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Future educator programs in high schools: an evaluative study
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Future educator programs in high schools: an evaluative study
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Content
Future Educator Programs in High Schools: An Evaluative Study
by
Ilizabeth Starr
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
August 2021
© Copyright by Ilizabeth Starr 2021
All Rights Reserved
The Committee for Ilizabeth Starr certifies the approval of this Dissertation
Alexandria Wilcox
Eugenia Mora-Flores
Kimberly Hirabayashi, Committee Chair
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2021
iv
Abstract
Grow Your Own educator internships, a Career and Technical Education (CTE) offering
in many high schools, were primarily created to address the challenges presented by the teacher
shortage. Issues such as teacher diversity and school connectedness further justify the existence
of these programs. However, there is little research or data available to understand their results.
This qualitative study utilized research questions aligned with the four levels of the New World
Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) of training evaluation to assess the impact
of the Future Educators Academy (FEA, a pseudonym) internship offered by the First Youth
Independent School District (FYISD, a pseudonym) on its former students. Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with a pool of 10 study subjects composed of one district
administrator, one human resources representative, and eight former program interns. The
conversations with participants indicated that each believed the program offers value.
Specifically, the administrators discussed success with interns returning to the district as
classroom teachers, and former students noted perceived benefits of participating in the program.
Particularly noted were curricular elements such as professionalism and learning to create lesson
plans as skills and knowledge that they transferred to their post-secondary academic and
workplace experiences. Also of benefit to the students was developing peer connections and
affirmation that the career they had selected was the appropriate choice. However, limited data
and a small study sample made it challenging to assess the degree to which the goal of growing
educators who return to the community to teach in their schools is being achieved.
Keywords: career and technical education, CATE, CTE, education and training, Grow
Your Own, teacher shortage
v
Dedication
To my six children, this has been a very long journey to get to and through, and every step has
been taken with you by my side. It is to each of you that I dedicate this work.
To my oldest daughter, Mackenzie, who inspires and lovingly challenges me to be a better
version of myself each and every day, I so very much appreciate your support and
encouragement. To my second daughter, Zoe, my rock, I am beyond grateful to you for always
keeping me grounded, believing, and unwaveringly ensuring that I continued to believe as well.
To Chloe, my sweet girl, thank you for your compliments and heartfelt hugs when you knew I
needed them most. To Phoebe, my shopping co-pilot, I will always be appreciative of your
willingness to drop everything and race with me from one corner of the world to the other so that
I could mark tasks off of my never-ending To-Do lists (and then rush back home to work). To
My Mazzy, who has been so very patient, understanding, and reassuring, I must acknowledge
that no one has lived this with me more than you. I cannot wait to share much more time and
many more experiences with you as promised. To Oliver, currently seven years of age: I have
been working toward this end since you were two years old. It is the only version of me you have
known thus far and I look forward to very soon introducing you to a mom who can offer you
more attention.
To my mother, Maureen Kilgore, I thank you, Momala, for guiding and assisting me in
maintaining perspective on all things, and for always championing my dreams and endeavors.
To you all, I am exceedingly fortunate and profoundly grateful to have you in my life. Please
know that I respect and love each and every one of you so very deeply.
vi
Acknowledgments
There are so many people to thank for their supportive contributions either directly to me
personally or to this research study while in pursuit of its completion. First, I would like to
extend my sincerest gratitude to my dissertation chair, Dr. Kimberly Hirabayashi, for her insight,
guidance, and patience with me through each chapter. I also thank Dr. Alexandria Wilcox and
Dr. Eugenia Mora-Flores who served on my committee with such grace, and who took a genuine
interest in my work. I further thank the Rossier School of Education faculty for their professional
expertise and imparted wisdom that has contributed to my growth as an individual, a graduate
student, and a scholar.
I am also grateful for everyone in Cohort 12 with whom I shared class space and from
whom I learned a great deal. Moreover, I must express my utmost appreciation for the
partnership, encouragement, Marco Polo and text messages (replete with Magical Plans), and
panicked phone calls always so generously accepted and swiftly addressed by my special Trojan
friend, Dr. Colleen Marshall Leigh who, throughout the duration of this program that we shared
together has been an incredibly powerful advocate.
This study would not have been possible without the time and contributions of my
participants. Each interview conducted was a pleasure and offered invaluable insight. Thank you
all so very much for your generosity and your kindness throughout the process.
To my employer, I thank you for allowing me to conduct this study in our special school
district that I have called home for the past eight years. I would like to particularly acknowledge
Stacia Carew who so generously changed the course of my life when she gave me the
opportunity to become an educator. I will forever be indebted to you for believing in me and
supporting me in my academic and professional endeavors. Special thanks also go to Christina
vii
Bramwell who introduced me to this program and was instrumental in my gaining entry as a
contributing member to this education and training community of incredibly warm and
passionate individuals. To that end, I must express my utmost gratitude for Abigail Parsons who
has contributed significantly to my role as a teacher, to this study, and has been one of my
greatest cheerleaders throughout this entire process. Abby, I have said it before, you are truly a
gem of a human being and I feel so very fortunate to know you.
I must also recognize my students who have contributed to my life experience both inside
and outside the classroom far more than they will ever know. You were all not only supportive
and encouraging but also patient and understanding throughout all five years of my graduate
studies. Thank you. I love you all.
I am so fortunate to have in my life people who believed in me and who have always
been not only supportive but stimulatingly optimistic about all that I endeavor to accomplish. To
my uncle, Arthur Corenblith, my kindred spirit, my champion, and my friend, I am so deeply
grateful for you and the role you have consistently played in my life. There are not enough words
to adequately express my love for you. I must also acknowledge my best friend of over 40 years,
Linda Jordan, who has seen me at my best and my worst but still continues to nurture our
relationship and me as an individual come what may.
There are still many unnamed others who have somehow contributed to this journey.
Whether they simply asked in passing about my progress, offered congratulations at any
particular step of achievement, or joined me for coffee or a meal to celebrate a milestone, I offer
my most genuine appreciation and affection for anyONE who took part.
viii
Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication ........................................................................................................................................v
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... vi
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................x
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study ...........................................................................................1
Future Educators Academy Program Overview ..................................................................4
Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................6
Importance of the Project .....................................................................................................6
Research Questions ..............................................................................................................7
Overview of the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model and Methodology .....................................7
Definitions............................................................................................................................8
Organization of the Dissertation ..........................................................................................9
Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................................11
Challenges in Education That Support High School Education and Training Internships 11
Chapter Three: Methodology .........................................................................................................33
Research Questions ............................................................................................................33
Overview of Design ...........................................................................................................33
Research Setting.................................................................................................................35
The Researcher...................................................................................................................35
Data Sources ......................................................................................................................37
Validity and Reliability ......................................................................................................47
Ethics..................................................................................................................................48
Chapter Four: Findings ..................................................................................................................50
Study Participants ..............................................................................................................51
ix
Findings..............................................................................................................................52
Additional Findings ...........................................................................................................98
Summary of Findings .......................................................................................................101
Chapter Five: Recommendations .................................................................................................103
Discussion of Findings .....................................................................................................103
Recommendations for Practice ........................................................................................107
Limitations and Delimitations ..........................................................................................115
Recommendations for Future Research ...........................................................................118
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................119
References ....................................................................................................................................121
Appendix A: Interview Questions for the District Administrator ...............................................134
Appendix B: Interview Questions for the District Human Resources Representative ................135
Appendix C: Future Educators Academy Former Intern Interview .............................................136
Appendix D: Adult Informed Consent Form ...............................................................................138
x
List of Tables
Table 1: Data Sources 34
Table 2: Interview Matrix 41
Table 3: Demographic Table of Former Intern Study Participants 52
Table 4: Current Roles of Former Program Interns 55
Table 5: Former Interns Application of the Professional Portfolio 63
1
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study
Grow Your Own (GYO) educator internships, a career and technical education (CTE)
offering in many high schools, were primarily created to address some of the many significant
challenges facing education in the United States today. The issues examined for this evaluative
study are teacher shortage, teacher diversity, and school connectedness. It is these contextual
issues that substantiate the existence of GYO initiatives such as that assessed for this
disquisition.
Teacher shortage, for example, is a growing problem exemplified by statistical evidence.
To illustrate, Garcia and Weiss (2019) share that up to 30% of educators depart within their first
five years of employment. There are additionally an abundance of sources that submit that there
is a sharp decline in the numbers of individuals pursuing the teaching profession altogether.
Specifically explored in this study are the causes, the socioeconomic implications, costs, current
remedies in practice, and published research-based recommendations for teacher shortage.
Studies also indicate the need for more diverse teachers leading our nation’s classrooms.
According to Brenneman (2015) and Gist, et al (2019), for example, the ACT admissions test
organization published a report stating that of the 4% of high school students planning to pursue
a career in education, 75% were white females. Further, the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) released a publication reporting that of the 3.2 million teachers who are
teaching 49 million students across the United States, only 6% of these educators are Latinx, and
7% are African American. Donald Easton-Brooks (2015; 2019), a proponent of what he terms
“ethnic matching,” predicts that by 2026, minority children will make up 70% of public schools.
In his publications, he shares statistics demonstrating that test scores improve when teachers are
2
of the same ethnicity as their students, and that there can be up to a 17% difference in overall
academic achievement.
One benefit of participating in CTE programs such as future educator internships is their
positive impact on school connectedness. Steiner et al., contend that a sense of school
connectedness can counter unsafe practices such as alcohol, tobacco, drug use, suicide ideation,
early or haphazard sexual activity, and violence and gang association. Yuen and Yao (2015)
convey that a student’s sense of school connectedness has been shown to positively impact
student engagement, self-esteem, efficacy, confidence, motivation, and overall outlook.
This evaluation focuses on one school district in Texas that offers an education and
training GYO program on most high school campuses. First Youth Independent School District
(FYISD, a pseudonym), an urban/suburban school district that serves approximately 116,000
students, has implemented a high school education and training internship program as part of its
CTE offerings. According to the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) website, the purpose of GYO
programs is
to elevate the teaching profession in Texas by developing high-quality education and
training courses at the high school level and by creating teacher pipelines to increase the
pool and diversity of Texas’ future classroom leaders (n.d.).
For FYISD, their GYO program’s primary goal is to encourage graduates to eventually return to
the community to serve as classroom teachers. Employment in other vocations such as early
childhood educators, summer camp counselors, before- and after-school program workers, and
other opportunities within the district is also fostered.
The Future Educators Academy (FEA, a pseudonym) program has been implemented in
10 of the now 12 high school campuses across FYISD, dating back to 2008. Letters of Intent are
3
bestowed upon internship graduates at the end of their senior year based on the recommendation
of their program advisor. These letters guarantee the bearer a job interview for available
positions in the district. Considering the numbers of applicants received each year by FYISD,
purported to be around 50,000 annually, this is a significant benefit.
However, little data has been collected to determine whether the program meets its
objective to develop future educators who pursue a degree or a certification. Just as limited is the
knowledge of how many former interns ultimately return to the district as classroom teachers.
Even less is known about how many return in some other capacity. Further, no formal
assessments have been conducted to understand the impact the internship has on its participants
since the program’s inception.
Due to changes in applicant tracking systems, data has been maintained for only four
years, since 2017. According to the district human resources department, there is no breakdown
per campus, but 637 Letters of Intent have been issued to graduating seniors from the program
since that time. The largest number, 171 letters, were distributed at the end of the 2019–2020
academic year. Also, in the past four years, 136 classroom teachers hired, or 21.35% of those
issued a Letter of Intent, indicated on their application that they were former interns in the
program. Unfortunately, tracking such data does not yet exist for paraprofessionals or others in
ancillary positions, but that is on the horizon as an objective. No known goal aims to establish
the desired number or percentage of program interns returning to the district as classroom
teachers. These factors make it difficult to determine whether the program meets its original
objective to develop future educators who pursue a degree or a certification and ultimately return
to the district as a classroom teacher or in some other capacity.
4
Additionally, there are state and national organizations that exist to support these
programs by offering funding, opportunities for students to compete, showcase their work, and
earn scholarships. For example, according to the TEA website, “Districts receive 35% more
funding for CTE full-time equivalent (FTE) students than for regular students.” FTE students are
defined as those who are “enrolled in two or more advanced CTE courses for three or more
credits” (n.d.). Associations such as the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) and
Educators Rising host area, state, and national competitions and events, some of which qualify
participants for college scholarships. Despite this, still little research can be found on the
numbers returning to their districts as employees to pursue or analyze. Moreover, no assessments
have been conducted to understand the impact the internship has on its students, their continued
education, or chosen professions beyond the program since its inception.
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate FYISD’s high school education and
training internship program. An analysis of the program’s impact on former interns, their
education beyond high school, and their profession are also conducted. Further, because it was
designed as a GYO teachers initiative, the research also aims to determine whether former
interns return to teach within the district that educated them.
Future Educators Academy Program Overview
Recommended prerequisites for the high school education and training internship include
a course in education and training principles coupled with a class on child development or a
nutrition course accompanied by another on interpersonal relationships. A new educational
technology course will be available on some campuses in the district beginning the fall of 2021.
In FYISD, the actual internship is an elective offered only to students in the 11th and 12th
grades. While it is preferred that interns take at least one prerequisite, participation is voluntary,
5
and one must merely desire to join the program to enroll. Aside from signed parental agreement
for permission, background checks, consent to travel to cooperating campuses, and paying
minimal fees for uniforms and materials, no formal protocols must be met to be accepted into the
program.
These courses occupy two back-to-back class periods to accommodate time for travel to
other campuses within the district. Students of the program spend two days each week at their
home campus learning pedagogy, classroom management, lesson planning, and other intricacies
of teaching, training, and professionalism. The other three days per week, however, are spent on
elementary and middle school campuses. At these schools, each intern is paired with and
mentored by experienced teachers in their classrooms. Interns interact with both their mentor
teachers and their respective grade level students. The program design on-site is comparable to
that of student teaching. It is this mentor teacher whom the interns observe, assist, and partner
with to plan, structure, and ultimately teach a formal lesson that is assessed by their program
advisor.
Internship teachers evaluate students as they near completion of either one or two years
in the program to determine whether a Letter of Intent will be issued from the school district’s
human resources department. This letter guarantees the interns a job interview once they have
earned their college degree and have passed any requisite certification exams. The letter can also
serve as a reference for those wanting to enter the district’s employ as a paraprofessional, aide,
early childcare provider, before- or after-school program leader, or community program camp
counselor. This benefit is particularly appealing because, according to the administrator who
established this program in the district and one Assistant Director of Human Resources for
6
FYISD, having this credential catapults these students’ applications to the top of the proverbial
pile of the over 50,000 new job inquiries received per year.
Statement of the Problem
Despite the education and training internship implemented in 10 of the 12 high school
campuses across FYISD dating back to 2008, there is no known data surrounding the program’s
impact on any participants since its inception. Knowledge of whether this initiative meets its
original objective to develop educators who pursue a degree or a certification in education and
return to the district as a classroom teacher is limited, particularly considering the number of
years the program has been in effect. Further, because data is not gathered from students on their
internship experience, there is no way to gauge the program’s appeal, usefulness, or influence on
its participants, helping develop efforts to shape the internship for continuous improvement.
Despite state and national organizations supporting and, in some cases, directing the
machinations of such programs, there is little data to research and analyze regarding interns
returning to the employ of their respective districts.
This study examines whether the FYISD FEA meets the GYO program initiative goal of
students returning to their home district as certified classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, or in
another capacity. Because no such published data supporting these programs is available,
contextual issues such as school connectedness, teacher diversity, and teacher shortage, all of
which justify such programs’ existence, are explored.
Importance of the Project
This study is essential because teacher attrition rates are increasing. There are widespread
teacher shortages, and the mosaic of diversity among students in American classrooms is not
adequately mirrored by those who educate them (Garcia, 2020; Rogers-Ard et al., 2019; Xing &
7
Gordon, 2020). With 60% of teachers working just 20 miles from where they spent their
childhood (Simmons, 2018), it behooves researchers to understand these high school education
and training internship programs and their efficacy. This qualitative study informs critical
research questions. Although the study did not directly address all of the challenges to education
researched here, those such as teacher shortage, teacher diversity, and school connectedness have
been identified as contextual pieces that are still crucial to these programs’ existence and,
therefore, salient to understand.
Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to evaluate FYISD’s high school education internship
program by exploring the following research questions that are aligned with the four distinct
levels of the Kirkpatrick New World Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016):
1. To what degree is the Future Educators Academy achieving its program goal of
encouraging former students to become educators?
2. How are former participants applying what they learned during the program in their
current educational or professional pursuits?
3. What knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment to becoming an
educator did former participants acquire based on their experience in the program?
4. What are former program participants’ beliefs about the value of their experiences in
the program?
Overview of the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model and Methodology
This study followed the evaluative framework outlined originally by Donald L.
Kirkpatrick’s four-step program model and later updated by his son and daughter-in-law to
reflect the more contemporary needs of today’s business world (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
8
2016). According to the renamed New World Kirkpatrick Model, there are three reasons to
evaluate: (a) to improve programs, (b) to maximize the transfer of learning to behavior, and (c) to
demonstrate the value of the training to the sponsoring organization. The Kirkpatricks
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016, p. 10) outline four specific program evaluation levels. The
first, Reaction, examines the degree to which participants find the training entertaining and
engaging. The second level, Learning, seeks to understand whether training participants acquired
the knowledge and confidence to use the knowledge intended. The third level, Behavior,
explores the application of what was learned to their jobs, and lastly, the results level assesses the
achievement of targeted outcomes.
Qualitative and descriptive analysis methods, including interviews and document
analysis, were utilized to assess the four Kirkpatrick model levels, which have been applied to
develop open-ended interview questions. These questions assessed participants’ reactions to the
internship experience and the program content’s perceived usefulness in their careers.
Confidence and efficacy as they pertain to the knowledge of course content was also explored as
well as the degree to which participants can demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills
learned in the program to their profession. Additionally, interviews with particular FYISD
personnel were conducted to gather background and historical information and acquire
knowledge and data related to growing teachers or other educational professionals who return to
the campuses and classrooms of FYISD.
Definitions
Definitions of key terms relating to CTE and GYO programs salient to this project are
defined here.
9
Career and Technical Education (CTE or CATE): programs that offer instruction and
experiences in focused career preparation (TEA, n.d.).
CTE Participant: a student who completes one or more credits within one program of
study (Xing & Gordon, 2020).
CTE Concentrator: a student who completes at least two-course credits within a single
CTE career cluster or program of study is considered a CTE Concentrator (Aliaga et al.,
2014).
Vocational Education: the original title of CTE or CATE programs. The change was
made to CTE and CATE in 2006 (Stern, 2016).
Grow-Your-Own (GYO) programs: According to the TEA (n.d.), these initiatives were
developed to elevate the teaching profession by offering education and training courses at
the high school level and by creating teacher pipelines to increase the pool and diversity
of future leaders in the realm of education.
Organization of the Dissertation
Chapter One introduces the course of research for this project and includes the
background and context of the problem, the program’s purpose, the research questions, the
importance of the study, an overview of the evaluative framework and planned methodology,
and definitions for salient terminology. Chapter Two explores literature that examines the
contextual issues supporting the need for GYO high school education and training programs
(e.g., teacher shortage, teacher diversity, and school connectedness) and discusses curricula for
the courses within the education and training teacher internship program. A brief history of
education and training programs in high schools was also explored. Finally, an expanded
explanation of how Kirkpatrick’s New World evaluative model addresses the program is
10
presented. Chapter Three offers the methodology of the study and how its components will
directly address the research questions. Chapter Four presents the qualitative findings from the
methods practiced in the previous section. Finally, Chapter Five provides a comprehensive
summary and discussion of the study and its results and will offer recommendations based on
these findings, along with supporting literature.
11
Chapter Two: Literature Review
Research or data on the extent to which high school education and training programs
result in former students returning to their home districts or even to the field of education at large
is not widely available. However, the justification for the validity and contribution of CTE
programs, chiefly high school student teaching internships, is outlined in this literature review.
What follows is a presentation of contextual topics that support the need for these preparatory
programs. An examination of these challenges experienced by the U.S. educational system today
that include teacher shortage, teacher diversity, and school connectedness as individual catalysts
for the existence of many of these programs is introduced. Although the study may not directly
address all of the challenges to education explored here, the issues presented indeed support the
need for these programs. Therefore, it is beneficial to have an understanding of the research that
surrounds them. Lastly, a brief history of high school teacher preparation programs and program
curricula is explored, followed by an outline of the New World Kirkpatrick Model and its
application to this study.
Challenges in Education That Support High School Education and Training Internships
There is not a great deal of research available on the benefits of CTE programs in general
(Aliaga et al., 2014; Garcia, 2020) and certainly not on that which is directly associated with
high school teacher preparation academies. Therefore, the approach taken here was to delve into
those topics that support the need for these high school education and training programs.
Particular areas of study have been identified as challenges to systems of education across the
United States. The following discussions include an exploration of teacher shortage, teacher
diversity, and school connectedness.
12
Teacher Shortage
There are many ways to define and explain teacher shortage; the most common is teacher
vacancies versus the number of qualified applicants per opening. Other indicators are teacher-to-
student ratios, the number of emergency certifications issued, enrollment numbers in educator
preparation programs, and teaching certifications earned. The profusion of teachers leaving or
retiring from the profession is also a possible gauge for a shortage when few or no teachers are
available to replace them (Behrstock-Sherrat, 2016).
