GoBigEd

Posted 9:30 PM by Susan Darst Williams

RETIRED MILITARY BEAT ED SCHOOL PRODUCTS
IN JOB EFFECTIVENESS, PRINCIPALS SAY

Here's one that's extra encouraging for Nebraska's high-poverty and rural schools, where it's reportedly harder to find and keep quality teaching staff. A special heads up to districts in Bellevue, Papillion-LaVista and other systems close to military bases.

A 2005 national study found that former military personnel retrained as teachers were considered more effective in the classroom than traditionally-prepared teachers with the same amount of classroom experience.

As reported by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the survey was of 2,103 former military personnel who went through the Troops to Teachers (T3) program, and their school administrators. The T3's obtained alternative certification through this special retraining program, rather than going the traditional route of college, student teaching and certification.

The survey covered 21 research-based instructional practices and four effective classroom management strategies associated with increased student achievement.

More than 90% of principals responded that T3's were more effective in classroom instruction and classroom management/student discipline — and have a more positive impact on student achievement — than teachers' college graduates.

Moreover, T3's teach in high-poverty schools, teach high-demand subjects (special education, math, science), plan to remain in teaching, and increase the teaching pool's diversity, the study concluded.

Source: NASSP Bulletin, Vol. 90, No. 2, 102-131 (2006)DOI: 10.1177/0192636506289023