Report to the
South Carolina State Superintendent of Education
Creation of Regional Technical to 4-year College Teacher
Certification Pathways in South Carolina: A Collaborative
Approach for Two- and Four-Year Colleges
Stephen Thompson, Ph.D.
Jane Zenger, Ph.D.
University of South Carolina
Appendix Provided by Tammie Dickenson, Ph.D., Heather Bennett, and Joanna Gilmore
University of South Carolina
Office of Program Evaluation
1
Executive Summary
There is a great need for a statewide systemic program to ensure the seamless transition of
education majors transferring from technical to 4-year colleges in South Carolina. Developing
such a program across the state has the potential to help alleviate the current and impending
South Carolina teacher shortage, especially in rural and/or high poverty settings. This report
describes the Diverse Pathways in Teacher Education model and provides background and
research about how this type of program might be initiated across the state. In addition, the report
explains the regional, historical, and economic context needed to understand the importance of
finding practical solutions to South Carolina’s teacher shortage.
The recommendations for project implementation include steps to create technical to 4-year
college teacher certification partnership agreements in every geographic region of our state.
These agreements will involve specialized advisement, course articulation, mentoring, financial
support, and expansion of K-12 field experience sites for education majors attending technical
colleges. Twenty-five institutions across the state have received planning seed grants or were
part of the original Diverse Pathways Project and are committed to creating/strengthening formal
transfer partnerships in teacher education. In addition, an evaluation appendix includes data
showing growth of initial partnerships, graduation rates, and profiles of transfer students
affiliated with existing Diverse Pathways partnerships.
2
Overview
Through a federal grant project titled, Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation1, the
University of South Carolina and the College of Charleston have worked with their local
technical colleges (Midlands, Orangeburg/Calhoun, and Trident respectively) to create regional
“technical to 4-year college” teacher certification programs. Initiated in 2004, these partnerships
allow education majors to begin a program of study at technical colleges and then seamlessly
transfer into an education program at their local 4-year college as juniors.
In an effort to support the development of similar partnerships across the state a series of
meetings were held with Diverse Pathways staff and representatives from the Office of the State
Superintendent of Education in the spring of 2008. Initial meetings focused on existing efforts to
matriculate technical college students into the teaching profession via technical to 4-year college
pathways. Follow up meetings focused on the potential expansion of these types of programs to
other geographic regions of South Carolina. The primary outcome of these meetings was a
decision to collect information regarding institutional interest in, as well as potential barriers and
anticipated costs of, such an initiative via the Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation Seed
Grant Program.
The Seed Grant program provided up to $5,000 in support for technical and 4-year college
faculty interested in developing plans for similar regional teacher certification partnerships
across South Carolina. Over the spring and summer extensive efforts were made to disseminate
Seed Grant Program information. Funding was then provided to the nine eligible partnerships
that applied (partnership were defined as any combination of 4-year and technical colleges
within a similar geographic region).
Seed Grant recipient efforts focused on creation of plans for new technical to 4-year college
teacher certification regional pathways. At the same time, existing regional partnerships at the
University of South Carolina and the College of Charleston, along with the Center for Educator
Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA), engaged in review of their technical to 4year college teacher transfer programs. As a result of these efforts a needs assessment report for
each potential regional partnership was created. The reports provide a clear picture of
institutional interest in this type of initiative, specific institutional barriers that exist, as well as
anticipated costs to initiate and sustain these types of programs. Information from the needs
assessment reports has been synthesized and are reported in this document.
Specific outcomes of this work include the development of plans for a total of eleven regional
technical to 4-year college teacher transfer partnerships across South Carolina. Represented in
these partnerships are twenty-five Institutes of Higher Education (eleven 4-year and fourteen
technical/2-year colleges) as well as the statewide agency responsible for teacher recruitment and
retention (CERRA). Within these partnerships, six initial education degree programs are targeted
(Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Special, and Physical Education).
Specific partnership information is provided in Table 1.
1. United States Department of Education, Division of Teacher Quality grant proposal titled, Diverse Pathways in Teacher
Preparation: A Collaborative Approach For South Carolina 2- and 4-Year Colleges, (2004).
3
Table 1. Regional Technical to 4-year College Partnerships
Institutional Partners
1. Coastal Carolina University
Horry-Georgetown Technical
College
Programs Targeted for Articulation
Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, and Special
Education
2. Coker College
Northeastern Technical College
Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, and Secondary
3. College of Charleston
Trident Technical College
Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Special,
and Physical
4. Francis Marion University
Florence Darlington Technical
College
Northeastern Technical College
Williamsburg Technical College
Pee Dee Education Center
To be determined
5. Lander University
Piedmont Technical College
Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education
6. Newberry College
Midlands Technical College
Piedmont Technical College
Early Childhood
7. USC Aiken
Aiken Technical College
Early Childhood, Elementary
8. USC Beaufort
Technical College of the
Lowcountry
Early Childhood
9. USC Columbia
Midlands Technical College
Orangeburg/Calhoun Technical
College
Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, and Secondary
10. USC Upstate
Greenville Technical College
Spartanburg Community College
Early Childhood, Middle Grades, and Special Education
11. Winthrop University
York Technical College
Early Childhood, Elementary, Special Education, and Physical
Education
4
Context of the Problem
Nationally, public schools are striving to employ a highly qualified PreK-12 teaching force that
is diverse and demographically similar to student populations. In many regions of the country
teacher shortages have compounded the challenge of trying to establish diversity in the teaching
force1. Although commonly portrayed as a widespread problem, evidence suggests that teacher
shortages are primarily limited to certain states, districts, and schools2. Communities most likely
to be impacted by teacher shortages are those serving minority, low-income, and/or lowperforming students3, which are predominantly found in central urban and rural small town
areas4.
South Carolina is a state disproportionally impacted by teacher shortages and attrition.
According to the South Carolina Center for Educator Recruitment Retention and Advancement
(CERRA), almost 300 teaching positions remained unfilled statewide as of October 20085. The
majority of these vacancies occurred in schools serving minority, low-income, and/or lowperforming students, and were in “critical needs” areas of math, science, and special education5.
These problems are exacerbated in areas of high poverty where students are much more likely
than those in low poverty schools to have a teacher who is not certified in the subject(s) he or she
is teaching6,7. While the demand for teachers, especially those qualified in critical need areas
continues, the teacher attrition rate in poor schools is roughly 50% higher than in wealthier
ones8. From a financial perspective, teacher shortages and attrition are conservatively estimated
to cost South Carolina over 30 million dollars annually8.
In addition to the problem of attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers, South Carolina
struggles to create a teaching force that even closely resembles the population of students served.
For example, of the K-12 student population in South Carolina roughly 45% are minority