Several explanations are offered for the teacher shortage issues facing the United States
today. With 21% of teachers leaving due to discontentment with the profession (Podolksy et al.,
2016) coupled with an expected growth of 3 million in student enrollment over the next decade
(Berry & Shields, 2017), there is indeed cause for concern. Some of the more prevalent reasons
cited in the literature and addressed in this section include a brief overview of teacher shortage,
the causes, socioeconomic implications, costs, current remedies in action, and finally, research-
based recommendations.
An Overview of Teacher Shortage in the United States
Each year in the United States, we lose approximately 270,000 or 8% of our teachers
(Berry & Shields, 2017; Podolsky et al., 2016). Berry and Shields (2017) contend that this
percentage is almost twice the number of those lost in the Republic of Singapore or the country
of Finland, two locales frequently cited as being listed in this country’s comparative set.
Podolsky et al. (2016) further purport that fewer of them enter the profession while there is
greater demand for teachers. Yaffe (2016) contends that the numbers enrolling in educator
preparation programs have diminished by percentages in the double-figures. Of those who gain a
formal education to become a classroom teacher, it is estimated that up to 30% depart within
13
their first five years of employment. According to Garcia and Weiss (2019), the teacher shortage
is a real and growing problem. Some of the “critical signals” (p. 2) cited are state and local
district representative data and feedback, content area vacancies, and diminishing enrollment
numbers in teacher preparation programs.
Alarming shortages are being reported from across the country. For the 2015–2016
school year, 30 states reported a need for more bilingual/ESL teachers, 40 for science teachers,
42 for math teachers, and 48 for those who teach special education (Berry & Shields, 2017). It
does not help that some states have a surplus for lesser needed roles, namely K-5 educators
(Aragon, 2016).
Another crucial area of concern is the drop in interest in the profession altogether.
Teacher preparation program matriculation has declined considerably over the years (Yaffe,
2016). Across the country between 2008 and 2013, the numbers had dwindled by almost
255,000. There was a sharp decline in California alone, from approximately 77,705 enrollees in
2002 to 20,881 in 2015. All the more unsettling is that of those who enroll in programs such as
Teach for America Corp, for example, about 80% who complete the program end up departing
the profession by their fourth year in the field (Berry & Shields, 2017). Even interest among high
school students to enter the field of education is declining. Brenneman (2015), and Gist, et al
(2019) refer to a 2015 report published by ACT that of the 1.9 million students who took the test,
only 4% were planning to enter the field of education.
Causes of Teacher Shortage
Kamenetz (2014) reports that a 2014 Gallup Poll results indicate that although most
educators regard their profession as meaningful and a true calling, almost 70% consider
themselves disengaged. The literature points to numerous causes underlying disenchantment
14
with this vocation. The following explores five of those causes: salary, working conditions, lack
of autonomy, school accountability, testing expectations, and weak school leadership and
support.
Many studies point to low salary as the most frequently cited reason for new and
experienced educators to withdraw from the profession. However, those new to the classroom
are already disadvantaged, earning approximately 20% less than graduates who attain their
degrees in other occupations. To make matters worse, this gap in earnings increases mid-career
to 30%. (Podolsky et al., 2016). Citing a study conducted by the Center for American Progress,
Podolsky et al. (2016) report that teacher earnings cannot support a middle-class lifestyle. In
numerous states, those with 10 years of classroom teaching experience earn even less than
unskilled workers. Additionally, many who have families numbering four or more are likely to
qualify for government assistance programs. It was also discovered that 20% of teachers in 11
United States hold secondary employment to help make ends meet.
Additional factors to consider in the teacher shortage issue are the working conditions.
Some report that there is a lack of available materials or textbooks, neglected and dilapidating
facilities, and over-sized classes in addition to low salaries. An increase in student behavioral
challenges is also of concern. Others cite adverse working conditions, including decreased
teacher autonomy and an expectation to teach to the state-mandated standardized tests (Aragon,
2016).
Teaching autonomy or classroom autonomy generally refers to teachers feeling as though
they have some sense of control. In a 2014 Gallup Poll, out of a dozen different professions, it
was revealed that K-12 teachers scored the lowest on an item, referring to the belief that their
opinions at work are valued. (Kamenetz, 2014). When an educator has little input in the decision-
15
making process over things like classroom materials and textbooks, course content, classroom
techniques or pedagogies, student evaluation, or discipline, it can lead to career dissatisfaction
and, ultimately, turnover (Aragon, 2016; Sutcher et al., 2019). The University of Pennsylvania’s
Dr. Richard Ingersoll, professor of education and sociology who has researched this matter, was
cited in an article on teacher shortage written by Berry and Shields (2016). He asserts that
professions that are respected, treated well, and are reasonably compensated do not suffer
shortages. He further states that it is improbable that those teachers who have little authority in
their schools will remain in education. There are many realms wherein classroom teachers feel
devalued. According to Sutcher et al. (2019), teachers think their concerns are mainly ignored
regarding the expectations and effects of student testing.
There can be a great deal of pressure on teachers relating to academic accountability.
Preparation for and student performance on standardized testing, particularly potential penalties
for underperforming, constituted 25% of those teachers surveyed as the most cited reason they
left the profession in a study conducted by the NCES (2013). It was also reported by 17% that
they were equally frustrated by the lack of support for something deemed so critical (Podolsky et
al., 2016). This perceived deficit in support does not only exist within the realm of standardized
testing, however. It is yet another dominant and contributing factor to the teacher shortage.
Many educators who decide to leave teaching claim that it is not necessarily about the
salary; rather, it is about the degree of support they want and need from their administrative
leaders but do not feel they are getting (Yaffe, 2016). Ingersoll (2016) purports that in a study he
conducted, it was revealed that schools that offer higher administrative support levels experience
markedly lower turnover rates. As previously mentioned, this kind of support is perceived as
lacking in deference to standardized testing; however, this also includes a noted absence of
16
protection regarding other matters. Additional instructional supports, student discipline, dealing
with parents or colleagues, student to teacher ratios, and emotional and environmental supports
are also reputed to be insufficient (Podolsky et al., 2016). Campus administration and district
administrative support, however, does not stand alone. The exiguousness of public and
community respect and support for the teaching profession at large also contributes to a teacher’s
sense of dejection (Martin & Mulvihill, 2016).
Many factors contribute to the teacher shortage. In addition to salary, working conditions,
the lack of autonomy, accountability, and weak leadership explored here, another cause, the
Covid-19 virus, is undoubtedly making a negative impact. According to a recent poll conducted
by the National Education Association (Flannery, 2020), almost 28% of educators surveyed
responded that the pandemic compelled them to consider either leaving or retiring early from the
profession. In New York State alone, teacher resignations are up 20% from last year, and in
Florida, there have been 252 resignations and 58 retirements reported thus far this year
(Fearnow, 2020).
According to a report published in January 2021, 78% of Texas teachers surveyed shared
that their workload had increased, and 22% divulged that they were contemplating leaving the
teaching profession (Allen, 2021). Allen (2021) reported a number of specific reasons cited by
educators for leaving or wanting to leave the teaching profession amid the pandemic. One was
the concern for personal health and safety, coupled with the fact that teachers with those fears
were not given options to teach solely remotely. Equally troubling for teachers was the sense that
many in their communities who advocated for their children and therefore teachers to return to
school campuses seemed uncaring about the wellbeing of teachers in general. One educator who
Allen interviewed stated that this alone was “demoralizing.” Yet another explanation for wanting
17
to depart the classroom was the increased amount of planning and work required for hybrid, or
simultaneous in-person and online teaching. The time it takes to do so combined with the
required additional communication with parents about inconsistent attendance and participation
from students was absorbing even more extra time outside of school hours than teachers already
typically expend. Last, teachers shared that much of the personal reward that comes with being a
teacher such as the gratification of interacting with students was compromised as everyone was
required to associate from a distance, be they on a screen or in the classroom.
Allen (2021) also discusses some of the possible long-term repercussions of COVID-19.
He reports that some younger educators are deciding that due to the new stresses of the
profession imposed by the pandemic they are deciding to pursue other careers. For the same
reason, older teachers are considering retiring earlier than they had originally intended. It
remains to be seen how many teachers will indeed be lost and what additional endeavors will
need to be made to replace them.
Socioeconomic Implications of Teacher Shortage
The teacher shortage is a real and growing problem that mainly impacts high-poverty,
high-minority schools (Garcia & Weiss, 2019; Podolsky et al., 2016). Aragon (2016) proffers
that this is likely because larger classes, coupled with lower salaries and unsafe neighborhoods as
these socioeconomically challenged schools typically imply, are significant variables that
effectuate a teacher’s choice about where to and where not to teach. Podolsky et al. (2016)
further assert that high-poverty schools serve as a deterrent for many new teachers and that the
more experienced teachers are less likely to stay.
Designed in the 1980s and gaining considerable popularity in the 1990s, alternative
certification programs were created to offer an expedited path to teacher credentialing and entry
18
into the classroom to answer the teacher shortage (Rose & Sughrue, 2020). However, these
educators depart the profession at higher rates than traditionally certified teachers when teaching
in high-poverty schools (Aragon, 2016). High-poverty schools, defined as 75% or more of
students financially qualifying to receive free or reduced-price lunches, see over 55% more
teacher attrition than low-poverty schools across a profession that already suffers from high
turnover (Podolsky et al., 2016).
Glazerman and Max (2011), in their brief written for the Institute of Education Sciences,
discuss low-income students and the concern that those who are disadvantaged
socioeconomically are further hindered by weaker, less educated, less credentialed teachers.
Notably, schools in these circumstances are three to 10 times more likely to have unprepared,
uncertified teachers, or many teaching outside of their field of expertise (Castro et al., 2018).
Moreover, Ronfeldt et al. (2013) assert that teacher turnover does not only affect disadvantaged
student achievement but, in fact, it causes harm. Although they acknowledge that more research
is necessary, the authors surmise that teachers’ lack of employment consistency impedes forming
relationships salient for fostering collaboration. Therefore, this, along with “institutional
knowledge” (p. 32) essential to student academic development, gets lost.
Costs of Teacher Shortage
Another challenge that supports the need for high school educator internships is the cost
of teacher turnover. School districts pay a great deal to recruit, interview, hire, and prepare new
teachers every year. (Podolsky et al., 2016). On average, the price to fill any given individual
teacher job opening is approximately $21,000, with the current national average toppling over 8
million dollars per annum, consuming monies that could be better spent elsewhere (Garcia &
19
Weiss, 2019). Further, as Podolsky et al. point out, the highest financial burden is typically on
the districts with greater poverty levels as their attrition rates are more excessive.
As we have seen in the research, the costs of teacher shortage are not only financial.
Student achievement falters when the urgency to hire teachers results in settling for the under-
educated or ill-prepared students (Sorensen & Ladd, 2020). Overall, the perception of teacher
effectiveness is then reduced, further perpetuating the lack of respect already inherent to those in
education (Garcia & Weiss, 2019; Sorensen & Ladd, 2020). While teacher shortage and its costs
are not likely to go away, Garcia and Wiess (2019) optimistically propose that understanding and
addressing the interwoven variables that comprise this national crisis can reduce its enormity.
Current Interventions Addressing Teacher Shortage
Several interventions are already in effect to address the teacher shortage. In some areas,
they have eliminated the possibility of emergency certifications as they tended to result in costly
turnover and ineffective teaching to our most disadvantaged students (Posey, 2017). Podolsky et
al. (2016) purport that salary increases effectively decreased the number of untrained,
inexperienced teachers and offset turnover. Some school districts have begun to offer an increase
or stipend to those who earn their master’s degrees in their respective content and scholarships.
Other, less costly retention ideas include induction programs such as formal orientation and
mentor programs for new teachers, professional development training days, opportunities to
observe fellow teachers, and reduced workloads (Barry & Shields, 2017; Sutcher et al., 2019). It
was further reported by Podolsky et al. that two studies of first-year teachers who had been
formally inducted revealed that their students achieved better scores or improvements on
standardized tests. Additional cost-effective ideas include creating and fostering a sense of
community and culture in schools and ensuring that teachers have autonomy in their classrooms.
20
Implementing such ideas resulted in twice the number of teachers staying in the profession
versus those who do not receive such support.
Finally, there is currently an array of GYO programs developed to address the teacher
shortage. Besides high school GYO academic initiatives, some districts offer grants to pay for
forgivable college student loans. Others are making arrangements with local colleges and
universities to train and educate parents, paraprofessionals, and other school employees to
encourage them to attain their proper teaching credentials. These “pipeline[s] from within”
(Podolsky et al., 2016, p. 33) offer creative solutions for recruiting, hiring, training, and
onboarding new educators who are grown directly from and for the community (Castro et al.,
2018). Further, particularly for minority and underprivileged students, these programs offer
valuable educational and career prospects (Toshalis, 2015).
Podolsky et al. (2016) proffer a litany of additional possible solutions. They recommend
governmental collaboration across local, state, and federal bodies arguing that policies created in
isolation will not accomplish as much concerning recruiting and retaining classroom teachers.
They further suggest that teacher pay is increased to the equivalent of a middle-class wage. More
imaginative concepts involve assistance with housing, including assistance with relocation, down
payments on homes, rent payments, or subsidized housing, or even residencies expressly for
educators. In a different direction, they suggest more effective training for school principals.
Teacher surveys to assess campus and district leadership, culture, and relationships were also
recommended. Further, they discuss creating a high school career path as another GYO
alternative to those previously mentioned, such as those analyzed for this study.
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Teacher Diversity
Another issue associated with school connectedness and that further offers support for
high school teacher internship programs is teacher diversity in the classroom (Xing & Gordon,
2020). The ACT admissions test organization published a report in 2015 sharing that of the 4%
of high school students planning to pursue a career in education, 75% were white females
(Brenneman, 2015; Gist et al., 2019). Further, Rogers-Ard et al. (2019) contend that most U.S.
teachers are white women and purport a need for more educators who represent the diversity
among student populations. They additionally share that in 2015, the NCES released a report that
elucidates that 3.2 million teachers are teaching 49 million students across the United States.
Only 6% of these educators are Latinx, and only 7% are African American, highlighting that
minority students are plausibly in classrooms with ethnically disparate teachers. Simon (2016)
echoes these sentiments stating that underprivileged children are simultaneously attempting to
acclimate to environments that are culturally unlike their own, forcing them to be multicultural if
they have any hope of being successful.
Research supports the need for diverse teachers at the helm of diverse classrooms.
Donald Easton-Brooks (2015; 2019), a proponent of what he terms “ethnic matching,” predicts
that by 2026, minority children will make up 70% of public schools. He reports that in a study
conducted in 2004 by Thomas S. Dee, a group of Kindergartners increased their math scores by
3.6% when their teacher was of the same ethnicity. Moreover, when educators of the same
culture teach elementary-level minority students, they demonstrate higher standardized testing
mastery than those learning under a non-minority teacher. Further, there are fewer suspensions
and expulsions and less wrongful placement in special education programs when multi-ethnic
educators are in the environment. When students are taught by teachers representing their own
22
culture, there can be a 17% difference in their overall academic achievement. Additionally, there
is a greater likelihood that students of color will be recommended for gifted and talented
education and to graduate from high school on time (Rogers-Ard et al., 2019).
Growing Your Own Teacher Diversity
Schools with high-minority and economically disadvantaged populations strive but are
challenged to find skilled and experienced teachers at all, let alone those who are more diverse
(Podolsky et al., 2016). Moreover, turnover rates are more profuse on campuses with higher
percentages of African American and Latinx students (Dupriez, 2016), and minority teachers
surprisingly tend to transfer or leave schools altogether more frequently than their Anglo
colleagues (Easton-Brooks, 2015). Podolksy et al. (2016) further share that research
demonstrates that even educators who come through alternative certification programs, arguably
created to address the challenges of teacher shortage and teacher diversity, depart the profession
at higher rates in high-minority environments.
Further, many states and school districts recognize the need to recruit and hire teachers
who more closely reflect the myriad of diverse populations represented in our schools (Podolsky
et al., 2016; Quiñones, 2016). Rogers-Ard et al. (2019) and Quiñones (2016) explain that GYO
programs aim to improve attrition rates, quality, and preparation of minority teachers via
educational partnerships with universities, community colleges, and neighborhood organizations.
Gist et al. (2019) proffer that teacher preparation programs offered by middle and high schools
and typically referred to as teaching academies or internships were established to encourage and
support diverse students to become educators. These programs are recognized as possible
solutions to the teacher shortage and the growing need for more ethnic and racial diversity
among classroom teachers as there is a pervasive belief that these educators are more likely to
23
understand the injustices suffered by the mosaic of individuals they support (Rogers-Ard et al.,
2019). Morales (2018) cautions, however, that there is no guarantee that ethnic and minority
teachers will automatically understand how their “cultural assets” (p. 364) fit within previously
normed class settings and that the recruiting, onboarding, and mentoring methods should
therefore be different.
Study participants were asked their race and ethnicity during the interview process with
respect and appreciation for the salient research findings on teacher diversity. However, there is
currently no known district initiative to track this data. There are also no known plans to
purposefully target recruiting efforts to increase the number of diverse students in the program.
School Connectedness
According to research conducted on CTE and high school dropout rates, Plank et al.
(2008) suggest that when some vocational education courses are coupled with academic course
offerings, there may be a decrease in students’ risk of dropping out of school. They suggested
that students who experience a combination of CTE and academics are more fully engaged. They
further surmised an emotional, behavioral, and cognitive synthesis that allows students to
perceive a more considerable amount of value in schooling when it comes to career preparation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2015), the term
school connectedness refers to a student’s general belief that their peers, school teachers, and
administrators have a vested interest in their personal and learning successes. Feeling connected
can benefit student development, particularly self-esteem, efficacy, confidence, motivation, and
overall outlook (Yuen & Yao, 2015). Further, research has demonstrated that those who feel
connected to their educational institution are less likely to participate in unsafe practices such as
24
alcohol, tobacco, drug use, suicide ideation, early or haphazard sexual activity, and violence and
gang association (Steiner et al., 2019).
A litany of research indicates that the lack of motivation in high school adolescents is
cause for concern (Wardekker et al., 2012; Richie et al., 2012; Burrus & Roberts, 2012).
Students are increasingly struggling to find relevance in today’s educational environments
(Wardekker et al.). Individuals not motivated to stay in school see little point in attending
classes. They do not understand the full extent of that behavior’s likely results, leading to
feelings of little control over the trajectory of their lives. (Ricard & Pelletier, 2016). Unmotivated
students are unlikely to complete their high school education, potentially resulting in a wide
range of undesirable ends, such as a significant reduction in employment opportunities and
increased dependency on government assistance programs such as welfare and healthcare. High
school dropout has also proven to directly link to health issues, including depression and
criminal behavior (Green-Demers et al., 2008; Plank et al., 2008). Research consistently reports
that students are more likely to drop out of high school when there is a decreased sense of
belonging or connectedness (Cham et al., 2014; Gillen-O’Neill & Fuligni, 2013; Hafen et al.,
2012).
Another benefit attributed to positive school connectedness is resiliency, or the ability to
overcome life’s adversities. Creating opportunities for students to engage in their learning, work
on project-based assignments, and exercise choice contributes to resilience. These things further
make students feel appreciated leading to higher academic achievement. (Simon, 2016).
Research suggests that one pathway to reinforcing school connectedness is to engage students in
learning activities deemed relevant to a chosen profession. Programs such as those offered by the
various CTE clusters do just that (Lapan et al., 2014; Meeder, 2006). In his position paper
25
proffering recommendations to improve American high schools, Meeder (2006) purports that
CTEs foster positive student-adult relationships. Further, the numerous organizations that exist to
support these programs cultivate peer connections by providing content curriculum, meetings,
competitions, and networking and leadership opportunities. Xing and Gordon (2020) agree with
Meeder that participation in these offerings positively correlates to improved grades, self-
efficacy, and the pursuit of higher educational endeavors. A general overview of these programs
and the academic curriculum therein are to follow.
Despite the research revealing that these programs offer many positive outcomes, there
are no processes to assess interns’ beliefs on the influence of these future educator programs on
their feelings of school connectedness. Study participants were asked to consider and share
thoughts on how participation in the internship affected such feelings. Connectedness to both
their high school and their peers were explored independently of one another.
Teacher Preparation Programs in High Schools
Forty-seven of the United States and the District of Columbia provide one or more high
school GYO programs focusing on education, mainly through CTE initiatives (Garcia, 2021).
Moreover, many offer dual credit opportunities so that students are simultaneously fulfilling
college and university program degree requirements. Unfortunately, although high school
programs are the most prevalent GYO programs, there is a dearth of research and data on
whether they efficaciously result in developing career educators (Garcia, 2020; Gist et al., 2019).
The Learning Policy Institute (n.d.) lists Texas, where this study originates, as the state
with the highest number of teachers in the country. However, they further report that for the
2016–2017 school year, 21,449 full-time teachers were teaching outside of their certified grade-
level or subject area. In the same publication, it is stated that in 2015–2016, over 14,500 had only
26
a probationary certificate, and another 1478 were teaching on granted emergency or temporary
credentials.
Texas ranks 19th in the United States for the total number of CTE concentrators, that is,
those who have completed two credits within one program of study. Of the 1,166,581 students
reported as concentrators in a 2017–2018 study, only 2.46% or 28,685 were enrolled in
education and training programs (U.S. Department of Education, 2019).
