Hoop-jumping Into Teacher Education Programs: A Qualitative Narrative Inquiry Case Study
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
13-1-2021 2:00 PM
End Date
13-1-2021 2:20 PM
Abstract
As nation-wide teacher shortages continue to grow (Garcia & Weiss, 2019; Sutcher et al, 2016), the standards for which a candidate is admitted into a teacher education program have continued to remain steadfast in rigid assessment scores and vast amounts of “hoop-jumping” for those candidates that meet all criteria points but that of the ACT or other forms of standardized assessment (Ingersoll, et al, 2014; Lankford et al, 2014). To answer this call, national accreditation organizations, such as CAEP, which ultimately set the admissions standards to be met, have revised selectivity and added admissions standards that allow for multiple criteria to validate that the teacher education candidate can be admitted (cite CAEP). Participants of this session will contemplate how this case study investigates multiple undergraduate teacher education candidates who meet all requirements to gain entry into an accredited program. Individual case study narratives examine potential themes such as entry into a program, multiple occurrences of re-taking a standardized assessment to gain entry, and challenging conversations and life decisions with their academic advisor. After all, can a one-point deviation on a standardized assessment keep an otherwise qualified candidate out of a teacher education program and hinder their dreams of becoming a teacher?
Keywords
Teacher Education, College of Education, Admissions, Narrative Inquiry, Case Study, Undergraduate, Graduate, Elementary Education, Secondary Education
ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7178-1348
Hoop-jumping Into Teacher Education Programs: A Qualitative Narrative Inquiry Case Study
As nation-wide teacher shortages continue to grow (Garcia & Weiss, 2019; Sutcher et al, 2016), the standards for which a candidate is admitted into a teacher education program have continued to remain steadfast in rigid assessment scores and vast amounts of “hoop-jumping” for those candidates that meet all criteria points but that of the ACT or other forms of standardized assessment (Ingersoll, et al, 2014; Lankford et al, 2014). To answer this call, national accreditation organizations, such as CAEP, which ultimately set the admissions standards to be met, have revised selectivity and added admissions standards that allow for multiple criteria to validate that the teacher education candidate can be admitted (cite CAEP). Participants of this session will contemplate how this case study investigates multiple undergraduate teacher education candidates who meet all requirements to gain entry into an accredited program. Individual case study narratives examine potential themes such as entry into a program, multiple occurrences of re-taking a standardized assessment to gain entry, and challenging conversations and life decisions with their academic advisor. After all, can a one-point deviation on a standardized assessment keep an otherwise qualified candidate out of a teacher education program and hinder their dreams of becoming a teacher?