A new report from Catalyst Chicago focusing on teacher preparation in Illinois highlights the discrepancy between increasing numbers of minority students and stagnant numbers of minority teachers but cites limited success in enrolling more Latino teacher candidates.
The Latino demographic, however is the only group that enrolled at increasing rates between 2003 and 2010. Fewer college students overall are enrolling in traditional undergraduate teaching programs in Illinois. After years of holding steady, enrollment fell significantly in 2011 and 2012—by 23 percent overall, according to a Catalyst Chicago analysis of data from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) for 2003 through 2012. White student enrollment fell at an even higher rate of 25 percent. Black enrollment in teaching programs showed no clear trend between 2003 and 2010. Latino enrollment, however, grew steadily between 2003 and 2010, only to drop in the following two years.
The article speculates that alternate certification programs such as Teach for America and the Academy for Urban School Leadership may be part of the reason for the decline in overall enrollment in traditional teacher preparation programs. Yet, even if that is the case, in 2012, there were still 14 times as many teaching degrees granted through traditional programs as compared to alternative certification.
For more information, please visit: https://www.catalyst-chicago.org/news/2014/04/15/65860/across-all-races-teacher-education-losing-students