Although education and training CTE programs have been a part of Texas curriculum
offerings for longer, the TEA (n.d.) shares a hyperlink to a published, strategic GYO plan to
implement between 2017–2021. The aim is “to elevate the teaching profession in Texas by
developing high-quality education and training courses at the high school level and by creating
teacher pipelines to increase the pool and diversity of Texas’ future classroom leaders.” The
agency has developed three specific grant pathways to increase teacher diversity and quality and
undergird recruiting and retention efforts across the state. Two of them focus on supporting and
growing individuals already serving as teacher’s aides, paraprofessionals, or substitutes, and the
other on the further development of incumbent educators. A third path is expressly devoted to
education and training programs in the state’s high schools (Garza, 2020; TEA, n.d.).
A document linked from the TEA website (n.d.) and titled only Part A: State Plan
Narrative refers to a transition in 2005 to the now national 16-cluster CTE model still practiced
today. One of the clusters is distinct to education and training. Among the goals of what was then
dubbed Achieve Texas is an enhancement of career awareness beginning in elementary school to
be further explored in middle school, augmented career guidance and college readiness
programs, integration of academics with CTE courses, professional development, and extended
27
learning opportunities through partnerships between businesses and educational institutions, and
complete curricula and materials for CTE instructors.
A Brief History of Teacher Preparation Programs in High Schools
There is little to be found regarding how teaching apprenticeships, academies, or
internships in high schools were evolved. However, a story written in 1950 by Wilda Freebern
Faust offers some insight. Published and preserved by Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK), a
professional organization supporting future and incumbent educators established in early 1906,
Faust recounts some of the details of these programs’ beginnings (Phi Delta Kappa International
[PDK], n.d.). Before becoming the national secretary of the Future Teachers of America (FTA)
organization, Faust had been an educator. In this publication, she speaks of how in 1935, a
gentleman named Joy Elmer Morgan, then The Journal of the National Education Association’s
(NEA) editor, while speaking to a group of NEA staff members, first proposed the idea. Morgan
recommended organizing, sponsoring, encouraging, and guiding informal groups of high school
students who shared the common goal of becoming educators. On April 20, 1936, the first FTA
charter under the Horace Mann Club at Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyoming, was born.
Unknowingly, the year before, at a high school in Walterboro, South Carolina, a social science
teacher had a similar idea and formed a club dubbed FTA. Fifteen years after Mr. Morgan shared
his vision aloud, there were 850 active FTA groups with over 18,000 members across 48 states,
Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the Panama Canal Zone.
In the mid-1980s, FTA became the FEA. In 1994, Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK)
adapted the organization and provided it a permanent hub in Arlington, Virginia (PDK, n.d).
When their international presence increased, PDK changed the name again to the FEA.
Eventually, FEA became Educators Rising, the cognomen as it is known today. Although the
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FTA’s moniker has gone through a series of iterations and its sponsorship has fluctuated over the
years, the goals of supporting and encouraging aspiring educators remain the same 85 years and
with a current membership of over 100,000 students later (FEA, 2009; PDK International, n.d.).
Today, Educators Rising membership offers access to leadership opportunities, curriculum,
coursework resulting in micro-credentials, skill-based national competitions, an Honor Society,
and scholarships. Moreover, with the partnership and support of several educational
organizations, such as the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards, and Digital Promise, among others, they are a resource for
states, school districts, and college and high school campuses to address some of the most
prevalent challenges facing education today.
Education and Training Internship Curriculum
Rojewski and Hill (2017) advise that CTE programs guide career exploration, work ethic,
and innovation as part of their vocational preparation. Career exploration, as they explain it, is
planning for and immersing students in the work world. Developing one’s work ethic helps
students gain the initiative and hone various communication skills, and innovation encompasses
problem solving, critical thinking skills, and creativity. A report published by Hanover research
in 2019 further outlines best practices for GYO programs in high schools. Among their
recommendations, the report cites the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education’s suggestion that GYO programs offer experiential learning options as in job
shadowing, field experiences, internships, and coursework aligned with a standards-based
curriculum (2016). Gist et al. (2019) recommend partnerships with community organizations and
post-secondary institutions and elucidate the offering of dual enrollment opportunities that allow
students to earn college credits while still in high school. Further, they highlight the course
29
sequence outlined in the Education and Training Career Cluster by the Texas CTE Resource
Center as an exemplar.
Texas Education and Training Career Cluster Curriculum
The TEA outlines the courses, scopes and sequences, and course curricula for their
teacher preparation programs in high schools through their Texas CTE website (n.d.), as does
FYISD (2019). What follows is an amalgamation of the two.
Beginning with Human Growth and Development, or Child Development as referred to
in FYISD, this elective is offered to 9–12th graders as an optional prerequisite for the teacher
preparatory internship. The human growth course focuses on child development from the
prenatal stages and throughout the advancing school ages.
The Principles of Education and Training course introduces students to the basics of the
various careers available within education and training environments. Requirements also include
personal exploration related to professionalism, communication, presentation, employment,
teamwork, and leadership skills. A plethora of research supports the necessity and benefit of
teaching such soft skills to high school students (Hirsch, 2017; Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012;
Symonds et al., 2011). Pellegrino and Hilton (2012) purport that business leaders have requested
that schools assist with developing these transferable skills. Students learn about the job market
and the interviewing and hiring processes and apply critical thinking and collaboration in this
course. Students also create an emerging professional portfolio that includes a resume and other
particulars such as a personal philosophy, cover letter, and references. They also explore
historical and societal impacts on education. This course is a prerequisite to the first course of the
internship, Instructional Practices in Education and Training.
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During the first of a possible two years in the field-based internship, students in 11th or
12th grades can register for Instructional Practices in Education and Training, the practicum’s
prerequisite. Interns in this program are mentored by both the course instructor and another
assigned educator actively teaching their respective classes with students on a cooperating school
campus. Students in required uniform assist in the classroom by developing and preparing
instructional materials, record keeping, teaching small groups of children, and other
responsibilities identified by their partnered teacher. On their home campuses, instruction
continues in the first semester, focusing on the teaching profession, including creating safe and
effective learning environments, theories on growth and development, learning processes,
effective teaching practices, special needs and exceptionality, and lesson presentations. The
second semester continues the field experience and simultaneously more extensively explores the
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and their role in informing lesson planning and
practicable instruction. Additional areas of focus are the role of education in society and
community and technology in the classroom. Various pedagogies and other classroom techniques
are studied and discussed.
The Practicum in Education and Training is the second year of the internship and is only
for seniors in high school. Those in this course serve as mentors to the interns taking
Instructional Practices. Field-based experiences continue, although the assignments to mentor
teachers and classrooms on cooperating campuses change. Their home campus work focuses on
expanding on what was learned in the previous year and achieving mastery and excellence in the
subject matter more thoroughly, all the more preparing them to become future classroom
teachers.
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Kirkpatrick’s New World Model
In fulfillment of his dissertation’s requirements that he began writing in 1954, Donald
Kirkpatrick created a program evaluation model that became the most widely utilized then and
remains so to this day (Biech, 2016). He intended to develop a much-needed structure for
training professionals to evaluate their programs’ results. Decades later, in 2009, he would work
with his son and daughter-in-law to revise it and create the contemporary New World
Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016), which more closely addresses today’s
business world needs. According to the model, there are three reasons to evaluate (a) to improve
programs, (b) to maximize the transfer of learning to behavior, and (c) to demonstrate the value
of the training to the sponsoring organization. The Kirkpatricks outline the four program
evaluation levels: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016,
p. 10).
The model stipulates that the steps are to be considered in reverse in the planning process,
that is, to begin with Level 4 specifying the desired results. The FYISD FEA program’s expected
results are to offer coursework in education and training that prepares and encourages students to
return to the district as classroom teachers. This study aims to evaluate whether this goal is being
met. Interviews with the district administrator who champions the program and a representative
from the district human resources department assisted in conducting this assessment.
The third level of the model is considered the most important (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). It addresses participant behavior and the degree to which individuals directly apply what
they learned during training to their jobs. As defined by the Kirkpatricks, critical behaviors are
considered to have the most significant impact on the organization if routinely used. Interview
questions were asked of former program participants about utilizing program course content
32
outlined in FYISD Scopes and Sequences in their current academic or professional
environments.
Level 2 addresses learning and the degree to which participants “acquire the intended
knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016, p.
15) based on their training participation. Former students were asked questions that sought to
assess whether they believe that they gained the intended knowledge and understood what was
being taught and how they can apply it to academia or their respective workplaces. They were
also asked if they believe that the program offered utility value. Further, they were asked about
their confidence levels in applying what was learned. Lastly, their level of commitment to
executing the attained skills and knowledge to current environments was assessed during the
interview process.
Finally, the first level of the model seeks to understand the degree to which participants
found the training favorable, engaging, and relevant. Former interns were asked to share thoughts
and feelings about the program, how they believe they were impacted by it, and any benefits
thought to be reaped.
In summary, document analysis was conducted, and semi-structured interview questions
were posited to former program participants, a district administrator, and a human resources
representative aligned with each of the model’s four levels. Interview responses further informed
the research questions that measured the extent to which each of the four Kirkpatrick’s levels
was actualized.
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Chapter Three: Methodology
This qualitative study sought to evaluate a school district’s high school education and
training internship program. This chapter discusses the overall design, protocols, instruments,
and methods used to gather and analyze data. Included in this chapter is an explanation of the
recruitment and sampling selection process and reasoning. Strategies used to ensure validity and
reliability are explained, as are the ethics regarding the respect for and appropriate treatment of
human subjects.
Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to evaluate FYISD’s high school education internship
program by exploring the following research questions that are aligned with the four distinct
levels of the Kirkpatrick New World Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016):
1. To what degree is the Future Educators Academy achieving its program goal of
encouraging former students to become educators?
2. How are former participants applying what they learned during the program in their
current educational or professional pursuits?
3. What knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment to becoming an
educator did former participants acquire based on their experience in the program?
4. What are former program participants’ beliefs about the value of their experiences in
the program?
Overview of Design
This qualitative study utilized interviews to assess each of the four training evaluation
levels set forth by Kirkpatrick’s New World Model (2016). All discussions took place and were
recorded over the Zoom online meeting platform. One interview took place with a district
34
administrator familiar with the FEA teacher program (See Appendix A). Another was with a
designated human resources representative best positioned to address the number of interns who
return to the district as employees (See Appendix B). Both individuals were assigned by the
FYISD department that oversees research endeavors. In addition, eight former FYISD FEA
program graduates volunteered to be study participants (See Appendix C). Published district
course curriculum documents and a course description booklet were also analyzed.
Table 1
Data Sources
research questions Interviews
Document
analysis
To what degree is the Future Educators Academy achieving its
program goal of encouraging former students to become
educators?
X X
How are former participants applying what they learned during
the program in their current educational or professional
pursuits?
X
What knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment to
becoming an educator did former participants acquire based on
their experience in the program?
X
What are former program participants’ beliefs about the value of
their experiences in the program?
X
35
Research Setting
FYISD is a large urban/suburban school district in Texas, with over 116,000 students.
The education and training cluster of courses is just one of 14 CTE categories offered by the
school district. The FEA internship studied for this project is available in 10 of the 12 FYISD
high school campuses and is lead by one teacher per school. These teachers have formed a
network and collaborate formally and informally about pedagogy, curriculum, challenges, best
practices, educational technology, and a host of other topics. Some of the recruiting efforts for
this program include grassroots efforts such as word-of-mouth, posters, campus morning
announcements, the internal audio/visual department daily video, slides on monitors strategically
placed throughout the high school buildings, and bulletin boards. In addition, the incumbent
interns travel to the feeder middle schools to present and discuss the education and training
programs with upcoming eighth graders. The high school also hosts an annual event to welcome
first-year students. Interns from the program and the campus TAFE officers and other members
staff a booth where they pass out brochures and discuss the benefits of the various related
courses. There is a similar event for all high school students in the spring to familiarize them
with the program and course offerings available to make informed elective choices.
The program is supported at the district level by a CTE Curriculum Coach and a
Curriculum Coordinator. Together, they partner to update the teachers on requirements and
curriculum offerings and to offer assistance and guidance. These are primarily supportive roles,
however, since the program teachers report to their respective campus principals.
The Researcher
The individual conducting the research has been a classroom teacher in FYISD for 8
years, beginning in 2013 as a middle school English language arts and reading teacher. A little
36
over five years later, in mid-October 2018, I transferred to one of the high school campuses and
remains in my current role as campus teacher-advisor of this education and training internship. I
just ended my third year teaching this program at the time of this writing.
Before becoming a classroom teacher, I served as a human resources executive for
approximately 17 years in various industries, including healthcare, retail, and information
technology, but primarily hospitality, specifically, full and limited-service hotels. In every
position, I was responsible for researching, creating, and facilitating numerous training
programs, seminars, and presentations for everyone from hourly employees to C-suite executives
across the United States.
Former students who had already turned 18 years of age and graduated from the program
were interviewed. To avoid a potential conflict of interest, no one I had directly taught was
eligible to participate. This tactic also alleviated any personal biases that I might otherwise
naturally and unintentionally have, considering previous relationships with the subjects are
nonexistent. In addition, it ensured that participant responses were not taken personally. With the
survey subjects, it was supposed that there would be a perception of me as having some
modicum of power because it is my research, and I am the one conducting the study and asking
the questions. There may also have been a misconception that I was an authority figure and had
power (that I do not have) because I am at the study’s helm and am notably older than the survey
subjects. Otherwise, I had no direct connection to these individuals, nor did I have any power
over their employment or professional relationships. To mitigate this possible misunderstanding,
I was transparent concerning who I am, why the interviews were being conducted and what I
planned to do with the research and findings. In addition, I assured each interviewee of their
confidentiality in the process.
37
The positionality with the former interns was vastly different from that of the district
administrator and the HR representative. Interviewing the district administrator assigned and
with whom I have an ongoing working relationship was slightly intimidating and uncomfortable,
but not to the extent that it colored or impeded the discussion. The human resources
representative assigned by the district is an individual with whom I coordinated efforts on behalf
of her interns, such as planning HR presentations on campus and generating letters of intent.
Besides looking forward to conducting this analysis and uncovering the answers to the
research questions, I had no expectations regarding the results. Thus, the planned approach was
constructivist in practice (Creswell & Cresswell, 2018). I was genuinely and merely seeking to
understand the effects, influence, and reach of the program on its graduates and how they
perceived their own experiences. According to Creswell and Creswell (2018), however,
reflecting on how a researcher’s background and experiences may shape any interpretation of the
findings is critical for conducting research. Understanding and appreciating the salience of
exercising this type of reflexivity (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016), I supposed and understood the
possible impact of my association with the program and how that could have my interactions
with study subjects. I admittedly believed that I am part of a program making a difference in
students’ lives. Still, I contended that the primary interest was that of information seeking. The
goals were to communicate findings and perhaps make adjustments to my campus program
based upon the results of this study.
Data Sources
Interviews were designed for data collection and included sessions with one district
administrator, an HR representative, and former program interns. Document analysis such as
published course curriculum supported some program specifics. A course description booklet
38
that is published annually was also referenced. Permission to conduct this study within FYISD
was preapproved by the department that oversees research endeavors. Directives from the
department included the agreement of two campus principals to each assign a campus research
sponsor to assist with identifying study subjects and helping with my questions. In addition, I
independently posted the need for study participants in several groups on social media.
Interviews
Participants
I conducted formal, semi-structured interviews with a district administrator and a human
resources representative appointed by the district. Initially, I hoped to target five to seven former
students for data collection. However, and fortunately, eight availed themselves to the process.
Two high school campus research sponsors were tasked with identifying qualified program
graduates and offering me contact information for those interested in volunteering to participate
in the study. Three of the eight former interns interviewed resulted from these endeavors. The
other five participants responded to social media posts, many of which were forwarded to them
by me contacts. I used purposeful selection (Creswell & Creswell, 2018) to recruit former FEA
interns specifically. The criteria for these individuals were that they must have been 18 years of
age or older at the time of the interview and participants of the internship.
For the study, former student interview questions were expressly developed to assess
perspectives on the program’s impact on them directly correlated to each of the four levels of
Kirkpatrick’s New World program evaluation model. Invitations by email included who I am,
the study’s general purposes, and how the research would be used were sent along with a link to
a calendar application so that interested parties could sign up for an interview time slot.
Additionally, the snowball sampling method of recruiting (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016), whereby I
39
requested that respondents put me in touch with additional former students with whom they have
maintained contact, was applied. This effort eventually resulted in one volunteer coming
forward, but at the time, the interviews had long since been completed.
Instrumentation
All interviews were conducted utilizing the Zoom online meeting platform in the interest
of time, convenience for each interviewee, and respect for social distancing concerns during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Meetings with each participant were recorded. Further, recordings were
sent to REV.com, a reputable service, to transcribe each interview.
The research approval department gave the seven-question interview to the district
administrator, Dr. Pepper (a pseudonym), in advance. When I met with Dr. Pepper over Zoom,
the questions were presented according to the district administrator’s conversation flow (Patton,
2002). These questions were designed to glean information such as program goals, design,
general thoughts, and future changes or improvements either considered or on the horizon. The
questions for Dr. Pepper mainly addressed the Reaction and Results levels as they related to the
New World Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model.
The human resources representative interview questions were also made available to Mr.
Batman (a pseudonym) in advance. This interview, too, was a semi-structured, 7-question
interview (See Appendix B). However, the questions were different from that of the interview
designed for the district administrator. The HR interview attempted to assess the numbers of
interns returning as employees to the district. The number of Letters of Intent that had been
issued was also queried. Another question asked, from a human resources perspective, was
regarding the perceived impact the program has on former interns returning to the district as
40
classroom teachers. Overall, these questions primarily aimed to determine the fourth level,
Results, of the Kirkpatrick model, although the first level, Reaction, was addressed.
Lastly, former interns participated in semi-structured interviews consisting of 25
questions designed to examine the selected program evaluation model (See Appendix C) and
assess the teaching internship program’s impact on its students. Some questions were
demographic and included asking the graduation year, verifying the number of years of
participation in the high school internship program, the campus attended, reasons for
participation, and employment or education status. One question asked for candidate race and
ethnicity. All others evaluated the four research questions as they related to the New World
Kirkpatrick Model’s four levels. Finally, recommendations for improvements to the internship
were elicited. These questions were posited and recorded through individual interviews over the
Zoom meeting platform.
To ensure the evaluation model’s fidelity, the matrix below illustrates how the structured
interview questions attempted to address the Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results levels of
the model while simultaneously eliciting information that informs the research questions.
Table 2
Interview Matrix
Kirkpatrick
levels
Participants District
administrator
Human resources Document
analysis
Reaction: The
degree to which
participants find
the training
favorable,
engaging, and
relevant to their
jobs
(7) Thinking back to your experience in the
internship, how satisfied were you with the
program overall?
(8) What do you believe were the benefits of
participating in the program?
(9) How did the program impact you? Your
experience in college? In the workplace?
(10) Did participation in the program help you
feel more connected to your peers? To your
high school? Why/why not?
(11) How did the Letter of Intent offered by
the district impact your decision to participate
in the internship program?
(6) What are
some general
thoughts you
have about the
program that
you would
like to share?
(7) How do you feel the
program has impacted
former participants’
decisions to return to the
district as an educator?
▪ District
education and
training video
▪ District course
descriptions
publication
41
Kirkpatrick
levels
Participants District
administrator
Human resources Document
analysis
Learning: The
degree to which
participants
acquire the
intended
knowledge,
skills, attitude,
confidence, and
commitment
based on their
participation in
the training
(12) (If applicable) How did participation in
the program impact your overall abilities as a
teacher?
(13) What, specifically, did you learn as a
result of being a student in this program?
(14) The next couple of questions are about
how the program influenced your confidence
level using some of the things you learned as
an intern. How confident are you applying the
concepts you learned in the program to your
college courses? To your workplace?
▪ District Scope
and Sequence:
Year I and
Year II
▪ District
education and
training video
42
Kirkpatrick
levels
Participants District
administrator
Human resources Document
analysis
Behavior: The
degree to which
participants
apply what they
learned during
training when
they are back on
the job
(15) Overall, how useful do you feel the
program was to you outside of high school?
Give me an example of something you learned
that you have been able to apply to your
college experience, in your workplace, or to
your life in general.
(16) How did you use what you learned about
creating a professional portfolio during the
program outside of high school?
(17) To what extent do you utilize the
employability skills taught in the program,
such as verbal and nonverbal communication,
teamwork, decision-making skills, problem
solving, conflict management, leadership,
professionalism, and work ethic in your job
today? Please give specific examples.
(18) How do you incorporate what you learned
about lesson planning, preparing, creating, and
delivering lessons into what you are doing
now?
(19) What from the program that you learned
about classroom learning environments and
classroom management are you now using?
(20) How do you apply what you learned in
the program about technology and educational
technology to the job you are doing now?
(21) What else can you share about what you
learned as an intern in the program you use
today?
District Scope and
Sequence: Year I
and Year II
43
Kirkpatrick
levels
Participants District
administrator
Human resources Document
analysis
Results: The
degree to which
targeted
outcomes occur
as a result of the
training and the
support and
accountability
package
(22) Are you now, or have you ever worked
for FYISD in any capacity?
