Abstract

Every year, thousands of teachers participate in California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program in order to complete the requirements needed to obtain a clear teaching credential. Within this program lie various facets of support that serve the needs of beginning teachers and aid them in transitioning from university theory to classroom practice. Despite the long-standing existence of the BTSA program and the changes that have taken place since its development in 1992, the need exists for closer analysis of the programs effect on teaching practices and student achievement. This quantitative study analyzes (a) the degree of impact on classroom practice experienced by participating teachers, (b) the components of the program reported to have high levels of strong/moderate impact on classroom practice, (c) the components of the program reported to have high levels of some/no impact on classroom practice and (d) the areas where additional support is desired in order to positively impact student achievement. As a means to test the quality and impact of the BTSA program on teachers’ classroom performances, results from the BTSA Program survey were used. The raw survey data was arranged into a usable format by creating a unified list of questions that aligned across the three survey years. After that, descriptive statistical techniques and data visualization methods were utilized to analyze the data. The study found that there is a year by year decline in average ratings with respect to classroom impact, teacher response for desired support topics, and responses for reasons to not continue teaching. This study focuses on the impact of the BTSA Program on classroom practice and student achievement. The study provides credence in revealing the need for changes within the BTSA Program in order to positively affect classroom practices and student achievement. Although this study is one perspective, it recognizes the need for the perpetual quality support of beginning teachers.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Dissertations (EdD) -- Organizational leadership; First year teachers -- In-service training -- California; Teachers -- Certification -- California

Date of Award

2015

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Education

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Cooke, Spring;

Download

Share

COinS