This study employed a multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between academic aptitude and high school achievement factors to predict preservice mathematics teachers' college academic achievement. Specifically, an analysis of correlations and descriptive statistics was performed on predetermined academic factors of 67…

While it was acknowledged as an issue approximately three decades ago, the discussions around shortages in the educator workforce have increased in recent years, causing a great deal of alarm about the nation's capacity to provide quality educators for its students. A related concern is the lack of teachers of color, relative to an increasingly…

Some see research as an esoteric, other-worldly, practice only to be completed by those unable to do anything 'real'. Others--including some academics working in universities--see it as 'just another thing to do', a burden on already overworked staff, used as an excuse to set even more performance goals. Within initial teacher education, the…

This study examined the print exposure of teacher candidates (N = 195) in relation to their GPAs, achievement in reading and writing on the SAT, and their self-ratings of their own early (K to Grade 5) reading experiences. Participants came from undergraduate and Masters programs in varied certification areas and from two different universities.…

In this quasi-experimental study, we examine the effects of three different student teaching conditions--instructional coaching, co-teaching, and co-teaching and instructional coaching--on an elementary teacher candidate's readiness to teach in comparison to a traditional model of student teaching. 244 teacher candidates were randomly assigned to…

In the summer of 2013, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) issued public, highly-visible ratings of teacher education programs as part of their ambitious and controversial Teacher Prep Review. We provide the first empirical examination of NCTQ ratings, beginning with a descriptive overview of the ratings and documentation of how they…

The role of teachers in fostering creative processes in children is essential. However, high stakes instruction and teaching to the test inundates our current classrooms. This study explores the relationship between ACT/SAT scores and creativity among pre-service teachers. One hundred eighteen undergraduate students identified as Education majors…

The debate on the stringency of licensure exams for prospective public school teachers is on-going, including the recent controversial roll-out of the educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA). We leverage the quasi-experimental setting of different adoption timing by states and analyze multiple data sources containing a national sample of…

More than ever before, our nation needs teachers who are not only motivated to teach but who are also properly educated, trained, and prepared for the many challenges that are facing our nation's K-12 public schools. The education departments and schools at our colleges and universities cannot continue to do business as usual--they need to adjust…

Mathematics anxiety typically involves apprehension toward activities that require computation, which can lead to complications in every-day-life activities (Ashcraft, 2002). Mathematics anxiety also has become accepted as an issue associated with academic success for both children and adults (Ashcraft, 2002; Ashcraft & Moore, 2009; Beilock,…

In 2001, the No Child Left Behind legislature was introduced, along with the era of the highly qualified teacher. A highly qualified teacher meant that teachers not only had to graduate from an accredited teacher preparation program but also had to pass Praxis I and II tests. However, Praxis I became a test of elimination because teachers no…

Calls for evidence-based reform of teacher preparation programs (TPPs) suggest the question: Do the current indicators of progress and performance used by TPPs predict effectiveness of their graduates when they become teachers? In this study, the indicators of progress and performance used by one program are examined for their ability to predict…

Since 2006, the National Education Association (NEA) and Educational Testing Service (ETS) have been working collaboratively to support teacher candidates in preparing for "The Praxis Series"[TM] of teacher licensure assessments, currently used in 41 states and territories. Their focus has been particularly targeted to assisting minority…

The links between the characteristics of teacher education institutions, their programs, and teacher effectiveness as measured by scores on teacher licensure examinations were studied for the Southeast United States. Four sources of data were used: (1) data on 39,140 prospective teachers who took the Praxis II examinations for teacher licensure;…