(23) How did participation in the program
influence your decision to become an
educator? Please give a specific example.
(24) What recommendations do you have for
improvements to the program?
(2) What was
the impetus for
bringing the
internship into
the district?
(3) What are
the goals of the
program?
(4) Do you
know
approximately
how many
students in our
district have
participated in
the program
since its
inception?
(2) How does HR keep up
with the numbers of
students who enroll in the
education and training
internships at the various
high school campuses
each year?
(3) For how many years
has HR distributed Letters
of Intent to seniors who
graduated from the
internship program?
(4) How many letters have
been issued over the past
four years?
(5) How many former
program participants have
been hired in the last four
years as a classroom
teacher?
(6) How many have been
hired in another capacity?
44
45
Document Analysis
Documents published on the FYISD website were analyzed for this study. The
documents reviewed were the Scope and Sequence plans that span a school year. There are two
available, one for the first year and the other for the second year of student enrollment in the
program. The annually published course descriptions booklet was also examined.
Data Collection Procedures
I sent online calendar scheduling links to establish days and times to interview study
participants. In the interest of time, convenience for the interview respondents, and consideration
for current social distancing protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings were conducted
utilizing the Zoom online platform. As recommended by Bogden and Biklen (2007),
conversations were recorded using both a tangible voice recorder and the audio application
available through the Zoom recording feature. The district mandated that recordings were
restricted to only audio, and video recordings were not allowed. A transcription was created for
each interview using Rev.com, an online service. I took written notes throughout the interview
process. At the time of the interviews, my location was either in my classroom or from my home
office. I also documented my reflections on the interviews immediately after they were
completed. The automatic Zoom transcriptions were examined, and I closely reviewed the
recordings to ensure the quality of the data (Patton, 2002).
The department that approves research endeavors in the district forwarded interview
questions to both the district administrator and the HR representative in advance. Doing so was
particularly advantageous since some of the information I requested from human resources
required gathering data. It was beneficial, for example, to inquire about the numbers of job
applicants and employees culled directly from the internship program beforehand. Questions for
46
the HR representative (See Appendix B) further allowed me to access data related to the number
of former interns who have returned to the district as classroom teachers. These facts addressed
the study’s research questions and the Kirkpatrick New World Model’s first and fourth levels:
reactions and results, respectively.
I also used purposeful selection (Creswell & Creswell, 2018) to recruit former interns. It
was stipulated that individuals were 18 years of age at the time of the interview and had
participated in the internship program. I also reached out to and worked with Campus Research
Sponsors from two high school campuses to identify and locate study subjects. She also posted
details about the study on several Facebook group forums.
I hoped to identify five to seven former students willing to participate in the interview
process and was delighted to have the opportunity to interview eight. The former student
interview aimed to assess perspectives on the program’s impact on them as it directly correlates
to each of the four levels of Kirkpatrick’s program evaluation model. Invitations by email,
including who I am, the study’s general purposes, and how the research would be used, were sent
along with the link to a calendar application so that interested parties could sign up for a
mutually convenient interview time slot.
Data Analysis
In a careful review and synthesis of the interview recordings, I noted and transcribed
interview recordings were scrutinized. Transcribed interviews were uploaded to Atlas.ti, an
online qualitative data analysis software. Interviews were coded using the software for relevance
according to the research questions and each of the Kirkpatrick’s evaluative model’s four levels.
Categories and Coding. The district administrator, HR representative, and former intern
interview responses were analyzed utilizing a priori and emerging coding categories. Transcribed
47
recordings and researcher notes were initially coded as a direct response to one of the four
research questions and each Kirkpatrick New World Model’s four training evaluation levels:
Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results.
Open Coding. Various responses to the interview questions necessitated that I was
attuned to other, perhaps unexpected themes that emerged. As new categories revealed
themselves, open coding was applied, and the names of these categories were sensitizing
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The emerging codes created were labeled History, FYISD
Employment, Connectedness, Tracking Interns, Letter of Intent, Technology, and Important
Note.
Validity and Reliability
I maximized credibility and trustworthiness in the study by utilizing respondent
validation. In practice, this means assessing each respondent’s answers to determine those items
that will require follow-up, understanding that it is preferable to interview some participants
more than once (Patton, 2002; Weiss, 1994). Also referred to as member checks (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016, p. 246), respondent validation requires having post-interview discussions with
participants to ensure that impressions and interpretations have merit. After the formal
conversations took place, I reached out to two respondents to clarify my understanding of
specific interview responses. Likewise, to assess construct validity is to measure whether the
results serve a particular purpose or support a specific construct (Salkind 2014). In this instance,
I evaluated the internship program’s impact on its participants by analyzing their responses to a
particular question or group of items in an interview using both categorized and open coding.
Further, the interview design was ripe for examination using internal consistency
reliability, ensuring that the items were consistent among a construct (Salkind, 2014). Given the
48
small number of subjects I was hoping to interview, I provided only descriptive statistics. The
intention was to examine findings more reliably using a great deal of description in the notes so
that participant feedback could be aligned directly to the research questions and the levels
established by the evaluative model selected as the study’s framework.
Ethics
For the study to be considered trustworthy, the investigator made every effort to remain
credible and ethical in the process (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Creswell and Creswell (2018)
outline many steps that can be taken before a study, when beginning the study while collecting
and analyzing the data, and finally reporting and storing the data. These steps and transparent
communication were crucial to ne throughout the study. Of utmost importance, I always ensured
respect and consideration for all human subjects who participated.
The first step was to obtain approval from the IRB (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). This
approval and the following step in the process of gaining permission from the school district
were also completed before any activity involving human subjects commenced. To conduct this
study within FYISD, the department that oversees research endeavors outlined directives that
included the agreement of two campus principals to each assign a Campus Research Sponsor to
assist with identifying study subjects and helping with my questions. Campus Research Sponsors
selected former interns and sent out email communications informing them of the study, inviting
them to contact me if interested in participating, and attached a copy of the Adult Consent Form
(See Appendix D). Some of the study participants completed these forms and returned to the
campus research sponsors who then forwarded them to me, while others were sent by me once
interest to participate was expressed.
49
The consent forms were thoroughly explained, distributed to, and collected from each
party before participating in an interview. Finally, establishing rapport with interview subjects
was an essential protocol and included an explanation of who I am, my positionality as the study
investigator, and my positionality to each respondent.
The plan for how the research would be used was disclosed. There was an explanation of
how responses were being recorded and how these recordings would be utilized and stored.
Permission and communicated preparedness from each participant to begin recording were
attained. Respondents were asked to black out their video before I began recording per the
district requirements, and the initiation of each recording was announced. Likewise, assurances
that participation was voluntary and confidential and that at any time an individual could opt-out
or cease participating without any penalty whatsoever were emphasized to all (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2014).
50
Chapter Four: Findings
The key findings and results of this study presented in this chapter are guided by the
research questions created in alignment with the four levels of the New World Kirkpatrick
Model. According to the model, when in the program planning phase, the levels must be
approached in reverse order to maintain focus on what is the most salient, which is the desired
outcome. Therefore, the research questions and their corresponding study participant responses
are presented inversely as the model prescribes.
As shared throughout the study, the purpose of this endeavor was to assess whether the
FEA internship program is achieving its goal of growing future educators who return to the
FYISD as classroom teachers or in other professions. Therefore, the research questions guiding
the study were as follows:
1. To what degree is the Future Educators Academy achieving its program goal of
encouraging former students to become educators?
2. How are former participants applying what they learned during the program in their
current educational or professional pursuits?
3. What knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment to becoming an
educator did former participants acquire based on their experience in the program?
4. What are the former program participants’ beliefs about the value of their experiences
in the program?
This chapter begins with a more descriptive explanation of who the participants were,
followed by each research question and the participants’ interview responses. Next, themes and
patterns identified in that process are shared. Finally, additional salient findings and information
51
gleaned from these interviews but not necessarily aligned with the research questions was also
imparted.
Study Participants
The responses to the research questions were elicited through qualitative interviews
conducted with 10 study participants composed of one district administrator, one representative
from the human resources department, and eight former program interns at various stages of their
education or professional careers representing four of the district’s 12 high school campuses.
Pseudonyms to maintain confidentiality and anonymity of the participants, the campuses, and
other individuals alluded to by the study subjects have been used throughout. The district
administrator chose to be referred to as Dr. Pepper and the HR representative, Mr. Batman. The
interview questions for these two individuals differed from one another and from that of the
former interns, so the information gleaned from them for the respective research questions is
highlighted separately from the intern results. Table 3 indicates the demographics of the eight
former interns interviewed for this study.
52
Table 3
Demographic Table of Former Intern Study Participants
Pseudonym Elizabeth Lola Rose Shannon Sydney Alexandria Tiffany Leah
Year
Graduated 2016 2020 2019 2017 2010 2017 2018 2019
High School
Campus HS1 HS2 HS1 HS1 HS2 HS4 HS3 HS3
Grade Levels
Participated 11–12 11–12 12 11–12 11–12 12 12 11
Gender F F F F F F F F
Ethnicity White White White White White White White White
Only one of the former interns, Leah, participated solely in the 11th grade. She did not
continue in her 12th-grade year and did not graduate from the program. Leah explained that since
the education and training teacher she had for three years prior was retiring, she enrolled instead
in a different course in the education path offered by her high school campus for her senior year.
She reportedly regretted it, stating, “I was not a big fan of [the other program].” Rose offered that
she participated in the internship in her senior year alone because she had not known beforehand
of its existence. A friend who had been in the program happened to mention it, and she said that
she thought it would be fun. Important to note is that all eight former interns interviewed were
white females. All interviews were conducted remotely via Zoom.
Findings
In this section, study participant responses to interview questions and emerging themes
are presented and discussed. Document analysis related to the research is referred to whenever
appropriate. The findings are organized by four research questions corresponding to the New
53
World Kirkpatrick Model that aims to assess program effectiveness. The model’s four levels of
program evaluation are prescribed to be applied in reverse order. Therefore, the research
questions correlated to the levels are approached beginning with Level 4 (results), followed by
Level 3 (behavior), Level 2 (learning), and Level 1 (reaction). The chapter concludes with
additional details derived from the interviews and a synthesis of the findings.
Research Question 1: To What Degree is the Future Educators Academy Achieving its
Program Goal of Encouraging Former Students to Become Educators?
This research question addresses the fourth level of the New World Kirkpatrick Model
that focuses on the program’s results and answers whether the intended outcomes are achieved as
a result of the training. Responses to the interview questions from the district administrator, the
human resources representative, and the study participants indicate that overall, the perception
that the program goal of ultimately growing educators is indeed being met. The district is
developing future educators. When asked about the goals of the program directly, Dr. Pepper, the
district administrator interviewed, stated,
The goals of the Education and Training Program is to give our high school students such
a focused education and rich experience that they will be successful in their future
university education and in their professional interviews when they’re ready to get a job,
and eventually in their work careers. We want to grow our own teachers, and we’ve been
successful in doing that.
These goals were supported by the data offered in the interview with the HR representative, Mr.
Batman. He shared that due to changes in applicant tracking systems, despite the program being
in effect since 2008, data could only be elicited for the past four years, so since spring 2017. In
that time, 637 Letters of Intent were issued to graduating seniors from the program, with the
54
largest number, 171, being distributed at the end of the 2019–2020 academic year. Also, in the
past four years, 136 classroom teachers hired, or 21.35% of those issued a Letter of Intent,
indicated on their application that they were former interns in the program. Important to note is
that the tracking of this data that began in 2017 would likely not begin to reap a significant result
until 2020 when former students of the internship would have had an opportunity to graduate
from a four-year post-secondary program. Unfortunately, tracking such data does not yet exist
for paraprofessionals or others in ancillary positions, but that is an objective.
Of the eight former students consulted for this study, one, Sydney, is currently working
as an educator in the district. Another, Elizabeth, has been teaching out of state but is in the
process of returning to the community. She has been hired and will begin in the fall as a teacher
at one of the district’s high school campuses. Another five are currently pursuing their bachelor’s
degrees in education at various state universities. Of the five, four of them shared plans to return
to the district as classroom teachers. Shannon is presently ending her student teaching
requirement in FYISD but will be participating in a special cohort that allows her to teach at a
campus close to the university she is attending out of town while concurrently earning her
master’s degree. Alexandria, however, who had recently been serving as a substitute teacher in a
different state, decided to leave teaching and instead chose to pursue a career in the medical
office management field. She now works for a chiropractor. When asked what led to the change
in career trajectory, Alexandria shared that it had been a shift, having not long before given birth
to a baby daughter. She also cited living in a small U.S. army town where the schools are
relatively small and different from what she experienced back home. According to Alexandria,
One morning, I just was like, I really don’t wanna do this anymore. And then I went on
for about a week, and I was like, Well, let’s just do something different…And I think it
55
was just because my life had shifted, and so, the things that I wanted in a career also
changed.
Table 4 illustrates, more specifically, the current role of each former intern study
participant.
Table 4
Current Roles of Former Program Interns
Pseudonym Current Role
Elizabeth Elementary interventionist out-of-district. Also certified in
family and consumer sciences 7–12 out of state. Planning
to return to the community and begin a new teaching
position at an FYISD school in the fall. She has plans to
pursue her master’s degree in education.
Lola In college majoring in secondary social studies education
Rose In college majoring in education and getting certified in ESL
Shannon Majoring in interdisciplinary studies and early childhood: 6th
grade and ESL. Currently, student teaching 4th-grade math
and science in FYISD. She is pursuing her master’s degree
in education.
Sydney Tech coach and academic interventionist in FYISD. First
taught for five years in various elementary school grades in
the district. She has earned her master’s degree in
education.
Alexandria A substitute teacher until recently. Now manages a
chiropractor’s office.
Tiffany Majoring in AG science to become an AG teacher.
Leah Majoring in special education.
56
Sydney entered the internship program in its early stages. Initially, when she returned to
the community after college, she taught for five years at various elementary school levels before
becoming the technical coach and academic interventionist that she is today.
Of the eight respondents, one, Sydney, has already attained her master’s degree. Two
others, Elizabeth and Shannon, are in the process of preparing for their master’s programs as
well. Elizabeth is continuing her studies beyond the bachelor’s degree at her current university
out of state. Shannon is taking advantage of a special in-state program for new Pre-K through
sixth-grade teachers. It is a fellowship that offers individuals who have earned their bachelor’s
degree in education and are certified as a classroom teacher a free cohort opportunity to achieve
their M.Ed. in one year. While serving a community close to her out-of-town university as an
educator, Shannon will earn a stipend, currently set at $19,200, and simultaneously attend
graduate classes.
Two of the participants expressed that they had previous work experience in ancillary
positions in the district. Lola, for example, spent two summers working as a part-time employee
at the district’s support center. During her senior year, Rose worked as a before- and after-school
care worker at one of the elementary school campuses.
Also aligned with Kirkpatrick’s Level 4 (results) were participant responses sharing their
beliefs that the program contributed to their decision to become educators. Every individual
agreed that the program somehow solidified their already presumed goal of becoming a future
teacher. During the interviews, they each were enthusiastic when conveying their reasons why.
Elizabeth, for example, reported,
I just remember constantly feeling reassured that that was what I wanted to do because I
was getting such a realistic, first hand experience of what a teacher does…I think,
57
especially the end of the first year, I felt very confident in returning and doing it again
because I had such a good experience.
Rose attributes being in the classroom with students as a program element that largely
influenced her to press on to become an educator. She states,,
Being in that class, I just knew for sure, like, this is what I wanted to do. So much fun,
and it comes really easily to me. Like it just got better and better for me. And then, by the
time, like the class, like I graduated, I was like, “I’m gonna miss this class so much, but
I’ll have my own classroom.”
Shannon believes that although she always knew she wanted to be a teacher, the
opportunity to be exposed to the realities of being an educator through the program is what
influenced her the most. As she sees it,
I think for me, I always had wanted to be an educator, and I always loved kids, and I
loved helping people. But I didn’t really know all what education entailed. And so, I feel
like, through the program, I got to see the aspects of lesson planning and classroom
management and not just how you interact with your peers but also how you interact with
your students. And so, I feel like that I wouldn’t have gotten that experience or learned all
that I have without [the FEA] because you don’t really get to see that in college until you
do your [student teaching].
Elizabeth, Lola, Tiffany, and Leah echoed similar sentiments, particularly discussing
their internship experience in the program as an opportunity to, as Tiffany phrased it, “test out
the waters and see if this is actually what I wanted to be doing.” They each shared stories about
how interactions with children in their classrooms affirmed their decision and gave them greater
confidence to pursue careers in education.
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Based on the responses from each respective study subject, the perception is that the
program’s overarching goal to create future educators is indeed being achieved. Even
Alexandria, the one former intern out of the eight interviewed and who is no longer pursuing a
career in education, shared that being in the program made her “…wanna do it even more.”
Those who took the opportunity to explore the teaching vocation by participating in the high
school program derived validation as interviews revealed feelings of confidence and affirmation
fostered by their various experiences of interacting with and believing they were making a
difference in the lives of children. Of note, Lola, Sydney, and Leah are not cited in this section as
their responses did not directly address the research question.
Though it may seem that 21.35% of graduates of the program hired is a low figure, it is
essential to understand that data can only be retrieved for four out of the 13 years the program
has been in existence in the district. Also of great significance and something that warrants
consideration is that many of those 637 students who successfully graduated from the program
since spring 2017 are still in the process of pursuing their college degrees. Therefore, data can
only be gleaned starting in mid-2020 and beyond.
Research Question 2: How Are Former Participants Applying What They Learned During
the Program in Their Current Educational or Professional Pursuits?
The second research question is aligned with the New World Kirkpatrick Model’s third
level that addresses program participant behaviors. Typically under this level, the model
prescribes that employers implement required drivers to “reinforce, monitor, encourage, and
reward noted behaviors applied from the training” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016, p. 14). For
this study, however, these outcomes could not be witnessed and recognized. Subjects had to self-
disclose whether they were applying what was learned. Given that this research question is about
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the application of what was learned in the program, responses were collected only from former
program participants and not the district administrator or human resources representative. This
section reports research findings on the applicability of what was learned during the FEA
internship experience. It also assessed behaviors that the former interns shared they exhibited due
to the program’s influence. To this end, there was a response from Mr. Batman, the district
human resources representative, during his interview that illustrated such impact.
Based on employment interviews that he had administered, he felt the program impacted
former students’ decisions to return to the district as educators. He credited program teachers for
their influence and further noted the reach that interns have had job applicants from outside of
the community. He voiced,
I think a lot of it is influenced by that classroom teacher that they had during those
courses and their just willingness to come back. And I think a lot of it is, a lot of them go
off, and they student teach in all these other states and all these other kind of school
districts, and they realize the things that they had in [FYISD] or the things that their
teachers had in their programs were just, you know, I’m just going to say that much better
and they come, they want to come back to that….I think another thing they do is spread
the word because a lot of times we’ll get a lot of these other college graduates and during
the interview, they’ll say, you know, “I know somebody from [the district], and they were
part of [the FEA], and they tell me how great, the program was and things like that.” So,
not only is it impacting their decision to come back, but…they’re impacting others’
decisions to choose [our district].
In Mr. Batman’s interview, he declared that former interns not only choose to return to the
district themselves, but they also are serving as ambassadors of the program for others. He points
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out that former program participants, by sharing their experiences with individuals who have
never experienced the program or the district, are being influenced by the students to want to
come and work for FYISD.
Results From Former Interns
There were seven questions posed to former interns aligned with the model’s third level
of program evaluation that analyzed behaviors influenced by the training received and how they
are exhibited in academic and professional environments in turn. Discussions further sought to
understand how they applied some of the more exacting program curriculum features to their
lives, respective educational experiences, and workplaces.
Shannon, for example, cited specific elements of the high school program curriculum that
assisted her one she entered her university to continue pursuing a career in education. She
specifically refers to theories and acronyms learned in special education settings. Shannon
relayed,
I’m just building on that prior knowledge and affining the details and kind of grouping
them in my head and, you know, like filing them away. And, so, the different theories
and aspects of teaching and those, all those acronyms that you learn in special education,
I was like, Okay, I’ve heard these before. Like I remember doing this...It definitely
affected my approach and how I was going to study for certain tests and things like that.
The applicability of the program’s curriculum was echoed by many, including Alexandria, Rose,
Tiffany, and Leah. She mentioned applying what was learned about what was gained from
understanding the individual elements and creating lesson plans, one of the program’s
cornerstones.
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Others cited more professional reasons for the internship being beneficial to them.
Elizabeth, Lola, and Shannon mentioned leadership or leadership skills as something elicited
from the program that was personally impactful. Elizabeth specifically noted, “I was able to
really get involved with it and um, I don’t know, just grow my leadership skills and learn more
about myself in the process of like who I am as a person.”
Lola and Leah each addressed how the program aided in simply offering skillfulness to
work with people in general. To expand her thoughts on leadership, Lola specified collaboration
as a skill honed in the high school program that continues to impact her today. She stated,
It was very useful because I think the skills that I learned you can take outside the
classroom. So I think I learned a lot about leadership. That was something that I could
take to many different parts of life, so I think like collaborating. We did a lot of group
projects. So I think I was able to take that into college and everyday life.
