FACTORS AFFECTING THE DECISIONS, INTEREST, ENTRANCE, RETENTION, AND COMPLETION OF BLACK STUDENTS IN A TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
This study will investigate the recruitment and retention of minority students in a collaborative teacher preparation program through determining answers to the following research questions:
(1) What are the relationships between high school GPA, ACT, college GPA, and PPST scores of black students in the Teacher Preparation program at Lane college (a black college in Jackson, Tennessee)?
(2) How do high school GPA and college GPA and ACT scores of education students at Lane college compare to a random selection of students at Lane college who are not education majors?
(3) In the opinion of education students, what factors have been most influential in causing them to select, remain in, or change from education as a major?
(4) Will test preparation for the PPST increase retention of students in the college's teach education program?
(5) What is the correlation of the PPST with the Lane College general education program curriculum?
That there is a need for an investigation into the recruitment and retention of minority students can be seen in the fact that the minority teaching force is dwindling so rapidly that it is estimated that by the year 2,000, minority teachers will comprise no more than five percent of the national teaching force (Goertz, Ekstrom & Coley, 1984; Smith, 1987). Indeed, regarding this problem, Smith (1989) has stated that:
Supplying well-prepared compassionate teachers in sufficient numbers for America's classrooms is problem enough; but the even more grave problem of providing sufficient numbers of certified minority teachers seems impossible. (Smith, 1989, p.2)
This study will investigate the recruitment and retention of minority students in Lane College's teacher preparation program. The investigation, in large part, examines retention/recruitment factors i...