students. At the same time only a little more 17% of K-12 South Carolina teachers are
minorities9. This trend continues, as approximately 20% of new teacher hires in South Carolina
since 2004 have been minority candidates5 even though extensive efforts to recruit and retain
minority teacher candidates have been implemented.
An Informed Solution
Currently, South Carolina technical colleges do not systematically encourage or promote pursuit
of careers in teaching. On some, but not all campuses, associate degree programs in child
development, which focus on birth through grade 3 education, are available. On other campuses
the available coursework is intended to fulfill the requirements to provide teacher assistants with
an Associates Degree, a requirement of no child left behind, but do not lead to certification as a
teacher. Thus, students who transfer to a 4-year campus to pursue teacher certification above 3rd
grade lack prerequisites for 3rd year studies. Further, little is done on the technical college
campus to recruit students to the field of teaching. The omission of teacher education course
work at technical colleges is a major hurdle in the expansion of recruitment and retention of
viable teacher candidates in South Carolina, particularly minority teacher candidates.
Minority students in South Carolina are most likely to begin their college careers at a technical
college10. Many of South Carolina’s technical colleges are located in central urban and small
town rural areas most impacted by teacher shortages. Studies of technical and community college
5
graduates from other states indicate that they are most likely to accept their first job after
graduation within the region where they graduated from technical or community college11, 12. In
New Hampshire and Illinois over 60% of technical and community college graduates accepted
their first job after graduation within their home communities. The percentage of these graduates
who accepted their first job within their major discipline and within their home state was above
85%.
In spite of the significance of current teacher shortages, little research has been conducted on
factors influencing beginning teacher job search and selection. However, a 2005 study revealed
that over a four year period, beginning teachers in New York State were most likely to take their
first public school teaching job within 15 miles of the address they listed upon graduation from
high school13. This was true of all education majors, even those in critical need fields such as
science and math, regardless of whether they began a program of study at a 2- or 4-year college.
The same research revealed that individuals tend to search for teaching positions in geographic
regions with which they were familiar or in school districts similar in nature to the K-12 school
districts they attended13.
This preference for geographic proximity and familiarity, in conjunction with the technical
college entrance and graduate data previously discussed, point to technical colleges as a partial
remedy to the teacher shortage in our state. Students most likely to begin their pursuit of teaching
credentials via technical colleges have historically faced obstacles not encountered by
undergraduates who begin an education program of study at the 4-year college. These same
technical college students appear well-positioned to become successful teachers in our hardest to
staff classrooms. Many hail from the very communities most in need. As a result, they are better
positioned to understand the local contexts and cultural norms than novice teachers from
unfamiliar or distant areas13. This leads one to question, how do we recruit and train individuals
from the poorest, most-isolated areas to become teachers in those same communities?
Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation
Although other alternative teacher certification programs exist (i.e., PACE, Troops to Teachers),
the Diverse Pathways model creates a cadre of highly qualified teachers who have received
optimum preparation for a career in education. By most accounts, these partnerships have been
successful. The Office of Program Evaluation (OPE) at USC serves as the external evaluator for
the Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation federal grant. Staff at the OPE collect and
summarize data from all partner sites on an annual basis. Data from those reports, in conjunction
with data from the USC Office of Student Affairs, is discussed below to highlight the success of
our existing partnerships. A draft of the most recent Diverse Pathways annual report is also
provided as appendix to this report.
At partnership technical college sites the number of students taking education courses has
increased from zero (0) in 2004 to over one hundred and forty (140) during the 2008-2009
academic year. Further, the number of transfer students to teacher education programs at USC
has increased substantially since the implementation of the Diverse Pathways in Teacher
Preparation Project (See Table 2). In 2004-2005, prior to implementation of articulation
agreements and support infrastructures, 28 students from partner technical colleges transferred to
USC in teacher education programs. Table 2 shows that the number of transfer students to USC
as teacher education majors increased to 50 in 2005-2006, 42 in 2006-2007, and 46 in 20076
2008. In the fall of 2008, there were 38 transfer students in teacher education from partner
technical college, which is the largest number for a fall semester thus far.
Table 2. Semester of Transfer by Academic Year
Fall Transfers
Spring Transfers
Summer Transfers
Total Transfers
Number of Transfer
Students
50
40
30
20
10
0
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
Additionally, the number of technical college students who matriculate and graduate from
teacher education programs has increased significantly since project inception. Fifteen (15)
students who transferred from technical colleges graduated from teacher education programs at
USC during the 2007-2008 academic year and approximately 20 are scheduled to graduate
during 2008-2009. These numbers document the success of the program thus far.
Summary Recommendations
The creation of regional technical to 4-year college teacher certification pathways will require
effort and investment. In the following sections we describe actions to be completed as well as
systems that must be created in order to recruit, retain, and advance students into the teaching
profession through this pathway. These recommendations are informed by our previous work in
this arena as well as literature focused on other similar initiatives.
Articulation Agreements
Articulation agreements describe how the courses technical college students complete will
transfer into an education degree program at 4-year colleges. The creation of such agreements is
labor intensive and requires they be re-visited regularly by faculty to ensure curricular integrity
and alignment. Given the complexity of such agreements, the creation of a statewide articulation
system in education was not attempted. Instead a local model was developed that promotes
regional technical to 4-year college teacher certification partnerships. In this way the number of
cross-institutional issues to be addressed is reduced and the agreements easier to reach, review,
and maintain.
7
In our partnerships technical and 4-year college faculty from a geographic region worked to
develop articulation agreements for education degree programs of their choice, outlining
necessary freshmen/sophomore coursework and related experiences to be completed at the
technical college sites. These agreements also documented requirements that must be met in
order for technical college education majors to enter an education program of study at the 4-year
college as juniors. Most partnerships involved in this project have completed such agreements
through the Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation Seed Grant Initiative. Outlines showing
the sequence of coursework associated with individual articulation agreements are contained
within Seed Grant Reports (See http://tqp.ed.sc.edu/ for individual Seed Grant Reports).
Course Development
Although many of the elective, general education, and liberal arts courses needed by education
majors are already offered at technical colleges, education courses specific to given degree
programs generally are not available at these sites. To offer education coursework at these sites
faculty members from Colleges of Education and the Arts and Sciences at 4-year institutes must
work with technical college faculty members to ensure common coursework and clinical field
experiences for education majors at either institution. The following are typical activities we
encountered which required financial support in order for such coursework to be developed and
implemented:

Pedagogical Alignment– In some cases offering education courses at technical colleges
require technical college faculty to develop knowledge of K-12 pedagogy (teaching
strategies, practices, and theories). Commonality of course objectives, as well as
coursework and key assignments, are also issues that need to be attended to. To deal with
these issues technical college faculty members audited education courses at the 4-year
college prior to their teaching equivalent courses at the technical college. Throughout the
semester they also met with course instructors to discuss related planning, instruction,
and assessment issues.
In one of our regional partnerships two math education courses for Elementary Education
majors were to be offered at technical colleges. These courses focus on instructional
strategies such as building numerical understanding with hands-on manipulatives and
metacognition in math. Technical college faculty audited the university course, met
regularly with course instructors, and worked over a semester to develop an equivalent
course as well as equip their classrooms at the technical colleges. Faculty members
associated with this effort were provided a one-course reduction in their teaching load for
a semester.

Curriculum Development – In many cases new coursework must be developed and
curricular alignment may be needed. In our partnership, faculty from the University of
South Carolina School of Library and Information Sciences met with technical college
faculty to develop expertise, as well as materials, needed to teach a course focused on
informational resources (using instructional technology in elementary classrooms such as
the internet, computer software, and interactive Smart Boards to name a few). Although
no course auditing took place, time was needed to develop course materials, ensure that
needed materials were available at the technical college sites, and develop instructor
knowledge of key course concepts/strategies. In this example, faculty members from both
8
institutions were provided a one-course reduction in their teaching load to complete this
work.
Course Establishment
New degree programs often take time to become self-sustaining. Initial course offerings
frequently do not attract enough students to break even fiscally. Given time and support,
momentum builds and courses become self-sustaining. However, our experience indicates that
support for initial and early course offerings must be provided to ensure continuity and growth of
the overall degree program. When courses are not offered or eliminated because of low initial
enrollment, growth of the program is delayed or it does not occur at all. Support for faculty
teaching courses with small initial enrollments must be ensured.
In many cases, establishing education coursework at technical colleges also requires an
investment in materials and supplies that are not typically available at these sites. Examples
include a collection of children’s literature, math manipulatives, and educational software just to
name a few. Education majors at technical colleges must have access to the same types and
quality of materials as are available to education majors at 4-year colleges.
In situations where the 4-year and technical colleges are not in close geographic proximity, new
clinical field experience sites may also need to be developed. These sites are K-12 schools where
education majors complete early practicum and field experiences. In order to provide optimum
learning opportunities, university faculty work over time with teachers in these sites to develop
and implement appropriate experiences. This requires support for such things as meetings to
review curriculum, visits to identify appropriate clinical sites, as well as training of clinical
supervisors and coaching teachers. One of our partnership technical colleges is located in
Orangeburg, an area where we had no clinical field experience history. In order to provide
appropriate clinical field experiences to Orangeburg/Calhoun Technical College education
majors, K-12 schools were recruited and developed into new clinical field experience sites in
Calhoun County.
Student Recruitment
Advertisement
Large scale advertisement and recruitment should be one component of an initiative of this type.
Television, radio, and newspaper ads provide the means to disseminate general information
widely. However, simply advertising these degree programs will not ensure their success. A
human component must be included in the advertisement and recruitment phases.
Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement
Towards this end, our recruitment initiative has been supported to a large extent by the South
Carolina’s Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA). CERRA
was established in the late 1980’s as the South Carolina Center for Teacher Recruitment and is
recognized nationally for its leadership in the field of teacher recruitment and development.
CERRA has been involved in the Diverse Pathways initiative with institutions across all
educational levels and is thus positioned to act as facilitator in the collaborative.
9
We see the advice and direct participation of CERRA as essential in all activities: recruitment,
curriculum revision, teacher and faculty development, and support of college students. CERRA
staff members are key partners in this initiative and the approaches they use for teacher
recruitment with two distinct groups: high school and 2-year college students, holds promise for
dramatically increasing the number of qualified minority candidates for teacher certification.
At the high school level, CERRA’s Teacher Cadet Program has a history of success as a recruitment
program across the state. Teacher Cadet provides an introductory teacher education course and field
experience to high school juniors and seniors to enable them to explore teaching as a career. CERRA’s
more recent efforts to develop Future Educators Association (FEA) clubs in high schools focuses on
providing similar types of education experiences outside of a formal course setting. Some FEA events,
such as the FEA Annual Conference bring high school students onto a college campus to take part in
exploration of education-related careers.
Key to the success of this recruitment component is that the experiences are accessible within a context
