Effects of Traditional and Professional Development School Preservice Training Models on Teacher Attrition after Three Years.

This comparative study explores the relationship between teacher attrition and the preservice training programs in which the teachers were enrolled. A comparison is made between campus-based traditional teacher certification programs and field-based certification programs delivered through a professional development school (PDS) model. The results are based on a one-page survey completed by 397 elementary and secondary teachers who received teacher certification between 1992 and 1995 at one of three universities in northeast Texas (N=78 field-based respondents and N=319 traditional respondents). Respondents answered six questions about their motivations for teaching, leaving teaching, and their recommendations for improving the quality of teacher education programs. The findings are presented in descriptive statistics. One difference between the two groups is a greater motivation to improve professionally among field-based respondents. The greater percentage (45 per cent) of these respondents recommended 2 semesters of student teaching to improve teacher education programs. In contrast, among traditional respondents, most recommended more emphasis on classroom management. Three tables are attached: analysis of demographic data, responses to questions according to group, and beginning teachers' attrition rates. (Contains 21 references.) (SPM)