Alexandria shared that the program gave her experience and taught her skills in professionalism
at a young age, in addition to the internship making for an impressive resume entry, stating,
It helped kind of kick-start my career life and helped me obtain a good-paying job right
out of high school, and it looks good on my resume [and] it kind of gave me some
experience of what professionalism looks like...that I feel like a lot of people don’t get
until they’re in their early twenties and I was 17 years old.
Some participants brought up unanticipated, very personal reflections on what made the
program especially useful for them. Elizabeth shared that her experience in the internship and
interactions with her program teacher made the most significant impact on her self-discovered
need for greater flexibility. She divulged, “I think that was probably the biggest takeaway
personally from that class, is learning how to be a little more go-with-the-flow.” Shannon, who
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had also served as the president of her campus TAFE chapter, discussed how she learned about
the importance of organization, time management, also managing people and money, and how
that has served “my own personal life outside of education.” Sydney spoke nostalgically about
the program and how it helped teach her to laugh at herself and have the willingness to
sometimes stray from what is planned and the importance of “just making a memory instead.”
In summary, most of the interns shared their beliefs that the experiences in the FYISD
FEA program contributed to their decision to continue to pursue a career in education after they
graduated high school and departed the internship.
Professional Portfolios
One of the requirements listed in the published Scope and Sequence document for the
FEA internship is creating and maintaining a professional portfolio. Former interns shared that
among other features, the portfolio includes a teaching philosophy, letter of introduction, resume,
and various work samples amassed throughout a student’s time in the program, including
completed lesson plans, and reference letters. The expectation is that the philosophy and resume
are created in class with guidance and at their program teacher’s direction. Initial work samples
are driven by both coursework and the needs of the partner teachers at the participating
elementary school campuses. It is encouraged and assumed that philosophies and resumes will be
honed and that more work samples will be added beyond high school.
Study participants were asked about the application of the professional portfolio outside
of high school. Again, responses were largely positive, with only one former intern stating that
she has not yet had an opportunity to use it in college or elsewhere though she held onto it. Table
5 shows the results of this interview question posed to each of the eight respondents.
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Table 5
Former Interns Application of the Professional Portfolio
Pseudonym Portfolio use beyond
high school (Y/N)
How applied
Elizabeth Y Elizabeth created a digital portfolio in college from
the tangible product designed in the internship.
Lola Y Lola builds on the existing resume and has used it
to create others.
Rose Y Rose updates the resume and refers to the portfolio
regularly for her teaching philosophy, lesson
plans, and reference letters.
Shannon Y Shannon updates the resume as needed and is in
the process of updating the portfolio.
Sydney Y Sydney refers to the portfolio for use in college
courses.
Alexandria Y Alexandria uses the resume and cover letter and
uses it to assist friends with theirs.
Tiffany Y Tiffany used her tangible portfolio created in the
program to develop a digital portfolio for a
college course.
Leah N Leah has kept it back at home but has not used it
since departing the program.
When asked how what was learned in the internship about creating a professional
portfolio was applied to academic or professional environments outside of high school,
Elizabeth, Rose, Shannon, Sydney, Alexandria, and Tiffany were quite enthusiastic with their
responses. Rose was delighted that hers was right next to her at the time of the interview.
Elizabeth mentioned that she had reached out to her former program teacher for assistance in
revising hers and making it digital so that all she had to do was send potential employers the link.
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She further shared, “So, that has probably been the one of the most helpful assignments, if not
the most helpful assignment that came out of that class.” Shannon recently used her resume to
apply for a master’s degree program and mentioned that she had won a blue ribbon for her
portfolio when taking it to compete in the annual TAFE competition in high school. She laughed
as she remarked, “I just didn’t think this one program in high school would give me so much for
years and years and years to come. And so, reflecting on that currently is kind of mind-blowing.”
Professional Skills
Study participants were asked how they utilize the professional skills taught in the
program in their educational or work environments today. Specifically, soft skills such as verbal
versus nonverbal communication, teamwork, decision-making skills, problem solving, conflict
management, leadership, professionalism, and work ethic are explored throughout the curriculum
as outlined in the published course Scope and Sequence. Interestingly, while there were
consistencies among program participant responses, some took a slightly different approach
when answering this question.
In addition to stating that she believed she used each of the skills every day, Elizabeth
gave anecdotal examples from her current job that exemplified decision-making, problem
solving skills, leadership, and professionalism. She explained how in her first professional
teaching role out of college and out of state, these soft skills were put to the test. A school district
offered her a position but waited until the last minute to let her know to which campus she was
assigned. Once she arrived, she was pulled from the hallway and thrown into an art class where
she co-taught in person while the teacher of record taught the students online from home.
Without notice, Elizabeth shared, they would move her from one classroom to the next but not
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communicate expectations or guidance on how to perform the functions of that particular job.
She further illustrated,
I was just in [the Kindergarten class]...doing their regular schedule, and the assistant
principal walks by, peeks her head in the door, and hands me a packet with a new lunch
schedule on it. And I was like, “Oh, okay. My lunch just got moved. Whatever.” I open it
up, it is a completely new schedule for me to be an interventionalist or whatever I’m
doing now, and I was literally told nothing.
Elizabeth alluded that her ability to remain professional and press on despite her frustration,
having the ability to lead students in a variety of settings and a number of grade levels at a
moment’s notice, and making decisions when little direction or guidance was offered was the
result of her experience in the high school internship.
On the other hand, Lola discussed how she had utilized the leadership and decision-
making skills she picked up from the program and applied them to her dance team at her
university. She shared occasions where she had to mediate between team members, which Lola
likened to similar experiences when she was an intern in the elementary school classrooms.
Likewise, Rose and Alexandria connected the internship’s group collaboration projects to
assisting students with teamwork, Rose doing so directly in an ESL program. She further
mentioned that her current class in communications was in the process of discussing verbal
versus nonverbal communication, a topic covered in the high school internship program at
length, stating, “And also in a class, um, in school right now, learning about verbal and
nonverbal communication. It’s not even like, it’s a communications class. So, yeah.” Tiffany also
spoke of nonverbal communication skills and how she currently applies them expertly to
students sharing,
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Like verbal and nonverbal communication, just knowing when and when not to use either
of those things...because you can just look at [them] one certain way...you don’t even
have to say anything, rather than raising your voice and getting upset.
To summarize, interviews with former program participants revealed that they are
applying professional skills, particularly soft skills such as verbal and nonverbal communication,
teamwork, decision-making, problem solving, and still others learned throughout the internship
to their academic and professional experiences. Lesson planning and the facilitation of lessons
was another feature of the curriculum cited by former interns as widely applied to their
educational and professional pursuits.
Lesson Planning Preparation and Facilitation
Another feature salient to the internship program is learning to formulate and execute
comprehensive lesson plans. According to the district’s annually published course description
booklet, “Students learn to plan and direct individualized instruction and group activities, prepare
instructional materials, develop materials for educational environments, assist with record
keeping, and complete other responsibilities of teachers, trainers, paraprofessionals or other
educational personnel.” When study participants were asked how they incorporated what was
learned about lesson planning and facilitating lessons into what they are doing now, each former
intern reflected on how the practice of creating plans has served them.
Several respondents discussed how learning to develop lesson plans in high school
greatly assisted them when required to do so in their college education studies. Rose and Lola
mentioned that learning to create them in high school made it simpler and Lola expounded by
sharing, “It’s kind of like I don’t really have to think about it as much anymore. It’s just easier
for me to create it. It’s kind of like second nature.” Elizabeth, Shannon, and Leah shared
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experiences using their previous knowledge to identify that although some elements were
differently labeled in their college courses, they could easily connect to what and how they had
been taught previously. Shannon likened her exposure to the many types of lesson plans to an
umbrella. She noted, “It just started the umbrella, and I got to just go and add little things
underneath it.”
Others benefitted in rather unexpected ways. Alexandria conveyed that when she began a
long-term substitute assignment in a different state, she felt thrown into the role and was only
given an outline and a textbook with a plea from the school administration to write lesson plans.
Tiffany laughingly shared a surprising experience in college for a safety class wherein they were
learning about OSHA standards. The course professor instructed her class to come to their next
meeting prepared with a complete lesson plan as though they would teach one another about
OSHA. She was the only education major in the group and the only one who even knew what a
lesson plan was. For her, the additional reward was the ability to help others who knew nothing
about developing such types of plans. Tiffany explained,
Like [the professor] wants a full on actual lesson plan from these people who’ve never
seen one in their entire lives. And, so, like just being able to explain it...I’m helping other
people with their schoolwork that they would never even thought that they would have to
do in their lives.
Tiffany, like many other former interns interviewed, was able to apply what was learned about
lesson plans in the program to her college classes even outside of education coursework. Similar
to Tiffany, other interns also shared that the additional reward for them was that they could
provide a service by teaching their peers who did not have the same previous knowledge.
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Classroom Learning Environments and Management
There is a plethora of quotes and memes for educators regarding the importance of
proactively and adequately managing a classroom. Therefore, it stands to reason that there is
considerable focus on creating effective learning environments in a high school program that
prepares students to become educators. In the course Scope and Sequence documents for the
internship, such requirements are listed as content to be taught by program teachers and skills to
be demonstrated by the interns throughout their field experience. During the interviews for this
study, study subjects were asked how they apply what was instilled about classroom learning
environments and classroom management to their current situations. Many of those interviewed
shared examples of effective classroom surroundings and the tools they had used or were using
to manage students appropriately.
Shannon shared that she learned a great deal from those teachers whom she shadowed
during the field experiences citing the benefits of being exposed to the teachers and their
different approaches. She offered,
Where would I be without the programs that I had in high school and the classes that I
took in? My teacher...was literally amazing and all the different aspects and the teachers
that we had at the elementary school and the middle school. That was something
that...definitely was a specific that I learned from being in that program and seeing how
each of these teachers operate a little bit differently.
Shannon further shared that the teachers at the partner schools indoctrinated her to campus-wide
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports programs that encourage desired and exemplary
student behaviors by rewarding students with faux campus or class-themed money or tokens,
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prizes, and sometimes whole class celebrations. She is now incorporating such practices in her
student teaching.
Others discussed classroom tactics they picked up in the program that made a lasting
impression upon them. For example, Sydney remembers being awed by the results of using
proximity as a tool to manage students in a classroom and continues to use it when teaching
today. Alexandria laughed as she emphasized, “Redirect, redirect, redirect!” as something she
found she needed to apply when substitute teaching. She further supported her comment by
stating, “You just have to learn how to push through it and make sure everybody just stays on
task.”
Rose recognized the importance of being louder, especially since she is naturally a
relatively quiet person. For example, when asked what she learned about classroom learning
environments and classroom management, she divulged, “Definitely being louder ‘cause (laughs)
I’m a soft spoken person. So, I have to yell to get their attention.” She also found value in
coupling the adjustment of her volume with classroom “attention-getters,” such as a teaching
management methodology referred to as “The Theory of Bumps,” that addresses preventive
measures and suggested teacher responses. Along with specific clapping patterns that a teacher
begins and to which students respond, these are the tools that Rose finds most useful as they
command order and attention. According to Rose, these strategies are not only effective in a
classroom. Humorously, she adds that attention-getters work on significant others too. To
illustrate, she revealed that she sometimes uses the classroom clapping technique to gain the
attention of her boyfriend, noting, “It’s funny...I still do that like when my boyfriend [when] I
can’t get his attention, I will [use the techniques]...I admit it does work on grown men (laughs).”
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To conclude the behavioral component of the interview, respondents were asked if there
were additional thoughts they wanted to share about what was learned in the program and
applied to current environments. Shannon and Leah both spoke about professionalism. Leah
mentioned how her teacher impressed upon her the importance of remaining professional no
matter the circumstances and how this has helped her with customer service in her current role.
As she explains,
Just keeping a smile on your face. And our teacher would say to us, she would say it
every day, you know, whatever happens outside, you leave it at the door, and then you
come in, and you do your job.
Shannon’s ideas regarding how the program helped form her current sense of professionalism
were different. She discussed how she was required to formally introduce herself to her mentor
teachers in the internship and how she learned to adjust her language appropriately when
speaking with teachers, children, and how she is now conscious of that when communicating
with her principal or the parents of her students. She explained,
We had to email our teachers and kind of introduce ourselves, introduce ourselves to the
kids and it’s like how I would change my language from...emailing the principal of the
school, if I was emailing my mentor teacher, if I was talking to a student, or if I was
talking to the student’s parents. And so, that level of professionalism...Of course, you
need to be professional talking to everyone, at all times, but also it was like how I
changed my language too for the child to understand me, for the parents to understand
where I was coming from, and then also the teacher.
Tiffany and Sydney spoke more to character traits developed in the program they feel are
serving them. For example, Tiffany believes that being an intern helped her to be more patient.
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She shared that being pulled by different students simultaneously made her realize that she
would indeed get to them all eventually. She credits this for instilling the value of patience with
people in general now, sharing,
Like learning to be patient and trying to figure out and help [people] figure out what you
all are both saying on each side to get each other to understand...so, just having patience
with people in general, I feel like that helped me.
On the other hand, Sydney learned to be more flexible, particularly on behalf of her
students and their learning styles. She reflected on the necessity for understanding that children
do not all learn the same way, nor do they learn necessarily how their teacher does. Therefore, it
is incumbent upon educators, Sydney stresses, to “Hit as many learning styles as you can.”
Rose and Alexandria each responded that the multiple opportunities provided by the
internship to explore and embrace their creativity have stayed with them. Alexandria gushed her
affinity for constructing interactive bulletin boards, remarking, “I learned how to be more
creative with different art projects and different crafts. And you know, those boards that we
did...I learned how to use my creativity and apply it to be more educational.” Likewise, Rose
reminisced about making an assortment of crafts and posters, mentioning, “I just learned so
much in that class. Making little crafts too. I’m like a crafty person. I love to make crafts or
posters...and I can really show that in that class.”
In summary, former interns discussed many curricular elements experienced during their
time in the internship that they are applying now to their college experience and to their
respective workplaces. Cited most frequently were professional and soft skills followed by
writing and facilitating lesson plans. Other program features such as theory, the construction of
interactive bulletin boards, and creating their professional portfolios also proved useful.
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Research Question 3: What Knowledge, Skills, Attitude, Confidence, and Commitment to
Becoming an Educator Did Former Participants Acquire Based on Their Experience in the
Program?
The New World Kirkpatrick Model’s second level in this study and to which this research
question is centered is concerned with the degree to which former interns gained knowledge,
skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment directly due to what was learned from the program
experience. Again, it is important to note that the study subjects self-disclosed their beliefs
instead of assessing this level as the framework directs. According to the model, organizations
should determine these outcomes by observation and even pre-and post-test testing
measurements. However, for the study, interview questions attempted to evaluate the perception
of study respondents’ beliefs that the program impacted their overall abilities as future educators
or current teachers. Discussions also sought to elicit details about which concepts from the
program were learned and the perceived confidence the former students had in applying them to
their existing environments. Interviews with the former students of the internship program
revealed that they believe they learned concepts and skills they could utilize beyond high school
graduation. Neither the district administrator, Dr. Pepper, nor Mr. Batman, the human resources
representative, were asked questions pertaining to this research question, and therefore are not
cited in this section’s findings.
Knowledge and Skills
When asked what was explicitly learned as a direct result of being a student in the
program, there were duplicative responses from either previously asked interview questions or
across participants. As just one example, in a previous research question, when asked what
program elements impacted their overall abilities as future or incumbent classroom teachers,
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Shannon talked at length about classroom management. She echoed those thoughts about what
was learned, adding that having procedures and being organized are salient to maintaining an
effective classroom. Similarly, when asked about what was noteworthy as a direct result of being
a student in the internship, Lola stated the following:
I would probably have to say different styles of classroom management. I think going in
and to different classrooms, I feel like each teacher has a very different style, and you
saw ones that were like very lenient and ones that were very strict. So I think going in
and seeing what you would want to put in your classroom and what you wouldn’t want to
use was a big deal.
Leah, echoing the sentiments of her high school internship teacher, quipped, “Either you control
the classroom, or the classroom will control you.” She also asserted, “If you can’t control your
classroom, like, your kids are not gonna learn.”
Rose, too, mentioned her mentor teachers’ teaching styles and expounded on her
comments by discussing the tips and tricks she picked up from them, such as attention-getters.
Leah discussed learning to consider the whole child and to be sensitive to them as individuals.
The examples she offered included pulling students aside to address unwanted behaviors instead
of calling them out in front of their peers or just giving someone who is apparently acting out due
to having a rough day a water break instead of a consequence. She vocalized,
Handling certain situations and incidents if a kid’s acting out, our teacher always told us
think about why they’re acting out...Did they come in like that in the morning? Do you
think there may be something going on at home that you may not know about? Maybe
pulling a kid aside instead of calling him out in front of the class and be like, hey, if
you’re having a rough day, it’s okay. Go take a water break...trying to get him prepared
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for the day and doing things before class started to kinda get their mind off whatever
went on at home that morning.
Elizabeth, Sydney, and Alexandria each approached this question from unique angles.
Elizabeth shared that one of the most memorable things that she took from the program was
understanding the necessity for reducing her anxiety by being more flexible. She divulged,
I think that was probably the biggest takeaway personally from that class, is learning how
to be a little more go-with-the-flow. I was definitely always anxious and I don’t know, I
had a problem with...I wasn’t very flexible was probably [one] biggest things that I took
away from that, personally.
Sydney articulated the importance of feedback, reflection, and collaboration. She
conveyed,
You have to continuously get feedback and grow on that and reflect and take that
feedback and apply it… .that’s just been the biggest thing I think that I learned. And then
also like the collaboration piece...[and how] learning can be turned in a different way…
and clearly, I still remember them, what, 11 years later?
Alexandria shared her thoughts on learning what is really required to be a teacher and
how challenging it can be, stating,
I think I, I learned how challenging that being a teacher actually can be and how much
effort and work goes into it. I guess like, before you really if you don’t see it firsthand,
you kind of like go in, and you’re like, “Oh, my teacher just wakes up, and she knows
exactly what she’s supposed to be doing today.” And you know, there’s a lot more
background work that goes into it.
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Likewise, when asked her thoughts on how participation in the program impacted her overall
abilities as a future educator, Tiffany said, “Getting into it early kind of helped me get a jump-
start on learning about how to teach and sort of just being in the classroom and learning all the
time.” While she did not expound on that thought, she did further state that learning how to
manage classrooms was one of her most prized takeaways. Tiffany shared that she learned
certain tricks by observing her partner teacher handle various student situations. For example,
Tiffany talked about setting up learning stations and offering different environments within the
classroom for certain children who may need a change of scenery from time to time and further
relayed,
There was this one student in the class…he was kind of the class clown. And the teacher
would just kind of look up from her desk and give him that one look, and he would be
like, Oh, okay. And would go back to doing whatever he was supposed to be.
To further illustrate, Shannon reminisced about the multiple grade levels she had the
opportunity to observe and how being immersed in several classrooms and with an assortment of
students while in the program taught her classroom management and the importance of
differentiation of instruction for every child. She denoted,
I was like, “How do I manage all of these kids that are all so different and unique and
come from these different backgrounds?” And so, I had to learn like one way isn’t always
gonna work. You kinda have to have different ways. So, I definitely gained ability in
trying to wrangle all the kids and trying to have them on the same page, and being able to
manage each of their learning styles.
Elizabeth had a different slant on classroom management than the rest. She meaningfully
expressed one of the more poignant takeaways from the program about creating positive learning
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environments and shared the importance of being sensitive to what her students may be
experiencing outside of academics. Elizabeth went on to say,
Trying to be as positive as possible for the kids because you never know what they’re
going through and how they may be feeling…and how to just treat the children with a
little bit more grace than they may get at home or with each other.
In short, most of the former interns interviewed shared that classroom management and
how to best respond to and be available to their students were salient program elements that they
felt impacted their abilities as current or future teachers.
Attitude
According to the Kirkpatrick Model, attitude is defined as “the degree to which training
participants believe that it will be worthwhile to implement what is learned during training on the
job” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016, p.16). It is further explained that the individuals
acknowledge that what they have learned is important to apply to their roles. The seven study
participants currently teaching or pursuing their education to become teachers maintained that
the internship experience had proven beneficial to their current circumstances. For example,
Shannon expressed,
I definitely just learned the beauty of classroom management and how incentives work
and positive reinforcement and kinda how all of that comes into play…but it was
definitely a stepping stone when I was in [the FEA]. I got a glimpse of it which really
helps me not to be so shocked coming into student teaching because I did have the
experience of [the program] that I wasn’t super worried versus some of my other like
peers in my classes were like freaking out because they’ve never had that
experience…and so, they haven’t had that interaction with kids, and we did.
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Again, classroom management, this time exemplified by the utilization of incentives, is
cited as an important and worthwhile facet of the program.
Commitment
The New World Kirkpatrick Model discusses commitment related to the motivation
individuals have to apply the skills and knowledge to their working environments. Again, those
currently in education or pursuing it as a profession shared they saw value in what was learned.
They were either presently utilizing the information gleaned from the program or were somehow
committed to doing so. Most former interns discussed plans to implement what was learned
about classroom management and simply being a teacher in general. Lola is one example. She
discussed the opportunity to witness teachers’ different styles of classroom management. She
believed that exposure assists her in selecting those behaviors she would like to apply to her own
classroom. She commented,
I think going [into] different classrooms I feel like each teacher has a very different style
and you saw ones that were very lenient and ones that were very strict. So I think going
in and seeing what you would want to put in your classroom and what you wouldn’t want
to use was a big deal.