that offers target students greater opportunities for success. This type of exposure to the college
environment and the field of teaching at a juncture when career decision-making is occurring increases
the likelihood that greater numbers of minority students will enter college to pursue careers in teaching.
The second CERRA initiative supports recruitment at technical college sites. At these sites, offices and
faculty already have established procedures and documents to assist students in making career decisions.
CERRA staff will work with staff at technical colleges to identify ways that recruitment for the field of
teaching might be incorporated in the documents and activities that are already available to students on
the campuses.
Additionally, CERRA staff work with technical and 4-year college faculty to develop and implement
teacher recruitment and information sessions at technical college and high school sites. This targeted
recruitment allows potential education majors to gather information about degree program requirements
and career opportunities directly from faculty teaching in the degree programs in which they have
interest.
Professional Entree
Research from several areas informs our efforts to recruit and induct candidates into this pathway
to teacher certification. For example, data indicate that high schools which support an ethos of
college-going by means of high academic expectations and college-preparatory curricula are
more effective at focusing student ambitions on higher education14. High academic expectations
of teacher candidates are established and high school students are exposed to college preparatory
curriculum through FEA and Teacher Cadet organizations. At the technical college level this
notion is further supported by academic advisors and support systems which focus student
ambitions on degree completion at the 4-year college.
Research also reveals that students are more likely to successfully transfer from one college to
another if they attended a school that has a culture of promoting transfer15. In our partnerships
we have implemented a Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on creating just such
an atmosphere. Through the PLC, transfer students, faculty mentors, academic advisors,
induction-year teachers, and teacher-mentors come together to support the development of the
preservice teachers. Typical activities include monthly professional development sessions,
service learning opportunities in education, and participation in an annual statewide professional
10
conference designed specifically for this student population. Through the PLC additional types
of needed support are also identified, monitoring and advising of candidates occurs, and tutorial
assistance or needed support is provided.
Further research indicates that programs which invite students to become engaged with their new
institution and academic advisor prior to application and/or admission have shown great
promise16. In our model, high school teacher candidates begin to interact with their new
institutions through an annual FEA statewide conference. This conference brings high school
students interested in teaching careers onto college campuses for a multi-day exploration of
careers in education. The event is planned by CERRA and education majors form the PLC
organizations host, act as session presenters, and interact with the high school students. At the
college level the PLC further supports this process by providing opportunities for technical
college students to interact with faculty and students from the 4-year institutions they will
transfer into prior to admission. In this way students are able to build collegial relationships with
peers, mentors and advisors before admission.
Academic Advisement
Initial Advisor Training
Academic Advisement is a key factor in the success of students transferring from community and
technical colleges into 4-year universities15, 16, 17. High levels of attention to advisement, as well
as knowledgeable advisors, equate to greater numbers of students successfully completing degree
objectives and transitioning into a career within their degree program field. At a basic level, our
experience suggests that training of academic advisors at both institutions needs to occur.
Further, we found that coordination between institutions, as well as annual review of advisement
processes, are essential components of such a pathway.
The literature on community and technical college transfer students supports our experiences.
Here, the creation of counseling, tutoring, and mentoring systems specifically for transfer
students is emphasized17. Further, more interaction between university staff/faculty and transfer
students is encouraged as a way to better identify and meet the needs of this group of students15.
Across this body of literature, the development of new and innovative programs to support this
student group is stressed, and connecting students to university staff/faculty prior to admission is
accentuated.
Articulation Review
Degree program requirements are not static. For example, the University of South Carolina
recently completed a university-wide review of their Core Curriculum requirements. The Core
Curriculum is a suggested liberal arts and general education course sequence for all university
graduates. Changes to this core impact the required courses within individual degree programs,
including those offered by the College of Education. In order to provide students taking
education coursework at technical colleges the most accurate academic advisement, annual
reviews and revisions of articulation agreements must be conducted.
11
Transfer Fellowships in Teacher Education
Policy documents18, literature15, 16, 17 and our own experiences in this domain all point to the need
to improve the conditions faced by education majors moving from 2-year to 4-year colleges.
Much of the research discussed in this document stresses the importance of high levels of student
support in the areas academic advisement, mentoring, career guidance, and professional
development beyond traditional transition periods. Our experience reveals that at least one
person at each institution should be primarily responsible for coordinating and providing such
support. Preferably a member of the teaching faculty, this person must be knowledgeable of the
