Contact: Bill Wilson (916) 278-3507, bwilson@calstate.edu

Teacher Preparation Report Shows California State University Grads Are Ready to Teach

Sixth Annual Report Also Links the Effects of Teacher Preparedness to Student Achievement

(March 13, 2007) –The California State University’s annual Teacher Preparation Program Evaluation found that over 80 percent of CSU-taught teachers are very effective in teaching reading-language arts, mathematics, and in the use of instructional technologies. Conducted by the CSU’s Center for Teacher Quality (CTQ) and presented today during the CSU Board of Trustees meeting, the report also provides recent findings on the link between teacher preparation and student achievement.

In 2006, the CTQ asked job supervisors of 2,165 new teachers to assess the CSU’s effectiveness in preparing them for the rigors of classroom teaching. The supervisors assessed CSU effectiveness in relation to 42 duties of the teachers. The findings in the preparedness of CSU elementary teachers in specific skills for reading-language arts, K-8 math, and in the use of instructional technologies showed an increase in skills in all categories compared to 2005. 

“Since launching this annual evaluation in 2000, the California State University has continued to see a steady increase each year in the skills of teachers trained within the CSU system,” said Gary Reichard, CSU executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer. “By measuring their skill sets annually, the CSU is gathering feedback that is critical in helping us make improvements in the preparation of future teachers.”

According to the evaluation findings, the following percentage of CSU-taught teachers were “well-prepared or adequately prepared” to teach:

Reading-Language Arts Instruction

• vocabulary -- 85%
• reading comprehension -- 84%
• word recognition -- 82%
• spelling and grammar -- 85%
• oral language skills -- 84%
• develop students fluency in reading -- 82%
• use state-adopted reading textbooks -- 84%

K-8 Math Curriculum

• conceptual understanding and the logic of math -- 85%
• math problem solving skills using multiple strategies -- 82%
• math computational and procedural skills -- 88%

Use Instructional Technologies in K-12 Classrooms

• use computer-based applications -- 82%
• use computers in class activities and record keeping -- 83%
• understand technical terms and procedures -- 87%
• use educational websites and electronic communications -- 83%
• use hardware and software in instructional presentations -- 82%

An important new feature of this year’s report is an assessment of the relative impact of CSU-trained teachers’ preparedness on K-12 learning. Using data on student learning gathered by two of California’s largest urban school districts, CTQ was able to assess the role of “teacher factors” in the learning of reading, language and math skills, in grades 4 and 5.

The evaluation found:

• student learning associated with “student factors” such as English language proficiency was 35% in reading, 29% in language and 35% in math.
• student learning associated with “teacher factors” such as university preparation was 27% in reading, 25% in language and 23% in math.
• student learning that “could not be estimated” with the available information was 38% in reading, 46% in language and 42% in math.

“Overall, the report demonstrates the effectiveness of CSU in preparing new teachers with a strong understanding of the state’s curriculum,” said Reichard. “Now, with six years of teacher preparedness data, the 23 CSU campuses will be able to better evaluate and to improve the effectiveness of their programs. This is critical because graduating well prepared teachers is a core mission of the CSU.”

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