Similarly, when talking about what she learned about teaching from observing other teachers
while in the program, Shannon expressed, “I want to store that in my little keepsake, and I can
use that in my classroom one day.”
Sydney talked about lesson planning and how she had compared what was learned in the
high school internship to that taught in her college courses. She mentioned that she utilized the
program’s lesson planning methods to her student teaching, divulging,
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We had to create the lesson plan and, and create some more fun activities to go along
with it, and I used a lot of [FEA] stuff. I was like, Oh, I can just use what we did there. I
can just apply that here. So it was fun ‘cause I felt like I was just revamping some things
we’d already done.
To summarize, commitment according to the New World Kirkpatrick Model means
having motivation to apply what was learned to working environments. Examples offered
include teaching styles, classroom management, and lesson planning but important to note is the
fact that seven out of 10 interns who participated in this study are either serving as a classroom
teacher or preparing to do so which is further demonstrative of motivation as outlined by the
Kirkpatrick framework.
Confidence
The New World Kirkpatrick Model purports that confidence is the extent to which
individuals feel they can apply the skills and knowledge learned to their job, essentially, when
evaluating the training gained from the program. This is the participants’ sense of self-efficacy,
or the belief in one’s ability to produce desired results (Bandura, 2012). Former interns were
asked, when applicable, how confident they were applying concepts learned in the program to
their college courses and workplaces. All but two of the former interns commented that
participating in the program inspired greater confidence. Alexandria imparted that she has
always been relatively confident and that other life experiences contributed to that. She did,
however, repeat from a response to a previous interview question that the program offered her a
foundation for understanding certain expectations when it comes to teaching. Hence, she
acknowledged the internship’s contribution to that. On the other hand, Tiffany, who is still
currently in college, chose to quantify her confidence level, stating,
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On a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably say a seven. Like I’m not 100% confident to just
be thrown in by myself right now, but I am definitely confident at giving instruction and
leading the class with a little bit of advising or oversight from someone.
The other study subjects gushed enthusiastically about the internship’s role in their
confidence levels in their bachelor’s degree programs or the classrooms they currently teach.
Specifically, Elizabeth, Lola, Rose, Shannon, Sydney, and Leah all expressed how what they
learned in the high school program translated into confidence when the same concepts were
taught to them at the college level. Elizabeth shared,
It did affect my confidence overall just because I didn’t come into my college classes
completely blind…I think that was probably the biggest thing that helped me going into
college. Already being in the classroom, already knowing how to write a lesson plan, and
already knowing those teaching strategies and how to be, how to dress and act
professional…so, it wasn’t like I was starting from zero. I was starting a couple steps
ahead of my peers.
Sydney, too, affirmed that the program gave her confidence. She felt what was learned in
college was an extension of what had been taught in the internship. As she put it, “I just realized,
wow, we already did this or, cool, I already know that… ‘cause I remember telling my parents, I
was like, I feel like I’m just doing high school all over again.”
Leah also derived confidence from participation in the internship. Like the others, she associated
that with being ahead of her peers. She imparted specific components of lesson planning and
talked about how her classmates in college did not have the same knowledge. She described
helping them out and attributed this and the fact that she once was “very, very quiet” and “not
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the best at, like, speaking in front of big crowds, but after taking the class, I have gotten a lot
better about it, and so, that’s a lot of where my confidence comes from as well.”
Sydney approached the question altogether differently. Although she believes that
participating in the internship did infix confidence, she relayed that one can ever know
everything, and there is always the opportunity for growth. As she sees it, “I think it made me
more confident, but it made me realize there’s still so much to learn.”
Affirmation
One noteworthy theme that emerged from the study was the affirmation and commitment
to the teaching profession that resulted from participation in the internship. Rose and Shannon
shared their feelings on how they felt the program impacted their overall abilities as future
educators. Rose focused on the affirmation she gleaned from being an intern. She stated, “Being
in that class, I just knew for sure, like, this is what I wanted to do. [It’s] so much fun, and it
comes really easily to me.” Likewise, Shannon shared,
I was like, “Wow, okay.” Like, “I’m good at this.” Like I want my students to succeed,
and, so, that was just kind of like the icing on the cake for me as I want to be an educator
and continue to do this day in and day out for just helping students learn, and I want them
to be excited about school.
Elizabeth appreciated that the experience “…gave me a realistic view” and that “…this just kind
of solidified it for me.” Rose shared, “It had a very, like lasting impression, I guess, on me and,
you know, I wanted to continue to teach and wanted to work towards that.” Sydney echoed those
sentiments, adding, “It just confirmed what I wanted to do. It sort of showed me how much work
goes behind teaching that you don’t see as a student; so, very eye-opening for sure.” Leah
confirmed her career path the very first week at the partner campus, declaring, “I knew, like,
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after my first week of teaching in the classroom, I knew this is what I wanna do for a living for
sure.”
Professionalism
Professionalism was the most touted response to the interview question that asked what
specifically was learned as a result of being a student in the FEA program. Rose zeroed in on
how the program instilled a strong work ethic and the importance of time management. Further,
some like Elizabeth and Tiffany believe it to be an essential component of the program that
serves them now in college and current work settings. Elizabeth, for example, attributed the
internship to instilling in her a sense of professionalism, stating, “I think that was probably one
of the biggest impacts early on was how to be professional in the classroom.” Similarly,
Alexandria, who had just recently left substitute teaching to work in the medical field, spoke of
her intermittent experience leading high school classrooms and how the program prepared her to
be professional, stating,
I’ve worked in a professional setting where I do need to behave and how what is expected
of me professionally. And then, I was able to grow from that and apply that to my
everyday life as a sub. I knew how to interact with students. I knew what was acceptable,
what wasn’t acceptable. So, I think that it really set that foundation for me.
Shannon divulged the many different ways that she and her classmates were expected to
be professional. She noted that her program teacher stressed the importance of recognizing that
interns are guests and that it is a privilege to leave the high school to serve on an elementary
school campus. Shannon discussed the required uniform and the guidelines of what could and
could not be worn. Shannon’s instructor would also instill in them the significance of making a
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good impression with the teachers they shadowed. She would frequently walk around the
campus, asking mentor teachers how her students were doing.
Sydney too mentioned uniforms but also offered that her internship teacher engrained the
importance of an “appropriate handshake.” Her teacher even stood outside the doorway on
occasion, greeting them with an extended hand, and then rated each intern’s technique.
Each conversation with the study participants revealed a belief and offered experiences
that exemplified the utilization of the training received in high school, in the partner-campus
environments they studied, and that had worked for them beyond graduation. Even Lola, the
youngest, fluidly conveyed that the internship’s required projects, the timelines, and the due
dates instilled the importance of time management skills. She went on to say that such exposure
has assisted her in college with her coursework. Whether the application of learning was borne of
lessons directly taught by the program teacher, the partner-campus mentor teachers,
observations, or interactions and experiences with the children, all study subjects declared that
they could put into practice something or some things learned from the high school program
experience.
Recommendations
Former students posed several suggestions to improve the learning opportunities offered
in the program. One study participant recommended that former interns return to their respective
high school campuses to field questions about how the experience has translated to college or the
workplace. Sydney suggested that they invite program graduates to speak to current interns as
she had done before. She conveyed,
Really being able to relate to the kids that I was talking to and being like, Hey, look,
these are the doors that were opened up for me, if you’re really serious about the
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program…And it was also cool for me to come back and see how little…school had
changed, but also to really talk to them and say, Hey, look, this is actually really similar
to what I’m doing right now at college.
Tiffany suggested introducing another component altogether to the internship. She would
have liked to have seen an after-school program coupled with tutoring services offered as a facet
of the FEA. She offered,
Maybe like an after-school program...just like the tutoring and stuff like that. I know we
had an option for it, but it was only around like [standardized testing ], I think, is
whenever we could do tutorings, but I feel like that would help us get more into it too.”
Shannon expressed her thoughts on simply trusting interns to do more. She felt that she
and her peers could have taken on more responsibility than what was allowed. In her words,
I feel like we could have taken on more, and I wished that we would have been able to do
more in the classroom of...yes, I’m observing, but why can’t I take over and do the
warmup or something like that? And I feel like in student teaching, our first week, we
were kind of told just to hang back and just really observe. But by the third or fourth day,
I was like, Oh, I can do the warmup...And I think closer to the end of the program, I just
wished that there was more that we got to do and more interaction with our students.
Shannon further shared thoughts on having more opportunities for interns to practice,
noting that the three formal lessons taught each school year is not enough. She offered that it
would be more beneficial to allow them to try out different approaches of classroom
management and to assess their effectiveness.
One of the most common and glaring recommendations was made by several former
interns. They each strongly suggested that the program offer more exposure. Lola, Alexandria,
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and Leah stated that they would have liked to have had experiences with a greater number of
partner teachers, grade levels, and students. For this to be possible, Lola recommended
shortening the rotations, typically seven weeks or so, to accommodate additional classroom
assignments.
Mainly because of Leah’s interest in teaching Special Education, she proposed that
interns are given opportunities to explore educational and academic programs outside the typical
classroom environment. Leah shared,
The only thing, ‘cause I wanna teach special education, I wasn’t actually allowed to work
with them. I would say like if a child and, and like if a kid already knows, like, you know,
I don’t wanna teach that or, you know, like, letting them dip their foot in that. Even if
they’re not getting to actually teach the lesson plans but actually go and sit in the
classrooms.
In summary, this research question addressed the knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence,
and commitment that former interns acquired based on their experiences while in the program. In
many respects, responses mirrored those offered for the second research question that delved into
applying what was learned in the program to current environments, such as classroom
management and lesson planning. Former students of the program also offered suggestions for
improvements to the internship experience.
Research Question 4: What Are the Former Program Participants’ Beliefs About the Value
of Their Experiences in the Program?
Primarily, this research question seeks to inform the Reaction level, which is the first in
the New World Kirkpatrick Model, to address the degree to which participants find the training
favorable, engaging, and relevant to their jobs. For this study, to comprehensively explore this
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level that assesses program value, separate questions were posed to the district administrator
from those composed for the former interns. The human resources representative interview did
not directly address this research question and is therefore not cited.
District Administrator
In Dr. Pepper’s interview, she was asked to share any general thoughts that she wanted to
impart about the program. She divulged campus principals, administrators across the district, and
human resources professionals all believe in the value that this program offers its students.
Moreover, she shared that the human resources department has commented to her on their
favorable impressions of returning interns’ job interviewing skills compared to others who had
not gone through the internship. In her words, Dr. Pepper indicated,
I think this program attracts the best of the best. I think it attracts students who are
focused on what they want to do in their life’s work. I think this is a wonderful
opportunity for the students to learn and grow and investigate the teaching
profession. This is a high profile program, and there are some upper admin that are very
keen on keeping track of the progress of this program. Principals are very proud of
having this program on their campuses. And I think this program is just invaluable for the
students. I have heard HR admin brag to me about or comment to me about how prepared
our students are for interviews over and above just walk off the street university folks. So
general comments, I mean, this is like the best of the best. This is, this is a premier
program, and I am just pleased to be the coordinator and that they let me do it.
Dr. Pepper relayed her perspective on the internship’s importance and referenced some of the
positive feedback received from other administrators and departments throughout the district.
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She conveyed a sense of pride in being associated with this program and shared that others, too,
recognize its value.
Intern Interview Responses
According to the annually published district course descriptions booklet, the first year of
the internship is defined as,
A field-based internship that provides students with background knowledge of child and
adolescent development as well as principles of effective teaching and training
practices... Students learn to plan and direct individualized instruction and group
activities, prepare instructional materials, develop materials for educational
environments, assist with record keeping, and complete other responsibilities of teachers,
trainers, paraprofessionals, or other educational personnel.
The second year is a continuation of the first but adds a component of mentoring those in their
first year.
Five questions were developed for former program students to assess the Reaction level
of the New World Kirkpatrick Model as it applies to their internship experience. For them,
customer satisfaction, engagement, and relevance are measured. The term customer here refers to
the former interns. Engagement in the internship program is the extent to which the students
benefited from participating in the program. Finally, relevance was evaluated as to whether they
believe that the program impacted them directly, their college experience, or their current
working environments.
Program Satisfaction
Throughout the interviews, study participants, when answering questions, shared personal
thoughts and experiences about the internship and how the program affected or benefitted them,
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so there is some crossover in these answers and those offered in response to the direct question
asked under this level. Generally, the perceived benefits of the program ran the gamut from the
exposure to seeing what it is truly like being a teacher to having the opportunity to spend
memorable time with the elementary school students to ultimately affirming that the choice to
pursue education as a profession was the right one. Shannon spoke to both the former and the
latter by first discussing her realization that there was more to teaching than lesson plans and
classroom management, and that by being given the opportunity to have this kind of exposure to
the profession solidified her decision to become an educator. She declared,
There’s just so much more that went into it behind the lesson planning and the classroom
management, and the behavioral aspects. And, so, I think that it just definitely gave you a
glimpse inside the real world of teaching, and it was like, do I really want to do this for
the rest of my life? Do I wanna go to college and pursue a degree in education? And, so,
it really was kind of a stepping stone …to see if education was really for me. And I found
out that it was.
Elizabeth’s, Alexandria’s Tiffany’s, and Lola’s and responses were similar, with Lola adding, “I
think that it set a good foundation for classes in college.”
Sydney felt that what benefited her most was the exposure to the more technical aspects
of being an educator and how that prepared her for student teaching in college citing, “It was
really like student teaching…also, having that mentor to go observe or work with that was really
awesome, too, because I got to learn things before student teaching….but it definitely got me
ahead and prepped.”
Like Sydney, Leah mentioned the mentor teachers at the partner campuses, too, sharing that one
of the privileges of the internship was forming relationships with them. She conveyed, “I would
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say building connections actually with a lot of the [district] teachers that, every, um, teacher I
worked with was really, really sweet and easygoing and, you know, they weren’t afraid to help
me if I had questions.”
Rose had a different perspective. She felt that the relationships with the children at the
elementary schools were the most valuable benefit of the program. She effused about things they
would say and do when she would arrive in their classrooms and how that made her feel. Rose
voiced,
I think that I had a real bond with the kids. They loved it whenever I walked into the
classroom. They were like, “Oh, Ms. So-and-so, you’re here,” And they would listen to
me. They like, they really looked up to me, you know? I learned a lot from that class that I
will use in my future teaching.
Every study participant interviewed enthusiastically responded that they were satisfied
with the internship program experience. A couple of them, unsolicited, even offering a numerical
rating. For example, Lola shared, “Um, honest, [on] a scale from 1–10, I would say 10. I feel like
it was good to get some basic information and to solidify that I want to be a teacher.” Rose also
lauded the program by laughingly saying, “Do you want me to rate it from like a 1–10 because
I’d give it like an 11.” She further relayed,
I was very satisfied with it. I loved it so much...I looked forward to it every single day or
days we did travel to the schools. Yeah, it was awesome. And I actually attended the
elementary school I interned for. And, um, some of my mentors were my actual teachers I
had, and I learned a lot too, which is probably why I wanted to continue, you know, in
college.
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Others echoed similar sentiments. When asked how satisfied she was with the program overall,
Leah said, “I was highly satisfied with my teacher and the program and how she prepared us to
go to college if you actually wanted to be a teacher.”
Alexandria and Sydney declared their appreciation for the program as well. Alexandria,
who is no longer pursuing a career in education, effused,
Oh, I loved it. I loved every single moment of it. I loved the kids. I loved working with
the teachers. I loved the crafts. I loved the lesson planning. I loved it, the entire thing.
That was probably my favorite thing that I did in high school.
Sydney also raved,
Oh, I recommend it to everybody. I thought it was the best thing…I definitely was an
advocate for it. So much to where, when I was in college, I was an ambassador for the
college of education because I got to actually come back to [my high school] to talk to
the [FEA] students in that class. So definitely think it’s great. I mean, I don’t know
anybody that wasn’t really satisfied with it, to be honest.
In summary, each intern interviewed enthusiastically expressed satisfaction with the
overall internship experience, including Alexandria, who had recently decided to pursue a
different career path. Many referenced an appreciation for the opportunity to explore the
profession before entering college.
Impact on the College Experience. All but one former intern acknowledged that the
program had an effect on their time in college. Though admittedly personally influenced,
Alexandria was the only subject for whom the internship experience did not affect her in college,
stating, “I really feel like it didn’t do much for me at all. I mean, it kind of gave me an idea of
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what I wanted at the time. But it really didn’t do anything for my [college] courses.” Other
respondents felt differently.
Elizabeth, Lola, Rose, Shannon, Sydney, Tiffany, and Leah discussed how being a
student in the program has served them in their respective institutions of higher learning. Many
believed that the curricular facets of their high school program directly crossed over into their
coursework at the university level. Elizabeth divulged that much of what she took in her second
year of college was almost exactly what she learned the last two years of high school. She said,
It made college a lot easier. I was doing a lot of stuff, taking a lot of tests similar to what
I had already done with, um, [the FEA] and with TAFE. So, the Intro to Education class I
took my sophomore year of college was almost, I guess, like, too easy for me just
because it almost mirrored exactly what I did my junior and senior year as far as content
and experience.
Lola, who is rounding out her freshman year at a state university, shared similar thoughts,
stating,
So I think that for my first semester, we took like an introduction course. And it talked
about pedagogy of teaching. And I think I had a pretty good knowledge of that already
from [the program]. And, so, I think that was really helpful for college so far.
Rose mirrored these sentiments saying that her college classes are easier as well, relaying,
It impacts my experience in college because I feel like I already know a lot, I guess, and
like I can apply what I learned in the class to what I learned now...because I feel like I
learned so much from that class. Whenever I learned something in the classes I’m taking
now, I’m like, Oh, well, I learned that in [the FEA].
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Shannon, who is currently in the student teaching phase of college, talked about how prepared
she feels due to her high school internship. She offered,
I feel like I’ve just always been ahead and even being in student teaching now, I’m like,
“Oh, this is like [the FEA] all over again. Just a little more in-depth.” And so, I feel like
I’ve just kind of always been a few steps ahead, um, once I was in college and then
talking to other friends that have no idea what [the internship] was or never had really
had a program like that…but it’s just really cool to see how much I’ve grown since [the
FEA] in high school.
Along those same lines, Sydney disclosed that she did not have to work quite a hard as her peers,
noting,
It made it easier for me…I kind of felt like I could cheat a little bit because I didn’t have
to read my chapters as closely as everybody else because I already had background
knowledge to pull from…So, I felt more relaxed when it came to learning it in college.
Leah believes that the high school program has actually prepared her more than her current
university for the teaching profession. In her words,
Actually, I will say I learned more in [the FEA] than I have so far, [with my university’s]
program…I’m having to rewrite a lesson plan in one of my classes right now, and the
only thing I can base it off is actually what I learned in high school is that lesson plan.
‘Cause I actually haven’t been taught a lesson plan at [my university] so far, so.
Tiffany’s take on how the high school experience affected her in college was different from that
of the others. She reasoned that it helped her to be more patient than her peers with her
professors and that generally, it assisted with her expectations in a college setting. Tiffany
commented,
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I guess it made me start thinking…I was able to take a step back and actually look [at] the
teacher’s point of view and realize that like, oh, well, yeah, they haven’t graded that
because they’ve been doing other things to prepare for class. So I think that helped me to
be more patient with my professors and my teachers and stuff like that in my class as
well.
Impact on the Workplace. Realizing that some study subjects are further down the
career pathway than others, it was expected that answers to this interview question would be
mixed. Some participants did not have much to draw on, while others alluded to alternate
experiences, such as the program’s influence on student teaching or volunteer work. Rose, for
example, once worked as a tutor and for the district’s before- and after-school care program at
one of the elementary school campuses. She also teaches swim lessons to children. She feels that
participation in the program contributed to these experiences and continues to refer to the
materials she created and kept from that time. Rose offered,
I kept all of my notes, my activities, everything I did from [the FEA]. So, I just,
sometimes I’ll just flip through that and read it, and it will help me out. And I take notes
on little things my mentors did. So that’s like my little cheat sheet, as it has things written
down that I want to do for my future classroom.
Leah found that what she learned as an intern in the high school program has helped with her
volunteer work with children at church. She shared,
I will say, like, before reading books to kids, like, I didn’t have, like, the best inflection.
And our teacher, she taught us, like, you know, to have really good inflection, like, to
keep the kids engaged, to ask questions while you’re reading. So more of, like, helping
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kinda teach the kids at church, um, like, who maybe can’t read or can’t have their own,
like, voice inflections just reading books to them and stuff.
Alexandria estimated the program’s impact on her ability to manage challenges that arose with
children in professional environments, stating,
I learned a lot through that program, and, so, I kind of knew how to handle behavioral
issues. I kind of learned how you’re supposed to, you know, be with the children, like in
the aspect of…setting boundaries. And, so, I think that it taught me how to kind of
behave in that professional setting.
To summarize, it is important to note that many study subjects are at different stages of
their career pathway, therefore some did not have as much experience to reference when
considering the impact of their internship experience in their workplaces. Those who did offered
examples of student teaching or volunteer work to support their responses. Generally, the
responses from the former students affirmed that what they encountered in the program impacted
them in their working environments.