various degree programs, admission policies and requirements, and be able to effectively mentor
and counsel non-traditional students.
Towards this end, we are advocating for a Transfer Fellows model which is similar in
composition and nature to the established Teaching Fellows Program19. The Teaching Fellows
Program is a merit–based initiative designed to recruit high school students who have
demonstrated above-average academic performance into teaching fields and to develop their
leadership abilities. Teaching Fellows receive enrichment programs, professional development
opportunities, and are involved with communities and businesses throughout the state. A
Teaching Fellows Program coordinator develops such activities at each institution, and also
serves as advisor, counselor, mentor, and support person for a cadre of Teaching Fellows.
Teaching Fellows receive a generous annual scholarship for four years while they complete a
degree leading to teacher certification. In exchange a Teaching Fellow agrees to teach in South
Carolina one year for every year she/he receives the fellowship.
We are campaigning for the creation of a similar initiative focused on non-traditional students
called Transfer Fellows in Teacher Education. This program would be a merit-based program
designed to recruit technical college students into the field of education. Transfer Fellows would
demonstrate above-average academic performance in their first two-years of an education
program of study at a technical college. They would receive annual scholarships; enrichment
programs would be designed specifically for them, and they would be similar in nature to
Teaching Fellows.
Each institution would employ a Transfer Fellow Program Coordinator, a faculty member
primarily responsible for developing activities and working with partnering institutions on
collaborative endeavors such as those described in this document (PLC, FEA, etc.). Transfer
Fellows would enter into agreements similar in nature to those of Teaching Fellows. One key
difference would be that Transfer Fellows return to the community where they attended technical
college to begin their teaching careers (or a similar high-need school district). In this way many
of the hardest to staff classrooms, in some of the most remote parts of our state, would be staffed
with highly qualified teachers with a higher likelihood of success and retention than currently
exist.
A Transfer Fellows Program would address many of the most pressing issues associated with a
teacher certification pathway of this type. It would provide the types of support that literature
indicates are needed by targeted student groups as they complete education programs of study. It
would also provide the means to allow timely degree completion for students who have
traditionally faced many obstacles in their pursuit of teaching certification. The Transfer Fellows
Program also provides a context where transfer students, faculty, academic advisors, and teachermentors can come together to support the development of preservice teachers. Although other
12
alternative teacher certification programs exist (i.e., PACE, Troops to Teachers), this model
places highly qualified teachers who have received the best preparation available in classrooms
where they are most needed.
Summary
This document describes the creation of regional technical to 4-year college teacher certification
pathways in South Carolina. We outline steps necessary to create initial articulation agreements,
which describe courses and related experiences technical college students complete prior to
transferring into an education degree program at 4-year colleges. The planning involved with
creating such pathways is one of the most labor intensive aspects of this work. We point out that
the bulk of this planning has already been completed through the Diverse Pathways in Teacher
Preparation Seed Grant Initiative.
Beyond the establishment of articulation agreements we argue that large scale advertisement and
recruitment should be one component of this effort. However, we also advocate that simply
advertising will not ensure the success of degree programs in recruiting students; a human
component must be included. We advocate that the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention
and Advancement is uniquely qualified to play a leadership role in this aspect of such an
initiative.
The role of an assigned mentor and/or specialized advisor is also a key to the success of this
student group. High levels of attention to advisement will result in greater numbers of students
successfully completing degree objectives and transitioning into teaching careers. Much of the
literature and research discussed in this document stresses the importance of high levels of
student support not only in the area of academic advisement, but also mentoring, career
guidance, and professional development beyond traditional transition periods. Our experience
indicates that at least one faculty member at each institute should be primarily responsible for
coordinating and providing such support. This person must be knowledgeable of the various
degree programs, admission policies and requirements, and be able to effectively mentor and
counsel non-traditional students. Towards this end, we are advocating for a Transfer Fellows in
Teacher Education Program similar in composition and nature to the established Teaching
Fellows Program.
13
Acknowledgements
The following individuals were primarily responsible for Seed Grant Planning efforts at
individual sites. We gratefully acknowledge their contributions to this summary document.
Partnerships
1. Coastal Carolina University
Primary Contacts/Advisors
Dr.Dodi Hodges
Dr. Denise Forrest
Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Ms. Shirley Butler
_________________________________________________________________
2. Coker College
Dr. David Blackmon
Northeastern Technical College
Dr. Forest Mahan
_________________________________________________________________
3. College of Charleston
Dr. Robert Perkins
Trident Technical College
Ms. Susan Norton
Mr. Tim Brown
Mr. John Hyatt
_________________________________________________________________
4. Francis Marion University
Dr. Jackson F. Lee Jr.
Ms. Shara Moore
Florence Darlington Technical College
Mr. Tony Fowler
Northeastern Technical College (Cheraw)
Dr. Forest Mahan
