Status on Texas Secondary Science Teachers

ORAL

Abstract

One of the most important challenges today facing public schools is the recruitment and retention of highly qualified science teachers. Policy makers in Texas adopted the 4x4 requirements for graduation, which will create an increase in the supply of science teachers. Dr. Fuller analyzed the topics concerning the shortage of secondary math and science teachers. Dr. Fuller's study clearly shows an acute shortage of well-qualified and adequately prepared secondary math and science teachers in Texas schools. The study also explains that schools serving large percentages of poor, minority, and/or low-achieving students have the least qualified teachers and the greatest shortages compared to other non-minority students. Recently, there has been a shift in teacher preparation programs. Most future teachers are being prepared by alternative certification programs and certification by exam. The attrition rates vary depending on teachers' route of certification. There is a shortage of math and science teachers in Texas, but is part of this shortage due to teacher migration? My research will expand on Dr. Fuller's study by looking at the attrition and migration rates on the subgroups of chemistry and physics teachers. Migration is typically overlooked in analytical studies because it does not change the overall supply of teachers. My study will investigate if science teachers are migrating to wealthier districts and/or higher achieving school. This presentation will summarize results found by Dr. Fuller's study as well as look at further research in science teacher attrition and migration rates.

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Authors

  • Jennifer Mount

    Senior Lecturer

  • Mikhail Zhernenkov

    Angelo State University Department of Physics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Univeristy of Central Florida-College of Optics and Photonics, BAE Systems, University of Alberta Department of Physics, Istanbul University Department of Physics, Texas Tech University Department of Physics, Istanbul University, Beyazit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, UTD, TAMS at UNT, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, Dept. of Physics, University of New Orleans, University of Texas at Arlington, Prairie View A\&M University, Chemistry, UTSA, Sciprint.org, Texas Tech University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas State University, Punjab U, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, Dept. of Physics, Texas State University, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson TX 75080, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Volta Redonda, RJ, Brazil, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, University of Texas Arlington, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute, Dresden, Germany, Education Consultant, APS, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77843, LANSCE, Los Alamos National Laboratory