Peer and School Connectedness
A salient area of research explored for this study was school connectedness relevant to its
relationship to CTE programs. Former interns were asked if participation in the FEA offered a
feeling of interrelatedness to peers and independently to their high school. Though the results
were mixed on the program’s effect on their degree of connection to their high schools, it was
unanimous across all participants that it contributed to a sense of bondedness to others in the
program.
Peer Connection. Each of the respondents concluded that the FEA contributed to a sense
of connection to their peers with whom they shared the program experience. Many, like Rose
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and Elizabeth, discussed shared goals and common interests. Elizabeth specifically enjoyed
being with others who cared as much as she. She conveyed,
Being in that program helped me connect with other people who kind of had the same
goals as me and just had something else in common with them other than, you know,
growing up together and always, you know, playing in the same, same circles. But I was
around people that actually cared about what they were doing because that class was such
a huge time commitment, and since it took up, like, all electives, if you decided to do it,
then you were obviously serious about it in, in some ways.
Lola appreciated that she had a consortium to discuss issues or challenges. In her words,
she stated,
I think definitely it connected me more with peers in the program. Because I think going
into the classroom and then, say if I was having an issue, I could come back and talk to
like the students in there, and they could give me advice, or we could just talk to each
other about what was going on in our field experience, which was really nice.
Leah imparted similar sentiments, citing,
I will say our class, we were pretty close. So, whenever someone was struggling with
something, you know, we all stepped in to help. You know, if they had an issue with a
certain kid in their classroom…we would hear stories about, you know, how their week
went and, you know, some who had interesting stories and…you put yourself in like,
what would I do? And …we all were very accepting of each other.
Sydney and Alexandria connected with their peers during the internship and maintained
long-standing relationships with some of whom they participated. Sydney reflects on that as an
opportunity she would not have had otherwise, including connecting with people to whom she
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might not have otherwise connected, sharing that she might not have met some of the individuals
in her class had it not been for a common interest in becoming an educator. She conveyed,
We had all sorts of different people in the class. And, so, people that I probably wouldn’t
have never met otherwise. And, so, we learned about, you know, building relationships
with students and how to, you know, get to know them. And, so, we had to get to know
each other in turn to learn what we were doing.
Like Elizabeth and Rose, Alexandria acknowledged the benefit of sharing experiences
with individuals who have common interests. Similar to Sydney, she has maintained a friendship
from the program that she likely would not otherwise have. Alexandria stated,
Actually, one of my lifelong friends, she did the program with me, and we met whenever
we took that class. And we have been very good friends ever since. And so, I think that
being around people who are interested in the same thing as you and who kind of like,
wanna go in that same direction at the time as you…You kind of create a different bond
than you do with your other peers and your other classes. Yeah. Because I felt like I was
a part of something.
In summary, the former program students shared the belief that participating in the FEA
program offered a sense of comradery and belonging, in many cases even provided an
opportunity for them to meet individuals they likely would have not gotten to know otherwise.
Support for one another during the program was reported as were lasting friendships beyond high
school. In contrast, however, responses to the questions about feeling connected to their high
schools because of their association with the program were mixed.
High School Connection. Peer connections notwithstanding, not all former interns
believed that participation in the FEA made them feel more connected to their respective high
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schools. While Lola, Rose, Shannon, Sydney, and Tiffany had reason to believe that the
internship offered a connection to their schools, Elizabeth, Alexandria, and Leah did not see the
relationship. Instead, they each reasserted their peer connections in response to the question.
Elizabeth shared that the program was not well-known at her school, and Leah stated that the
only association she felt to her high school was because she had attended the program there.
Conversely, Lola cited feeling connected to her school because she was permitted to
observe some of the high school classrooms as an intern in the program and not just as a student.
She had also been allowed to work with the Life Skills students on her campus. Similarly,
Tiffany mentioned that being involved in the program and working with other schools in the
district allowed them to speak with other people and “form connections ultimately.”
It was the involvement of one district administrator that particularly moved Rose. She
spoke of him visiting their class both on campus and at the elementary partner campus as
meaningful for her and her classmates. She conveyed,
[We] thought that was really cool…you know, ‘cause he’s like higher up, and you look
up to him, and we were also...Like the [Assistant Principals] would drop in and say hi,
and I feel like we were really, I guess, respected. And we I think we wrote him thank-you
notes for stopping by…and that, just like that, made my year. And I still like think about
it and like that’s awesome. You know? ‘Cause he’s like a big figure for [our district].
Sydney, too, echoed various administrators’ engagement and how her continued relationship
with her program teacher impacted her sentiments of a deeper connection to her campus. She
also discussed returning to the campus while in college to avail herself to questions that then-
current interns had. Sydney reflected,
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I think part of it is because the principal…he was so invested in the program that he came
in and checked in on us and got to know us and because he wanted to see how the
program was working…And then he came to my college graduation…my teacher, I still
talk and keep up with her. So the people that were all involved in it still kind of track us
down and find their way of connecting with us, which makes you feel special, you know?
So that’s nice. It’s been really nice…but when I was in college, I did go back, and I did
talk to the [FEA] students, and they got to pick my brain and just ask me questions about,
you know, how college was going because I was in that program.
Shannon intertwined the connections to peers, her high school, and the teachers and staff
at her partner campus in her response. She likened some of the associations she developed as a
sort of networking. Shannon also expressed that she felt that those relationships occurred
altogether. As she sees it,
I definitely became closer [with] my peers as we built connections together with the
teachers and staff at both of those schools, as well as at our high school as well…and we
would wear our shirts every Friday. We would talk about it, and we even got to interact
like ours, teachers, other teachers in high school. And I remember some of my teachers
would buy the shirt from me because they just wanted to support the program and...for
their students that were really passionate about it.
Overall, responses from the former interns were inconsistent as to whether their
experiences in the program also offered a sense of connectedness to their high schools. Some
were fortunate to have had more interactions with campus and district administrators and were
exposed to even more teachers. This offered them a feeling of connection. Others, however, did
not have such experiences and did not feel as connected.
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Recommendations
When asked what recommendations for improvements to the program they had,
responses crossed over respondents. Elizabeth, Leah, and Rose joked about the uniform. Leah
was unabashed in her exclamation that the required shirt was ugly. Interestingly, the required
attire was the only thing that Rose mentioned as necessitating an improvement, divulging
laughingly, “I didn’t see any flaws in [the program]. Other than maybe the uniform.”
In addition to blurting out that the outfits were “hideous,” Elizabeth discussed the need
for more physical space and better classroom tools for the program. She specifically mentioned a
need for tables as opposed to desks and upgraded supplies. Elizabeth noted,
I know that this program has grown since I’ve been in college, and this is a lot to ask
from the school, but having a better classroom and, like, just having more space for the
program in general because…it was so hard to get anything done because we had desks,
not tables, so it was hard to if we needed to make a poster for anything. I think just, like,
upgrading the supplies we had in general.
In brief, when interns were asked about suggested recommendations for improving the
program, responses ranged from changing the uniform to allowing for more environments in
which to observe and to teach, like the school library and other ancillary classes such as physical
education, art, and music. Another suggestion was to allow for more physical space for the
program considering all of the equipment and supplies that are housed in the program
classrooms.
Additional Findings
Some interview questions asked were outside of the scope of the research questions but
were nonetheless deemed essential to the study. In particular, the Letter of Intent was of interest
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because the program does not currently offer any other form of formal certification. This letter
serves as an endorsement of sorts for those who complete the program. Therefore, it was helpful
to discover whether it assists with recruiting efforts and to otherwise understand its influences.
The Influence of the Letter of Intent
Based on their respective internship teacher’s recommendation, the Letter of Intent is
issued to students upon completing the program at the end of their senior year. This particular
school district is in high demand and receives tens of thousands of job applications annually.
Therefore, what makes the letter so desirable is that it guarantees internship graduates an
opportunity to interview for positions ahead of outside applicants.
Former students of the program were asked how the Letter of Intent impacted their
decision to participate in the internship. Unfortunately, half did not know about the letter before
enrolling based on the study participants’ responses. Rose, Sydney, Alexandria, and Tiffany were
not aware of the letter or its benefit before becoming an intern. Alexandria was the only one who
did not know about the letter even at the time of the interview. Surprised by the notion, in
response to the clarification that she was not aware, she stated,
No, I didn’t, but that’s really interesting. We probably will never, I’ll probably never
need it. I mean, my husband’s in the Army, and so we are all over the world, but, wow,
that’s really interesting. I didn’t know that.
The others revealed that they had learned about it after they were already in the program, with
many citing that they were not informed until their second year.
For Lola and Elizabeth, however, knowing of the letter beforehand proved to be
motivating. Elizabeth claims it is all the more beneficial for her now since she is applying for a
teaching position within the community. She shared,
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I think that was one of the main, like, motivating factors, especially with my parents, they
really supported me doing that program and, especially, like, having that promise for an
interview once I graduate was, I don’t know, a motivation to not only finish it but to do as
well as I can because you never know…And I’m actually in the process of applying to
[the district]… I’m moving back over summer. So, that’s been a huge motivator for me,
especially coming back to a district like [FYISD].
Shannon gave a slightly different perspective. Admittedly, while she had heard about the
letter in her junior year, she did not have an understanding of its magnitude until she became a
high school senior. The significance became more apparent when she was ready to return to the
district as a classroom teacher. Shannon divulged,
It just was like a reassuring feeling that I always have that. And I always could come back to
home and come back to where I grew up and loved school, every part of school in [the
district]. And so, being able to like give back in a way and to teach where I grew up, I was
really [appreciative of] the fact that through this program, I could receive a Letter of Intent
almost, in some way, a job back in [the district]…once I started looking more onto colleges
and what a Letter of Intent actually meant, it was a huge like, “Oh, yes. I need to do this
program again because I loved it but also with the bonus of that Letter of Intent.”
In summary, former program interns were asked how the Letter of Intent impacted their
decision to participate in the FEA program. Half of the respondents were not aware of the
existence of the letter and what it represented until they had already enrolled in the program.
One student did not know of the letter until the time of the interview.
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Summary of Findings
Ten individuals were interviewed for this study. Respondents consisted of one district
administrator, one human resources representative, and eight former program interns. Overall,
the interview responses from study participants demonstrated a belief that the internship holds
value for the school district at large and for the interns themselves. The district administrator and
human resources representative heralded the program as a worthwhile and essential endeavor
that they firmly and exuberantly support.
Through all four levels of the New World Kirkpatrick Model used to assess the Results,
Behavior, Learning, and Reactions to the program, respondents spoke positively about the
internship. Each former student interviewed nostalgically relayed personal, academic, and
professional experiences while in the program and beyond. Seven out of eight former students
interviewed are either currently or in the process of pursuing a career in education. Still, all
interns acknowledged the impact and influence of the experience intrinsically as much as their
appreciation for how it continues to serve them in their previous and current environments.
The school district now employs two former students interviewed. Five others are at
various stages of their college coursework, with one of them fulfilling her student teaching
requirement in the district at the time of this study. One has decided to pursue a career in the
healthcare industry as a medical office manager. As small as this sampling is, it still closely
mirrors the current data available on the program, with 25% of respondents returning to teach in
the community that fostered and assisted in cultivating their careers.
Data on the number of former program interns who have returned to the district as
classroom teachers is only available since spring of 2017. What is known is that 637 Letters of
Intent were issued to graduating seniors over the past four years. The largest number of letters,
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171, were distributed at the end of the 2019–2020 academic school year. Also, in the past four
years, 136 classroom teachers hired, or 21.35% of those issued a Letter of Intent, indicated on
their application that they were former interns in the program. It is important to note that the
tracking of this data that began in 2017 would likely not begin to demonstrate a significant return
until 2020 when former students of the internship would have had an opportunity to graduate
from a four-year post-secondary program.
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Chapter Five: Recommendations
Utilizing the New World Kirkpatrick Model of training evaluation, this study examined
the extent to which the FEA, offered by FYISD, is meeting its program goals. Moreover, it
aimed to assess the program’s impact on former students. In this final chapter, study findings and
a synthesis between the results and the research exhibited in the literature review are presented.
Further, evidence-based recommendations for practice are outlined and discussed.
Discussion of Findings
This study sought to address the lack of available data with respect to the impact of the
FEA program experience on its program participants. Though there is current information
available about the number of interns returning to the district as classroom teachers, this data is
limited due to a change in applicant tracking systems in 2017. Also, the number of former interns
now in the district employ in other capacities has not yet been surveyed. What is known is that
since 2017, 637 Letters of Intent were issued to program graduates. Of these individuals, 136 or
21.35% indicated in their job application that they were former interns in the program.
According to the district administrator interviewed, the program aims to grow its own
educators, meaning it hopes to have interns eventually return to the community as classroom
teachers. However, there is no target number or percentage known that has been set as a
measurement. Despite this, she concluded that the program is successful at doing so. In addition,
during the conversation with the human resources representative, he shared that former interns
are not only returning to the district as classroom teachers, but they are also ambassadors of the
program, often influencing others outside the community to want to join FYISD as faculty
members. Of the eight former students interviewed for this study, two are teachers in the district.
One was completing her student teaching requirement in FYISD but will return to her university
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outside of the city to teach and simultaneously pursue a master’s degree in education. Four are in
various educational bachelor’s degree programs, and one has decided to pursue a career in
medical management.
In addition, because data is not formally gathered from students on their perceptions of
the internship experience, the study further aimed to gauge the program’s appeal, usefulness, or
influence on its participants in the hopes of shaping the internship for continuous improvement.
Interviews with eight former interns revealed that overall, they found the program favorable and
impactful to their career goals. All but one are either currently employed as or are continuing to
pursue their education to become a classroom teacher.
One feature, and a cornerstone of the curriculum cited by many as the most applicable to
becoming an educator, was learning how to create and facilitate lesson plans. There were other
benefits noted by the study participants as well. Notably, professionalism and other soft skills
explored throughout the program were cited by the former students as impactful and applicable
to their present environments. Many acknowledged that the knowledge and skills gained from
their experiences in the internship have transferred and served them beyond the classroom or
their post-secondary education and will likewise maintain value in other professions or
circumstances. Another benefit widely cited was that the program experience affirmed that a
career in education was the appropriate choice.
Many reports and statistics are available that support the growing concern over the issue
of teacher shortage. For example, each year in the United States, eight percent of our teachers, or
approximately 270,000, leave the profession (Berry & Shields, 2017; Podolsky et al., 2016). In
addition, the number of those enrolling in teacher preparation programs is largely diminishing
(Yaffe, 2016). Another growing problem is that of those who pursue their academic credentials
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to become a classroom teacher, it is estimated that up to 30% will leave the profession within
their first five years of employment. Therefore, one of the prescribed remedies in the literature to
address the teacher shortage is high school internship programs such as the FEA.
Also statistically concerning is the issue of teacher diversity. Research supports that K-12
students greatly benefit from having teachers of the same ethnicity leading classrooms; however,
Rogers-Ard et al. (2019) contend that most U.S. teachers are white women. Further, the NCES
released a report that demonstrates that of the 3.2 million teachers teaching 49 million students
across the United States, only 6% are Latinx, and only 7% are African American. There is an
abundance of research discussing the importance and value of ensuring diversity among our
educators; however, important to note is that there does not seem to be any diversity data
maintained on the district’s FEA program.
Lastly, former interns were asked questions related to school connectedness, one of the
contextual issues explored in the literature review. School and peer connections were cited as
one benefit derived from participation in CTE programs such as the FEA.
School connectedness has been found to benefit student development, particularly self-
esteem, efficacy, confidence, motivation, and overall outlook (Yuen & Yao, 2015). Research has
also demonstrated that those who feel connected to their educational institution are less likely to
participate in unsafe practices such as alcohol, tobacco, drug use, suicide ideation, early or
haphazard sexual activity, and violence and gang association (Steiner et al., 2019). Studies
consistently suggest that one pathway to reinforcing school connectedness is to engage students
in learning activities deemed relevant to a chosen profession. Programs such as those offered by
the various CTE clusters, such as education and training under which this program falls, do just
that (Lapan et al., 2014; Meeder, 2006).
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To that end, participants in this study were asked to assess feelings of connection to their
peers and schools. Respondents unanimously shared that peer connections were indeed
established throughout their time in the internship. A few divulged that they still maintain close
friendships with those met through the program. Some indicated that participation made them
feel connected to their school at large and relayed stories of meaningful interactions with district
and campus administrators and support from teachers both inside and out of the internship as
establishing a connection for them. However, some did not feel an interrelatedness to their
respective high school campus, while others merely reasserted their peer connections in response
to the associated interview questions.
The four levels of the New World Kirkpatrick Model that measure the results, behavior,
learning, and participant reactions were utilized to evaluate the FEA internship program.
Regarding the results, although the data is limited, the district administrator and HR professional
interviewed are enthusiastic proponents of the program and seemed pleased with the numbers of
former students who are returning to the district as classroom teachers. Additionally, they were
optimistic about the growth of the program and the expectation of more returning graduates.
Behaviors influenced by the program were difficult to assess since most of the respondents are
still in college, and the findings are fully self-reported. Typically the approach for evaluating this
level of the model is to monitor what is referred to as required drivers. These are systems within
an organization that monitor, reinforce, and acknowledge when it is apparent that individuals are
implementing desired behaviors in the workplace presented to them through a training program.
That stated, the eight interns were asked questions to self-assess how what was learned during
the program is applied in their current educational or workplace environments. All former interns
relayed that they utilized skills and knowledge from the program and shared anecdotes about
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doing so. Responses ran the gamut from transferring what was learned to their academic
environments in college or the workplace to applying acquired and practiced leadership skills
with others. There was also no shortage of specific examples when respondents were asked about
what was learned in the program. The most cited skills were those associated with demonstrating
professionalism, followed by creating and facilitating lesson plans and managing students in
classroom environments. The final level evaluated explored the study participant’s beliefs about
the value of the program. Every interview with each individual revealed that the FEA program is
a worthwhile experience for its students. The district administrator and the human resources
representative are quite pleased with the outcomes. The former interns, including the one
individual who has opted to change her career trajectory altogether, conveyed that they relished
the experiences and opportunities that participation in the academy provided them.
Recommendations for Practice
Through their interviews, former students offered a significant amount of positive
feedback on their experiences in the program. Specifically, professionalism and soft skills,
learning to create lesson plans, and compiling elements to create a professional portfolio were
widely cited as serving interns beyond participation in the program. Therefore, it is
recommended that these aspects of the program that were conveyed to be impactful remain
intact.
Recommendation 1: Maintain a Focus on Professionalism and Building Soft Skills
Every participant interviewed shared specific examples of how learning professional
skills and behaviors in the FEA had benefited them both while in and beyond the program in
high school. Those soft skills frequently cited by the former program participants as most
beneficial and transferable to their academic and professional environments were
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professionalism, communication, leadership, and collaboration. Former students of the program
explained that these skills were exemplified in a number of ways, including the requirement to
wear a uniform, discussions and modeled behaviors by the program instructor, observations of
partner-campus mentor teachers, and a wide range of opportunities to practice professional
communication.
Research supports the importance of imbuing such skills on preservice educators.
According to Garza et al, “professionalism is a necessary first step in teacher development”
(2016, p. 26). Further, Hollins (2011) proffers that a teacher’s professionalism contributes to
their degree of effectiveness. Therefore, it is recommended that those who instruct GYO
programs continue to find ways to foster professional skills in their future educators.
Recommendation 2: Continue to Teach Interns to Create Lesson Plans
Understanding how to write lesson plans is a fundamental yet challenging skill that
educators must acquire in their pre-service training (Alanazi, 2019). Harry Wong (2009), a well-
known and respected educator, author, and public speaker contends that fully developed lesson
plans additionally support effective classroom environments, essentially making them just as
useful as a tool for behavioral management as they are for instructional purposes. The feedback
received throughout the interviews with the former interns indicated that the practice of and
familiarity with writing lesson plans were fundamental throughout their time in the internship
and after. Many stated that the opportunities for practice in the high school program, such as
being required to become familiar with the elements and developing them repeatedly, made it far
easier to approach creating plans when doing so was assigned in their college bachelor’s degree
programs. Study subjects also expressed gratitude for the confidence that early exposure to
writing plans had afforded them, one of them even stating that doing so had become “second
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nature.” Many respondents noted that comparatively, classmates who had not learned such skills
while in high school struggled with some of the concepts in their education courses in college.
Recommendation 3: Continue Creating Professional Portfolios
All but one of the study participants interviewed noted the value of creating a
professional portfolio while in the program. According to the research, those pursuing a career in
education benefit from creating professional portfolios because engaging in that process
promotes self-assessment, reflection on completed assignments, and preparation for employment
and professional growth (Wetzel & Strudler, 2006). Further, the University of Saskatchewan
(n.d.) purports that portfolios keep a record of achievements, maintain a focus on the teaching
profession and its importance, encourage conversation about pedagogy and the teaching
profession, and provide an evaluation tool for those who make decisions pursuant to hiring and
career advancement. Some of the content developed by the former interns to build a
comprehensive professional collection of work included a teaching philosophy, letter of
introduction, resume, work samples such as lesson plans, and reference letters. Those who had
compiled a tangible version of their works used it to build a digital version. Others who started
with a digital foundation applied some of those pieces to assignments in their college courses.
Some also used components of the portfolio to create resumes for job applications or graduate
programs. Because the feedback from the interns was that they found the content of the portfolio
so useful, it is recommended that program instructors continue to assist students in creating the
elements and to stress their utility beyond the program.