Williamsburg Technical College (Kingstree)
Ms. Earlene Walker-Kelly
Pee Dee Education Center (Florence)
Mr. Rick Reames
_________________________________________________________________
5. Lander University
Dr. Dava O’Connor
Piedmont Technical College
Ms. Donna Foster
_________________________________________________________________
6. Newberry College
Dr. Cindy Johnson-Taylor
Dr. Glenna Zeak
Midlands Technical College
Ms. Sandra Hackley
Piedmont Technical College
Ms. Lynn Mack
_________________________________________________________________
7. USC Aiken
Dr. Jeffrey Priest
Aiken Technical College
Mr. Bruce E. McCord
_________________________________________________________________
8. USC Beaufort
Dr. Cynthia Bolton-Gary
Technical College of the Low Country
Dr. Gina Mounfield
_________________________________________________________________
14
Acknowledgements (continued)
Partnerships
9. USC Upstate
(Greenville Partnership)
Greenville Technical College
Spartanburg Community College
Primary Contacts/Advisors
Ms. Elaine Marshall
Dr. Rick Hartsell
Ms. Dee Lamb
Ms. Susan H. Poss
Dr. Sue Stokley
_________________________________________________________________
10. USC Columbia
Dr. Stephen Thompson
Dr. Jane F. Zenger
Orangeburg/Calhoun Tech. College
Ms. Donna Elmore
Midlands Technical College
Mr. Curtis Derrick
Ms. Diane Carr
_________________________________________________________________
11. Winthrop University
Dr. Kelly Costner
Ms. Rebecca Malambri
York Technical College
Ms. Linda Weaver-Griggs
Ms. Laura Sturgis
_________________________________________________________________
South Carolina Department of
Dr. Allison Jacques
Education
Mr. Mark Bounds
_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Thank you also to all those who attended meetings and contributed to the seed grant proposals and
final reports.
15
References
1.
United States Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics,
Predicting the Need for Newly Hired Teachers in the United States to 2008-2009 (NCES
1999-026), by William J. Hussar, Washington, DC, 1999,
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=1999026.
2.
Committee for Economic Development, (2007) MetLife Foundation, Policy Brief: Teacher
Shortages, Washington DC, Retrieved December 12, 2008 from,
http://www.ced.org/docs/metlife_brief200712_teachershortages.pdf .
3.
Guarino, Cassandra; Santibanez, Lucrecia; and Daley, Glenn (2006), Teacher Recruitment
and Retention: A Review of Recent Empirical Literature, Review of Educational Research,
76(2), 173-208.
4.
Jacob, Brian A., (2007), The Challenge of Staffing Urban Schools with Effective Teachers,
Future of Children, (17)1, 129-153.
5.
Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement, Fall 2008
Teacher/Administrator Supply & Demand survey. Retrieved January 12, 2009 from
http://www.cerra.org/export/sites/default/research/SupplyAndDemand/2008.SD.pdf .
6.
Sawchuk, Stephen, (2008). Out of Field Teaching More Common in Poor Schools,
Education Week, (28)15, 6.
7.
Ingersoll, Richard, (2008). Core Problems: Out-of-Field Teaching Persists in Key
Academic Courses and High Poverty Schools, The Education Trust, Washington DC.
8.
Alliance for Excellent Education, (2005), Issue Brief, August 2005, Teacher Attrition: A
Costly Loss to the Nation and to the States, Washington DC.
9.
Center for Education Recruitment, and Advancement Annual Report 2004-05. Retrieved
January 9, 2008 from,
http://www.cerra.org/export/sites/default/newsAndMedia/ARarchive/0405.AR.pdf .
10.
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, (2006), Head Count Enrollment Report ,
Retrieved November 13, 2008 from,
http://www.che.sc.gov/Finance/CHEMIS/Fall2005/Enrollment/Independents/Enr_1stxFrshmnRaceGenStuLe
v.pdf .
11.
Illinois Community College Board, (2004), Follow-Up Study of Fiscal Year 2004 Career
and Technical Education Program Graduates, ED496758 -, Retrieved November 23, 2008
from
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/29/87/9a.pdf .
12.
New Hampshire Community Technical College System, (1997), Class of 1997: New
Hampshire Community Technical College System Annual Report, ED419560.
16
References (continued)
13.
Boyd, Donald; Lankford, Hamilton; Loeb, Susanna; Wyckoff, James, (2005). The Draw of
Home: How Teachers' Preferences for Proximity Disadvantage Urban Schools, Journal of
Policy Analysis and Management, 24(1), 113-132.
14.
McDonough, Patricia. (1997). Choosing Colleges: How Social Class and Schools Structure
Opportunity. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press.
15.
Handel, Stephen. (2007). Second Chance, Not Second Class: A Blueprint for CommunityCollege Transfer. Change, 38-45.
16.
Thurmond, Karen. (2007). Transfer Shock: Why is a Term Forty Years Old Still Relevant?
Retrieved January 10, 2009 from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising
Resources Web site: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/TransferShock.htm .
17.
Wynn, Andrea. (2008). Cracking the Code: Determining What Transfer Students really
Need to Be Successful at Four-Year Institutions. Retrieved December 12, 2008 from The
Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Web site:
http://www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/021104aw.htm .
18.
Shkodriani, Gina. (2003). Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology PT3):
Seamless Pipeline from Two-year to Four-year Institutes for Teacher Training. Education
Commission of the States (ECS) Policy Brief. Denver, CO: ECS.
19.
South Carolina Teaching Fellows (2008). Retrieved December 12, 2008 from
Winthrop.edu Web site: http://www.winthrop.edu/finance/controllersoffice/teachingfellows.asp .
17
Appendix
Data on Transfer Students from Two-Year Partner Colleges to USC
for the Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation Grant Project
January 2009
The Diverse Pathways in Teacher Preparation grant was funded by the United States Department of
Education in fall of 2004. This report presents demographic data for students from partner technical
colleges who transferred to the University of South Carolina (USC) teacher education programs. The
three partner technical colleges are Midlands Technical College (MTC), Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical
College (OCTC), and Trident Technical College (TTC). In this report, data are summarized for the
following cohorts:

The 2004-2005 cohort, which includes students who transferred in fall 2004, spring 2005, and
summer 2005.

The 2005-2006 cohort, which includes students who transferred in fall 2005, spring 2006, and
summer 2006.

The 2006-2007 cohort, which includes students who transferred in fall 2006, spring 2007, and
summer 2007.

The 2007-2008 cohort, which includes students who transferred in fall 2007, spring 2008, and
summer 2008.

The 2008-2009 cohort, which currently includes students who transferred in fall 2008 (transfers
from spring 2009 and summer 2009 will be added when available).
The data were provided by the Office of Student Affairs in the College of Education at USC. Note that
percentage totals for tables included in this document may not total 100% due to rounding.
The first academic year, 2004-2005, was a planning year in which articulation agreements between USC
and partner two-year colleges were established. Data from the 2004-2005 serves as a baseline to which
subsequent cohorts may be compared. There are several noteworthy trends from the 2004-2005 cohort to
the 2008-2009 cohort among the students who have transferred from a partnering technical college to a
USC teacher education program. The trends are divided into the categories of Background, Diversity, and
Outcomes.
Background

The number of transfer students in each cohort has increased since the baseline year of 20042005. The number of transfers in fall 2008 is larger than previous fall semesters.

In all five cohorts, the majority of transfer students previously attended Midlands Technical
College.
18

Transfer students in the 2007-2008 cohort transferred in with relatively fewer credit hours than
other cohorts with more than half who completed 30 or fewer credit hours at the time of transfer.
Approximately 60 credits hours would be equivalent to sophomore status at a four-year college.

The 2008-2009 cohort is the first cohort to include K-12 Physical Education majors. In all five
cohorts, the percentage of Early Childhood Education majors is the largest.
Diversity

The percentage male transfer students was about the same in the first two cohorts. The percentage
of male transfer students increased in 2006-2007 (21.4%), was lowest for the 2007-2008 cohort
(2.2%), and was highest for the 2008-2009 cohort (26.3%).

The percentages of white transfer students were relatively similar in all cohorts with the exception
of the 2006-2007 cohort. However, the 2006-2007 cohort also included the largest percentage of
transfer students for which ethnicity was not reported.

Traditional ages of college students who start college immediately following high school range
from 18 as a freshman to 21 as a senior. The percentage of non-traditional college age students
was largest for the 2006-2007 cohort.
Outcomes

The most recent cohort, 2008-2009, had the lowest attempt rate on Praxis I or meeting the
requirement with SAT/ACT. Six of the transfer students in the 2008-2009 cohort attempted the
Praxis I, three of whom passed all sections. This indicates that most students do not take Praxis I
prior to transferring to a USC teacher education program. The percentage of active students who
have taken Praxis I or met the requirement with SAT/ACT is fairly high among the cohorts who
have been at USC for at least two years.

Active transfer students have the highest passage rate on the math portion of the Praxis I. The
reading and writing sections of the Praxis I have the lowest passage rates among active transfer
students.

Half (14 out of 28) of the transfer students from the 2004-2005 cohort and 16% (8 out of 50) of
the 2005-2006 cohort have graduated from a USC teacher education program as of spring 2008.

