An Education For A Lifetime

Students in the Neag School of Education should rest assured that upon graduation, being hired by a Connecticut school typically translates into a long-term commitment as a teacher in the classroom, a new report says.

The study, sponsored by the Teachers for a New Era (TNE) program, recently reported that the majority of graduates from the Neag School of Education remain teachers in Connecticut schools for 10 years or more after being hired into the profession. The number of Neag graduates that stay in the profession is much higher compared to graduates of other colleges nationwide.

"This study tells us in a powerful way that when teachers are given high quality, rigorous preparation such as they experience at the Neag School, they are more successful in meeting the diverse challenges of today's classrooms," Richard Schwab, the dean of the Neag School, said in a press release.

The report, titled, "Who Stays and Who Leaves?" was conducted by Xing Liu, an assistant professor of educational research and assessment at Eastern Connecticut State University and Scott Brown, a professor of educational psychology at the Neag School of Education and director of TNE.

The study looked at over 66,000 teachers who were working in Connecticut between 1994 and 2005. Included in this group were 1,100 UConn alums who had graduated from either the Neag School's Integrated Bachelor's/Master's program or the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates. Seventy-three percent of them were still teaching in classrooms across Connecticut 10 years after graduating.

The study found that among the non-UConn grads teaching in Connecticut schools, only 58 percent were still teaching after 10 years. Nationally, the average retention rate for teachers after only five years was 50 percent.

Brown believes there are numerous reasons why UConn grads are more likely to remain teaching in Connecticut than compared to graduates from other programs. Brown says that their high level of commitment to teaching is a large factor in retention.

"While many other colleges have a four-year education program, Neag is a five-year program, so there is an extra investment there," Brown said. "Our students invest heavily into the program, and they are very committed with what they are doing here.

He also said that getting students into the classroom environment early on is key, and that this could be another explanation for the high retention rate.

"By their junior year, students in Neag are already going out into the field, and getting clinical experience. Often other colleges don't have students do this until the spring semester of their senior year."

Brown also credited the TNE sponsored Induction Program, which follows and supports graduates during their first two years of teaching. The program provides them with everything from online discussions and training, to conferences regarding innovation in the classroom.

Jen Morgan, a 6th-semester special education major, and 1st-semester Neag student, agrees that the high retention rate is a result of the rigorous program Neag offers its students, and the amount of fieldwork students get.

"Just getting accepted into Neag is a very difficult and in-depth process, so just about everyone who gets in is already very committed to teaching," said Morgan.

"Neag's student teaching program, is a big factor as well," she added. "Here, you're getting experience in the field while you're still an undergraduate. That's not the case in a lot of other schools."

As a professor in the Neag School of Education, Brown is pleased with the results he found in the study. Besides the retention rate, he is happy with the work Neag graduates are doing.

"Many of our graduates are working in schools in Hartford, and East Hartford; typically poorer schools," said Brown. "They are not only being retained at these schools, they are also making a big difference."

Contact Eric Walsh at Eric.Walsh@UConn.edu.