Recommendation 4: Establish Measurable Program Outcomes
While it is understood that the program’s goal is to grow educators who return to the
district as classroom teachers, there are no known established measurable goals as to the
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numbers targeted to do so. Research indicates that measurable goals should be established to
evaluate the degree of achievement of a program. Determining such criteria will provide data to
substantiate its effectiveness. Also, establishing practicable goals allows for gauging progress,
offering guidance and support to program efforts, and perpetuating motivation (Tendy & Hall,
2012).
Because there were no questions about such objectives posed to the study participants, in
this case, the district administrator and human resources representative, it was challenging to
assess the Results level of the evaluation model that measures the degree to which targeted
outcomes occur. Additionally, recruiting goals for which program teachers should be aiming
should be set for the number of students who enroll in the program annually. These objectives
should be regularly communicated to all stakeholders, such as district and campus administrators
and program instructors. Results should also be reported and disseminated.
Recommendation 5: Create Data Tracking and Communication Processes
According to Salvador et al (2016), there are three key reasons to track data on programs.
They propose that data can be used for program documentation, program evaluation, and
recording program achievements. Data can be tracked, they recommend, to evaluate whether a
program is meeting its goals, tasks are being accomplished, and whether the program is reaching
its intended audience. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) contend that data should be used to
ensure that desired behaviors are meeting the expectations set forth to achieve positive program
outcomes and to demonstrate progress.
Regarding the FEA, data on the number of program participants who return to the district
as classroom teachers are currently available. Still, those who return in other employment
capacities such as summer camp workers, before- and after-school care, paraprofessionals, bus
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drivers, etc., are not, although this is on the horizon, according to the discussion with the human
resources representative. Further, these statistics are not now but should be readily shared with
all stakeholders annually. Data collection should also include the numbers of issued Letters of
Intent, student exit surveys, and periodically follow and survey program alum. Tracking such
data will allow for continuous evaluation of goals and more effectively ensure desired program
outcomes.
Recommendation 6: Tracking Should Include Diversity Data
Future teacher internships are recognized as possible solutions to the growing need for
more ethnic and racial diversity among classroom teachers. As shared throughout this study, one
of the justifications for GYO programs is teacher diversity. Gist et al (2009) explain that high
school teacher preparation programs are established to encourage and support diverse students to
become educators and to address the growing need for more ethnic and racial diversity among
classroom teachers. They further assert many new high school GYO programs have been
developed in recent years with the express aim to motivate students of color to enter the
education career path. Valenzuela (2019) also professes that the objective of these programs is to
recruit future educators from local communities “in hopes that the pool of candidates will
increase in diversity and will be more likely to stay teaching in the community” (p. 1). Even the
TEA website states that one of the reasons for the existence of these programs is to create teacher
pipelines to increase the pool and diversity of Texas’ future classroom leaders (n.d.). However, it
is unclear in the data collection that demographic data around race and gender was being
collected for FYISD. Given the importance of GYO programs on diversity (Rogers-Ard et al.,
2019; Quiñones, 2016), it would be helpful for the district to ensure that such data was being
collected and analyzed on a regular basis, particularly since the literature is replete with research
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espousing the salience of educators more closely mirroring the diversity of students in a
classroom and the need for education to be more equity-focused. If this practice currently exists,
it should continue. If not, it is recommended that longitudinal data tracking include not only the
diversity of those students participating in the program, but also who returns, in what capacity,
and who remains in the district employ. Both site and composite results of this data collection
should be reported and disseminated annually.
Recommendation 7: Make Curricular Enhancements
The focus of curriculum evaluation is to assess whether the outlined objectives and
activities produce the requisite results, to consider how current course offerings can be
augmented, and to determine the value of a program (Glatthorn et al., 2009). Glatthorn et al state
that in order for curriculum to offer value, it must be continuously monitored and evaluated.
Further, it must be adjusted to address the needs of the ever-changing audience it serves. Former
interns were unabashed and pleading in their recommendations for program modifications. While
some suggested being given greater responsibility in the partner classrooms, much of what was
mentioned amounted to increasing exposure. For example, a few conveyed that they had
requested more and varied experiences with partner teachers, classrooms, and students while in
the program. There were also suggestions for expanding the number of opportunities to interface
with campus and district administrators and former program interns.
Most cited was the desire to be exposed to a greater number of experiences. It was
expressly noted that study subjects wanted to witness more classroom environments and be
assigned to more partner teachers. Further, they conveyed a desire to have more classroom
models, such as ancillary programs like art, music, and physical education. There was also
mention of a need for interning in special education environments.
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Many also wanted more responsibility at the partner schools rather than just creating
classroom materials and teaching only one formal lesson at the end of each rotation. Some even
suggested shortening the rotations so that they could have more of them. Another
recommendation was to have former interns return to their campuses to meet with, present to,
and field questions from those presently participating in the program. Those who made this
suggestion believed there would be a significant benefit to discussing their experiences beyond
the program and how they are actively applying what was learned to academic and professional
settings. These interactions could also contribute to peer and school connectedness, another
important and valuable opportunity per the research.
Similarly, study participants mentioned numerous times how impactful and memorable it
was to interface with campus and district administration. There were many moments during the
interview process that respondents would become wistful as they relayed their personal stories of
how much it meant to them to have conversations with principals or other campus administrators
who would visit their classrooms. There were also multiple poignant memories shared of one
district administrator in particular who helped establish the district’s internship program. He
would regularly come to the high school campuses and the partner campuses and actively engage
with the students. All of these interactions made those who shared them feel respected and
important, they reported. Therefore, efforts should be made to incorporate more of these
opportunities into the program.
Recommendation 8: Increase Communication About Program and Program Benefits
There are many benefits offered by GYO educator programs. One of the primary reasons
for their existence, for example, is that they address the need for more ethnic and racial diversity
among classroom teachers (Gist et al., 2009). They also assist in creating a pipeline of educators
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to aid in the challenges presented by teacher shortage (TEA, n.d.). Further, they connect students
to their peers and schools, and this connectedness can assist in staving off undesirable behaviors
such as high school dropout, and a plethora of unsafe practices (Steiner et al, 2019).
It was revealed by many of the former interns during the interview process, however, that
there was little awareness of the program overall on their high school campuses. Some of them
heard about the program from their parents or a friend. For one study participant, she was not
made aware of the program until right before her senior year.
Another notable piece of information gleaned from the interviews with former program
participants was the lack of awareness about the benefit of the Letter of Intent. Many mentioned
that they were not informed of what it was or what it meant until they were well into the
program, a couple revealing that they did not know until they were departing it. One study
participant was first informed of it at the time of the interview. More robust strategies to
communicate the Letter of Intent should therefore be established.
Communicating all of these benefits is therefore a recommendation. It would behoove the
district and the high school campuses to create more avenues for communication about the
program. Opportunities to more frequently market the internship to high school and even middle
school students should be explored and developed. Moreover, pointed attempts should be made
to brand, recruit, and market the program to build diversity in these programs.
Recommendation 9: Create an Alumni Group
One of the many reasons cited for teacher attrition, a contributing threat to the teacher
shortage, is insufficient emotional and environmental support. Podolsky et al (2016) reported that
cost-effective solutions that school districts are implementing to improve teacher retention rates
are mentor programs, establishing a sense of community, connection, and support, and offering
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networking opportunities. Districts implementing ideas equivalent to these resulted in twice the
number of teachers staying in the profession versus those who do not receive such support.
Therefore, to assist in addressing some of the concerns surrounding teacher shortage and
attrition, and to offer this sense of community and mutual support for both those returning to the
district and program interns, it is recommended that the district create an alumni group of former
interns. Forming an active alumni group could also assist in the efforts to encourage former
interns to return to the district. The alumni could further serve as mentors to the students while
they are enrolled in the high school program. Creating an additional support mechanism such as
this would further demonstrate respect for the internship and its students, something study
participants cited during the interview process as important. Several had divulged that
opportunities to interact with district and campus administrators and still others were memorable,
encouraging, and meaningful to their internship experience. An alumni group could augment the
impact of those interactions.
Limitations and Delimitations
Understanding that there are facets of qualitative research beyond the investigator’s
control, there were a few obstacles to navigate when executing this project. Some limitations
included selecting and accessing study participants, limited data, barriers to social media
postings, positively sloped interview results, a lack of diversity among the former intern study
subjects, and the challenges presented by utilizing the New World Kirkpatrick Model
framework. The COVID-19 pandemic as a limitation is also discussed. Delimiting choices I
made include the criteria established to select former intern study participants and the decision to
use the New World Kirkpatrick Model of training evaluation to assess the program.
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Some limitations included parameters set by the district regarding who could be
interviewed and specific protocols to gain access to study participants. Others stemmed from the
fact that despite the program being in effect in the district for 13 years, data only existed for four
due to a change in applicant tracking systems. This limited the ability to determine an accurate
assessment of the program’s success.
Another unexpected and distressing limitation was the denial from Facebook
administrators to post general information regarding the study and requests for volunteers in
specific groups previously targeted for recruitment. There are several such groups for teachers in
the district, and I initially planned to reach out through those social media networks. The one that
offered the most promise for possible candidates immediately denied the request, and others did
not respond to messages asking for approval.
Concerning the data, a significant limitation was that because the study sample was
mostly comprised of former interns, the results were largely positive. It was expected and
understandable that individuals volunteering to participate in this study would be students who
enjoyed or were positively influenced by being a part of the program. Another limitation is that
all former interns who participated in the interview process for this study were female and there
was no racial diversity among them.
An additional limitation lies within maintaining the fidelity of the evaluative model used
to conduct this study. In the New World Kirkpatrick Model, it was far easier to perform analysis
on the first and fourth levels of Reaction and Results than to assess the second and third levels of
Learning and Behavior. The interviews with former interns certainly addressed how they felt
about the training they received while in the program and whether they are engaged in academic
pursuits aligned with education or employed within the district or in an education-related
117
profession elsewhere. However, it was challenging to ascertain a complete picture of what and
how much was learned and whether those things were fundamentally applied in their current
roles and environments.
Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic certainly created limitations for this study. Plans, tasks,
and goals were put on hold, delaying progress. Further, it was more difficult for some
participants to find time to interview because of the added responsibilities and dilemmas posed
by navigating through new approaches to living and working. I believe that perhaps more
campuses would have agreed to participate in the study, which would have provided a more
substantial sample size had it not been for all of the challenges borne from this global crisis.
According to Creswell and Creswell (2018), delimitations are decisions made by the
researcher that pose limits or restraints on the scope of research in a study. One delimitation was
that I originally outlined study sample specified very particular criteria for study subject
selection. The initial aim was to identify former interns who had returned to the district as
classroom teachers, which would have required locating students who had graduated from the
program no less than four years prior. It would have also assumed that enough would have
completed their bachelor’s degree programs and compulsory certifications. These details would
have made it far more challenging to acquire a decent sample size. Therefore, the criteria were
opened to graduates of the program who were at least 18 years of age, which intrinsically posed
further limitations. Campus research sponsors reached out to graduates from only one or two
years before the study, so a few volunteers were in their first or second year of college, which
limited their ability to respond to some of the interview questions posed more comprehensively.
They did not have the capacity or an adequate number of opportunities to apply what was learned
118
from the program to their current environments. There had not been enough time or experience
to do so.
Another delimitation was the choice to apply the New World Kirkpatrick Model to
evaluate the program. The model was initially designed to evaluate the effectiveness of training
programs in business environments. Adapting the levels to a high school educational setting
posed challenges, specifically regarding the model’s Behavior and Results levels intended to be
tracked over time. Assessing the Learning level was also limited considering the model directs
the evaluation of learning to be conducted using pre and post-learning strategies. In contrast,
participants in this study self-reported beliefs regarding the degree to which they acquired the
attitude, confidence, and commitment to apply what was learned more so than I could gauge the
learning as also intended by this level.
Recommendations for Future Research
There is a need for more research and data on these GYO teacher programs, and
opportunities to expand this research both within and outside of this school district abound.
Future research should include tracking data on how many program participants return to their
school districts as classroom teachers or in educational vocations at all. There should be follow-
up with graduated interns and longitudinal studies to track their progress and to analyze the
applicability of the knowledge and skills gained to academic and professional environments on a
larger scale. Specifically, because this study depended so heavily on study subjects’ self-
reporting, it is also recommended that observations are included in future research endeavors.
Observations of behavior would likely allow for more robust and more accurate findings.
Additional research should also closely examine diversity within these internships. Lastly, it is
119
further recommended that these programs are scrutinized utilizing other frameworks and
modalities aside from that which was used here.
Conclusion
This study aimed to evaluate the impact and influence of the FEA offered by FYISD high
school campuses. Because there is so little research and data concerning these types of GYO
programs, it was essential to gain an understanding of whether the internship was accomplishing
that for which it was designed- to encourage program graduates to pursue careers in education
and that they do so back in their home communities. The results of this study affirmed just that,
with seven of the eight former interns interviewed either currently serving as or preparing for
careers as classroom teachers. However, limited data and a small study sample made it
challenging to assess the degree to which the goal of growing educators who return to the
community to teach in their schools is being achieved. Of equal value was assessing what was
learned from the program, how that knowledge and those skills are applied in current
environments, and overall reactions to the training received to evaluate possible needs for
program modifications or enhancements.
Without question, the interns held firm beliefs that they learned a great deal from the
program and that what was learned will serve them both inside and outside the world of
education. Program graduates offered numerous examples of what was gleaned and how it has
already been applied in their current academic and work environments. Several topics were
mentioned, with the most notable being professionalism and soft skills. This knowledge can help
shape content focus moving forward.
Overall, the reactions to the program and its influence were very positive. All
respondents, the district administrator, the human resources representative, and the eight former
120
interns interviewed enthusiastically shared that they found the internship valuable. Former
students also discussed several specific examples denoting the benefits and applicability of the
program to their various experiences beyond high school. Furthermore, graduates of the program
expressed gratitude for the program experience and appreciation for the opportunity to affirm
their decision to pursue education as a profession.
The FEA and other GYO programs like it are critical to helping stave off the challenges
in education explored in this study such as teacher shortage and teacher diversity. Teacher
attrition rates are increasing at an alarming rate. There are widespread teacher shortages, and the
mosaic of diversity among students in American classrooms is not adequately mirrored by those
who educate them. Finally, these programs are further advantageous for their participants as they
help to foster positive relationships with their schools, teachers, and peers.
121
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134
Appendix A: Interview Questions for the District Administrator
Greeting:
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study that will attempt to measure the impact of the
Future Educators Academy (formerly referred to as XXXXX) offered by First Youth
Independent School District (FYISD) (a pseudonym for actual interview participants) on its
former students. It will take approximately an hour to complete this interview. Your confidential
responses will be used to assess the degree to which the program is meeting its goals. If at any
time you have a question, please ask. Also, if at any time you would like to stop the interview,
you are welcome to do so. Are we ready to record and begin?
1. How long has the district offered this particular CTE program (the education and training
internship)?
2. What was the impetus for bringing the internship into the district?
3. What are the goals of the program?
4. Do you know approximately how many students in our district have participated in the
program since its inception?
5. What was the original design of the program?
6. What are some general thoughts you have about the program that you would like to
share?
7. What changes or improvements would you like to see in the program in the short term? In
the long term?
135
Appendix B: Interview Questions for the District Human Resources Representative
Greeting:
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study that will attempt to measure the impact of the
Future Educators Academy (formerly referred to as XXXXX) offered by First Youth
Independent School District (FYISD) (a pseudonym for actual interview participants) on its
former students. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete this interview. Your
confidential responses will be used to assess the degree to which the program meets its program
goals. If at any time you have a question, please ask. Also, if at any time you would like to stop
the interview, you are welcome to do so. Are we ready to record and begin?
1. Please tell me a little about your title and your role.
2. How does HR keep up with the numbers of students who enroll in the education
and training internships at the various high school campuses each year?
3. For how many years has HR distributed Letters of Intent to seniors who
graduated from the internship program?
4. How many letters of intent have been issued over the past four years?
5. How many former program participants have been hired in the last four years as
a classroom teacher?
6. How many have been hired in another capacity?
7. How do you feel the program has impacted former participants’ decisions to
return to the district as an educator?
136
Appendix C: Future Educators Academy Former Intern Interview
Greeting:
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study that will attempt to measure the impact of the
Future Educators Academy (formerly referred to as XXXXX) offered by First Youth
Independent School District (FYISD) (a pseudonym for actual interview participants) on its
former students. It will take approximately an hour to complete this interview. Your confidential
responses will be used to assess the degree to which the program influenced your academic and
professional choices. If at any time you have a question, please ask. Also, if at any time you
would like to stop the interview, you are welcome to do so. Are we ready to record and begin?
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. In what year did you graduate?
2. From which FYISD high school campus did you graduate?
3. During which grade level(s) in high school did you participate in the internship
(11th/12th)?
4. Tell me some of your reasons for wanting to participate in this program?
5. What are you doing now?
6. Please describe your race/ethnicity.
LEVEL 1: REACTION
7. Thinking back to your experience in the internship, how satisfied were you with the
program overall?
8. What do you believe were the benefits of participating in the program?
9. How did the program impact you? Your experience in college? In the workplace?
10. Did participation in the program help you feel more connected to your peers? To your
high school? Why/why not?
11. How did the Letter of Intent offered by the district impact your decision to participate in
the internship program?
LEVEL 2: LEARNING
12. (If applicable) How did participation in the program impact your overall abilities as an
educator?
13. What, specifically, did you learn as a result of being a student in this program?
137
14. The next couple of questions are about how the program influenced your confidence level
using some of the things you learned as an intern. How confident are you applying the concepts
you learned in the program to your college courses? To your workplace?
LEVEL3: BEHAVIOR
15. Overall, how useful do you feel the program was to you outside of high school? Give me
an example of something you learned that you have been able to apply to your college
experience, in your workplace, or to your life in general.
16. How did you use what you learned about creating a professional portfolio during the
program outside of high school?
17. To what extent do you utilize the employability skills taught in the program, such as
verbal and nonverbal communication, teamwork, decision-making skills, problem solving,
conflict management, leadership, professionalism, and work ethic in your job today? Please give
specific examples.
18. How do you incorporate what you learned about lesson planning, preparing, creating, and
delivering lessons into what you are doing now?
19. What from the program that you learned about classroom learning environments and
classroom management are you now using?
20. How do you apply what you learned in the program about technology and educational
technology to what you are doing now?
21. What else can you share about what you learned about as an intern in the program that you
use today?
LEVEL 4: RESULTS
22. Are you now, or have you ever worked for FYISD in any capacity?
23. How did participation in the program influence your decision to become an educator? Please
give a specific example.
24. What recommendations do you have for improvements to the program?
25. *Is there anything else that you would like to share?
138
Appendix D: Adult Informed Consent Form
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Pkwy
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Study Title: Future Educator Programs in High Schools: An Evaluative Study
Investigator: Ilizabeth Starr
Campus Research Sponsor: Name, Campus CTE Counselor
Phone: 713-518-1777
Dear Study Participant,
I am a doctoral student at the University of Southern California, Rossier School of
Education in Los Angeles, CA conducting a research study that will evaluate a teacher
preparatory internship program in high schools. I am asking for your participation in the
confidential interview process. Participation in this study is voluntary. If you decide to
participate, you are free to withdraw your consent and stop your participation at any time without
penalty or loss of benefits to which you are allowed. I cannot guarantee, however, that you will
receive any benefits from participating in this study.
The purpose of this qualitative study is to evaluate an existing program that begins to
prepare high school students for a career in education. Specifically, the aim is to assess general
beliefs about the value of the internship experience, to understand the knowledge and skills
acquired, how former interns are applying what was learned to current environments, and the
degree to which the program is encouraging students to become educators.
139
Your data will be confidential, and the study will pose no risk to your privacy. The data
collected from the study is for educational purposes and will be reported in aggregated form. The
study records and collected data will be kept secure and confidential and maintained to the extent
allowed by law. I would be happy to share the results and findings after the research has been
concluded. After three years, the data will be destroyed.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions about the study before participating in or during
the study. I can be contacted at 713-518-1777 or by email at istarr@usc.edu. The Campus
Research Sponsor, (Name) may be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX
Your signature below indicates that you have read the information in this document. Your
signature also indicates your agreement to be in the study and have been told that you can change
your mind and withdraw your consent to participate at any time.
________________________________
Participant Name (please print)
________________________________ ________________________
Signature of Participant Date
________________________________ ________________________
Signature of Researcher Date
Abstract (if available)
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Starr, Ilizabeth
(author)
Core Title
Future educator programs in high schools: an evaluative study
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Degree Conferral Date
2021-08
Publication Date
08/06/2021
Defense Date
08/06/2021
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
Career and Technical Education,Cate,CTE,education and training,Grow Your Own,OAI-PMH Harvest,teacher shortage
Format
application/pdf
(imt)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Hirabayashi, Kimberly (
committee chair
), Mora-Flores, Eugenia (
committee member
), Wilcox, Alexandria (
committee member
)
Creator Email
istarr@usc.edu,lizstarr5@gmail.com
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC15718422
Unique identifier
UC15718422
Legacy Identifier
etd-StarrIliza-10022
Document Type
Dissertation
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Starr, Ilizabeth
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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
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Repository Location
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Repository Email
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Tags
CTE
education and training
Grow Your Own
teacher shortage