Retention rates among transfer students in teacher education programs at USC who had not yet
graduated were computed for each cohort for the respective number of years since transfer. Note
that inactive students may have changed majors or left USC.
o
The four-year retention rate for the 2004-2005 cohort was 7.1% (1 out of 14).
o
The three-year retention rate for the 2005-2006 cohort was 47.6% (20 out of 42).
o
The two-year retention rate for the 2006-2007 cohort was 71.4% (30 out of 42).
o
The one-year retention rate for the 2007-2008 was 80.4% (37 out of 46).
19
Semester of Transfer by Academic Year
Fall Transfers
Spring Transfers
Summer Transfers
Total Transfers
Number of Transfer
Students
50
40
30
20
10
0
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
Fall
14
50.0
34
68.0
30
71.4
24
52.2
38
100.0
Spring
11
39.3
14
28.0
9
21.4
20
43.5
NA
0.0
Summ
3
10.7
2
4.0
3
7.2
2
4.4
NA
0.0
28
100.0
50
100.0
42
100.0
46
100.0
38
100.0
er
Total
20
Partner Technical College Transferred from by Academic Year
MTC
OCTC
TTC
Percentage of Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
MTC
26
92.9
41
82.0
36
85.7
43
93.5
34
89.5
OCT
0
0.0
4
8.0
3
7.1
1
2.2
1
2.6
2
7.1
5
10.0
3
7.1
2
4.3
3
7.9
C
TTC
21
Credit Hours Earned at Time of Transfer by Academic Year
1 to 9
10 to 30
31 to 60
Over 60
Percentage of Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta
1 to
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
2.2
1
2.6
6
21.4
15
30.0
9
21.4
23
50.0
5
13.2
18
64.3
25
50.0
17
40.5
15
32.6
25
65.8
4
14.3
10
20.0
16
38.1
7
15.2
7
18.4
9
10
to
30
31
to
60
Ov
er
22
60
Education Program Area for Transfer Students by Academic Year
Early Childhood
Elementary
Middle Level
K-12 Physical Education
Percentage of Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
Early
Childho
od
12
42.9
25
50.0
22
52.4
26
56.5
17
44.7
Element
ary
12
42.9
23
46.0
12
28.6
14
30.4
8
21.1
Middle
Level
4
14.3
2
4.0
8
19.0
6
13.1
5
13.2
K-12
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
8
21.1
23
Physica
l
Educati
on
Gender of Transfer Students by Academic Year
Female
Male
Percentage of Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent
Fema
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
26
92.9
46
92.0
33
78.6
45
97.8
28
73.7
24
le
Male
2
7.1
4
8.0
9
21.4
1
2.2
10
26.3
Ethnicity of Transfer Students by Academic Year
White
Non-white
Unknown
Percentage of Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
25
Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent Numb Percent
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
er
age
African
Americ
an
4
14.3
4
8.0
8
19.0
7
15.2
4
10.5
Americ
an
Indian
0
0.0
1
2.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
Asian
0
0.0
1
2.0
1
2.4
0
0.0
0
0.0
Hispan
ic
White
1
3.6
1
2.0
1
2.4
1
2.2
2
5.3
21
75.0
39
78.0
26
61.9
34
73.9
29
76.3
Biracia
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
l
Unkno
2
7.1
4
8.0
6
14.3
wn
Age at Time of Transfer to USC by Academic Year
2
4.3
2
5.3
2
4.3
1
2.6
<18 years
18-21 years
22-24 years
25-27 years
>27 years
Percentage of Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Cohort
Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta Numb Percenta
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
er
ge
26
<1
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
6
13.0
0
0.0
16
57.1
33
66.0
17
40.5
21
45.7
24
63.2
5
17.9
7
14.0
11
26.2
9
19.6
6
15.8
2
7.1
3
6.0
6
14.3
1
2.2
4
10.5
5
17.9
7
14.0
8
19.0
9
19.6
4
10.5
8
1821
2224
2527
>2
7
Percentage of Active Transfer Students who Took Praxis I
Attempt Rate
Passage Rate
Percentage of Active Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
2004-2005
2005-2006
27
2006-2007
Number of transfer students active in Fall 2008
Number of active students who took Praxis I
Number of active students who passed all Praxis I
sections
Number of active students who met Praxis I
requirement with SAT/ACT
Rate of Attempt:
Percentage of active students who took Praxis I or met
requirement with SAT/ACT
Percentage Meeting Requirement:
Percentage of active students who passed all Praxis I
sections or met requirement with SAT/ACT
Cohort
1
1
1a
Cohort
20
17
14 a
Cohort
30
21
16
1a
2a
5
1/1
18/20
26/30
100.0a
1/1
90.0a
15/20
86.7
21/30
100.0a
75.0a
70.0
a
One active student in this cohort passed all sections of the Praxis and satisfied the
SAT/ACT requirement. This student is only counted once in calculating the rate of attempt
and the percentage meeting requirement.
Pass Rates on Praxis I for Active Transfer Students
28
Passed Reading
Passed Writing
Passed Math
Percentage of Active Transfer
Students
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004-2005
Passed Reading
Passed Writing
Passed Math
a
2005-2006
2006-2007
Cohort
2007-2008
2008-2009
20042005
Cohort
1/1
20052006
Cohort
15/17
20062007
Cohort
18/21
20072008
Cohort
20/25
20082009
Cohort
3/4a
100.0
88.2
85.7
80.0%
75.0
a
1/1
14/17
17/21
20/24
5/5
100.0
82.4
81.0
83.3%
100.0
1/1
16/17
20/21
22/24a
4/4a
100.0
94.1
95.2
91.7%
100.0
One student has a missing score on this section of the Praxis I.
29