also for policymakers and school leaders who want to support a highly qualified, stable, and diverse teaching workforce. Using data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey from 2020-21, this report describes the state of student loan borrowing and repayment among full-time, public school teachers and explores whether student loan burdens differ by teacher characteristics. The analyses also examine the extent to which student loan debt is associated with teachers' well-being and employment decisions. The report concludes with recommendations that support the expansion of programs that alleviate or minimize the costs of comprehensive teacher preparation and credentialing; improve teaching conditions; and promote high-quality preparation, career advancement, and retention. [This research was supported by Skyline Foundation.]

The Collaborative Minnesota Partnerships to Advance Student Success (COMPASS), a statewide education system designed to support schools' and districts' efforts to accelerate student learning, offers professional development opportunities with various levels of support. Through COMPASS school districts and charter schools are provided a variety of resources, evidence-based practices, and facilitated guidance to support schools in areas of Literacy, Math, and School Climate and Mental Health using the Minnesota Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MnMTSS) continuous improvement framework. As part of the federally-funded Region 10 Comprehensive Center (R10CC), the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota has collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to develop a wealth of written resources to support implementation of MnMTSS across Minnesota schools and districts. This brief summarizes what was learned from three Minnesota school districts who participated in COMPASS cohort learning experiences. The report introduces each district and describes how their teams engaged in the cohort courses, how their participation impacted local MnMTSS development and implementation, and what lessons they learned along the way.

High-quality teacher preparation is a critical building block of an effective and stable teacher workforce. In California, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) currently oversees teacher preparation programs (TPPs) at more than 100 institutions, and these programs graduate more than 10,000 teacher candidates per year. Over the past decade, California has considerably revised its statewide licensing and accreditation systems that set standards for teacher preparation and performance expectations for beginning teachers. These new teaching standards emphasize teachers' abilities to teach to the more ambitious student learning standards the state adopted in 2010. Given policy changes and financial investments, what is the state of teacher preparation in California? Based on survey responses from almost 60,000 completers of TPPs across California from 2016-17 to 2020-21, this report describes changes in the pool of newly credentialed teachers over this period of time, how well prepared completers of TPPs feel in different domains of practice, what kind of learning opportunities they encountered, what aspects of preparation explain how prepared completers feel to enter the profession, and how access to preparation experiences varies among different groups of teachers. This analysis also examines the extent to which perceptions of TPP completers align with survey responses from more than 5,000 cooperating teachers working with student teachers and more than 1,500 employers hiring these new teachers. This report begins by describing the landscape of teacher preparation in California. The authors then explain the data and methods used in this report and outline how the composition of the pool of newly credentialed teachers has changed between 2016-17 and 2020-21. They then detail the findings from the analysis of CTC surveys. These findings are organized into three sections: (1) overall perceptions of preparation effectiveness, (2) differences in perceptions of effectiveness by characteristics of preparation, and (3) differential access to highly rated preparation. The report concludes with policy considerations for California and implications for other states. [For the Research Brief, see ED630346.]

Student surveys are critical to student-centered learning. They help paint a holistic picture of student experiences--and inform school improvement in areas like engagement, climate, and culture. Minnesota has given a statewide youth survey since 1989. While it has provided some key insights over the years, it would be even more valuable if it was more relevant to and used by those who work with youth each day--educators, families, and students themselves. In this paper, we report on conversations with dozens of survey "users" in Minnesota, a 50-state analysis of student surveys around the country, and present recommendations. In short, our core recommendation is to shift the central purpose of Minnesota's student survey to improving learning and schools. This shifted central purpose is most likely to directly benefit youth. Practically speaking it is also the purpose that most naturally leads to meeting all other purposes--by maintaining the participation rates and political support that will be necessary for the survey's survival. [For "Defining & Measuring Student-Centered Outcomes: Equitably Preparing All Students for College, Career, Civic Participation, and Life," see ED605538.]